In late 2025, Diespeker was contacted by London-based documentary and advertising photographer Orlando Gili.

Orlando is developing a portrait series celebrating Londoners who make a living using their hands, focusing on businesses in the Old Kent road; he is keen to feature this area as it is due to face rapid gentrification.

As a maker still using traditional skills from the early days of the marble and terrazzo business, Diespeker ticks Orlando’s boxes. He had already photographed at metal specialists Kaymet in nearby Ossory Road who Diespeker has collaborated on for certain projects. So we were delighted to welcome him to the factory, where he took a number of photos, including Daniel Servante and Mitch France in the factory setting. He is returning this year to take more images for his series.
  
Orlando said: “This series celebrates London’s artisans and craftspeople – individuals who make their living through skill, precision and the art of working with their hands. In a world that’s increasingly defined by screens and automation, this series turns its focus to the people and trades that remain grounded in the physical, material realm – the makers whose expertise and creativity sustain a vital part of the city’s identity. This project aims to highlight the beauty of craftsmanship, and the enduring value of manual labour in an age of digitisation.”

‘London still makes things, and the people who make them matter’ – Positive News