I was invited to photograph a performance of the Lion King at Ysgol Maes Y Coed in Neath, South Wales, which is a school that caters for young people with a variety of complex learning difficulties from the ages of 2 to 19 years. Maes Y Coed is an amazing and very welcoming school with dedicated and caring staff who are committed to supporting the education of all their young people.

It was my objective to capture the excitement and energy of the participating children and the commitment and supportive atmosphere created by the remarkable teaching staff. The props had all been designed and fashioned by the staff and children, mainly from ‘found materials’ and I wanted to grasp the very essence of the day whilst everyone got into character as the energy in the dressing room reached a crescendo prior to the stage appearance and the audience awe. The performance of the kids was electrifying and kept the audience captivated throughout and kept me busy trying to anticipate the next scene to set-up my camera accordingly.

The theatre lighting by Dili and CJ was incredible but presented me with equal challenges. With the ever-changing scenes and lighting scenarios my ISO settings varied from ISO800 to ISO6400 in an attempt to capture the fast-paced action of the young actors.

The breath-taking day challenged my photography skills, but moreover I felt privileged to have witnessed the performance of the incredible children and I hope to have faithfully represented the occasion with my images.