It’s a disconcerting time for someone who runs their own business. It’s a hard time for everyone really. Within three days at the start of when the Covid-19 lockdown was looking like the only solution I, and many others, had phone calls and emails saying that every last bit of work was to be cancelled. A shock and a hard time ahead for us all. To follow I contracted the virus myself, and the whole self-isolation thing really hit me for six. But, looking at things more positively, I’m fully recovered, it’s given me the time to grow a moustache and the time to learn to grow my own veg (courgette for dinner every day for the next six months).

More importantly (as we’re being professional here) it’s given me the chance to look back in detail at my work over the last 10 years or so. I’ve revisited and rehashed my way of working, and the way I want to work going forward. There’s a few more story-based projects you can peruse over, and some new portraits that I never knew were lying in wait, ready to be unleashed into my website…

I’ve been pretty cut-throat about what to throw away and what to keep. I find that quite a challenge as I’m certainly guilty of holding on to photographs that are great memories, but perhaps not up to scratch as I’ve developed my style over the years. With cut-throat-methodology in mind, here are my favourite three portraits:

This is Joe Wilkinson, shot for 02 and produced by Cake and Guts ‘n’ Glory Films. I took this within the first few years of going freelance, and it was when I was really starting to get to grips with how to work super quickly, tagging on campaign stills at the end of a video shoot. I’d really knuckled down when (and how) to prelight around a film crew, and how to work quickly but effectively when the film set is essentially being packed down around you at the end of the day. More than anything with this portrait, Joe is just a complete delight to work with. He knows how to be visually humorous and nails his approach of how to get the right tone and message across. Delightful.

Alzheimer’s Research UK are one of my main clients, and every single time I just love working with them on a campaign. Couple that with a name like Samuel L Jackson and I’m a happy chap. This was for ARUK’s #ShareTheOrange campaign, which has now been shared well over 2 million times. What a man Sam is - he performs with such conviction and skill. No need to say any more!

This is Kenton Cool shot for British GQ with Art Direction from Jeffrey Lee. Kenton Cool has summited Mount Everest fourteen times, including leading Sir Ranulph Fiennes’ 2008 and 2009 expeditions. And he really is cool, a top bloke, and very unassuming. It was a classic example of, again, working around a film crew, which is hard but I actually love. Kenton was waiting in between takes, which is prime time for me to tag on a few impromptu stills. He’d just been climbing for a scene and was taking a breather in a beautifully lit spot of the climbing centre. Easy win. Right moment, right time.

I really hope you enjoy these and welcome to my new ‘latest’ journal/blog…
Alex