C’mon you know, you know. You can’t go wrong with the lad, he looks amazing, does his thing, is charismatic as hell and is a genuine rockstar. I also shot 2 covers on the bounce for MOJO of which I’m super proud. It’s such a consistently important and impactful title and that they use me for stuff like this, and I then have these experiences with legends like Liam? Yeah, it’s a definite thing.
MOJO and LGx
What a privilege
Mr Jack White for MOJO. I came away from this shoot in Nashville marvelling at the mind of the man. He’s built a beautiful world there, based on charisma, energy, graft, intelligence, talent and importantly, building community around the music. I loved it and to have the day to craft imagery with him was so worth it. Didn’t want to leave actually.
Nice at Old Trafford
It went pretty big. At Old Trafford too, with the biggest piece of print for a fair few miles I shouldn’t wonder. It really meant a lot to me, to be called Oldham and to FaceTime my (lifelong fan of a) dad with this as a backdrop from a place of huge significance to him. One to be remembered, for so many reasons. Photography, cruel as it can be, has enabled so many occasions like this in my life I will never not be grateful.
Ronaldo x ManUtd x Adidas x Peter Saville
And the most popular person on Instagram looks at the monitor and decrees to the room: THIS PHOTOGRAPHER IS AMAZING! and I think to myself, what a wonderful world (and hope all the clients and agencies and good folk present who make stuff happen log it). Thanks to Henry and Homeground for making this dream a reality.
I mean, Taylor? Seriously?
Apparently so. What a proper fucking heartbreaker. I shot with him way back and all I can tell you is that I really enjoyed meeting and shooting with Taylor Hawkins. Huge spirit and energy, and the way he and Dave sparked in a room really had me scared for how DG must be feeling about this. Terrible business.
I will blog again, I really will
I promise.
Black Country, New Road for MOJO
So brilliant to be out shooting for MOJO again. They have been so good to me and allow great trust and freedom in their photographers. It must be around 10 years I’ve been with now but I never take their commissions for granted as each exists as a privilege I really value. This was no exception, made all the more valuable by the lack of much else happening atm! of course. Shot at the (in)famous Columbia Hotel in West London, it was great to be in such an inspiring, creative space where our shoot was welcomed by the team (James Hole and Hebz El-Hawary on lights) and a band who were positive and supportive of our ideas - something I remain ever grateful for. Please support the mag if you’re able to - they believe in print, in music, artistic freedom and creativity and that’s all good with me.
Billie for Hasselblad
We’re always aiming for perfection and rarely achieve it, but just how close to perfect is this?! I’ve wanted to shoot with Billie ever since meeting them during my ballroom scene shoots - I was struck by Billie’s looks of course but all of the warmth, generosity of spirit and kindness too. Hasselblad approached me about shooting some campaign imagery for a new product they were launching - an adaptor that makes lenses faster and wider (AMAZING) and this was all the excuse I needed to have Billie come into the studio and hit us with shapes for days. They really delivered, as did James Hole and Hebz on lights too. Anna here did the make up BIG TIME. The shoot was styled by Jamie and retouched by Ryan and I’m grateful to each for just bringing it. It’s tough times on set and I truly appreciate the willingness of the people around me to make shit great.
At Thomas Tallis School, with books
You did it again. I’ve delivered 17 boxes of books to Thomas Tallis School in South London, a state comprehensive with a fantastic photo dept run by Dianne and Jon. Please see the letter below from the Head if you’re considering contributing, I hope this helps you leap aboard as the enthusiasm and passion for photobooks in schools never ceases to amaze me. They’re such an unaffordable resource yet seem in such abundance in the outside world, and your incredible generosity brings them in great numbers continually. Huge thanks to all of you for this kindness and especially BJP and The Photographers Gallery for their valued support, to Lucy Burton, Grant Scott, and also Horton-Stephens for a massive contribution this time.
Raymond Blanc for GQ
No half measures with this absolute culinary DON. Lovely to be shooting for GQ of course and on assignment at Belmond Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons no less, with the maestro, who dragged the British dining experience into Europe and saved us from tinned vegetables and boiled meats. This story and many others regaled us throughout our morning shoot in Oxfordshire and Raymond’s kindness, warmth and charisma will ever remain a lesson. Big thanks to James and Anna on this for making such great pictures and to our genial host too - for giving us the tour and so much time.
Daisy Edgar-Jones for Macmillan
Proud to present a new portrait for Macmillan Cancer Support, featuring actor Daisy here from BBC’s Normal People. Despite some phenomenal conditions on the day, the timing turned good (like it so commonly does, always amazes me how few days we lose to weather) and Daisy genuinely was a delight to shoot. Everyone comes out for Macmillan - their service is a wonder and they truly deserve our support. I know a few hundred people will read this and you’re welcome to contribute to their work should you wish, by texting CUPPA to 70550 to donate a fiver. Thanks so much.
Patti Lupone
So lucky. So, so lucky. To be in the room with a legend of this magnitude was a privilege that will live with me forever. Photographed backstage at the Gielgud Theatre in London for the New York Times, Patti Lupone was of course the ultimate professional and completely delivered, in seconds, a lovely range of portraits for this editorial feature. I loved her. Though interestingly (for me anyway) I buried these at the time as I wasn’t feeling them at all and didn’t think I had anything in the set. I love them now, all the more for having watched Hollywood on Netflix - which I recommend fully. Go back through your edits - that’s my recommendation - and get great people to grade your portraits! Thank you Jarek Kotmoski!
So much and so long
June 16, 2020
So much has happened and if you regularly return to my site, I’m really sorry I’ve not been blogging like I know I should. Instagram really seems to have sucked so much of my energy for it and the permanence of the blog maybe is what seems so daunting - setting up, logging in, and get the thoughts down. The ‘gram seems looser, I don’t know why. ANY ROAD I’m the Sony World Open Photographer of The Year 2020, which will I think take me most of this crazy year to process, along with everything else we all have on our plates right now. I’ve done lots of press around it, which obviously I quite enjoy (why would you do it otherwise?) and I’ve really hammered out how this portrait of Black Francis of The Pixies happened - but in short, it was humorous shot for the MOJO Interview with a legend who thankfully brought as much with him as I did that day. Credit goes to James Hole on lights, Ryan Tehee on retouch, Hasselblad for cameras and the diamonds at MOJO for putting me in this position in the first place. I’m so grateful to all of you, though I hope you know this by now.
This competition has been incredibly good for me, and to win the Open is so massive. I never thought I would get anywhere near the standard required as I always viewed it with such awe. I’m actually quite sceptical about several of the competitions out there and the model of winning in this way - like, really, who is to say any picture is better than any other. But as outlets for good quality work diminish, and the scrabble to reach a global audience becomes ever more desperate, a global competition like will push your name like no other - if you win. Ensure your feelings towards your work are in a robust state as I have seriously considered not entering work that I love, for fear of rejection and tarnishing that work onwards. However, overcoming that fear, pushing forward and putting the work and yourself out there I guess really is what we have to do - and I have to say it’s been worth it for me.
I have been asked lots about prints of this image and may do a short series if there’s interest. Contact me via the site if you need to see this image of exasperation every day. Thank you again for all your positivity and your messages, they mean a great deal.
Photobooks for schools - can you help?
I’ve been collecting photo books for state schools. It first started when I was due down in Dorset to give a workshop and talk, at my old school in fact. I’ve been trying to support them photographically for a couple years and it’s been going well - Sony donated ten cameras, bags, memory cards and their time, which was incredible, but I noticed they didn’t seem to have an active library of photobooks. So I emptied my shelves of some lovely but under-utilised photobooks thinking a few hundred pairs of eyes per year is better than one pair - then it occurred to me that I really can’t be the only one with access to books that they could spare. I put in on my socials and OH MUMMA it kicked right off. You donated 400+ books! It was astonishing, overwhelmingly so. You brought them to my house, to train stations, posted, couriered, even ordered them online as it was cheaper than mailing them. Honestly beautiful. I then had to hire a Transit (a good problem), and spent a couple days at QE in Wimborne and St Peters in Bournemouth, doing workshops (with the lightings kits Fixation had donated!) and giving out books which will remain as a permanent resource in class.
More schools need more help, and I’m thinking about rolling out this and have since done the same in Edmonton, London with around 90 books (30 photobooks and 60 AoP books) and am due in Kent next week for more. So if you’re reading this and can help - please do. I know where your books will be appreciated and please be aware I only go to state schools with scant resource. One of the schools above has £1.85 to spend per student per year on art so they can’t afford a 40 quid book, but if you have one or some that you no longer look at so much, please let’s group together to inspire a future generation of photographers. Thank you.
Jeremy did that rare thing of greeting and acknowledging everyone in the room by making them feel part of something. It’s a gift only the most aware photographic subjects I shoot have and I’m so happy and relieved JC showed it to the team and me. We were giving our time (I shot this as he was meeting Faiza, whose portrait I had photographed previously, below) and he made everyone aware that he knew this and was grateful, which is all anyone really ever has to do. Take note, world.
The Labour Party
Faiza Shaheen is challenging Iain Duncan Smith in South Woodford and yes I will offer my skills for your campaign posters and flyers, and yes I will give my time to try and unseat him. Faiza is so dedicated, focussed and aware and I feel she is a more than worthy successor. More info here, and please contribute! https://www.faizashaheen.co.uk/
John Newman for Euphoria. The skin on the lad! Shot on a Hasselblad H6D-100c with a 100mm lens and some gorgeous lighting from James Hole, all blemishes should be hyper visible but oh no. He had some grooming from Madeleine Feeney and a grading by Ryan Tehee which is fair enough but hot dang the man has the skin of a new born. Is that weird? Hopefully not.
John Newman for Euphoria
A fantastic shoot with an incredible team for a brilliant new product with outstandingly vast usages. Yeah, I’m for that… Many thanks to Ryan Tehee for shooting and sharing the image below from the IMAX in London.
Huawei P30 campaign imagery
Jose Mourinho for Coaches Voice
The Happy One? Big thanks to the fellas at Coaches Voice for their efforts in getting Jose to ‘play ball’. A fairly simple set up in a basement hotel room, but a lovely few moments of engagement with our man here, including this warm smile I felt lucky to catch. Supercool cat of course and the perfect subject, really.
Studio shoot with actor and model Cali. Hard not to over-emphasise those cheekbones it was.
