Photography first took hold during my time at Art College, although the real education began shortly afterwards at Holborn Studios — then Europe’s largest photographic and film rental studio. Working there as a studio assistant was an extraordinary apprenticeship; a front-row seat to the craft, discipline and creative energy behind some of the industry’s most ambitious productions.
Not long afterwards, wanderlust pulled me towards New York, where a chance meeting with legendary photographer Terry O’Neill quietly changed the course of my career. Terry asked if I would consider becoming his Portrait & Lighting Assistant. The decision required very little thought.
What followed was an unforgettable period spent working within the rarefied, fast-moving world that surrounded him — a world of remarkable people, constant travel and an unwavering pursuit of capturing something honest within the frame. Assignments took us across the globe, photographing figures such as HM Elizabeth II, Nelson Mandela, Margaret Thatcher, Pelé, Amy Winehouse, and Sean Connery, among many others.
The pace could be intoxicating, occasionally relentless, but the instinct to ask for “one more frame” never really leaves a photographer. As Terry gradually embraced a quieter balance between work and life, new collaborations and opportunities naturally followed, allowing me to develop my own visual approach shaped by those formative experiences.
Of all the images from that chapter, perhaps the most personally meaningful remains my portrait of Terry himself — now held within the collection of the National Portrait Gallery.
Today, my work draws on everything those years taught me: technical precision, calm under pressure, and above all, the importance of creating imagery with purpose, character and authenticity.
