Hannah Peel

I met Hannah for the first time, over Skype in the end of the first lockdown in 2020.  Hannah had agreed to take part in my personal project Rear View Window, photographing people in isolation due to Covid, from around the world.  I instantly warmed to Hannah.  She has one of those personanilities that instantly makes you feel welcome, even if she is 500 miles away in the north of Ireland, and not there in front of me in person.  We spoke a little about her great work as a musician and radio host, before I directed her around her house in Belfast.  Her house was like a musician’s dream - filled with sound proof rooms, mixing tables, microphones , piano, harp and other instruments.  The view was of the Irish sea. What’s not to like?!

It was such a surprise to get a message from Hannah a few months later saying that the Observer were going to do a feature on her and she’d asked her PR to suggest me to take the portrait for the feature.  

A week later, Hannah was in London for a 48 hour trip, to record with an orchestra.  One day was set aside for the shoot, but unfortunately London was in total lockdown, and the weather forecast was 100% rain.  Oh!!!  

Hannah and I talked, I suggested a few places where we might find some cover, but that were not very relevant to Hannah or her work.   Hannah eventually suggested that we could get access to a music shop in North London called Audio Gold.  Talk about a perfect venue!  It had the retro recording equipment from the same period that Hannah sampled on her new album Fir Wave.  As Hannah explains:

“The specialist library label KPM, gave me permission to reinterpret the original music of the celebrated 1972 KPM 1000 series: Electrosonic, the music of Delia Derbyshire and the Radiophonic Workshop.”

I turned up to the shop an hour before Hannah.  The place was filled with second hand record players, amplifiers, speakers, vinyls and anything else you can imagine that has to do with music.  It is a treasure trove for all music enthusiasts.  A place where all your dreams come true, and the people who work there have the knowledge and are friendly enough to care.  It was a perfect fit for Hannah.  Not only is Hannah someone who is knowledgable about all instruments and how to combine them with technology, but her passion for all things ‘sound’ fits right in with the ethos of the shop.  (And I managed to buy myself a vinyl of the live album Live at Carnegie Hall - Bill Withers - I love it!)

Hannah seemed like a good friend from the first word we spoke, remotely over Zoom.  We’ve kept in touch since - and although we have only spoken a few times, it feels like I’ve known her for ages.  Some people just make you feel at ease when you speak to them, and Hannah is just one of those people.  Apart from the good news that Hannah has released the album Fir Wave - she is now also back on the air waves with her radio show Night Tracks - a show that gives that nice comforting feeling.    

Shot for Observer New Review  

Lauren Laverne

Our radio DJs have been saviours for many of us people during lockdown.  This shoot with Lauren Laverne was shot in true Covid lockdown fashion; outside and socially distanced.  Just outside the BBC Radio broadcast building in Central London, we waited,  ready to photograph Lauren as she finished her breakfast show for BBC6 Music.  It was requested that I took some shots of her with the iconic BBC entrance behind her, but when I looked across the street, I saw a building site that made for a much more interesting image.  Especially in contrast with Lauren’s flowery dress.  

Shot for Observer New Review

Anoushka Shankar

Anoushka Shankar is not only the daughter of the world’s best known Sitar player but she is also an incredibly talented Sitar player herself. There was an incredibly calm aura about Anoushka as well as being friendly, fun and kind.  Am I right in saying that the feeling of calm goes hand in hand with the image of Sitar?!  Although I think that’s the case, the complexity of playing an instrument like the Sitar should surely make one wired, and not calm.  The sitar, is hugely personal, often custom made, and has an almost religious aura about it.  I had a blanket for this shoot and had to stand above Anoushka to photograph her.  To be able to be on the blanket where Anoushka was playing the sitar, I had to take shoes off.  Not to preserve the state of my blanket, but because I was on the blanket with the Sitar.  A respectful way to treat such a complex instrument.

This shoot was for the Observer Food Monthly so an element of food needed to be included.   As well as turning lettuce leafs into a pattern that would correspond with the pattern of my blanket, I also made a Sitar out of a Squash and had the lettuce leaves on Anoushka’s shoulders, almost like the base of some angel wings. 

Shot for OFM

Sheku Kanneh-Mason

Sheku is a Cellist who won the 2016 BBC Young Musician award.  Young and funky looking guy with a Cello!  A nice, gentle man, who has enjoyed a lot of fame since 2016, most noticeably for playing at Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding. 

This shoot was for OFM magazine and therefore included food. I thought of putting fruit and veg as notes on a piece of paper that he could play.  Maybe the music play out loud is not the most appropriate, but it was the first that came to hand when I searched online.  

Shot for Observer Food Monthly

Rafe Spall

A while back I did a shoot with the brilliant actor Timothy Spall on the roof of a car park.  A very different setting from this shoot with his son, Rafe Spall, in the slightly more slick Big Sky studios.  The rumour was that Rafe didn’t like having his photograph taken much, something I am used to, and is often the case amongst actors.  I had prepared for someone who wasn’t too keen on being there, posing in front of the camera.  I prepared by relying on colours to brighten up the shoot and creating settings that didn’t demand the talent to be hugely active.  However, who I met was a jovial, fun and relaxed Rafe -  Jokey and stylish.  Fun guy with the most perfect South East London accent.  (The kind of accent, that as a foreigner, I find cool and quintessential London.  The kind of accent you only have if you’ve got a pearly king suit to match.)

Rafe is acting in the series ‘Trying” - a light, fun series dealing with the difficult subject of trying for a child, but not succeeding.  In fact - it looks like the filming of a third series is in the pipeline, which is always a sign of a good series with great appeal.

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

Grayson and Philippa Perry

Working with people several times allows for a different approaches and opportunities.  With some people, there may be a case of struggling to come up with new ideas, but in the case of Grayson and Philippa Perry that’s not a problem.  They’re a consistently moving visual subject.  Constantly evolving and always interesting.  I say that having photographed Grayson Perry 8 times, Philippa Perry 4 times - oh, and their cat once.  

In the true spirit of Corona lockdown, this shoot took place outdoors.  Just outside Grayson’s studio in fact.  All brick walls and little to hand that we could use as props. I had however brought my own little stash and was ready to roll.  Grayson and Philippa were hosting the second part of the Lockdown Art program.  A program that sees the couple talking to celebs about art, but also ask the public to enter their lockdown art.  (More series to come).

My boys were given a book called “Boys who dare to be different” from their Auntie Emma for Christmas.  It’s a lovely book that looks at people in history who have dared to stand out from what is considered the norm, and have excelled in what they have done.  One of the people mentioned in this book is Grayson Perry.  On the shoot I mentioned this to Grayson.  On the request of my kids, I asked him if what was written in the book was true.  The first comment from Grayson and Philippa in unison was “but I (Grayson)  am not different.”  It is a comment I should have seen coming from Grayson.  I also agree to a certain degree, whilst completely understanding why he is in the afore mentioned book.  Would Grayson have been mentioned in the book had he just done the art work and not dressed as Claire on occasions?  Probably not.  Does the book then put more emphasis on Grayson’s Claire than Grayson’s many art works?  Maybe.  But the truth is that Claire is in itself an art piece, and Claire, more so than the amazing ceramics and tapestry Grayson does, encourages young and old alike to be who they want to be, despite the norm that group pressure and society puts upon us.  

I do enjoy photographing Grayson as Grayson, or Grayson as Claire just as much.  I love photographing Philippa with her characteristic black and grey hair and unmistakable glasses.  Together - they bounce off each other, like raindrops on a freshly impregnated coat, like a bouncy ball in a school playground, like best friends after a long time apart, like they are each every second word in a sentence that slots perfectly together to make complete sense.  

I may not be considered the kind of friend that would call Philippa and Grayson to hang out and enjoy a glass of wine together, but when I’m on a shoot with them I feel very much like a friend. 

Shot for Observer New Review

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

Stephen K Amos

Stephen K Amos is part of British comedy establishment. He has been at the forefront of the British comedy scene for as long as I can remember, and he is still funny!  I collaborated with Stephen on this shoot to get some press and marketing images for him. A tall guy, friendly, and packed with style, turned up at the shoot in east London. A friendly chat to start with, then we hit the streets to get some outdoor images before the rain. We moved up and down an alleyway before heading back into the studio again.  Change of clothes and backdrops before we managed to get Stephen moving like a Salsa God!  

Not many shoots you break up half way to enjoy Jerk Chicken, Rice and Peas.  (Certainly a first for our French groomer Celine who was also on the shoot,) only to continue the shoot with ‘belly full’ and sticky fingers.  

Shot for Stephen K Amos

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