SCV: Before you started your blog, you spent up to 3 years perfecting the art of what you like to call the ‘moment’ shot. Tell us what the moment shot entails and why after 3 years you felt ready to release your site to the world.
The ‘moment’ shot is when I see a subject and their style, look & vibe clicks a button inside me….it could be one of a hundred things or a mix of things ….
(see Photo Search search options for clues) this is my selection moment then I have to instantly decide how to approach the subject normally as they are moving and I am moving towards them….my aim is to capture them full frame without them not just seeing me shoot but not even be aware that I exist on this planet ….. that is how I like it to be.
It can be a split second that makes or ruins the image and it took me three years to perfect this timing. And now I can do it to the quality level I believe is necessary to share these images so the viewer in say Tokyo can really feel they are in the street in Milan, London, Paris etc
SCV: Who and what are some of the things you have photographed? How would you say differentiate yourself from someone like thesartorialist. How much of an influence has the sartorialist been on you?
Over 99% of my subjects are random people I have never seen and I do not know who they are. I shoot interesting looking people so of course it has happened that I shoot someone in say Lisbon or Istanbul who I dont know/recognise and later someone sees the image and tells me they are a pop star or tv presenter for example.
When I do recognise someone famous I treat them just the same as any one else ……. I just shoot them candid. I have bumped into and shot Ralph Lauren & Pete Doherty in Paris, Will Young & Fabio Capello in London to name a few. And this week in Paris I have shot many famous fashion people and its good that no one in the fashion world (yet) knows my face because it helps me to be more candid…..I do not know though how long this will last!
Talking of the Sartorialist I shot him and met him today for the 1st time before & after the Chloe show. Well Scott is a master of the street game and one of my heroes……The main difference between me & him is the method and the subjects……I shoot candid and he shoots posed 95% of the time but when he does shoot candid his results are amazing.
