Phil Tragen Photography

24/12/2025

Made a mini-documentary on Lee, who runs a busy musical instrument repair workshop, and how having autism impacts on it. The way he sees his interactions with people is super interesting, along with the very specific satisfaction he gets from the job.

Take a look 👀 and merry Xmas.

Autism And Audio Repair: How Lee Runs A Business

Filmed back in the summer and finally, finally cut together, this is about Lee Parry, who runs a successful musical repair workshop in Manchester. On his sho...

09/10/2025

Session with Millie at the Jane Eyre, Chorlton - great location for a shoot (thanks to the management for letting me jn) and Millie was a lamb to work with. Arrived before me as well, but I guess that’s normal (I forgot my smoke machine).

First proper day out for the new toy, seeing how the autofocus system keeps up. Shot on a mix of 55mm and 90mm primes and all that jazz.

Model and styling:
Assistant:
Location:
Camera:

xcd90v

26/09/2025

Been waiting to share this for a good while. Empire Exchange’s shop front on Newton Street, Manchester is a mass of strange memorabilia and bric a brac all fighting for space behind the glass, and I’ve walked past it 200 times without going in.

The very first time I did, I got curious about who owned it, and among the strange ornaments, digital watches, 30 year old p**n magazines, vinyls, acoustic guitars and comic books was the proprietor - this guy, John Ireland.

79 years old at the time of taking, John has had a full and varied life. Alcoholism was a problem early on, and it led to the collapse of his construction business and a mess with HMRC. He was admitted to the Withington Psychiatric Ward, and he’s been in recovery since 1986.

John knows he should’ve retired years ago and his wife certainly wants him to, but he believes he’d die quicker without the excitement of running this business.

He told me a lot about his complicated early life and was happy for me to share - but the one thing he wasn’t happy with was for anyone to call what Empire Exchange sells ‘junk.’ 😆

29/08/2025

Quick one for the ‘gram.

21/08/2025

Photo call for at - mixing puppet animals with live ones sure was confusing, not least for the animals. While doing this shoot a cow licked my stand and then a pig shat on it. Cleanup on aisle three. 👀👀👀

Also my first outing with a 2x3 Profoto soft box I picked up second hand from - I prefer it to an octa, it’s just a bit less splashy.

29/07/2025

Met the great last week as he was introduced to Olivia, Mollie, Sanna and Madison, who are sharing the role of Matilda for 😀

… followed up with a picture of the entire young cast. Tim said I have pretty eyes. Can I say that? I’m saying it.

25/07/2025

Some portraits of in between practice laps at Donington Park Circuit.

This was a tricky one… it costs a lot to use the track at Donington, so we had to fit in our pictures of Lyr in a mad rush with mere minutes between laps of the track. It also meant that I needed to light a scene without the subject, or her car, backing the car into the right spot, getting Lyr out and posing her up all over again.

Donington Park is so cool though - full of drivers, mechanics, sponsors and instructors all obsessed with what they do.

09/07/2025

A portrait shoot with who has just finished her run in the hit musical Dear England that’s been on at .

Felixe has the most interesting face, and also does an incredible impression of former PM Theresa May in the show. Apparently a key learning was that it’s basically impossible to overbake a Theresa May impression - the harder you go, the more it sounds like her.

Shot at
HMUA by

Music by Prince. (Felixe says all she listens to is Prince.)

Background by and shot on a


xcd90v

09/06/2025

Part of a great series I did with - quantity surveyor by day and the rest of the time a Muay Thai fighter competing full contact in packed out arenas across the North West. It’s a conveyor belt of broken ribs, swollen knees and bloodied faces.

Before one of her fights when most people would’ve been at their most anxious, I saw Becky with her AirPods in, dancing and singing to herself, chill as anything. We recreated that at where she trains.

30/05/2025

The founders of Sophie and Ella. Shot in with its natural light and vibrant tones - good match for the Griddle brand.

Shout out to Sue of Pressante and Hannah and Amber of .connect !

Shot on beautiful medium format and lit with the usual 🕺🏻

27/05/2025

Day three from the Cheshire Classic Car and Motorcycle Show.

1) Simon with his extraordinary TVR Tuscan, the shades match the car

2) Peter with a classic 1962 E-Type Jag series 1 3.8 roadster. He won an award that day.

26/05/2025

Numbers 3 and 4 from - owners and cars spiritually as one.

1) Michael with a 1953 Austin A35
2) Carl with a Ford RS2000