Whoever said don't meet your heroes was wrong. Am always banging on about the privilege of my job but DAMN, sometimes this job floats up opportunities I still am so excited by. To spend the day at Ringstead Bay in Dorset, where I swam as a nipper, to shoot this most beautiful of talents was a nice call to get for someone like me. The portraits were for the National Trust, via Mischief PR, who have commissioned John to write a poem to help save and celebrate our wonderful coastline - More here. My friend described him as the Dad you wished you had. My Dad is great but I could happily accommodate more JCC in my life. Printed in the Independent and Express, and elsewhere online. Very nice indeed.
John Cooper Clarke for National Trust 2
John Cooper Clarke for National Trust 1
James Kingston for EE
This was just bloody magnificent. A press and PR shoot for EE of James Kingston, freerunner and generally fearless danger monkey launching a 4G streaming camera. 3 months of planning, 60 people in production and then me, up in a helicopter, leaning out and shooting this. Good, right? We tethered to a laptop and WeTransferred the RAW files from the air via EE's 4G dongle to an editor below in Wembley Stadium. Insanely quick and enabling the pictures to splash, big. Made every national print version the next day and everyone involved got a pat on the back. Solid work chaps.
Everyone needs The Ministry Of Stories
I got involved because I truly admire the work of writer Dave Eggers and he inspires me to achieve bigger and better. He started this in America like Nick Hornby did in the UK and you could help too if you'd care to by clicking here and acting. They optimise the creative writing talents of local kids (junior ministers) around Hoxton Street and I sometimes am lucky enough to go and shoot their activities. It's wonderful, honestly, and really good fun. Go ahead punk.
Gilbert and George for Time Out NY
Captured here in their studio in Spitalfields. An honour and privilege, like you would imagine. This was a call I didn't know I was waiting for. But when it came, from the angels at Time Out New York, it was quite a moment. Shooting portraits for a living is a wonderful thing as it is, and when you get asked to go to the home of a truly great British artist, with a free brief, and it goes swimmingly because we spend just the right amount of time doing three really quick set-ups, you realise that all of this work is properly worth it and mornings like this are the pay off. Huge thanks to Brian Whar for accompanying.
Gilbert and George no. 2
Gilbert and George no. 3
Gilbert and George for Time Out New York no. 4
Liam Howlett of The Prodigy
I first saw The Prodigy in 1991 at Sterns in Worthing (see flyer above), and to be honest while not exactly having much regard for the future back then, I definitely did not foresee that the act I saw that night would become the mightiest of all the world's dance acts. We know how huge they are today, though you would not get that sense from Liam here, shot for The MOJO Interview. An engaging, cool, sharp mind with a hard edge and happily, luckily, well up for chatting with old ravers like me. I didn't get all misty-eyed with him though, don't worry.
Cesc Fabregas for Sport Magazine and PUMA
Great to shoot this footballing hero once again, and especially when for the cover of Sport Magazine (circulation 304,700). The design is slick, photos are BIG, the designer knows what he wants, happy everyone. This shoot took 2.5 minutes, mainly because Cesc is such a friend to the lens (and Team Tom was readier than you would ever believe).
Location iPhone snap.
Had worse moments in my life. More shots to follow.
Graham Coxon, guitarsmith.
The hug Graham so willingly offered me was very welcome, I can tell you. In a tricky situation you need a friend, and Graham I thank you for your kindness.
Damon, Blur, MOJO.
Photographed for MOJO at the House of St Barnabas, you wouldn't call Damon keen and eager when it comes to photoshoots. You have to respect that though, not everyone is up for it and you can't knock his achievements which you wouldn't call inhibited by his lack of love for the lens. He's edgy, decisive, firm and very, very cool. I love the shots.
Jerry Dammers for MOJO
Jerry Dammers of the legendary Specials. So proud of this one, to meet someone responsible for so much that I loved as a kid is the true privilege of this job. His music and politics were wonderfully intertwined in a way that made both stronger and the shoot I hope reflected this love and respect. A lovely addition to the experience was a shout from Supersize Art who created the Gangsters 7" replica that makes this image work so well, framing Jerry behind. Morgan Howell's art is astonishing and well worth hanging in your own home. Such a find.
We bloody well did it! Well, you did.
You - yes - you! Soooooo many thanks for seeing the War Child project through to completion. We hit target and have now raised money to help children's lives in war torn nations around the planet. I have never felt prouder of the community around me and to have finally, after so many years of shlepping around venues and maintaining an exhausting level of pleading and begging necessary to shoot this stuff outside of normal PR situations, got this project out there successfully after so much worry and doubt it ever would make it, means everything to us. I realise that sentence was a terrible construction but it was a heartfelt stream of consciousness and they just flow like that sometimes. Cheers.
New MOJO cover with Blur
Doesn't get a whole fat stack better than this I gotta tell ya. I'm always mindful of not sounding like a smug buffoon on here but I genuinely felt really good about this one. The cover for me accurately illustrates the creative capability Damon has running through him and his directness - which will have ensured his achieving the huge amount of unrelenting success he has enjoyed, without question. What's more, he fucking hates being photographed like no one I can ever remember. Full respect though, we got on with it and we all knew when we had it, cue a massive sigh of relief. More here.
Retrospective at The House of St Barnabas
Right. A big one this. I have/had a show at the House of St Barnabas, to celebrate a year open and to mark their wonderful work as a members club that supports a homeless employment academy. The show was a pure delight to work on for the reason that the team are dedicated and delightful and this really has been as close to having colleagues as a freelancer like me ever gets - plus having the inspiration to unite with pure focus to achieve a single goal really helps make great things happen. I did a shambolic speech too, which achieved the single goal of making me look like a tit. Cool! Go see, quick! http://hosb.org.uk/retrospective/
Max Taylor, Youth of Today
So those of you who know me of old will know I used to shoot a band called The Bays a lot. A real lot. Too much really, but I really really believed in what they were trying to do. Here's a film I made about them with the Heritage Orchestra: CLICK. The bass player, Chris, has a son and Max Taylor is he - a huge talent, and session player who's going out solo with his own material which I love. Am so proud to point my camera at someone I've watched grow up since age 14. Stop it, I'm gonna cry. Here's Max, please show him some love, unless your heart has become a dried up old husk: https://soundcloud.com/maxtaylortaylor
Myia Fray, White Label UK.
My dear friends whom I love so much at White Label dragged me kicking and screaming (not at all, this is a lie) to reluctantly (ditto) shoot their portraits. It was a nightmare (nope) and I didn't get anything good at all (see above, judge for yourself).