During the 1960s and 1970s Sonya Newell-Smith worked as a freelance
photojournalist for The Sunday Telegraph, The Times and various Italian
magazines.
She was self-taught under the guidance of her late husband
David Newell-Smith (1937–2017), a distinguished photojournalist for The
Observer. From this early period exists a series of black-and-white
photographs in London railway stations. In May 1971 a portfolio of her work
was published in the British Journal of Photography under her maiden name
Sonya Hirsch.
Over 53 years Sonya shared the love of photography with her husband
David. From 1978 till 2017 they led the renowned Tadema Gallery. In 2021
Sonya published together with Beatriz Chadour-Sampson its history with the
title ‘Tadema Gallery London. Jewellery from the 1860’s to 1960’s’.
Sonya’s passion for photography continues to this day and in 2021 she was a finalist
in the DPSP Street Photography Awards and in February 2022 her work was
published in X-Posure. In July 2022 she had a solo-exhibition at Galleria arte
spazio tempo in Venice titled ‘Decisive Moments: Brick Lane London’.
In the accompanying exhibition catalogue Pia Parolin wrote in the foreword
‘Sonya Newell-Smith shows her ability to capture a moment in the classic
tradition of photo-journalism. At the same time, she presents us street
photography with a fundamental sense of humour and understanding for
human emotions, in her direct and candid photos which mirror daily life. Her
photos reveal an insight into the diversity, vibrancy and energy of the place,
and they express a deep passion for this environment and its people’.
In 2024 she received the Gold Medal for the category ‘Street Humour/
Unusual’ from the PISPA (Paris International Street Photo Awards).
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