Scott Move’s work is known the world around for its Doom-Orientated approach, intricacies and striking symbolism which has enabled him to exhibit work in a number of Galleries worldwide, as well as produce designs for respected clients in a range of fields. After coming across his work online, I was introduced to a original and unique approach to a steadily popular aesthetic within modern illustration. The interview was conducted just before his latest exhibition; Symbols, in San Francisco.

image by Dorrell Merritt

WS: So youre becoming a dad; how does it feel?

SM: Its pretty exciting man; one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done so far… I don’t think there’s anything in life that can happen, as cool a this

WS: Are you hoping for a girl or a boy…?

 SM: It’s a boy; we already know! I’d be excited either way; as long as there’s all arms and all legs and facing forward, I’m happy.

WS: So you’re about to exhibit some work in San Francisco- is this your first exhibit abroad?

 SM: Its not actually- the first thing that I did was probably a couple of years ago now; a guy from Japan approached me (it was a bit weird), but he said I’ll put on a show for you in my gallery in Japan, if you send me your work. I was quite suspicious, but still up for doing it; it was difficult because everything I sent to him, I wrote in English and I think he must have translated it online to Japanese, and it just doesn’t translate very well…but we figured it out in the end and it turned out quite cool. I also did one in New York: a group exhibit that a friend of mine, Matthew, put on. It’s a bit strange having an exhibition you don’t get to see yourself.

WS: Yeah; it seems to be becoming more commonplace now, in the illustration world. So where are you from originally?

SM: Im from Chelmsford, Essex originally. Its where I was born, grew up etc. I Moved to London in the last 2 years

WS: And how has life changed?

SM: Its much more expensive! London is amazing though; non stop, noise and expense but, there so much opportunity.

WS: So lets talk about your work in more detail. It seems to be very wood-print inspired but at the same time there’s references to other areas of illustrative work and of course tattooing. What would you say is the crux of your inspiration?

SM: To be honest- I don’t really know. I just think that over the last few years,  I have tried to let things progress naturally; I’m like an image hound- I need a constant input of images so I’m always looking at things, and as a result they get stored in my brain when I draw stuff. If I’m not drawing anything specific; drawing for myself, then I guess they’ll just come out. There isn’t really a reason for anything that’s there, its just me trying to balance things out or see what works well with what. There are sometimes messages in there, but not anything outrageous. You can read into it whatever you want; obviously there’s a lot of styles in there, symbolism and connectivity with the symbolism, but overall it is what it is.

 WS: And your choice to produce black-work solely; why has it become so important to your style?

 SM: I think mainly because its so basic: it’s the most obvious mark you can make. When I originally started, it was in pen other than anything else- I liked the idea that it was so permanent and so opposite to what I was drawing on; pencil is kind of wishy-washy,  but with black ink: once its there, its there. You can add more, but you cant go back

WS: Similar to tattooing?

 SM: In a sense, yeah. I’ve always struggled with shadows, and making things look the way they are meant to look; forms, negative space…I m always trying to learn to make things looks proper; once I get that then I might start adding some more colour into my work.

WS: So how long does it take for you to complete an average piece?

SM: It depends…if its something that I know I can draw and Ive drawn a lot of, I can usually do it in three evenings. If its something that’s difficult, like women’s faces …body parts, hands etc it would probably take longer. I could probably do one in a day if I spent all day on it

WS: And you use a lot of physical references or are they image based?

SM: No- the only references I use are for hands, and theyre generally my own…or things I definitely cant draw, like women’s faces …

 WS: They’re harder to draw than mens?

 SM: So hard! It’s really easy to draw an ugly man, but not a good woman

WS: Is it to do with ratios?

 SM: It generally takes a lot less lines, so its so much more obvious when its even the tiniest bit out. While when you’re drawing a man’s face, you can have a lot more to it and its slightly easier

WS: Intriguing. So where do your inspirations life outside of art likes of art?

SM: Music mainly. Over the last (probably) 10 years, Ive just listened to real dark, heavy music: I think that probably comes across in my work

WS: Yes; destruction…especially the destructive power of nature?

 SM: Yeah sure: not sure if that just comes from music, but I definitely like nature-Coming  from the countryside has probably effected my work. I try and draw all the time with music: I’m sure that somewhere along the lines, subliminally  its gone in somewhere

WS: What typically would you listen to?

SM: Some Doom band…something slow really; there are hundreds of bands… I was listening to a band called Winter today; just tonnes. I actually recently just wiped two complete ipods full of music, I’m so shit with technology I plugged them both in and managed to lose two ipods worth of music!

WS: How?

SM: I dunno man; I’m just real bad with technology!

WS: So with so many illustrators adopting such a similar a approach to their practice in using occultism, symbolism and a general Old-World feel in their work, how do you try to differentiate your work?

SM: To be honest, Im not trying to differentiate at all; I don’t really try to stand out or to be different, or anything- I think its impossible these days. Everything’s been done; even over the last 300 years or so

WS: True. Have you noticed that people are adopting such a style because of things like Tattooing?

SM: I think  have noticed it a lot more because I spend so much time looking at this stuff; its like when you buy a new car, all of a sudden you see everyone is driving the same car….I think that tattooing has been the birthplace of a lot of stuff, definitely. That’s probably the case

WS: I think what makes your work bear towards a slightly different direction than a lot of other similar artists is the fact that it exists more as an artefact, as opposed to heading towards realism. How did you reach this?

SM: I try to put things together in the way that I would want it to look really; I try not to take too much influence from stuff; yet still make it pleasing for me and hopefully for others too. I try to blend things…especially with proportions. For example: a tiny little sword and a massive hand; it leaves you thinking “Is that a normal sized hand with tiny Swords, or a Giants hand with regular sized swords?” A lot of things like this are there to balance things out in the image; makes things less heavy.

WS: What about the one with the multi-faceted skull? Its of my favourite pieces; especially with the stairs and the geometry…

SM: Yeah, the Geometric thing is impressive- You know when you look at something and all of a sudden your mind clicks, and you see all of the dimensions within it- that’s sick! I cant do that very well; it’s a very hard talent to master. Anything that takes more than a pencil on its own to draw, Im not very good with. Its something that Im working hard to bring in; I would like to do more pattern work in the future….

WS: Seems to be a lot of tracing paper!

SM: Yeah! It takes a lot of effort, for something that seems so basic

WS:  Like the work of Xed for example?

SM: Yeah exactly; things like that are incredible

WS: Very. So lets go back 10 years: was art and illustration a big part of your life then?

SM: Not really actually. I went to University in Northampton for a little while, but I basically didn’t really do it. I went back to education and it kinda sucked; it felt as if I was going back to square one again- I would have to draw an apple, draw this…I thought it was all pretentious bullshit really- it was only when I got back into a band, a few friends asked me to do a few drawings for T-shirts and stuff, and that became more interesting because I was doing it for myself, and how I wanted to do it.

WS: So it was too structured; traditional  etc?

SM: Yeah; either that or I chose the right thing

WS: Was it straight art you were studying on its own?

SM: Yeah;  I did art at school and did a foundation course in something to do with graphics… cant remember exactly but it was shit. It was a case of “Lets draw a Mc Donalds Logo; and Why is this better than the Mc Donalds Logo? It wasn’t for me!

WS: What band did you start in?

SM: It was a Hardcore band called Special Move; I was there for quite a while, over 10 years  I’d say. That’s when it all came back to me; my friend Matt asked me to draw a picture for a American band; he was like  ”I know you can draw and no-one else has the time to do it”, so I did and it slowly  crept back into my life without me realising it. It was only a few years after that were I started doing it to a point where I thought people would be interested; I think its when I started to use the internet more, I realised that there were people making some amazing stuff and that influenced me more and made me realise that If this guy can stay at home all day and get paid to do it, I want to be able to do that.

WS: Definitely. So, I find a lot of practitioner’s own personal beliefs to affect their work; as far as religion goes, what’s your overall stance?

SM: Visually, I think religion is great especially Catholic faith and stuff; Jesus looks cool, but that’s as far it goes- I don’t believe in any of that. If all the fairy tales were true then the world would be a great place

WS: So you like things like the Vatican for example ?

SM:: Yeah for sure. I mean I just think that religion causes more problems than it solves; Im happy for people to be into it. My mum is religious, and she believes in all of that and it helps her in her life…Im cool with that.

WS: What about life & death?

SM: Well… we’re all definitely gonna die! I Don’t know; it’s a huge mystery man,  and it’s the sort of thing no-one’s going to know until its too late. I draw a lot of bones and skeletal stuff as it’s the one unifying thing that everybody is; if you’re rich, poor, if you’re massively successful, or a tramp: it doesnt matter. As soon as you turn back into a skeleton, you become the same as everyone else; equal.

WS: I Like that. So lets talk about your tattooing

SM: Ive been doing it for the last few months properly; not an apprenticeship per say, but I’ve been learning as I go along- working in a shop for the last few weeks (Haunted Tattoo). Its been something Ive wanted to do for a very long time, but been too scared to take the plunge and try. Ive had some very good tuition from some close friends who are tattooers

WS: Who?

SM: A friend of mine Josh in the USA, Simon Erl has been very helpful to me and obviously Allan Graves at Haunted; I’ve been going to see him every week, learning where I can- just trying to take in as much as possible, with the time I’m given. It’s the most exciting thing I’ve done

WS: It all looks pretty impressive from what I’ve seen online. What would you say your aim for the next year is?

SM: Tattooing as much as possible; just progression. Slow, steady progression.

WS: Going back to your illustrative work; what equipment do you use typically?

SM:: I use the 0.05mm nibs: the smallest you can get; a pen will probably do two drawings, but as soon as they get a bit fat I just throw them away. It depends though: sometimes you might get through a pen a drawing, or four pens per section

WS: So how does your family receive your work generally?

SM: (laughs) My mum was an massive influence for me as she was an artist; she jut asks me to draw nice things. I think she likes it, but just doesn’t like the subject matter. I draw Jesus with fucking roots growing out of his eyes, and she just asks “Cant you draw him so he looks nice; like he’s supposed to?” Maybe one day. I think she’s glad that Im doing something artistic.

WS: If you weren’t drawing this stuff, what would you be drawing?

SM: I probably wouldn’t be drawing to be honest. I’m a miserable bastard, and this is what I love.

http://scottmove.co.uk

 Tumblr | Twitter | Store

Alec Mc Leish & Finn Andres live in the relatively easy going, diverse and energetic suburb of Camberwell. They’re both photographers. They develop their own film in what they call the lab (bathroom). They swear by black and white film. They love the history of photography; carry a great deal of knowledge for it. They are by no means drifters. They both have a unmatched talent in utilising the decisive moment in their work- the theft of intimate moments within such a busy city as London, being both delicate and valuable. This is an excerpt from a group conversation between myself, Alec, Finn and photographer Jamie Rothwell, one busy friday evening in Old Street.

WS: Do you know Artwords- the shop

 FA: No?

 WS: It’s towards Shoreditch High Street- they sell awesome independent books- its refreshing to see good quality publications as opposed to the faux, badly shot  stuff that gets pushed out by so many magazines

 FA: Yeah…like I think that stuff is cool; but all the photographers I respect are not interested nor would shoot for those types of magazines; its all about quality

 JR: Like this one here (refers to Sang Bleu) …Its good to see like… well taken photos, as opposed to snapshots all the time

 WS: Yeah- I mean, I love grain in my images but…

 JR: “It” gets too much

 FA: You have to use it well- If you use grain, you can make a picture. If you use too much, it just ruins it.

 WS: No wonder everyone is heading towards independent publishing. It seems as if soon everyone will have their own magazine. So you guys have all done a lot for Dazed and other magazines; what have you been able to do recently?

 FA: I have something here actually (brings out prints)

WS: Great- who developed the films?

 FA: I did; I did them myself

 JR: In the lab!

 FA: Yeah (laughs)- the bathroom. This is the guy here; he does grime music. He had a blog and it was really good apparently. His name’s Elijah Butterz; now he has a record deal- Im not sure if its him doing music or being a producer but I know he DJ’s. He was cool but we had such a short time

 WS: Is that for online?

 FA: No its for print; for March. We had like 10 minutes, and he was like “I have to go”

 AMC: That’s Horrible (laughs)

 WS: Has any of the stuff you’ve had to shoot for them been as Impromptu?

 AMC: Well….the last thing I did was pretty last minute. I was on holiday and I got an email being like: “can you do “this”, this week? Basically I wanted Finn to do the shoot because he would have appreciated it more; it was this guy called John Calder; he published a lot of Samuel Becketts work. He’s this super old dude…I landed on Thursday night, woke up Friday and went to do the shoot knowing nothing about him. Went there and turned up, and there was just this guy sitting on the sofa, looking like a picture already- gnarly looking. Someone said to him “John the photographer is here now”, and he just looked at me and said “Yes…?”- the whole time I was just trying to talk to him, and he ws just like “Yep….I don’t really have a face for smiling”. This guy came in and mentioned him needing help up the stairs; and he replied” I don’t need any help!!”- he was a real bitter old guy!

 We walked over to the bookshelf where all the amazing books where by the bookshelf and shot some stuff there. Then he just walked off, and didn’t come back…so that was the end of that then. If Finn was there he probably would have got more out of him; he knows about Becketts work…

 WS: Crazy! What kind of stuff did Beckett write about?

 FA: He wrote in English and French; its really rare that an author can write in a language that isn’t his own and still be so respected- but simply, its just very short sentances- he writes the kind of book you could read cover to cover and think “what did I just read”? Its just really really good…stripped down; I just think theyre brilliant . Its mainly theatre; he wrote a very famous play called “Waiting for Godot”- the whole gist of the play is that there are two people, standing in what seems to be the middle of no-where and its just like a play where nothing happens. One will ask for example “what time is it?” and the other will reply “Its 4 o clock…” . The whole point of it is that nothing happens; that’s the beauty of it. It explores the area of having no place, time, date, culture…

 WS: I guess its also an exploration of conversation in its raw form?

 FA: Exactly. Also, the experience of being alive- in space and time, without anything to …

 AMC: Define it?

 FA: Exactly. What you get from the play is just how confusing it is and how abstract it is; existence stripped of all of the things we use to define it. And that bitter old man published it (laughs)

 WS: So Alec; what do you shoot with?

 AMC: Well …in the last 6 months I’ve used a Nikon FE, with a 28mm Lens and its really good; before that I had an indestructible Pentax Camera which…then broke (laughs)

WS: Compact?

 AMC: No, SLR. I had a digital camera once, but I didn’t understand it. Then the batteries ran out (laughs). But, no- the Nikon is the best camera yet

 WS: I see. When I first came across your work as the Jus’ Looking Exhibit (2010) I wasn’t really into it that much;  there was something about it I didn’t like. I think it was the aesthetic… back then I wasn’t producing work like I am now. But the darkness in your work; the overcast feel in the lighting …a lot of stuff you embraced in your work, I have began to embrace in my own work as time has gone by. Grain, out of focus… are these aspects deliberate would you say?

 AMC: I was thinking about this the other day; genuinely (laughs)- not to just open the sentence like that, and its weird because recently, a lot of my pictures have got a lot more…not considered, but they seem more “controlled”. Like I look at films I’ve shot and its less of me thinking:” technically this is rubbish, but as an image really good”… I don’t seem to have that anymore and its kind of sad. It could be because I’ve got better at using my camera. I used to use an old Russian one a lot which, for all the shutter speeds and apertures you needed, you just define it by the weather. It was really quiet as well; rangefinder like the Leica

 WS: I’ve been using this Olympus Compact a lot and at the beginning, I was never happy with the results

AMC: What do you mean?

 WS: Well sometimes the images are blurry…or out of focus. But I have learnt to appreciate that in a way.

 AMC: Yeah, that’s the thing. We never see in focus all the time; and what we see is never pin sharp- so images shouldn’t always be like that

 WS: So what is Camberwell like for being photographers?

AMC: Ive probably lived there for the longest out of everyone who has lived in the house (apart from Rachel) and its mad! Aesthetically for characters, its quite good- if you go away from the center, towards Denmark Hill and the housing areas it gets more interesting.

 WS: So how long have you been taking photos then?

 FA: Really not that long…2 years maybe. Before I started photographing I used to paint a lot; do a lot of drawings…the drawings I was doing became tighter in terms of style. Alec began to talk to me about pictures, as my work was going that direction and then I slowly progressed into it. Its funny though, as Ive never tried digital- its only because when I started to take pictures, my Dad who used to do the same when he was younger, had a really good Nikon and I just started using it. When you make a mistake on film, you have to get it processed- and you remember the mistake. Digital definitely has its uses but I think its stupid to pretend that film is inept.

 WS: So what do you think about the photographic age we are in at the moment; where digital infact dominates the market; but at the same time you have more and more people getting into using film. In that you have this ever growing group of companies that either want to cash in on nostalgia, or make things like lomography-esque photography, the face of modern film use- what does the word analogue mean to you, in the present day?

 FA: I really cant bear it when people seem to need to make it into this….like, I am an analogue photographer. Yet theres no point in me saying it, or declaring it. Its almost like branding yourself differently. For me, at the end of the day, the main focus is the final product. So someone can tell me “oh I only use film”, but its like who cares? Using film in itself isn’t good enough.

WS: Its almost like, its become an excuse?

FA: Yeah, its true. I don’t think using film itself, is a good criteria for being a good photographer. Film is only as good as how much the photographer knows in terms of what he is doing. The same applies for digital.

AMC: Its definitely more popular now, than its has been….since we’ve been taking pictures. Just because there’s more of it though, its doesn’t mean its better. Its good for the industry; people buying film, but there’s a lot of people getting into it…who don’t really know what they are doing; they’ll get a camera and start producing these “cool” effects which is actually just imperfections; that’s just a light leak, that’s over exposed etc. That’s cool- like a light leak can produce good things… Film photography as a whole though will always be relevant though; because of its history

WS: So how do you feel when people compare digital and film based approaches?

FA: It’s about people taking their work seriously; like I think these digital vs film contests are overall unhelpful- its pretty obsolete as a competition. I think what annoying is…

AMC: Like, people for example still make chairs by hand; chairs are also made in a mass scale in factories, but it doesn’t mean one will be more focused on than the other. They will always be alongside each other.

Alecs Tumblr | Blogspot

Finn’s Tumblr

The photography of New York based Andrew Lu, focuses primarily on exploring femininity through a range of subjects and models, presented through portraits in a wholly organic way.  Whether through choice of locations, or varied photographic approach, he produces work which displays beauty through age & youth . His work diminishes between a range of mediums; Instax to 5×4 with the key elements of honesty and sincerity strengthened by the hints at the images’ physicality.  His black and white work comes across strongest; with the right combination of mid-tones and unorthodox compositions:  helping to create a sense of worldly distance. 

The body of work entitled Nymph, is the epitomy of this, with a range of compositions that heighten its intimacy, alongside the right amount of grain and visual flaws:  almost making it seem as if it was a selection of negatives discovered after being shot a decade ago. They all demonstrate themes of innocence and reservation, with the beauty of the subjects themselves being powerful enough in making it both sensual and timeless. Other bodies of work such as Illusion  and Instant, make use of a lo-fi aesthetic as its driving force; alongside Revenant, which uses it in a way that works well with the ominous and ghostly art direction.

For such a young photographer, the work produced to date is expansive as well as promising; progressing into other areas genres and developing his approach and technique. It will be interesting to see what direction his work takes next as he continues to study at the School of the Arts Institute of Chicago over the next few years.

You can follow his work on Facebook and Twitter

 

 

Brighton based Eleanor Bell shares some of her work; from her ever-growing blog, full with musings in the form of poetry, prose and automatic writing.

The egg in its shell,
ivory and gold
held, so perfect.

She taps a crack
and she hatches from her bed,
from her home of ivory and gold.

Gemlike, precious, she’s born -
and she’s made of her home,
of the palest sunyellow and moonwhite,
with ivory eyes,
puckering amber-honey drenched lips.

Protective, smooth-as-shell skin,
bone coloured,
slender.
Eyes and hair that
glint and gleam with gold leaf,
gold flecks,
gold freckles.

Born of an egg -
of birds? lizards? fish?
of orange trees?
of rain clouds?
Her golden lips smile in secrecy,
and she plucks a shard of eggshell
from her tangled tresses.

She stands,
the broken pieces of her oval womb
lying scattered at her feet.
Bird-child,
born from the sun and the moon,
looks me in the eye and
in the blink of a shadow,

she has gone.

More

Alex De Mora has worked extensively with some of the most esteemed figures & musicians across a wide range of Genre’s. His work ethic, alongside a desire to document images that display energy and character has allowed him to be able to work effortlessly in a range of photographic genres; a large diversity which unlike the work of many others, is able to stand strong. 

WS: How did you see in the New Year?

ADM: I spent the new year doing the same thing as most people probably-  just got drunk with my best friends

WS:  Nice. Beats the crowds of Central London…

ADM: Yeah I suffered in the crowds of Dalston at one point but mostly just hung out at friend’s houses

WS:  Nice. So I saw you worked with DOOM recently;  was it daunting working with hip-hop regality?

ADM: I guess more daunting beforehand; I had the obvious preconception that he’d be pretty scary, but he turned up and was pretty jolly if anything and had his son in tow- so a pretty weird experience!

WS:  Yeah he seemed pretty relaxed in the pictures; like a big kid almost, especially with the toy cars…

ADM: Yeah it was two shoots in one. One for Juke Magazine and one for a Car- Mag called Intersection – they were told that he loves remote controlled cars, which he really does – and has his own DOOM-Mobile so yeah he’s totally like a big kid

WS:  DOOM-Mobile?

ADM: Yeah chunky black car with a DOOM sticker on the back  (Is it radio or remote? I always get that one mixed up)

WS: He’s living in London now too I heard ..?

ADM: Yeah although we asked where and he said (in an evil villain voice); “Undisclosed Location – SECRET LABORATORY”- It’d be funny if he lived somewhere like Eastbourne with all the retired folk

WS:  I can imagine him living somewhere pretty low-key and elusive, even after all his success; I mean regardless of the mask, I think people have a general idea of what he looks like…

ADM: I did see him for a second without the mask; but didnt shoot a picture incase the shoot got pulled

WS: Did it kill the legend for you?

ADM: I think I was more distracted by his son being there. Plus lots of people came to ‘help out’ on the shoot (get their I-Phone photos with DOOM) so it was all quite hectic

WS: I can imagine. So in terms of your style; you shoot with a very instantaneous aesthetic, but you also have a more relaxed, tamer style with a lot more shadows and stacitiy. Does it all depend on the subject?

ADM:  Yeah I guess sometimes it comes down to luck or location. First thing I do is look for a location or area to frame the shot in, which also obviously depends too on light and shadow- Then its just about the expression

WS:  But aesthetically, your work is very intimate; you seem to want to document subjects whilst in their own personal states of mind, looking around; enjoying a conversation…

ADM:  I guess mostly I like that it could look natural rather than posed; its different in the studio to outside but it’s always mostly natural expression that I prefer

WS: Some refer to portraits as a reflection of the photographer; is this applicable to your work in any way do you think?

ADM:  I think that can be true in some cases for sure. It depends really on how you approach it, but sometimes if it’s a commission then you have a brief to make the subject look a certain way so then it’s definitely not a reflection so much; although you are still the person prompting the reaction so it’s still a reflection in that sense.

WS: So you mentioned to me before that youre a musician as well as photographer?  Drums?

ADM:  Yeah not even a proper instrument (laughs). I was a hot-shot with a recorder when I was 8 years old- does that count?

WS:  Undoubtably! So  you have some musical background (ish)?

ADM: Yeah all I used to care about was playing in a band;  probably why i’m late-ish with the whole photography career thing. I’ve been in bands since I was about 14 I think shitty punk and metal bands- lots of fun

WS:  Nice. the only reason I asked was because from the perspective of someone relatively interested in music, what is it like now to be working with so many esteemed musicians across so many genres?

ADM:   Its great; I think it definitely helps if you are interested and knowledgeable about music…

WS:  For the conversation or photography?

ADM:  Well both! I can’t understand people who don’t need music in their life; it’s something I need pretty much constantly. I would argue that shooting musicians definitely helps if you’re passionate about music, but I could be wrong…

WS:  No I agree: you also have a better idea of portrayal; how they want to be perceived

ADM: Yeah I guess from one end knowing the basics of portrayal of certain genres but also trying not to adhere to stereotypes

WS:  I.E. Black Metal band shot in a forrest with a montain in the background you mean?

ADM:  Haha well I would still love to do that; then I’d like to shoot a Black Metal band anywhere; sat in McDonalds or something;

 that would rule…I had a shoot lined up with GWAR until recently, but they’ve had to cancel their European Tour

WS:  Oh really?

ADM:  Massive bummer

WS: But on the subject of stereotypes, the  LMFAO pictures you did (for example) was pretty stereotypical in that we would all expect them to be that energetic?

ADM: Well LMFAO are just like that; sometimes the cartoon character is real, at least when they’re in public/at a shoot or whatever-maybe they’re like that all the time – who knows

WS: So who would you say was the hardest person to work with?

ADM: Well…. I wouldn’t want to say anyone was hard to work with because and learning how to deal to with different kinds of people is all part of it, but maybe Raekwon because we had to wait something like 6 hours in his hotel! And because he had made us wait so long I began to imagine him being really difficult but in the end he was the total opposite, we ended up talking about fried chicken and I recommended he check out Sam’s in Clapton Pond.

WS: Aside from Sams, whats life like as a photographer living in Clapton Pond?

ADM: Well I’ve lived here for almost 3 years I think. My house is amazing and my studio is down the road in Bethnal Green. It’s a great area if you want to hop on your bike and get some inspiration from green space too, as Walthamstow and Hackney marshes are just down the road.  I love living in the city but I need to look at some green stuff every now and then to contrast the grey

WS: The Marshes are make a great location.  So now Im going to talk equipment;  you shoot predominantly 35mm?

ADM:  35mm and digital yeah

WS: Is it quite symbiotic; or specific to what or who you are shooting?

ADM: I guess it depends on whether its for work or if it’s personal, sometimes I shoot a whole shoot on film but shoot a few digital as ‘back up’. Other times digital is just right for the job; turnaround and so on

WS: So originally, were you a 6th form//college student, using the dark room and Olympus OM’s?

ADM: Well my first SLR was actually an Olympus OM-1 yeah: still got it, wicked camera. But as I said,  all I used to care about was being in a band so photography didn’t really grab me til much later on

WS: Did you study photography ; at University?

ADM: Not strictly photography….. I did a (really shit) Media Studies course which had  Photography as a module. Looking back the lecturers there were awful motivators and technicians there didn’t know what they were doing…

WS:  Oh really?

ADM:  If I could do it again, I’d take photography straight up or just not bother with Uni…

WS:  So Higher Education is overated or…?

ADM: No it’s great. Some people are just luckier than others when it comes to knowing what they want to do early on. Hindsight is a bitch. Although I did discover the work of Hiroshi Sugimoto while I was at Uni- his work is great

WS: Indeed; very dark and ethereal. Who would you say made you think more along the lines of shooting musicians?

ADM: Pennie Smith for sure- She shot all The Clash photos

WS: So what year did you graduate in?

ADM: Must be like 6 years ago or something…I’m 29 now anyway

WS:  Was it a case of being dropped into the big wide world? Or did you kind of have a plan?

ADM:  I don’t think I had any plan whatsoever….Oh I guess I had one…move to London with my bandmates- to the Big Smoke and do some cool stuff – band and otherwise

WS: So where were you based originally?

ADM: I lived in Bristol for 5 or so years including Uni

WS: Oh nice. Was being by the sea an aid to inspiration at all?  Or was it quite stark…?

ADM: I dunno – unless cider, graffiti, or dreadlocks on posh kids inspire you (laughs);  No I’m joking. I’m not sure if Bristol inspired me much in terms of photography really – maybe in a personal way; it can be quite bleak, which I like visually. I like both photography and music which can seem bleak, or stark, as you put it

WS: That surprises me,  as your work is generally quite…. happy?

ADM:  Yeah- I guess some of it is and some not so much. A lot of portraits can be

WS: While your fashion stuff is a lot darker aesthetically

WS:  Is that in order to differentiate your work from this influx of 35mm-type fashion photographers that dominate editorial work on most, if not all magazines & platforms?

ADM:  Not really,  but I did actually notice that recently . I like to balance my portraits out with some more atmospheric stuff – less animated perhaps. I like fashion stories to seem ‘other worldly’; I like the idea of a fashion story almost being cinematic…

WS: Brassai- esque… so now that its 2012, whats the plan?

ADM:  My plan is just to keep going as I have and to build on my portfolio: more clients, more work, more travel, a couple of exhibitions: just to push myself more and forge a solid style.

WS: And of course trips to Sams

ADM: Oh yes a hungry man is not a productive man. Or something.

Site || Blog

Younger photographers whose work covers self portraits in any shape, can always bring about scepticism in the mind of anyone who has spent enough time on the internet and through blogs, twitter and online magazines, have been bombarded with questionable images, badly executed and usually adorned with clichés from every social and historical reach. Once in a while however, you come across a photographer who shoots with a sincerity and a conviction that refreshes the way you see such an area of photography  For me that was  Brooklyn based Amanda Dandeneau.

Dandeneau’s body of work entitled “Us”, is in some ways a shared, or a mirrored project- the relationship between her and her Mother shot over a three-year period. The subject’s nudity at times suggests both a pride and admiration for her mother, as well as a equality between the two. A narrative or back-story over the period of time it was shot, is implied (with titles such as “Winter” & Before bed”)- almost a continuous study of their development and relationship.  Although some compositions are clothed, they still behold the same level of intimacy emotionally, emphasised further through composition or stance- the truth in which the project as a whole is intended to display, is spared. Her consistent use of colour alongside well-balanced exposures, works well with her narrational style and composition with her colour use coming across as key to the essence of her work, as opposed to un-thought-out or unflattering.

This approach to insight is also shared in Familiar Strangers, where she creates portraits of what appears to be those close to her; in places that seems to have some sort of affinity to the subjects, but uses nudity in order for them to be seen in a way that allows simplicity and honesty to meet. Some stand more comfortably than others, but overall there is an element of documentation; almost in the sense that both photographer and viewer are getting to know these subjects for the first time, in this particular light.

More of her work can be seen on her site.