Bailey, Lichfield, Rankin, Bob Carlos-Clarke, Kander, Mankowitz, Martin Parr… editing and writing for various magazines and websites has enabled me to come close to those I’ve admired from afar.
Offering a cover mention and six-page feature – at a time when the magazine I was working for, AP’s sister title, was the best-selling digital photography mag – would open doors. Except on my first attempt to interview the late, great Martin Parr, who told me he didn’t need to do it, but would acquiesce if I could get him a £3K DSLR. Fortunately, on a separate occasion when sponsored by Sony Ericsson, an interview was freely and enthusiastically given.
Other interviewees were more forthcoming from the get-go. I’ve fond memories of sharing a couch with David Bailey while his (now grown) son Fenton played computer games, visiting Rankin in Old Street the night of a launch party for Amy Winehouse, finding myself on an press trip with Oasis photographer Jill Furmanovksy, getting a rare thank you email from Bob Carlos-Clarke after I’d published what transpired to be one of his last interviews… and browsing the Royal Academy of Art with just Patrick Lichfield and assistant. Also, being invited to the homes of Gered Mankowitz and Nick Knight to conduct interviews… and sharing cake with Sex Pistols and Bob Marley photographer Dennis Morris at his fave café (he paid).
The kindness and friendliness of the above – all people who had long proven themselves in a competitive photographic field and who, therefore I felt, were relaxed and confident in who they were – encouraged me to keep going myself. I doubt I would have survived 25 years in the industry or been inspired to stick with what I’m doing, without their example.
Career opportunities
Of course, I still have ‘ones who got away’ – potential interviewees who’ve eluded my profiling. I could never pin down Elaine Constantine, whose natural yet vivacious portraits I find fascinating – or Pennie Smith, closely associated with The Clash, whose book of high-contrast tour photographs – The Clash Before & After – I’d owned since a teenager.
Pennie consented to a phone call when I was putting together a feature on fellow music photographers – including Kevin Cummins and Dean Chalkley, both also lovely – but cut short our conversation with a weary “all anyone wants to talk to me about is the bloody Clash.” Fair enough.
I was, however, able to get a chance to talk about ‘the only band that matters’ off-the-record when Pennie ran a bookstall at my local summer fair. One of those times when fate unexpectedly intervenes, she kindly offered to sign my book if I ran home to get it, which I promptly did, only to be told it was possibly a bootleg or pirate copy – despite my buying it from HMV Oxford Circus! I also purchased a handful of Pennie’s prints, mainly test samples or images returned by the NME back in the day; a little dog eared but delightful pieces of history, nonetheless.
Sadly, in a current age of influencers and article ideas commissioned by algorithm it’s rare to now meet such inspirational characters – Harry Borden at AP’s recent Festival of Photography a notable exception. But I’ve certainly been fortunate to take inspiration from those I have.
Related reading
- Have we already reached ‘peak camera’ technology?
- Stop chasing likes and clicks – think photography is doomed?
- This legendary war photographer taught me everything I need to know about strength and resilience
The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of Amateur Photographer magazine or Kelsey Media Limited. If you have an opinion you’d like to share on this topic, or any other photography related subject, email: ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk
