It all started after studying photography at Art College. On leaving, and having spent a truly mesmerising apprenticeship working as a studio assistant at Europe’s largest film and photographic rental studio, Holborn Studios, I left to explore my ongoing wanderlust.
Following a chance meeting with world renowned celebrity photographer Terry O’Neill in New York, Terry asked if I might care to become his portrait assistant. As I recall, the question hung in the air for all of a nano-second and one thing soon led to another in the rarefied and sometimes intoxicating celebrity atmosphere that Terry adored…Assignments, friendships and unforgettable shoots were regular features of a career that traversed the globe capturing moments in time with world renowned icons such as: Nelson Mandela, HM Elizabeth II, Pele, Amy Winehouse, Sean Connery, Lewis Hamilton and countless others… The pace was perhaps unsustainable, however my own ongoing enthusiasm to capture “one more frame please” even as Terry acquired a slightly quieter work/life balance led to many more interesting invitations and collaborations, although as I’m is the first to admit, perhaps the most long-lasting photographic memory is my iconic shot of Terry himself, which is now housed at The National Portrait Gallery.Moving on and developing my own shooting career I drew from these heady experiences and took with me the skill sets required to deliver what you see here.
