St John Ambulance
Save a Life September
THE BRIEF
St John Ambulance’s annual Save a Life September (SALS) campaign is all about giving the public confidence to step in during an emergency — teaching CPR, defibrillator use, and how to stop severe bleeding.
They needed authentic, story-driven photography to support their campaign across social media, website banners, emails, internal comms, and press. The key was balance, imagery that captured both the seriousness of first aid training and the joy and connection that comes from learning to save a life.
The creative brief asked for a mix of wide hero shots, engaging close-ups, and natural, people-focused moments, showing volunteers in action, families learning together, and fundraising activity, all while keeping the tone professional and uplifting.
THE VISION
The aim was to visually tell the story of empowerment, showing that learning first aid isn’t intimidating, it’s inclusive, hopeful, and something anyone can do.
I approached the shoot with a documentary style, focusing on real interactions and emotion rather than posed photos. Capturing volunteers teaching CPR to children, families getting hands-on with defibs and mannequins, and cadets confidently leading demos helped convey the accessibility of St John’s mission.
Lighting, colour, and composition were chosen to keep the images bright, welcoming, and true to life, ensuring the St John green uniform remained instantly recognisable across every shot.
THE RESULTS
The final collection provided St John Ambulance with a strong bank of images used across national and regional channels throughout the campaign.
- Featured across website homepages, social media posts, and fundraising materials.
- Delivered over 50 professionally edited images covering training, fundraising, and community engagement.
- Helped reposition the campaign visuals from clinical and instructional to human, hopeful, and community-focused.
The photos highlighted the confidence and compassion of St John volunteers and the curiosity of families learning together, perfectly capturing what Save a Life September is really about: ordinary people learning extraordinary skills.
