Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais

I photographed Stephen Merchant and Ricky Gervais in 2002.

Like others, I’d first spotted Ricky Gervais on the ‘11 o’clock show’. I remember seeing him on there and feeling like I’d seen someone from my family. That isn’t supposed to sound weird (although it does). I don’t quite know what I mean it’s just that I was very much aware that I was watching someone who made me feel giddy with the accuracy of his comments. It turned out he was from Reading, where I was born and grew up and so I thought that might be the explanation to the feeling of familiarity I was getting.

In the Office and in Extras I was seeing people from my childhood so accurately described that I swear they’ve (Ricky and Stephen Merchant) had access to the inside of my head.

Now, in 2009, I’m firmly of the opinion that Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchant are the Picasso-like, important artists of our time and all from just having observed people in their world and what they do so closely as to leave you speechless. Aside from bringing up my boys, watching people (and photographing what I see) is what drives me on too: it’s so important to describe what you see and what you’ve learnt.

I think that feeling of familiarity I had was that here were two people doing what I feel I have to do with my time here: and doing it so well. It sort of goes without saying that Ricky and Steve’s work makes me laugh; what does need to be said though is that their work is so important that the world depends on it: that is if you fancy a world where people living together and understanding each other is important.

The point of describing others, with empathy and affection and in whatever medium, is to say clearly: ’someone has been a witness to the eternally beautiful phenomenon that is your life’.

Elijah and Ava Wolf

As mentioned earlier this month I’ve been to do my first batch of photographs of Elijah and Ava Wolf over at the Orange Box in Yeovil, Somerset.

Nice treat to have a free gig for mine and the sound man’s ears only. The aim for Elijah and Ava was to ‘nail’ their monitor sound before their other dates later in the year.

Trickier than I remembered. When they’re actually in the middle of delivering a passionate and authentic live vocal is nearly always the very worst moment to let the shutter go in my opinion. It’s just before or just after. It took me a while to remember.

Looking forward to the next part of the shoot. Portraits: my favourite.

Some photographs:

Elliot

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Back in the day

Found an old portfolio of mine from soon after I started taking photographs. It was the one I showed to the NME back in about 1993/1994. They gave me work for the next couple of years or so, on and off.

My what a shoddy job I did of fixing the prints: they’re all yellowing badly now. What I’m surprised about though is that I feel they’re quite good. I was trying to emulate the Dutch photographer Anton Corbijn. I don’t think they’re particularly similar but there’s at least something of his influence there.

Also, talking of back in the day, I was sent a photograph by an old friend Richard Heyes. It shows myself and my family and that’s me home from London where I’d recently moved to. By the look of things, I must have thought I was ‘it’ but it might perhaps be closer to the truth to say I was a little bit of a tit. Don’t know. I’ve got no perspective on myself: I’m always living in my head. I love this photograph though; it’s one of my favourites. It reminds me how lovely my parents were. I must quickly point out that my Mum STILL IS lovely but sadly Dad’s no longer around. It’ll be 10 years ago next year that he died and I’m keen to ‘do’ something. I can’t quite think what but I’ve got some ideas.

Richard Heyes taught me how to load and process my very first roll of film in his parents’ garage in Thatcham, Berks. I think of him every time I load a film to this day.

Ooh. I drifted off there into the past.

Back to earth. I’ve got an exciting shoot tomorrow in a wood. I’ve been spending tonight reminding myself how I light photographs as I’ve been mainly working with the light that I find this last year. Details to follow.

Harper

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George Wright portrait

As promised, here is the final print from my set of portraits of photographer George Wright. I’m very pleased with it. Something about the (barely visible in this photograph) eyes I think:

PHOENIX BAKERY PHOTOGRAPHS

Last Saturday morning I went to visit Aidan Chapman at the Phoenix Bakery in Weymouth. It was an early start for me as I needed to be there for 6.00am although, according to Aidan, that’s a lay-in for him.

I’ve been commissioned to do some photographs of both the bread and, more importantly in a way, the ‘process’: the fact that this is bread made by hand by someone who’s spent the last 20 years doing nothing but making it. It shows.

When I visited last month to hang my exhibition (still on – go and see it) I had a feeling that it was not actually possible for Aidan to have made all the bread, rolls, pastries, cakes, savories and pizzas that morning: it would have required a team of bakers. But I’ve seen it with my own eyes now. In about three and a half hours, he filled every shelf and display with bread and all the rest by himself. Flour flying; dough being beaten into submission and then lovingly coaxed into shape; oven doors flapping away: awesome! The only help came from coffee and some Gill Scott Heron playing on the sound system. Mel, who runs the actual shop turned up later and was equally impressive at not letting anyone out of the shop without having bought something nice.

Some photographs:

George Wright

On Thursday I went to do some portraits of the photographer George Wright in Bridport. I would describe George as charming, friendly and ever so slightly grand.

I’m aiming to process the films this weekend and am fairly certain there’s some grand portraits in there. I took a couple of test frames for reference on the old electronic ‘modern-era’ camera. Here’s one now. I’ll post the real thing asap.

Photographing people (revisited for the umpteenth time)

Lots of things to consider when we photograph people. Or so it seems.

Big decisions to be made about camera, lenses, film (or which lever to pull on your computer). Then there’s light, lighting, viewpoint, moment. But I’ll bet that whenever you’re presented with a photograph of yourself, the first thing you’ll be looking for is ‘what you look like’. Of course that photograph was brought to you by the wonder of cameras, lenses and all the above but the thing that really stands out is the fact that what is up for discussion is a representation of a real person.

So I would say that beyond having a working camera in your hand with some means of recording an image, the MAIN thrust of all your efforts needs to be on LOOKING AT PEOPLE AND THINKING ABOUT WHAT YOU SEE.

Here’s a photograph of my brother from 1998. It’s alright and everything but I remember not really paying attention and I feel it shows.

And here’s a recent photograph of one of my boys where I feel I WAS paying attention.

New photographs (16 August 2009)

Mainly family and friends but as they constitute part of my lifetime’s work, fair game for popping up on the blog.

Have a lovely week.