Joe Lycett

Joe Lycett is not only a funny comedian, but he has a great ability to turn the aggressors into victims.  Many big companies, parking enforcement offices, fraudsters and even the government have been on the receiving end of Joe’s sharp wit and ability to turn the tables. His latest letter was a fake leak of the Sue Grey report - the report that is supposed to shed light on the many parties held by the government offices during Covid lockdown. So - to show how Joe turns the tide around and make the aggressors the victim, I chose to have him photograph me whilst I photograph him.  I found that to be a representation of the kind of humour that Joe is known for.  I also wanted to create a setup that hinted to the Sue Grey/Partygate incident.  I had an idea of writing letters on balloons and having them turn into an anagram of, for example “Downing Street Party”.  However, the anagrams for this and many other things I tried weren’t really relevant.  In Joe’s fake report leak he referred to ‘Downing Street’ as ‘Down It Street’ - and this became what I tried to show instead.  By taking the ‘ing’ off ‘Downing’, popping the ‘g’ and turning the ’N’ into a ’T’ - Joe had successfully turned ‘Downing’ into ‘Down it’.  And the street balloons remained.  

Lastly, I just wanted to create fun, interesting and colourful images that didn’t have any concepts connected to them.

Joe was brilliant!  Fun, down to earth, easy to talk to and followed and contributed to my instructions.

Shot for Observer Magazine

Stephen Mangan - Happy Christmas!!!

Last time I photographed Stephen Mangan, there was a birthday theme, and this time - the shoot is also a birthday; ‘Christmas’.  Mangan already looked the part as he plays Scrooge in the West End this Christmas.  My job was to bring the tree, snow and some decor.  We made the tree fly, put on as many fairy lights as I could get my hands on and wrapped up some Christmas pressies for him to kick about. 

Happy Christmas and a very Happy 2022 to you too (when it eventually gets here). 

Shot for Observer New Review

Dame Eileen Atkins

Dame Eileen Atkins, winner of a BAFTA, EMMy award and Olivier Award, was appointed the Commander of the Order of the British Empire and Dame Commander of the Order of British Empire.  Now - how’s that for an opening sentence on your Wikipedia page?!  

The thing about Eileen (and yes - I was told to drop the Dame when I spoke to her so I continue on a more casual first name basis here too), is that she is so casual and pleasant to deal with.  Her place, a wonderful and charming house in the West London, is a long way away from where she grew up, as the daughter of a meter reader in Tottenham.  She had that charm that comes with the more senior generation of the British acting world.  There is a relaxed attitude there, a playfulness.  I have seen the same in many of the British traditional actors and actresses.  They started acting because they loved the work, not to become famous, and the joy they feel due to living the life they have always wanted to is worn on their sleeves.  

Eileen was 100% lovely!  Fun, charming, natural and playful - all at once.  She has just released her autobiography (up to the age of 30) and I bet it will be a great read.  Just seeing the pictures from her young days which are in the book is great fun.

Shot for Observer New Review

Ravneet Gill - Diwali

First time I worked with Rav was for a mothers-day shoot.  I was commissioned to photograph her, her mum and her grandma in one shot.  When they turned up I did not only meet very nice, fun and friendly Rav, but her mum and grandma were great characters too.  Such a great trio!  I have to admit that there was a slight language barrier between Rav’s grandma and me - but somehow the humour and a sense of understanding each other was definitely there. 

So - it was with great pleasure that I received a commission to photograph the trio again.  This time to coincide with Rav’s new book release - as well as the celebration of light day, Diwali.  Rav had also brought some friends over to help enhance the feeling of festivity. 

In order to give an impression of us celebrating Diwali - I wanted to create a dark and atmospheric room with candles and food decoration.  I was sent props to use and the shoot was to take place in Rav’s place. I was given 2 hours to setup and shoot, but Rav was happy to extend the time a little when I got there.  2 hours was tight, but especially as I got there to see a 3 meter diameter glass dome above the room we were shooting in, and it was a bright sunny day.  One thing is to expose the daylight away with flash, but I also needed to bring some atmosphere out with the candles.  I took what blankets I had, ripped off the paper backdrop and got ready to cover as much of the glass dome as I could.  However - the glass dome was 6 meters above me so the only way to get to it was to climb through a tiny window, in the top end of Rav’s bedroom window, to get to the roof.  I am already not a very flexible with my almost 2 meter height, seeing me climb through that window was a sight to behold.  (I never knew I could get my knee behind my ears - a move I had to perfect to get out.). I covered what I could of the window and got on with setting up the grand Diwali celebration table with the props I had.  We managed to create a setting that had some of the intended atmosphere.  Rav’s friends and family were not only lovely to work with, but managed to look and act relaxed and festive.

Rav comes across as a nice and friendly person when on TV. Having met Rav on several occasions now, I can truly vouch for her being the friendly, fun, and a sparkly, kind person.  Having met her friends and especially her family, also gives a depth to understanding who Rav is, and she is exactly as you would hope from seeing her on TV.  

I hope to work with Rav again, and if her mum and grandma is there too then that’s a-ok with me.  Maybe next time we’ll get them all posing as Charlie’s Angels.  I can especially see Rav’s grandma Biji getting into that…

Shot for Waitrose Food Magazine

Flashback!

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

Stephen Graham and Jodie Comer

There are few actors I am more excited about at the moment than Stephen Graham and Jodie Comer.  Every role Stephen touches turns to gold.  He mostly plays serious roles, and the intensity and emotions he brings to the parts he plays, hit straight home.  The question with Stephen is; is it him that makes the roles he plays great? - or is he just great at sniffing out the great parts and can take them on with excellence?  Either one is a great talent, and either way still makes Stephen a great actor.  

And then Jodie - mostly known for playing Oksana Astankova in Killing Eve.  She’s still very young so there is no doubt that next time I photograph her, (and I do hope there will be a next time,) I will be able to reel off iconic films and series that she has played in like I am able to do with Stephen if I’m put on the spot.  One thing is for sure already, and that is that Jodi has a great ability to bring herself and character to her roles. 

They are now playing together in the Channel 4 drama ‘Help’, a series that deals with some of the issues that arose due to Covid.  Some may think that it’s too early to watch serious dramas about the social impact of Covid, but this is a gripping and touching drama that will appeal to many.  

At the end of this shoot I also managed to get a frame of 10X8 analogue portrait taken of Stephen and Jodie.  Unfortunately, (being the first time I have tried to do a shot of 10X8 with the time pressures that comes with editorial shoots, and only having two sheets ready to use,) the shot with Jodie had two misfires of the flash and didn’t come out.  However, the shot of Stephen was everything I had hoped for.  

Shot for Observer New Review

Phil Wang

The comedian Phil Wang is now publishing a book and his live performances are on Netflix.  Life is surely good for Mr Philly Philly Wang Wang!  (The idea behind this shoot was to have Phil in the spot light on stage.  The man of the moment!  We found a small, rundown church in Camden. I brought the spot and the smoke machine and set up so we could see the beam of light on Phil.  That is, just after I had found the 5 smoke alarms, dismounted them and hidden them all outside in the bushes to avoid them going off.

Phil was a nice guy.  Quiet maybe, but I think he’s openly claimed to be quiet and a little introverted. In fact - that is part of what he’s about.  It’s a part of what makes him funny. I find people like me more and find me funnier too - the more quiet I am. Go figure?!  (According to my youngest son, I’m the least funny guy in the world.  It doesn’t stop me from trying and it’s a badge I carry with pride.)

Shot for Observer Magazine

Nish Kumar

The British have always been good at political comedy and political satire.  I remember being in the UK as a teenager and my granddad always watched Have I Got News For You - (a program that hasn’t changed in over 30 years and is still very good).  There have been many other programs finding the humour in the news and politics especially, and one of the current ones is the Mash Report with Nish Kumar.  Nish is known for Mash Report, but also his stand up comedy and other comedy performances often dealing with politics and news.  

So for this shoot with Nish I started thinking about what I could do to include a bit of humour and visually show that Nish deals with current events, news and politics in his humour.  I started thinking down the lines of using newspapers as props.  We all know the classic newspaper hats - but how about newspaper flowers, newspaper wigs, newspaper chairs and a newspaper cape?!  I spent an evening looking into how to make it all.  Emptied cupboards for tape and glue, found a good arts and crafts shop to get other bits and pieces, and lastly emptied my magazine stand for old newspapers.  

I had planned to have a boys drinks and catchup session with my friends from Norway over zoom.  Instead, I sat there, half chatting on zoom, whilst swearing over the newspaper roses for not doing what I wanted them to do.  I got there in the end, but instead of taking 30 minutes which I had at first thought would be the case, it took 5 hours. (Anyway - now I am an expert in case anyone is looking for someone to create newspaper props.)

Armed with my newspaper props I turned up at the south London studio to prepare the final things.  Nish turned up and we were ready to kick off.  Nice guy!  Just as you see him on TV.  We talked about his A-list friends whom I have worked with (James Acaster and Joel Dommet especially), the cricket club incident - (a live show at the cricket club where he was pelted with bread rolls - and they missed,) and his up and coming comedy show.  All to the backdrop of some slow dance country music.  

Shot for Observer Magazine

Rob Brydon

My first shoot with Rob Brydon was way back when he played the taxi driver Keith Barrett. Since then I have been commissioned by several different publications to photograph him, I’ve shot a live DVD cover with Rob and the poster to his live standup tour. This shoot was promoting a youtube podcast series where he interviews other comedians and celebrities. The show is a result of Covid, and is an entertaining and fun podcast with Rob having a banter with close celebrity friends, comedians and actors he has worked with and knows well.  The beauty with Rob is that his comedy is not loud and in your face.  Working with him is like having a relaxed banter amongst friends with his sharp whit injected into the conversations.  He is a normal family dad, talking of his love for Bruce Springsteen and comedy films such as Daddy’s Home.  He doesn’t keep this part of his life separate from his comedy but incorporates it, and makes it flow as natural as it can be.  No point in taking yourself too serious, as that would only allow for you to be ridiculed by subtle comments perfectly placed.  Always a pleasure working with Rob and I can only hope I will do so many more times in the future. 

Shot for Observer Magazine

Liz Bonnin

Liz Bonnin is one of the best known faces of the natural world.  For those of you who are not familiar with Liz’s work, she at the forefront in the battle against plastic and reports on issues effecting the natural world. She’s a natural history presenter, biochemist, wild animal biologist, has presented Top of the Pops, and started her career by being a backing vocalist for the band The Pale. Yep - on paper that is the same as saying “living the dream”.  Not only has she done all the jobs I would have loved to do (apart from my current job of being a photographer, which is pretty epic,) but she is genuinely lovely to work with.  

As if she hadn’t done enough epic things already - on the shoot Liz was excited about working on the Planet Earth Live in Concert - a live show at the O2 arena. And what a show that will be when the Corona virus is finally under wraps and we are all allowed out on big events again.  At the moment that looks to be spring 2022.  

Shot for Saga Magazine