Nicola David

City Heat - The 2026 heatwave in Britain

I began this series in the spring, using strong light to illuminate people – but it soon became about people illuminating light. Then as the summer heatwaves hit, it also became about temperature. People\'s faces are secondary: I’m interested in how heat drives behaviour. In the high-contrast canyons of the city, people dash between patches of brutal light and heat – they squint and shade their eyes. Out come the sunglasses, hats, bright clothing, cold drinks; ice cream. Shadow is no longer the absence of light; it becomes a place of relief. There’s a question here about climate change: what will life be like? These images were taken in the financial district of London, and in Edinburgh and York. They’re pretty much straight-out-of-camera and only take a couple of minutes to process. All taken on a Nikon Z6II and Z6III + 70-300 Nikkor lens.