Commissioned by the Arts Picture Editor for The Times, I had the privilege of capturing these editorial portraits of the South Bank Breakthrough Award nominees between 2005 and 2008. These rising stars, across disciplines like music, theatre, and film, were selected by Times arts critics as the most promising talents in their fields. I really enjoyed this shift in my practice; moving into editorial portraiture allowed for a more considered, storytelling approach than hard news. It was inspiring to document these individuals at the start of their journeys—capturing the essence of performers like James McAvoy, Ben Whishaw, and David Oyelowo before they became global icons.