subscribe 0330 333 1113I http://www.amateurphotographer.co.ukI 7 September 2019 25
PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHYPhotographerRoryLewis
haswonmuchacclaim
forhiswork,including
winningthePortrait
of Britainawardtwice.
Sevenof hisphotographs
havebeenaccepted
intothepermanent
collectionsof the
NationalPortraitGallery,
andhehasphotographed
manydifferentwell-
knowncelebrities,
politiciansandfiguresof
note.To seemorefrom
hisextensivecollection,
visitwww.rorylewis.
studio.ANTANDDEC
‘Theseportraits
wereshotvery
recently.I think
they’retheonly
serious-looking
picturesofAntand
Decin existence.
There’sa lotof
thingsyouhaveto
considerwith[Ant
andDec]because
theirfacesareused
torepresentso
manydifferent
things.Antwas
easiertoworkwith,
becausehehad
thisinterestingsort
ofneutrality,he
createdit perfectly.
WithDec,it’smore
of a playful face.’focusedbackgroundexplainsthe
reasonsbehindthat.‘I wanttocapture
theseportraitsasa source,sothatin
thefuture,whenI’mlonggoneand
peoplewanttoknowwhatthese
peopleactuallylookedlike,theycan
usemyimagesasa realisticsource.’
I askRoryif anyofthefaces
looking back at us are his favourite.
everythingplain– I’ma bitofa
boringphotographerreally,I don’t
knowwhyyou’rebotheringto
interviewme,’helaughs.Ownworstcritic
Clearlysomewhatofa perfectionist,
Roryonlybeganhanginghiswork
lessthanfiveyearsagoanddescribes
himselfashis‘ownworstcritic’.
Heacceptsthisfeelingaspartof
thedealwhenyouwanttobea
professional.‘I wasquitebrutal
whenI firststarted,butI thinkif
youspeaktoanyphotographer,
you’llfindthesamething,’hesays.
Asforthefuture,Roryseemstobe
workingonabouta dozenprojects,
buthe’salwaysonthelook-outfor
more‘Northerners’toaddtohis
collection– particularlywomen,as
therehavesofarbeenrelativelyfew.
He’skeentotellmeabouta big
exhibitionwhichis duetoopennext
year,whilethere’sanotherproject
focusingontheItalianmilitary
whichis initsfinalstagestoo.I’m
gettingexhaustedjustthinkingabout
theenergyrequiredtokeepontopof
allofthis,soit’salmostwithrelief
thatwecalltheinterviewtoa close.
It’sonlythenI rememberthatI’ve
beenconvincedtoposeformyvery
ownRoryLewisshoot– it seemed
likea goodideaatthetime.I can’t
helpbutwonderif onedayI’llbe
abletoboastaboutthetimeI was
photographedbythelegendary
RoryLewis,muchlikethosewho
satforBailey,Beaton,andindeed
HansHolbeinmust have done.
Time will tell.GENERALRIDGE‘Sheis thefirstwoman
tobea generalin theBritishArmy,soa
uniformwasmadebespokeforher.When
I wastryingtocapturethis,I wantedto
showsheis stillfeminine– sothere’sno
cap,nohat,nothinglikethat– she’sstill
a womanwhilein thisrole.It’sinspired by
portraits by Sir Thomas Lawrence.’
STEPHENGRAHAM‘Thiswasa very
simpleset-uplighting-wise.I useLastolite
backdrops;they’reveryimportantfor
whatI do.Whilemanyofmyshotsare
capturedagainstsimpleblackorwhite
backgrounds,thiswasphotographed
againsta “smokedconcrete”background
for a different kind of effect.’Hiseyesdartaroundtheroom,
settlingfirstonDavidWarner,before
finishingonSirIanMcKellen(see
previousspread).‘Thatonestands
outbecausethelightingis probably
themostperfectI’veeverachieved–
I wasblessedthatday.’Rorymight
havebeendoingthisfora while,but
it’scleartoseethatmeetingthese
kindsofpeopleis stilla bitofa buzz.
‘I wenttohis[McKellen’s]homein
Londonandheansweredthedoorin
hisdressinggown,’hetellsmewith
a smile.‘He’dforgottentheshootwas
happening,buthewelcomedmein,
wehadsomecakeanda cupofcoffee
andtalkedabouthiscareer– it was
sonicetomeethim.Youtendto
remembertheday,theconversation,
theexperience,andthepicturesare
almostsecondary.’
He’sclearlydoingsomethingright,
asmanyofhissittersreportedly
tellhimhisportraitsaretheir
favourites.Consideringthefame,
andthepresumedabundanceof
portraitssomeofthesepeoplemust
havesatfor,thatmustbequitethe
compliment.‘Youdogetnice
feedback,’hesays.‘I supposeyou
gettoa certainpointinyourcareer
whenyou’refedupofthefakeryand
youwantsomethingreal.A lotof
modernstuffusesgelsandallthis
jazzystuff– I justusesimple
methods and lighting. I keep