Feeling Blue – Jessie Buckley
I met Jessie when I photographed her for the BAFTA Breakthrough Brits and she told me to give her a shout if I had any fun shoot ideas… That’s how I ended up in a photo studio throwing paint at her. It was an incredibly fun and very messy day. Thank you to Jessie for being up for a laugh and make-up artist Karen Wagner for all her help.
Rebecca Front for The Sunday Times Magazine
I was asked to photograph Rebecca Front for The Sunday Times Magazine. With such an impressive resume of roles, Rebecca can be regarded as TV, radio and comedy royalty. You may have seen her playing Colonel Walsh in Doctor Who or solving crimes in Lewis, but for me it was her part as head of DoSAC in the Thick of It that made me most excited. I’m a pretty big fan of that far-too-close to reality political comedy. Thanks Rebecca for diving into your roles in front of my camera and discussing everything from mental health to negronis with me. Thanks also to The Sunday Times Mag for the fun commission.
Sugru – the war on stuff BTS video
Last year I photographed Jane Ni Dhulchaointigh – the founder and masterful inventor of a mouldable glue called Sugru. Sugru wants everyone to fix, create and re-use things. We are drowning in so much stuff and they don’t like this throw away culture we live in – that’s why they are combating it. Here’s a little behind the scenes video of the shoot with you to show you how we made this photo. Enjoy! Filmmaker: Peter Lewis Beighton Set Designer: Mim Quin Harkin
Portrait workshop at the V&A Museum – 27th + 28th April
Want to learn the ins and outs of portrait photography? I’m running a workshop at the V&A Museum on the 27th and 28th April. I will be teaching you how to tell a compelling story about your sitter, be this using lighting and composition, props, and/or emotion. It will be a fun and insightful two days. Interested in taking part? LINK
Making a career in the photography industry
Paul from Arts University Bournemouth invited me to The Photographers’ Gallery to take part in a seminar called “Young Gifted and Making it.” I was giving a talk alongside Mitch Payne and Mollie Rose, each of us telling our stories of making our way in this industry. As Paul put it: “In recent times we have heard a lot of negative comments about the future of photography as a career, and how difficult it is now to make it. However, there are young photographers out there full of positivity and talent that are making waves. They prove that changes in the industry can be viewed as a threat, or better thought as an opportunity. The three photographers gathered here will provide a wonderful insight to anyone else that chooses to follow them.” If you fancy listening to my top tips then hit up the video above.
BAFTA Breakthrough Brits – The Final Cut
Back in October I photographed the BAFTA Breakthrough Brits for a second year running. It was great fun – full of energy, laughter and some seriously talented people. And this year I thought I would try two different set ups. It not only meant I could offer BAFTA a completely different set of images that they could use, but I also got to try out something new. Everyone’s a winner.
I’m talking at The Photographer’s Gallery as part of “Young, Gifted and Making It’
I have been invited to The Photographer’s Gallery to talk all things photography and discuss how to make a career for yourself in the industry. Speaking alongside Mollie Rose and Mitch Payne we’ll each be sharing our stories and giving some insights into how we’ve made our way in this industry. Here’s the blurb: “In recent times we have heard lots of negative comments about the future of photography as a career, and how difficult it is now to make it. However, there are young photographers out there full of positivity and talent that are making waves. They prove that changes in the industry can be viewed as a threat, or better though as an opportunity. The three photographer gathered here will provide wonderful insight to anyone that chooses to follow them.” The seminar ‘Young Gifted and Making It’ will take place on 23rd February, if you would like to...
Travel Photographer of the Year 2017
I love to travel – I’m lucky that my job has taken me to so many fascinating places around the globe. That’s why I’m delighted to have been given a special mention in the Travel Photographer of the Year 2017 ‘Celebration of Humanity’ category. It was the final day of the season at the Riverside stadium. There would either be tears of joy or tears or sadness depending on whether Middlesbrough were promoted – I think you can tell what the outcome was…
50 years of Just a Minute
“Paul you have 60 seconds to talk on the subject of Nicholas Parsons without hesitation, repetition or deviation. Your time starts… now.” I grew up listening to Just a Minute and it’s still one of my favourite radio shows. What an honour it was to photograph the legend that is Nicholas Parsons and his show-biz-side-kick Paul Merton. Did you know Nicholas hasn’t missed a single episode in the fifty years he has been presenting the show? Awesome. My job usually involves having a conversation with my subject, slowly breaking down the barrier between us, and in turn, capturing their genuine personality. Rather uniquely, Nicholas and Paul bounced off each other from the moment they began conversing and I didn’t have to do much but capture the strong, genuine friendship and respect they clearly have for one another. What a great shoot. Oh, and just so you know – Paul does...
Drugsland
There I was at 1am in a dark alley with two undercover police officers. Up walks this lady offering us crack. It was a stark reminder of the importance of the documentary we were there to promote. I spent my university days in Bristol so I was excited to be invited back by the BBC to shoot there. However, this documentary would show me a side of the city I hadn’t known before: drugs, crime and addiction, but also those working to make it a safer and better place. There wasn’t a single dull moment – I discovered class A drug users living completely normal lives, performers who use hallucinogenic substances to enhance their work, recovered addicts making a new life for themselves, and police officers dedicated to helping those in need. From the few brief clips I have seen the series is not something to be missed. It was...