Daniel Fletcher is one of the most prominent young designers around. This shoot was to photograph Daniel in his own flat with the patchwork patterns he worked on during lockdown. Daniel created patchwork clothes and blankets, using the offcuts from his other design. He even sent the material out to people with instructions of how to make to make it themselves if that’s what they wanted to do.
Such a nice guy and such a talent!
Shot for Observer Magazine
The Guardian Weekend Magazine has just had a redesign and relaunched under the new name Guardian Saturday Magazine. With the new redesign they have introduced the weekly feature ‘Flashback’. This weekly feature is about celebrities contributing a picture from the old days and they tell a story about that picture and that time in their lives. I have been been commissioned to do most of these shoots and so far it’s been very challenging but also really fun. Here are the first 4 shoots in the series that I have been involved in, with the help of Andie Redman who is responsible for the props and set:
Sophie Elis Bextor and mum Janet Ellis
Pepsi and Shirley
Sindhu Vee and her dad
Jamie Lang
Shot for The Guardian Saturday Magazine
Last time I worked with Steve and Nick Tidball was in Hampstead heath and they had just released a hoodie where you could zip up the front and enjoy total privacy. Great for when traveling and you just want to be left alone. This time the twins, founders and directors of Vollebak, are back with the Full Metal Jacket. A jacket made of 11km of copper and used as a disease repellant jacket. Yes - copper has the ability to sterilise and was used to do exactly that in ancient civilisation. Apart from copper’s ability to kill bacteria it also has the more well known characteristics of conducting heat and electricity. These guys are taking aim at space travel and a futuristic world when they make this jacket. ‘Ah - but you have to walk like an armoured Roman soldier from the iron age’ - I hear you say?! Well - no. It’s actually flexible and totally user friendly. Yes - it does have a ‘comforting hug’ like weight to it - but it is 100% practical as well as soft, malleable, highly waterproof, windproof and breathable. What’s not to like?
Shot for Observer Magazine
Slowthai is the kind of subject that is a real treat to shoot. Maybe not at first glance, but as soon as you have him in front of the camera you realise his ability to give you his all. He brings both humour and attitude to the images. He is Rap, punk and rock at the same time. Short hair and expressive eyes. He’s a bit like how I would have expected Johnny Rotten to be 40 years ago, but I’d hazard a guess that Slowthai is more approachable and friendly.
Before this shoot I took some time to catch up on Slowthai’s music videos. It was evident that he put a lot of emphasis on imagery and humour. When I got access to his studio, a warehouse/storage unit style building in Northampton, we saw many of the props that were used in his videos. As this was to promote Slowthai’s new album, we steered away from this, and found an empty shell of a room a little further down the hall. Dusty, shelves half destroyed, old sofa and chairs and some doors off the hinges, I immediately fell in love with the location. We started the shoot here before continuing onto an estate-style square with boarded up shops not far away from the studio.
Such a fun guy to work with - and his music and music videos, his creative talent and strong political voice is all to be respected.
Shot for Observer New Review
