Paul Pope is a documentary photographer and Associate Professor of Psychology at the University of Birmingham. Through visual storytelling and psychological insight, he explores how people connect with one another and the world around them.
He often works with 35mm film, which suits a slower way of looking. His projects cover a range of subjects, from urban landscapes and industrial sites to seaside towns and local communities.
Paul’s interest in photography began at primary school, when he made a pinhole camera from black cardboard and a milk-bottle top. His curiosity about the world also drew him to psychology. For more than twenty years, he has studied how the brain enables us to think and act, with a particular interest in creativity.
His psychology background also influences how he approaches photography and sees the world. Alongside his research and teaching, he brings photography and psychology together to support public engagement with science, helping make scientific ideas easier to understand and connect with everyday life.
Before concentrating on self-initiated projects, Paul spent many years working as a documentary photographer, completing more than 500 commissions. His work has received international recognition and has appeared in various publications and group exhibitions.
For Paul, photography is a way of paying attention to the world. Psychology helps him make sense of what he sees.
Selected Publications
Royal Photographic Society
Analog.Cafe
Wedding Photojournalist Association
Rock My Wedding
Your West Midlands Wedding Magazine
Perfect Wedding Magazine
Wedding Ideas Magazine
Selected Commissions
Palace of Westminster
House of Lords
Twentieth Century Society
University of Birmingham
Rowton Castle
Royal Medical Benevolent Fund
Centre for Human Brain Health