Chris O'Dowd

The tall, slightly disheveled Chris O’Dowd has now moved from The British IT Crowd to the big screen in Hollywood. He still has one foot firmly anchored in the UK, but he permanently resides in LA. Maybe to get closer to Silicon Valley, but I personally think it’s more to hit the big time and big screens.

I shot Chris before, when he starred in the TV comedy Family Tree. That time I remembered a quiet O’Dowd and I expected the same this time. Chris came in to the studio casually carrying a man-bag. A little early he slouched down on one of the chairs and waited for my ‘Go’. I took the time to sit down and talk to Chris about the shoot we did and what’s been going on. He was a lot more chatty than I remembered. That Chris twinkle in the eye and a few snappy comments to let me know that he was ready to rumble.

Chris was fun to shoot. Ok - so he turned down a few of my suggestions saying he didn’t want to come across like another comedian, mentioning no names. But instead of leaving me hanging, desperately trying to come up with other ideas, he took it upon himself. A perfect combination of subtle humour, nice shapes and oddity. The thing about Chris is that his humour works best when he’s not doing much. Something that became clear during this shoot but also when you see him on screen. It must be a nice feeling to know that if you’re not doing well, then do less.

Shot for Sunday Times Culture

Romesh Ranganathan

My shoot with Romesh Ranganathan was to support an extract from his book published in the Guardian Weekend Magazine. Having read a little snippet of the book it focused on how Romesh had been criticised for a lot of his comedy by pulling out the race card. He explains his reason for this, mainly that there are a lot of racists out there, and tells of several of episodes where he has experienced blatant racism. So, we wanted to do a shoot with Romesh, not just pulling out comedy poses, but we wanted to bring in cultural references and the address the issue that Romesh feels people are trying to sensor his comedy as it may be uncomfortable listening.

The issue of censorship was the first one we tried to cover. Tape over the mouth and then some over the rest of his face should be a good illustration of this. I had purchased 3 different types. The last thing I wanted to do was to leave Romesh with a ‘waxed’ strip of beard, above and below the lips. Not only would this maybe look a little odd, but Romesh was also on the way to watch another comedian at the Hammersmith Apollo, and we though it would be rude if he stole the show with a new beard style. So, I volunteered. (If you wouldn’t do it to yourself then don’t do it to others.). I placed the gaffe tape over my beard and mouth, felt the sweat drip as I imagined the pain that was to come, and ripped off the tape. Phew!!! It only served as a beard trim, pulling out 3 hairs only. It was safe, Romesh had witnessed the procedure and felt at ease with the idea.

The shoot commenced, and as usual I try to strike up a conversation with my subject to make them feel at ease and to make the shoot a little more amicable. However, after a few minutes, a few questions asked, I was struck by how rude Romesh was not to answer any of my questions. He looks at me, wide desperately questioning eyes… then it struck me that it is difficult to answer when your mouth has been gaffa'd up.

When the tape was removed and we could commence (beard still in place), Romesh was chilled and fun to deal with. Apart from some straight shots I also wanted to include a 6x9 meter Union Jack flag, (made by my wife Gemma btw) and try to see if we could create a Union Jack turban that Romesh could wear. The latter would allow us to show the cultural integration of his Hindu heritage with his British upbringing. The iconic Union Jack draped around Romesh would also give him an iconic status as a British comedian and therefor contradict any racist comments he has previously received about him not being British.

As we put the large flag away and were to focus on the turban, I handed Romesh the 3 meter long union jack material. He held it for a few seconds before I realised that something wasn’t right. I then told him just to tie the turban on and we’d see if it worked. He looked at me questioning and said “I don’t know how to tie a turban…”. I realised that I had maybe been presumptuous. I had seen him wearing a turban for a TV show once, but it was of course someone else whom had tied it for him. I took out youtube, thinking I was smart. We followed the instructions, but either the problem was that the polyester material doesn’t fold as well as good quality cotton, or it is actually quite hard to tie a good turban. I felt like I was a part of some sit-com and I was the fool, so I soon gave up and called it a day.

Shot for The Guardian Weekend Magazine

Loyle Carner

Loyle Carner has given Hip Hop a good name! This is a man who's created some of the most distinctive Hip Hop music of 2017/2018, yet he's modest, kind and he cares! He himself has suffered with ADHD and Dyslexia and now works with kids that struggle the same issues, helping them get into cooking. Not many people who become successful stay as grounded as Loyle, and it is blatantly obvious when you meet him. The best music is created by people who are passionate and care, so there is no doubt to me that Loyle has only scratched the surface. Being as caring and conscious about others as Loyle is, we are bound to hear more music with deep meaning in the years to come.

Shot for The Observer Food Monthly

Tristram Hunt

The Ex-politician Tristram Hunt is now the director of Victoria and Albert Museum. Having moved from a world of telling people what they want to hear, he has now moved into a world of showing people what they want to see, and judging from the new extension of the Victoria and Albert Museum, (where this shoot mainly took place,) he’s already got something great to show us.

The V&A Museum has always been one of the outstanding British museums. It is one of the ‘must see’ museums, the largest museum of decorative arts and design in the world and it’s just gotten bigger. Not only is there the extension you see at the main museum in Knightsbridge, but it also the Childhood museum in Bethnal Green and will soon open a new section.

Tristram turned up in a suit and tie, still looking more like a politician than a director of artworks. He hasn’t yet swapped the suit jacket with a tank top jumper, the blue/grey tie with a knitted yellow one and the suit trousers with some brown cords. When I asked Tristram if he could take jacket and tie off he replied “It’s the only thing that gives me some authority”.

No doubt that Tristram is facing a mammoth task in the museum world, but what an honour. And from what I can gather, he’s got the likability factor, he’s got the brains and with connections in the political world too so I'm sure he's going to turn the V&A into a roaring success.

Shot for The Observer New Review

Ben Mendelsohn

Ben Mendelsohn is just a cool cat. Not because of trying, but because he doesn’t have to try - and that’s what makes him into a true cool cat! Ben always plays a baddie in films or TV series, and does it so well. He is able to play the stereotypical baddie but also the likeable baddie or the back sheep baddie that you don’t know if you like or not. Which ever baddie is needed for the big screen, Ben will do it with a BAD ASS attitude. SO, was it a surprise when he rocked up to a possible cover shoot for Sunday Times Culture in grey tracksuit bottoms and a tired grey t-shirt? Not at all! If he’d made more of an effort I might have believe that he cared and that it was all an act and no truth to this BAD-ASS character we see on screen. And that’s where the difference lies in Ben’s acting and his actual persona. When you see Ben on screen you often end up disliking him, but in real life he’s that cool guy with a glint in his eye. The guy that has a definite edge, but is fun to be around. Not loud or rude, but calm and on point! Ben is the new Sheriff in town. He’s nonchalant and his demeanour commands respect, but he also plays the Sheriff of Nottingham in the new filmatisation of Robin Hood, and I bet he had the New Forest in Nottingham loosing its pines of fear.

Shot for The Sunday Times Culture

Nicole Kidman

Hollywood don’t have many queens, and achieving a ‘Queen of Hollywood’ status involves having plenty of accolades, longevity and maintaining an aura of unknown about them. Nicole Kidman ticks all the boxes. With Nicole the shoot was originally planned to be a 10 minute one. However, as the day evolved and we were told of Nicole both being struck by the flue and suffering from bad jet lag, the shoot was shortened to a manageable 5 minutes.

The first thing that struck me when she walked into the room was how tall she was, the second was how amazing she looked despite the condition her condition was in, and the third was that it was simply put harder to take a bad picture of her than a good one.

3 films being released in just a few months, one being an Oscar contender, Nicole will comfortable maintain her seat on the throne as one of Hollywood’s Queens as well as perhaps Australia’s most famous person. All titles she’s earned from hard work and nothing passed on through bloodline or money. But she was born in Honolulu and was given the native name Hōkūlani - which in Hawaiian means ‘Heavenly Star’ - so maybe she has had more help getting to where she is today than what we know about?

Shot for The Observer New Review

Jeff Goldblum

I often get asked, “Who would you most like to photograph?” and I always hesitate and at times lack an answer. The question is hard because you want to meet people for different reasons. It may be that meeting someone you respect would be great, but it doesn’t mean they are great to photograph. However, as soon as I heard I was photographing Jeff Goldblum I had a lightbulb moment. A moment when I thought “YES! - That’s a guy I’d love photograph.” I think that pretty much sums up my relationship with Goldblum; I love him, his work, his style, but he doesn’t consciously appear in my mind as a favourite unless mentioned.

When I also heard that he was releasing a Jazz album, I was double excited. This guy could possibly be my dream BFF, (an abbreviation I thought I’d never use). Soon after, I listened to the live recording and I was not disappointed. Jeff isn’t just an actor who’s used his time waiting between sets to tinker with a piano, later to convince himself that he was amazing. No, Jeff’s got it! His album will be well received by jazz musicians and Jeff fans alike.

So, Jeff would surely fall at the last hurdle - the shoot. He could surely not be just an all around good guy with a bucket full of talent? The shoot was to be a jam + interview with the food critic/jazz pianist Jay Rayner. My part was to photograph the two together, jamming, as well as to get a moment with Jeff on his own. I was prepared to be disappointed, as there was surely no way he could impress from the already high expectations I had. I was wrong. The man was cool with a capital “C” and 10 x ‘o’s. A smooth cat, groovy dude, fun gent and handsome as hell! I had a moment standing on top of the piano, photographing Jay and Jeff from above to get all 4 hands, keys and the two pianist in one shot. I was stomping my foot to Herbie Hancock’s Cantaloup Island whilst trying to get a shot. I wanted to be in Jay’s place, crossing arms with Jeff and playing sweet music. Is this a man crush I’m feeling? Blush….

Shot for The Observer Magazine

Michael Moore

I have been a big fan of Michael Moore ever since I saw his documentary series The Awful Truth. After that Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, and the list continues. One of the things I admire about Michael is not just his moral stance and fight for fairness and equality, but that he is able to fight against a system who’s strength is in intimidation. It is after all the people in power he criticises, and their fight to get to power and stay in power which is picked apart to show how corrupt the system actually is. Now I say ‘the system’ although Michael’s documentaries and criticisms lie mostly with the American system, but I do feel that the faults with the American system is slowly being copied in Europe, and by that I mean especially the UK.

I never considered myself to be a coward and I do stand up for myself or others when I feel something is wrong, but the way Michael Moore does it just means that he has more gravitas than me - and most of us. When I asked him if he ever was nervous, to directly criticise the people in power then he replied, ‘No’. When I said that he must be getting death threats and they must surely scare him then he replied “It’s the quiet ones you need to watch. If someone threatens you then they would normally not do anything”. A point that I am sure he’s right in, but yet, a point that I would never be 100% convinced of if I was in Michael Moore’s shoes. And besides that, how about the quiet ones. How many of them are out there?

Jerry Lewis once sung “Great Balls of Fire” - yet the song for a man like Michael Moore would be more like “Great Balls of Iron”.

His most recent film Fahrenheit 11/9 gives Donald Trump a hard time and looks back at already covered subjects such as guns in the US.

Shot for The New Statesman

 
 

Adeline Grattard

I arrived in Paris on a hot summers day to photograph Adeline Grattard at her restaurant Yam’Tcha. Adeline is a Michelin Star chef known for her fusion between French and Chinese cuisines. Her restaurant is a fine dining restaurant that has used Chinese ways of cooking and combined them with fresh French ingredients and influences. Her recipes are unique and together with her husband Chi Wah, they also run a tea and dim sum takeaway, just around the corner from Yam’Tcha. One of her signature dishes is “The Story of Our Lives” which is a bao stuffed with stilton cheese.

The fine dining restaurant had the definite air of exclusiveness when you entered the door. But besides the Maitre De, the intense concentration by chefs and waiters, the restaurant also had a section dedicated to tea. On day two of our shoot we had the taster menu at Yam’Tcha. We had a different tea to accompany each course. A great way to appreciate the food and drink, without relying on the different flavours of wine, beer and champagne.

Apart from the amazing fresh ingredients Adeline sources, her cooking uses steaming techniques and fiery woks to bring out that Chinese taste. The restaurant decor combined the exclusive gold tones with dreamy, misty wall decorations.

On this shoot I collaborated with the great people at Cook magazine that accompanies the Italian national newspaper Corriere della Sera.

Shot for Cook - Corriere della Sera

Stephen Mangan

As I walk into this North London studio where the shoot with Stephen Mangan was to take place I was struck by studio envy. The studio in question had been an old stable, right on the doorstep of Camden and Regents Park. We were met with was a sizeable reception. This led into two large studio spaces which we walked through to get to the last room, a snooker room on level 1, with an adjacent kitchen. Park Village Studios is the studio of Peter Webb. Evidence of his work with among others, The Rolling Stones, was exhibited on the walls. The studio was cool, had a roughness to it, character, but what made me jealous was the knowledge that this studio had been Peter Webb’s, and his alone for many years. Only in the last few years had he opened the doors for others to rent the space. It’s a photographer’s dream. Without devaluing the quality of Peter’s work I have to say that a space like this would only be available exclusively to one photographer today if he was born into money, won the lottery or is amongst a very few elite advertisement photographers. It was a different time and I am sure Peter Webb can point the finger at many advantageous things of being a photographer today, but space is something that we don’t own anymore.

After I had shrugged off the feeling of jealousy I focused on the shoot. I wanted to use the space but also create a cleaner space that would led itself better to a cover. I set up a nice green colorama and looked around the space for other options. Stephen is one of those actors/comedians in the UK that has a perfect balance on exposure. He selects his involvement perfectly and his humour is understated and poignant. If I ever met him at a party I imagine him in the kitchen with Armando Ianucci, Tamsin Greg, Steve Coogan and maybe Simon Amstell, half hanging out the kitchen window, sharing a bottle of red wine whilst unraveling world politics and conflicts with funny one liners.

Stephen has written and starred in the television sitcom Hang Ups, so having him ‘hung up’ by some helium filled balloons seemed appropriate. It would also give a little nod to his recent performance in the Harold Pinter play The Birthday Party. The balloons would also work as a good prop and a great way to inject colour into the set. The rest of the shoot I chose to use the room we were in, snooker table and all. Stephen was good to work with; understated but fun in real life, much like how you see him in his films. He contributed with the sets and ideas and helped make the shoot a collaborative one, just the way I like it. I’m now peaking into every kitchen when I go to parties, just in case Stephen and friends are hanging out sharing stories.

Shot for Sunday Times Culture

Norbert Niederkofler

A while ago I was contacted by Angela Frenda and Tommaso Galli from Corriere della Sera in Italy. The newspaper was about to start a monthly food magazine, “Cook”. The magazine wanted to give the Italian food magazine market a new and fresh look. Tommaso and Angela’s passion for the food industry left me in no doubt that they were serious about including the best of the best and the magazine would serve as an inspiration for Italian food enthusiasts. And, as far as food enthusiasts are concerned, the Italians have a particular passion for food that you don’t see often in other cultures.

For the first issue of Cook we went to photograph Norbert Niederkofler in the Dolomites. I have worked with many chefs in my time as a photographer. Some have inspired me with their passion and ideas and others have inspired me with impressive locations and settings. If you want to be truly impressed in all areas of the visual and palatable sensory organs then head up to the three Micheline star chef Niederkofler. His restaurant, a part of the Hotel Rosa Alpina in the Dolomites, has views you can kill for as well as food which looks great, tastes delicious, is sustainably sourced and focuses on no waste. What more can you ask for?

When we arrived at the hotel, just over 3 hours drive from Verona we had already lost our breath by the sheer beauty of the curvy roads leading up the mountains. Norbert then ushered us into his car and we continued up to the top of the nearby mountain. Just above the tree line we found ourselves between white/grey rocks and a white/grey sky. Not a bad start after having woken up to a London night sky earlier that morning.

Norbert was generous with his time and knowledge. He spoke of his passion for food but also for the place we found ourselves. A place with so much history as it finds itself on the boarder of three nations and is one of the most connected ski resorts in the whole world, with a ski slope network that is so extensive it reads like a spider’s web on acid.

However, this was not a season for skiing. Mid July was more a month of motorised mountain bicycles (which were everywhere you looked,) and pristine green fields with wildflowers. In every valley you should see Julia Andrews’ lookalikes running down with arms stretched out. My lungs were filled with air so pure it reverted the ageing process and my lungs retreated into infancy stage.

We had the true pleasure of eating at Norbert’s kitchen table. A table looking over the kitchen and the focus, art and craft that it takes to be a 3 Michelin star kitchen. The food was served to us and the inspiration and thought behind every dish was carefully explained to us. The ingredients were all locally sourced and in season. An impressive task considering the inhospitable climates you face in the alps. Even more impressive considering that they have the same ethos all year around. For example, ingredients and flavours created by ingredients such as Olive oil and lemon juices had been replaced with ingredients that could be locally sourced. Nothing was wasted, but many dishes came in two parts. One dish would consist of the more luxurious part of an animal for example, whilst the next dish would be a great tasting dish made of the parts that were not used in the first dish. And so it went on, every dish a joy to the pallet.

The day after we woke up and headed up to a near by mountain top where the hotel owned a cabin. The kitchen staff and Norbert were serving up a mountain picnic. I’m not talking a baguette on a rock with a nice view, but a carefully thought through 5 course meal cooked to perfection, with a view that could make a grown man cry. After the meal we headed down to one of Norbert’s local suppliers who showed us around his organic farm perched on the mountain side.

Admittedly, seeing this in the summer light makes it all seem very idyllic. The snow covered mountains in the winter would also seem like an idyl to the eye. But I have a feeling that the existence that Norbert has chosen, to locally source and be true to the place where he works and lives, demands great discipline and hard work. Many of the dishes served during the summer months cannot be planned far ahead as it all depends on what the local suppliers can provide. And the winter menus need to be considered and prepared in the summer unless they only want to serve wild Groundhogs with snow and icicles on the side.

Shot for Cook - Corriere della Sera

Keeley Hawes

I have worked with Keeley Hawes once before and I remember at that time too, her smile and eyes were captivating. She’s just nice to be around and to work with, and has a contagious smile that glows.

The shoot took place at a great and historical venue in Twickenham. In the Octagon Room at Orleans House Gallery we found ourselves surrounded by 10ft windows with shutters all the way to the top with decorative gold edged pillars and walls, an ornate and grand chandelier, statues, fireplace and more. However, the location was one of those where the ornate, grand and beautiful was all placed above the 8ft high and above. It is a location that on paper looks great, but when you get there you soon realise that unless you are looking up someone’s nose, it is hard to get the impression of the location’s grandeur. As well as this, (and I am painfully aware that it may sound like I am a grumpy old man) being surrounded by big glass windows on one of the summer’s hottest days, meant that we were slowly reaching uncomfortably high temperatures. Had it not been for the one small fan we had then I would have melted away and Keeley would have looked like she’d just stepped out of a shower (That is presuming that she perspires like any other human being).

We were both looking forward to our imminent Summer holidays; maybe the heat of the room made us both crave for the ocean with fresh, salty water to cool off in. But also both having a break from busy schedules, although I think Keeley trumps mine with the series Bodyguard only just in the bag and three more series in the making. Amongst acting all of these different roles, it is in fact a miracle that she has any time at all to be herself.

She’s starring in the recent TV drama Bodyguard which you can still catch on BBC catch up. The high suspense drama sees Keeley as the Home Secretary. (Spoiler alert!) A few scenes sees her passionately involved with her bodyguard. The scenes work well, Keeley is an attractive Home Secretary, but imagining the home secretaries of the passed, I find it the idea hard to swallow.

It’s an other quality collaboration, a political thriller between the creator Jed Mercurio and Keeley Hawes. Well worth a watch.

Shot for Sunday Times Culture

 
 

Joseph Fiennes

In terms of brothers, then I would say that Joseph Fiennes and Ralph Fiennes seem as different as can be. I have had the pleasure of photographing them both and the shoots could not be more different. This may of course only be on the surface, a projection issue towards hairy Norwegian photographers. When they share a quiet moment with a glass of cognac in front of the fireplace, then it may be a different story. The one thing they both had in common was that they are both gentlemen.

Both the shoot with Ralph and Joe were fun in their own way. With Joe I collaborated on a set of images that he could use for his own press and publicity. I sourced a venue but also had the luxury of going outside with Joe to explore Camden’s hidden arches and parks. Joe was full of life and energy, a good laugh and generous with his time and compliments. I often assess the character of my subjects by how they treat my assistant and Joe was all inclusive. A real ‘diamond geeza’ as they say in ‘ackney’!

Shot for Joseph Fiennes

Toni Collette

Toni Collette is the lead in the newest must see horror film Hereditary. If you want to wind down off the coffee and still not sleep for a few days, then this is the film you should see. I am not big on horror films because I often find them to be a little too far fetched, tacky and often bad acting. They don’t tend to trigger into my own fear. However, this sounds like a film that will scare the living ‘bejesus’ out of me. The kind of film that plays with your psyche, the unknown, the things we don’t see. This is the film I’d bring a spare pair of pants to see. It’s the kind of film where I’d check the seat before I sit if it’s the second screening of the day.

The shoot with Toni was down in a basement room at Covent Garden Hotel. A room with a little too much character to carry off a whole shoot, so a backdrop was brought out. It was the last thing on Toni’s schedule of the day before being rushed off to the Graham Norton show. It was evident that she’d had a full day already, mixed with a heavy jet lag, so I tried to keep the conversation to trivial non-sense that demanded little in return. First an acknowledgement of her being only 8 days older than me, followed by my amusement that we were both able to mimic a horse trotting by clapping and snapping our fingers. The amazement on both our parts of how similar we therefor must be was undisputed and agreed to - over a laugh…

Often when people suffer from such a schedule and jet lag it is hard to hit the note. However, between the occasional yawn, her Australian, chilled and fun way of being, came shining through… I can only hope that I will one day work with Toni when she is full of energy and fully rested - if I can keep up?

Lily Allen

On one of the first sunny, warm days of the year I found myself down in a dark basement photography studio in Haggerston. Just as well, as working when it’s too hot can slow things down, and this shoot was going to be a busy one. (Also because I am Nordic and prefer working when there’s a bit of a chill - like an igloo.) Lily arrived with a full entourage. A full team to help create three very different looks in one hour. Lily has gone from a soft, innocent and playful image, to a harder, more mature fashionable one, since she made it big just a little over 10 years ago. My shoot was for The Observer New Review, same mother publication as Observer Music used to be under, the publication that helped launch Lily’s career back in the beginning.

The shoot with Lily boarded onto playfulness, but it felt as Lily never let completely go. Maybe she felt restricted by experience and the need to have control of the image which is portrayed, but there were moments when the guard came down and it felt like Lily let go - like a beam of light through the slight opening of a door. She has been through the tabloid mill, something that would make any person cautious. (And why would she roar like a lioness just because I demand it?) The moment she let go however she showed a playful and fun Lily which is what I had hoped for. But the serious and more restrained part of Lily reminded me of working with her dad Keith Allen whom I have photographed a couple of times.

Lily was great in getting into the roles of the outfits she was wearing. Like a chameleon she moved from free flow movements in a back lit, free flowing colourful outfit - to - giving Dizzee Rascal a visual nod by mimicking the bull’s horns when crouching in a corner - to - finally bringing a bit of Punk to the table (or as Tony Bell from The Observer remarked when discussing the results - it’s Keith Flint meets Bjørk).

Dave Stewart

It is not every day you get a personal performance by a world renowned guitarist and even rarer to get one from the legend Dave Stewart himself. That was the case on this shoot at his private members club The Hospital. (By that I mean he owns the club and opened it before any of the other big members clubs in London. The intention was to have a place where creative minds could get together and talk creativity….) Yes, it was about half way during the shoot, moving away from the green backdrop to the tree lined wallpaper backdrop. Dave had gone to change clothes and came back with a new outfit, a VOX amp and a shiny Fender Shop Customised Strat. The guitar was a work of art in itself; shiny metal body with a woman engraved on it. We set up in the corner a little area where he could pose with guitar and amp. I have to admit that I was a little wary to shoot him with guitar and amp as it can sometimes seem a little obvious and staged. That was until he turned the thing on. He pumped the volume up to 11 (out of 10) and went straight into playing his own tunes, (and a little Jimmy Hendrix), before returning to his own tunes again. It is at that moment you realise what it takes to be a world class guitarist. The music filled the room (and the rest of the members club could also hear it through the closed door). A woman with a baby asleep in the dining area had supposedly asked a waiter if they could turn it down. (The waiter just looked at her, realising it was Dave Stewart playing and Dave Stewart’s club, and said ‘no’.) I was quite aware that the images taken at this time would probably not be my favourite from the shoot, but I kept the flash triggering, I kept shooting, I wanted to keep Dave feeling that the shoot was happening in order for him to keep on playing.

Dave Stewart, not just because of the event mentioned above, was a lot nicer than I had expected. He has always seemed to me to be the quiet, serious guy from Eurythmics, but his legacy expands far beyond Eurythmics, and his personality was colourful and vibrant. The hat and glasses remained on - a part of what has given him the serious image - and when I asked him if he could remove the glasses for a couple of shots he replied: I haven’t worn these glasses for decades to remove them now… “Fair enough!” I replied.

 
 

Cuba Gooding Jr.

One of my favourite films as a teenager was Boys ’n the Hood. I suppose this film created a romantic realism of living the hard life in the US, a stark comparison to my suburban upbringing in Norway. In a time when the hardship of the American Black community was highlighted, a little before the LA riots, the film felt poignant and realistic. The star of that film was Cuba Gooding Jr. His acting and Laurence Fishburn (who played his dad) were especially impressive.

Later Cuba stood out in two films/series especially: In Jerry Maguire for which he won an Oscar, and the TV drama The People v OJ Simpson, American Crime Story. In both films he played a successful sportsman with delusions of grandeur.

Cuba had been in the UK for a week when the shoot took place in a small studio in Hackney Wick. I found myself in a slight surreal situation as I ran out between the warehouse buildings in the streets of Hackney Wick to get him from a taxi, lost in the trendified industrial district. The location was near by the Olympic Village in Stratford, where he was rehearsing for the West End show Chicago. Cuba has got the lead male roll of Billy Flynn. We caught him at the end of a long day rehearsing and the physical exertion, as well as being jet lagged, meant we had a very chilled Cuba in front of the camera.

Despite not having the energy that we can see Cuba project in some films and in the show Chicago, he did pull out a few characteristic Cuba smiles, the birdie was shown and he took well to my directions. A good achievement considering he’d probably much prefer lying down in his hotel bed, feet up, watching a film about suburban Oslo; perhaps exotic for someone who was born in Brooklyn, NY?

Steve Ludwin

It is not often you voluntarily stick your face a few inches away from a highly poisonous snake. But sometimes you take a stranger’s word for it, trust him and his knowledge of snakes, and have faith in his handling of the snake and reaction time. At least I am not the man who’s got the poisonous Pope’s Viper wrapped around my neck!

I wish I could say that the idea of taking a closeup portrait of the snake was my idea, but in this case it was a request from the magazine. ‘No doubt they want me dead’ - I thought to myself as I found myself agreeing with great enthusiasm. The poisonous snake’s head juxtaposed, next to a closeup of Steve Ludwin could work for a great layout in the magazine. (Steve is the owner of the snakes; a vegan and animal lover, but also someone who has injected himself with snake venom for many years.) He has injected himself with so many types of snake venom that he has now offered himself to the medical world so they can create anti-venom. He even had an operation (whilst still conscious I may add) so they could take samples from his spine needed for the anti-venom.

Steve has been successful on the music scene too but now it seems that his passion is more aimed towards his reptiles and shows a great love and understanding for them. He handles them not only with confidence, but with great respect. His lack of fear is slightly disconcerting, but his confidence comes with a life time of experience and an ability to read and understand the reptiles.

Sat Bains

A two and a bit hours drive up to Nottingham, 5am on a Friday morning, took me back about 20 years to my early days of London where I used to travel up to Nottingham to hang out with my friends at weekends. Back then I had no car and hitchhiked. From sunny evenings where I was picked up instantly and was told all the stories that the driver had obviously never told anyone - knowing full well that they’d never see me again, to people trying to sell me their God and sign me up to their view of the afterlife, to getting stuck in a traffic jam on the M1 with someone high on speed and even having a man in suit in his brand new Mercedes, promising to take me out of his way, provided he could change into some shorts first…. No thank you!

Now, 20 years or so later, I find myself driving up in my own sensible car, heading for a Michelin star restaurant in Nottingham (how times have changed) Sat Bains is the only Michelin star restaurant in Nottingham I am aware of. It lies in the most unlikely place you can imagine; Just off a main road, under some power cables, it is impossible to join the network of cars again after a meal due to blind corners with fast cars wizzing by, next to a tobacco factory that used to smell of apple pies (if you take my assistant Pat’s word for it - also an ex-Nottingham student).

The restaurant itself is a real gem. With its own vegetable garden and chefs opening oysters under the blue skies, it also has a resident rabbit. The idea behind this shoot was not only to photograph Sat Bains in action, his big presence working with his chefs in the kitchen, but we also wanted to show the softer side of Sat. The hard side was the man who goes to the gym every day, goes hunting and looks and acts very much like the alpha male. The softer Sat was the man who loves his soft, fluffy bunny, Junior. (In fact, the only thing you are not allowed to joke about is the bunny, and what it would taste like on a silver platter.)

The telephone conversations prior to the shoot were something to be transcribed in itself. The picture editor from OFM and I discussed how we could photograph Sat with the bunny, with a nod to the kitchen and food, without it looking like Sat was about to cook it.

Sat looking like a bigger, stronger, sleeker version of Jason Statham made it hard to think of a solution to this problem. If he wore chef’s whites then there would be an instant indication to him eating the bunny. Without a chefs jacket we had nothing that said food, and it may as well have been a cover for Pets Are Us. As sometimes happens with these ideas being bounced back and forth is that an idea appears out of the blue. Sometimes it seems like a throw away idea, as it is something you could imagine in a cartoon, but in real life it would be impossible. I mentioned to Michael that if the bunny could wear a chefs outfit too, then it would look like they worked together. (Last time I checked, the chefs outfits for bunnies were all sold out due to high demand from Buggs Bunny’s kitchen), so Michael continued the joke with suggesting ‘chefs hat with ear holes’. ‘Chefs Hat’ - I thought…. It stuck to my brain like a throw away plaster in the swimming hall changing room sticks to your feet.

That evening, just before going to bed, I asked my wife as a joke, (but also as I knew that if it could be made, she could do it); ‘Can you make a chefs hat for a rabbit?’ Without hesitation she asked me to pass her paper, staples and tape. 5 minutes later, there it was. My eyes light up and I knew the shoot was saved.

The rest of the shoot was to show Sat as the hunter, the sportsman, the iron fisted head chef, the alpha male. Well, that was easy. A tractor wheel, shotgun and a kitchen filled with liquid ice smoke should cover that feel.…

Jo Whiley

This shoot with Jo was for Specsavers. It seems Jo and I have something in common, apart from the love of music. Jo suffers from tinnitus. Specsavers are not only the savers of specs but it seems they can help with any hearing issues too.

Of course having tinnitus for Jo is probably a little worse than it is for me. Jo presents music programs and is constantly introducing the UK to new acts and great music. Going to see gigs and listening to music is what she does, and tinnitus must be a little like me having cataract.

Jo was as expected; funny, nice and full of smiles. She took a few stabs at my lingo as I gave it all with my photography speak (show me ‘optimism’ was one of the commands that slipped out of me as I was pressing the shutter…) If you don't think that sounds too stupid then just give it a try. Visually portraying optimism in a single expression is maybe harder than I had once thought and may leave the sitter with an expression of confusion instead….