Pictures of the month — and your chance to ask our photographers about them

Times

03-06-2025

Jack Hill, James Glossop and Richard Pohle talk us through their favourite shots — post your questions below and James will answer them on Wednesday
, Photographer |
Jack Hill
, Chief News Photographer |
Richard Pohle
, Photographer
The Times
Have you ever wondered how our photographers get the perfect shot?
James Glossop will be online from 1pm on Wednesday to answer your questions. You can ask about anything, from equipment and lighting to how he gets into prime position, in the comments below.
I've always loved photographing aircraft so it was with some excitement I was assigned to go to Poland to photograph the the jets of Poland, Britain and Sweden taking part in a tri-nation operation to intercept Russian aircraft flying too close to Nato borders. Here a Polish MIG 29 screams low over the Polish air force base of Malbork after returning from a training exercise
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
John Healey posed at Wentworth Woodhouse near Rotherham for The Sunday Times before an interview about Monday's strategic defence review. I got about eight minutes to do this shoot, but managed three or four different setups. I used a deliberately stark lighting style and something called a Gobo projector, with a narrow slit in it to channel light into the spot where the defence secretary stood
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES GLOSSOP
I had a fascinating assignment in Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, and the surrounding areas, now under M23 control after government forces were pushed out in January. With permission we visited the mines at Rubaya, a punishing three-hour drive on one of the worst roads I've travelled
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL
Rubaya is a critical mining town producing coltan and manganese, key minerals used in modern tech. I chose this shot for its scale — I wanted to convey the enormity of the operation and the conditions involved
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL
Before VE Day, the Tower of London planted 30,000 ceramic poppies. I was there mainly to photograph the volunteers tirelessly assembling and planting the poppies but was aware the pictures weren't quite working as nothing I was photographing said 'Tower of London'. Towards the end of my time there I saw several yeoman warders watching from the side. I knew then that this was the picture I needed. I quickly asked permission to photograph one of them and asked if he could plant a poppy and he readily agreed. I was delighted when this image made the front page of The Times the following day
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
I was in Ramsgate, Kent, for the 85th anniversary of the astonishing rescue of British troops from the beaches of Dunkirk in 1940. To mark the anniversary of Operation Dynamo many of the original Dunkirk Little Ships made the crossing again. I was lucky to secure a spot on a pilot boat that accompanied them partway into the Channel
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL
Soldiers at Pirbright barracks in Surrey carry the flags of the Commonwealth as they prepare for the VE Day parade in central London. I always like to photograph the rehearsal for a state occasion more than the actual event as you can get much closer to events and catch little moments of detail before discipline takes over
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
On the Farne Islands off the coast of Northumberland, the annual puffin census involves birds being weighed using an unusual method: placing them upside down in a jug. I knew from the moment I shot this picture that it would be the one that got used, because it hadn't been seen before
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES GLOSSOP
Earlier in the month, I travelled with Sir Keir Starmer to the European Political Community summit in Tirana, Albania. I liked the symmetry and formality of this frame — the grandeur of the honour guard welcoming our prime minister to the Presidential Palace for his meeting with the Albanian president, Bajram Begaj
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL
Ukrainian recruits are put through a seven-week intensive battle training course in East Anglia run by British and other Nato soldiers intended to give them more 'survivability'. I spent a full day with them as they were put through their paces by the Irish Guards. Here a group of Ukrainians carry a mock casualty away from a battle area. The British soldiers admitted a bond grows through the training and the Ukrainians' inevitable departure to war is always an emotional day
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
Before the Great Ouseburn Garden Festival in North Yorkshire on Sunday, a retired headteacher called Caroline Smale restores some of her fellow villagers' colourful garden gnomes to their former glory. A light into a large brolly helped to fill the foreground in this image while maintaining the outdoor feel
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES GLOSSOP
Every two years the members of what must be the most exclusive club in the world — the Victoria Cross and George Cross Association — attend a service of remembrance and a royal reception. To stand among these incredible people is an absolute honour, and although a couple can't be photographed for security reasons I was greeted warmly. Here one Victoria Cross recipient, Johnson Beharry, waits for the King to arrive at Windsor Castle. In the background other members of the association talk among themselves
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
King Charles exits his car on arrival in Bradford, where he made a number of visits relating to the city's status as 2025 City of Culture. I like the way he appears to be staring me down
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES GLOSSOP
With a sense of circularity I found myself near Dunkirk again later in the month, this time working on an immigration story. I'd seen groups near the camps heading towards bus stops, some carrying life jackets. With ideal weather forecast for the next day, I travelled to Gravelines beach at dawn. The sunrise revealed hundreds of people, either hidden in the dunes or gathered along the foreshore, waiting to board a dinghy
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL
When boarding begins, it quickly becomes organised chaos. It must be a nerve-racking ordeal for everyone involved
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JACK HILL
I used a DJI Mini 2 drone to capture this scene of swimmers at Ilkley Lido in West Yorkshire on its opening weekend. The distinctive shape of the pool helped catch the eye of the picture editors
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES GLOSSOP
There are several dress rehearsals for Trooping the Colour; the first is known as the Brigade Major's Review. This is always great to photograph as we can stand in positions usually reserved for TV cameras that give a unique view that isn't available on big day. No members of the royal family are present, so I can concentrate on the precision drill of the guardsmen. Using a 500mm lens, I focused in on the tight formations to create this view
TIMES PHOTOGRAPHER RICHARD POHLE
Year 11 school leavers celebrate their 'graduation' by throwing mortarboards in the air in what has become an annual tradition at BBG Academy near Bradford, West Yorkshire. There are very few cases where I use my Canon R5's full speed ability to capture 20 frames per second — you simply end up with too many images to edit — but this was one of them