Top Camila Cabello,
WiZink Center, Madrid, 2018.Above Frankie Valli,
Royal Albert Hall, 2013.“ I see photographers
looking at what they’ve
shot, and they miss
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138 DIGITAL CAMERA^ DECEMBER 2019 http://www.digitalcameraworld.com
Was it record companies or the artist’s
management that you approached?
In the beginning I tried magazines and record labels,
but I soon found out that was a dead end. Because
my first contact was with the manager of Status Quo,
which worked, I then started aiming at management
of the artists. Sometimes it pays off!With your live work, do you cover a whole
tour or just part of it?
It depends. On bigger artists, like Katy Perry, she will
hire me at the beginning of the tour for two weeks or
so, to have enough material for the rest of the tour
to make their tour programme, and all that stuff.
Sometimes it’s a particular gig that they’re
interested in, because they’re filming it. It might
be a couple of gigs because they need new material
to promote it in another continent.Do you plan your gig photography beforehand?
I try to stay away from what has been done before, so
I usually don’t research the artists. I want to go in with
a fresh look. It’s just the way I work best: if you have
preconceived ideas, you’re just going to follow those
and sometimes miss really good moments.
I always feel like I’m an innocent child and I just
absorb what’s given to me because that’s why I’m
there. I’m the communication between the artists
and the fans, and I have to tell what the show’s been
like for those who haven’t seen it – that’s my mission.It must help if you’re on tour and you’ve seen
one or two of the shows...
Yeah. For me, the most important thing is learning
the light show, because that determines your pictures.
Every show has its own sequence and that’s a very
good thing that I can learn on the first night... This
is what’s happening with the lights and this is the
sequence. These are my ‘light moments’ – when
the light goes into the crowd, where the spotlight
will go... I pay attention to all of that.What are the biggest challenges when
you’re photographing musicians?
It’s the unpredictable nature of a performance, so
it’s about always being ready and tuned in. It’s very
important that you watch everything that happens.
In the pit I often see photographers who’ve shot a bit
and are looking at what they’ve shot on their screens,
and they miss half of the show. You can’t do that
because sometimes the most beautiful moments
between songs can be precious moments you
can capture. You always have to be switched on.How did you become an official photographer
for the Royal Albert Hall?
I always liked shooting at the Albert Hall. A while back,
I went there when I used to shoot for Getty as well. So,
we knocked on that door quite a few times, and then
they were in sort of a transition period when they had
one staff photographer and they wanted another
one. They took a shot with me, and I’m still there!You’ve produced an Ed Sheeran photobook.
How did your working relationship start?
At that time we were knocking on management
doors, and he had just changed management.INTERVIEW