The Work of Jocelyn Bain Hogg
Renowned for his intimate and honest imagery, photographer Jocelyn Bain Hogg has spent much of his career documenting the individuals and affairs of Britain's criminal underworld through his two series, The Firm, and The Family.
However, Jocelynâs journey to photographing the world of organised crime is often forgotten. After studying documentary photography at college, Hogg began working as a unit photographer on film sets, alongside shooting for publications including the BBC. Throughout the 90s, Jocelyn worked extensively within the fashion industry, photographing shows and collections for Vogue across Europe. It would take a failed marriage proposal to his model partner to shift him onto a different path.
Whilst searching for any and all kinds of work, Jocelyn would accompany a journalist to a meeting with two London gangsters. A late night and many scotches later, as Hogg once recalled, his first steps into the criminal underworld were made. Through connecting on a personal and human level with these infamous individuals, Jocelyn slowly delved deeper into the world of organised crime. By attending gatherings and events as an insider, Hogg was able to document previously unseen encounters between some of the nationâs most notorious criminals.
The Firm, as this series of photographs would later become known, is still widely viewed and praised over two decades after its initial release. Shot entirely in black and white, Jocelyn depicted every aspect of his subjects' lives, from the mundane to the outlandish. Focused upon conveying the wide-range of emotions which are experienced by these individuals, the images presented the highs and lows that such a lifestyle entails.
A decade later, Hogg decided to revisit the ever changing world of organised crime through a second series of photographs entitled, The Family. Whilst similar in style and subject matter, these photographs were a more sombre and harsh depiction of the criminal world and the effects on the lives of those involved.
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