For the second time in as many months, CHRIS FLOYD shoots GARY LINEKER, this time for a wonderful commission for NEW STATESMAN.
Lineker, the man who “seems to live in the Daily Mail’s head,” was photographed at his home in south-west London, in front of a huge wall-mounted section of an artist’s paint spattered studio floor that he had bought from a condemned building. His rescue dog Filbert dozed at his feet.
The NEW STATESMAN commission CHRIS FLOYD to shoot BILL GATES.
With an exceptional ability to swiftly engage and direct his sitters, Chris captured these striking and compelling portraits within the confines of a 5-minute sitting with one of the most famous, wealthy and philanthropic individuals on the planet! #billandmelindagatesfoundation.
Such fabulous work Chris and huge thanks to the NEW STATESMAN for this wonderful commission 🙌.
Please scroll down for Chris’s somewhat breath-taking review of the shoot! 👇
“The shoot is due to start at 5.55pm. I have 8 minutes to get a cover and an opener. By 5.45 we are ready. Time to test the lighting. Tom turns off the room lights. Ten seconds later they come back on again. Damn, there must be a motion sensor in here. The room lights are as powerful as our photographic lighting. We try several more times but the same thing happens. We will have to trust our judgement that we have the power relationship between the four lights right.
Now it’s 5.57. No matter what, he is leaving at 6.03pm. At 5.58 Bill Gates and New Statesman editor Jason Cowley emerge from the interview. Jason enthusiastically bigs me up to Bill, tells him I’m great….quick. Being quick is the ultimate compliment in this landscape.
The adrenal state at this point is off the chart. I dread to think what my blood pressure is at.
I had been told in advance to not try and engage him in conversation: ‘Don’t even bother.’
I open with, ‘I’ve been told to not even try and engage you in conversation.’
He does not reply.
I begin to direct him. Being free of having to talk meaningfully is liberating. Simple directions. Lean forward, lean back, turn this way, move that hand etc. When photographing people who wear glasses you’ve got to pay big attention to the danger of reflections. You’re managing so many variables and challenges and trying to communicate with the subject AND trying to get a portrait that’s good enough for a cover.
We begin. A few seconds later I turn to one of his people and ask, ‘Can you give me a two minute warning when we’ve got that much time left?’
‘Sure.’
She then looks down at her phone, ‘Oh…actually you only have one minute left.’
In my head, I’m screaming at myself to get something from him that displays a hint of character or individuality.
She is counting me down. ‘Twenty seconds.’
With 15 seconds left I exhort him to ‘Give us a wave before you go, Bill!’
His face lights up into a warm and playful chuckle. His hand comes up to do an almost cartoonishly over the top wave goodbye. Then he is up and gone.
Tom looks at the metadata on the images and declares:
‘Four minutes fifty seconds. 103 frames.’”
MEET THE MAKERS 🙌
PHIL FISK shot this lovely series for OBSERVER Food focussing on "the artisans who help make eating out magical".
Beautiful lighting and sensitive portraits as always, captured on location with ROB WOOD c/o Music Concierge, ceramicist SKYE COREWIJN and tanner JACK MILLINGTON of BILLY TANNERY.
KELLIE FRENCH nails this lovely cover for GUARDIAN SATURDAY illustrating the joys of eating breakfast for dinner! #brinner?
Brilliant set by super stylist Yvonne Achato 🍳✨
CHRIS FLOYD shot this wonderful series of portraits for ESQUIRE focussing on GARY LINEKER and his co-founders / hosts from the GOALHANGER / “THE REST IS…” podcast series.
GOALHANGER has become “the number one (and number two, and number five, and number nine and number 12) name in British podcasts”.. which is a considerable accolade..!
Huge thanks to all our team and to Esquire for the fabulous commission 🙌. Please scroll down to see the full series.
CHRIS FLOYD recently photographed a certain “bear of little brain” in his studio, commissioned by the good folks at ESQUIRE.
PADDINGTON was due to impart some of his duffel coat expertise upon the winter issue... He was an absolute delight to work with, however his enthusiasm for marmalade sandwiches did get a little out of hand…
HUGE thanks to Esquire for art direction and the wonderful commission, and to all our lovely team, with a special shout to Framestore for bringing a touch of ursine magic 🐻✨
CHRIS FLOYD captures the spirit and stories of the tailoring companies of Savile Row, in this lovely commission for DUTCH FINANCIAL DAILY.
The doors of Anderson & Sheppard, Huntsman, and Banshee, were opened and Chris was welcomed, “with such warmth and bottomless pots of tea, as well as the occasional sip of something stronger”.
In Chris’s words, “My favourite little artefact (last picture): From Anderson & Sheppard’s ledgers, Marlene Dietrich’s 1937 measurements and order for a man’s suit. Notice that in the column on the left the customer is asked to write who they were referred by. In Ms Dietrich’s case the referrer was Douglas Fairbanks Jr.”
Delighted to share this inspired personal project from top team FRANKIE TURNER and stylist MAUD EDEN.
Focussing on the concept of celebrating culinary cultures from afar, often through digital experience rather than in person - this project celebrates the essence of a place through its flavours, especially in home cooking..
By using select ingredients that capture the culinary spirit of Japan 🍣 Mexico 🍋🟩 Italy🥫 and France 🥖 , Frankie and Maud bring the vibrant tastes of these rich cultures alive ✨
CHRIS FLOYD recently captured these striking, iconic portraits of British actor RUPERT EVERETT for YOU Magazine. Styling by Joanne M Kennedy.
‘I’m like a bicycle without brake pads now. I’m careering down the hill and I’m putting on the brakes and nothing’s happening. The older you get, the more shrill and anxious you become. You become more fearful about everything.’
Phil Fisk shot these gorgeous portraits of "celebrated musician and all-round creative powerhouse" Neneh Cherry for Observer, describing her as "a whirlwind of energy and good vibes that infected the whole studio". Phil is "still reeling from the hugs"!
Neneh's memoir “A Thousand Threads” is out now.
Huge thanks to Observer for the commission and fabulous styling - and to hair and makeup artists Shamara Roper and Hila Karmand 💫
"The secret service asked to see my footage. I left the same day"...
The Observer commissioned Phil Fisk to capture these compelling portraits of documentary-maker Ibrahim Nash'at, who was embedded with the Taliban after US forces fled Kabul in 2021, whilst creating his fly-on-the-wall documentary, Hollywoodgate.
Described as “a darkly comic, damning insight into the regime", this astonishing documentary has been a hit at film festivals - featuring scenes of the Taliban exploring some of the “$7bn worth of equipment left behind in Afghanistan when the US made its hasty departure … everything from tactical fighter jets and M16 rifles, to a fully equipped gym and a fridge loaded with Jägermeister and Johnnie Walker Red Label.”
As always, Phil captures thoughtful and beautifully poignant portraits of his sitter.
In the words of Ibrahim, "The power of the camera I’m holding is as strong as the weapon they hold in their hands, maybe even much stronger."
Phil Fisk was commissioned by Shakespeare's Globe to create this beautiful campaign for their Winter Season '24 - featuring Cymbeline, Three Sisters and All's Well That Ends Well. Moving image to follow soon..
Concept, art direction and production by the amazing team at The Globe, set & prop styling from the treasure trove that is the Globe props store c/o Vic Twyman, hair & makeup by Elena Diaz, wardrobe by Melanie Brookes 🙌
Delighted to share these portraits of Italian film director/producer LUCA GUADAGNINO (Call Me By Your Name, A Bigger Splash and the recently released Challengers) - captured a little while back by PHIL FISK for OBSERVER.
The details in these images are so delightful we thought it was worth sharing a few more close-ups!
Alfresco / al-FRES-koh! is a stunning new joint passion project, created by Frankie Turner, food stylist Keiron George and stylist Victoria Twynman, who set out to explore the joy of eating outside.
All shot in studio, with extravagant set design to capture a world of culinary indulgence in the great sun-kissed yonder - from the experience of devouring oysters on the Kent coastline, to that first sip of an ice cold drink after a long, hot walk.
The team used many playful techniques to bring this series to life with big thanks also to Tash Parsons @ Stanleys Post.
🌞🍹🦋🍦🐝🦞🌞
Phil Fisk recently shot the cast of a new theatre production of Nobel-Prize winning author Annie Ernaux’s acclaimed autobiography "The Years" (currently showing at London's Almeida Theatre) for Observer.
Photographed here are the awesome ANJLI MOHINDRA, DEBORAH FINDLAY, GINA MCKEE, HARMONY ROSE-BREMNER and ROMOLA GARAI.
There was only a short set up time on location at the beautiful Dally members club on Upper Street, but sensing the actors were all comfortable in each others presence Phil was able to capture these gorgeous shots of them together. 🙌✨
CHRIS FLOYD shot these fabulous portraits of singer/songwriter and guitarist RICHARD HAWLEY for the new issue of THE IDLER.
“28 years ago I did a series of single sleeves for a band called Longpigs. They were art directed by Pat & Jo Skinny, and the band left the three of us alone to do what we liked. It was the perfect creative partnership. In March of this year I went up to Sheffield for the day to photograph that band’s guitarist, Richard Hawley, who I had not seen since a night in Paris in 1996. We did some pictures at The Samuel Worth Chapel in the Sheffield General Cemetery. Then we spent the rest of the afternoon in the pub listening to Richard’s amazing stories of his life in music. It was the perfect way to spend a day.”
PHIL FISK shoots these striking portraits of actor TOM BURKE for GUARDIAN, in anticipation of the release of FURIOSA: A MAD MAX SAGA in cinemas this week.
PHIL FISK shoots CORNELIA PARKER “one of Britain's best loved and most acclaimed contemporary artists” for OBSERVER.
Cornelia is captured with her favourite work in The National Gallery - The Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck. The painting has inspired her since she was a student… “In the flesh it’s quite small but immaculately painted.”
This beautiful, mellow-hued portrait was taken in the window of calm and quiet before the gallery was open to the public. We love the subtle gestures and pose and the pale trim running from the canvas through Cornelia’s dress. Such a beautiful shot 🤩.
