Sean with deminers in Sinjar, Iraq
Sean is an independent documentary photographer, storyteller, and communications professional, working with international NGOs and the media.
His imagery has been published across major media channels worldwide. Along with testimony-based narratives this has formed the visual and informational content in order to communicate the impact and consequences of armed conflict, human rights, environmental and development issues. This is to meet public, institutional donor and policy objectives, to fight injustice, raise funds and influence change.
He has built a strong and active network of media contacts, and is represented by photo agency Panos Pictures.
Sean maximises the impact of his work by combining NGO collaborations with media coverage. Focusing on amplifying the voice of marginalised communities, profiling issues, crisis situations, highlighting injustice, and demonstrating how together we can change things for the better. His work has informed and provided the evidence for advocacy campaigns and actions. His core personal and professional ambition is to influence, through sincere and impactful multimedia journalism.
Recent issues reported on: Between the Sudans: inside the forgotten ‘Abyei box’, Conflict and Climate Change in South Sudan, drought and displacement in Somalia, the conflict in Ukraine, Nigeria – Hidden Crisis in Borno, Landmine Emergency in the Levant – Iraq and Syria.
He has produced award-winning imagery in over 40 countries since 1989, filmed, produced and edited short films and designed and produced numerous reports and publications.
Sean has published two photographic books with Dewi Lewis Publishing and held many photographic exhibitions internationally. His photography is widely published by the international press.
He was awarded a Visiting Fellowship with the Leslie International Faculty, Leeds Metropolitan University in October 2009.
Specialties: documentary photography, video production, journalism, NGO field assessments, media management, media spokesperson, crisis communications and key messaging.
“The seeds were planted by Bert Hardy and George Roger, and in turn gave life to the likes of Philip Jones Griffiths and Don McCullin, John Reardon and especially Life magazine’s Larry Burrows. Sean Sutton’s work reflects this same iconic imagery, one generation further down the line. The baton has been passed on to the true believer, an impassioned portrayer of humanity’s plight, hoping that a still picture essay will sway at least some of the audience.”
Tim Page
PUBLICATIONS
February 2011 ‘Laos: Legacy of a Secret’ book published by Dewi Lewis Publishing
November 2010 ‘Capturing the Legacy’ (joint publication with five photographers) Published by The Cluster Bomb Coalition
January 2007 ‘Angola – A journey through change’ book published by Dewi Lewis Publishing
1989 – Present. Photographs continue to be published in numerous UK and international publications including: The Independent, The Guardian, The Observer, The Times, The Telegraph, Newsweek, Time Magazine, US News and World Report Washington Post, Der Spiegel, Le Figaro, Le Monde. Photographs are frequently used by NGOs and other organisations in publications and online.
EXHIBITIONS/PROJECTIONS
September 2022 ‘Conflict & Climate Change in South Sudan’ Projected at Visa Pour L’Image, Perpignan France.
September 2021 ‘Nigeria: Boko Haram’s Deadly Legacy' Projected at Visa Pour L’Image, Perpignan France.
December 2017 ‘Walk without fear Angola’ States Parties to the Landmine Ban Conference, Vienna, Austria
September 2015 ‘Honduras: Bloodied Nation’ Projected at Visa Pour L’Image, Perpignan France.
September 2014 ‘Impact’ Landmines and Unexploded Ordnance. Beirut Symposium, Beirut, Lebanon
September 2014 ‘The Eye of the Storm’ Typhoon Yolanda, Philippines. Printed exhibition Visa Pour L’Image, Perpignan France. This work was also shortlisted for the Visa D’or.
April 2014 ‘Surviving the Peace: Landmines, mortars and munitions’ Senate Rotunda, Washington DC, USA, Hosted by Senator Patrick Leahy
March 2013 Surviving the Peace’ James Madison University, Harrisonburg, Virginia, USA
December 2012 – April 2013 ‘For a Mine Free World’ (Joint show with three other photographers) Berlin, UN Geneva and UN New York.
December 2012 ‘Impact for Peace’ (Joint show with three other photographers) Remnants of War Museum, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
December 2011–March 2012 ‘Impact’ Foreign Correspondent’s Club, Phnom Penh and Siem Reap, Cambodia.
November 2011 ‘Impact for Peace’ Maison des Arts Gallery, Hanoi, Vietnam
June 2010 ‘Surviving the Peace’ Bargehouse Gallery, South Bank London.
November 2009 International Summit for a Mine Free World, Cartagena, Colombia.
November 2009 Imperial War Museum north five-meter frames of images on display for six months.
June 2009 Berlin Conference on the Destruction of Cluster Munitions
June 2009 MAG: 20 years of life saving work, Washington, USA
June 2008 Clusterbombs in South East Asia, Irish Aid, Dublin
April 2008 UN Secretariat Building, New York, USA
November 2007 Remnants of War Museum, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
October 2007 Angola: Journey through Change, EC Information Centre, Lisbon, Portugal.
March 2007 Angola: Journey through Change, Queen Mary 2 crossing from New York to Southampton.
March 2007 Angola: Journey through Change, EU and AU Security Conference, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
March 2007 Surviving the Peace. Chicago Cultural Center, Chicago, USA
November 2006 Surviving the Peace. Foreign Correspondent’s Club, Phnom Penh, Cambodia
September 2006 Lebanon Crisis, 7th meeting of States Parties to Mine Ban Convention, UN, Geneva, Switzerland
September 2006 Journey Through Africa's Dark Heart – DR Congo, projection at Visa pour l’Image, Perpignan, France
February 2006 Iraq Dublin, Ireland (together with Irish NGO Trocaire)
September 2005 ‘Living with the bomb – Laos’ Visa pour L’Image, Perpignon, France. (Projection)
Permanent exhibition Remnants of War Museum, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam.
June 2005 European Parliament, Brussels, Belgium
2005 – Present Projection in Manchester’s Imperial War Museum
May 2005 – May 2006 ‘Surviving the Peace’ Royal Armouries, Leeds.
November 2004 ‘Angola: Living Through Change’ Nairobi summit on a mine free world, Kenya.
July – August 2004 ‘Angola: Living Through Change’ Fortaleza de Luanda, Luanda, Angola.
April – May 2001 ‘Surviving the Peace’ Foreign Correspondent’s Club, Phnom Penh, Cambodia.
2000 – ‘Angola’s Deadly Harvest’ – Travelled to 8 African countries
June 1999 - ‘Surviving the Peace’ Richard Goodall Gallery, Manchester.
June 1997 ‘Responding to Landmines’ Royal Geographical Society, London, UK. (Private view with Princess Diana).
August 1995 Oxford University Press, Oxford – Faces of War
May 1990 Photographer’s Workshop, Oxford – The Struggle of the Karen
FILMS
November 2009 Lao Video Diary for Granada Television, UK
January 2009 Conflict Recovery. Multi media collage translated into five languages and distributed internationally.
March 2006 Small arms in Sudan – Short film on the day in the life of a MAG Small Arms Light Weapons team in Sudan.
July 2005 Mine Risk Education in Sri Lanka. 20-minute film (English and Tamil versions) for community MRE and international awareness.
January 2003 Surviving the Peace in Angola – 20-minute documentary