'Spotlights' is a photographic project rooted in the heart of the West Midlands — a celebration of the powerlifters who train there, compete there, and call it home. I embarked upon this series whilst running West Midlands Powerlifting social media.

From athletes representing Great Britain Powerlifting Team to lifters preparing for their very first competition, this project steps beyond the platform and into the spaces where strength is built: garage gyms, converted spare rooms, community clubs, and industrial units humming with chalk and iron.

These portraits aren’t just about numbers on a barbell. They’re about identity. Discipline. Ritual. The music playing between sets. The worn knurling of a favourite bar. The handwritten programs pinned to the wall.

Spotlights is about connection, giving the West Midlands the chance to see the faces, stories, and personalities behind the lifts. Each athlete brings something uniquely their own to powerlifting: quiet intensity, contagious energy, meticulous focus, raw determination. Through honest, environmental portraiture, this project captures not just how they train, but who they are.