Behind the cover story

Behind the scenes of our Women in optometry edition

OT puts a spotlight on female trailblazers within optometry – from a Doncaster independent practice to the University of Manchester

2 min read

Mark Newton

Selina Powell

01 August 2025

Women leading the way within optometry held centre stage for OT’s August/September Women in optometry edition.

Professor Hema Radhakrishnan was photographed alongside the colourful corridors of the University of Manchester – where each corridor is a different colour in the order of the spectral wavelength.

Optometrist and owner of Edwards & Walker Opticians, Dr Pretty Basra, was photographed in her newly-refurbished practice alongside optical assistant, Emily Irving.

In a moment that was fitting for an edition that explores how women balance the different aspects of their identity, Irving’s children made a cameo appearance during the photoshoot.

“It was a non-working day for Emily, so she brought her two-year-old and four-year-old along,” Basra explained.

“They would walk into the shoot to ask for snacks or simply to have a hug,” she said.

Basra shared that both herself and Irving have taken part in photo shoots before, which calmed any nerves about taking part.

“Mark was lovely and made it a really easy shoot. He wanted us to feel relaxed and tried to capture the practice as well as our personalities,” she said.

Radhakrishnan shared with OT that PhD students and staff who passed by the photoshoot had been provided with advance notice that it would be taking place.

“Mark was great and the equipment he brought was fascinating. I enjoyed the experience and learnt a couple of new things too,” she said.