When did you first become interested in photography?

My mother used to shoot loads of Super 8 footage when I was young and we used to have projection nights at the house. I've been obsessed with the visual arts ever since. I actually went to arts college to study painting, I was given a camera at the start of the course and I went around photographing the things I wanted to paint. As soon as I got involved with the mechanics of holding a camera, I fell in love with the medium. I feel I can paint with a camera, Although I was taking pictures in view to painting them, the photographs stood up on their own. Even today, I still take pictures in the hope that I will be able to paint them one day.

Do you think it's important to have formal training?

Depends on what you're like, but for me, the course at the Surrey Institute of Art and Design was the best thing I could have done. The woman who ran the course just let us go out and create. We were left to our own devices and if we wanted help we just asked for it. I learnt a lot. But on the other hand, if you've got half a brain cell and you understand a bit of maths and chemistry, then photography is easy. It's just a chemical reaction to how you expose film. No one can train you how to be creative though, you can learn the order, but you have to progress it.

Did you ever assist?

I assisted big studio photographers for two and a half years and learnt everything about lighting and 'the industry'. It's an invaluable time. probably the best job in the world. Where else can you shadow someone who is at the top of their game? As an assistant you get paid to learn, travel and work in a creative environment. Apart from yts schemes there aren't many careers that have such a good filter system.

How much creative freedom do you have on a shoot?

I get a fair bit because I tend to warn people what I'm like. I like to show my imagery my way – without too much compromise. If you give me freedom, I'll give you great imagery. That's the way I work best. For me the best kind of photoshoot is when everybody, the stylists, the hair and make-up artists, through to the models, is involved and concentrating on the one thing. When the atmosphere is vibrant and pulsing, it's impossible not to get a good picture. That's when I get really creative.

How do you make that 'pulse' atmosphere happen?

I allow the models to be themselves and be free. It comes naturally if you just allow them to move. When the models feel like I'm not there, when the photographer almost becomes invisible, that's when you capture something special. The way I like to start a shoot, is to get up early and rather than telling people what to do because I don't like to be told and models don't like it much either, I might say, "Right. We've got these bikes today. Just make sure you stay where I can see you." I won't talk to the models apart from trying to get them to where the light is. That's when you get an honest and natural image.

How do you go about casting?

Because of the way I work, choosing models with the right energy is really key. Everyone always says that movie directors cast a better-looking version of themselves in main roles, it's kind of the same in photography. I try to choose people that will represent all sides of me, you are trying to show your emotions and ideas through these people. They should mirror and complement your style.

How would you describe your signature style?

All my work is about capturing the atmosphere of natural surroundings in the best light. I think the magic light in my pictures sets me apart. Motion is also extremely important in my images. I don't work well when I'm confined to standing still. In fact, I work best when I'm thinking off the cuff, when I'm just completely involved in the moment. I'm always looking for that special atmosphere – shooting war, bands on tour, film stars. That energy is already there, my job is to create that same alive imagery with the people and places I have. Freezing motion allows the viewer to keep up with the image, therefore keeping up with me.

What job/brand gives you the most creative freedom?

Folk.is a proper menswear brand from the uk. Ive been involved since the launch and it's a priviledge to create for them. the owner/designer cathal mcateer and I have similar sensablity and energy so when we collaborate its pure goodness!. We had lots of conversations before we started the campaign. The imagery had to be timeless but fresh, and we had to give it identity and a history. Whether the people were having a cup of tea or back flipping into the ocean, we make the everyday fantastic. Keeping the crew at a minimum and the energy at max . we achieve more in three days than most do in two weeks. The understanding allows for special pace, and it shows in the imagery maybe at lot more than my other work. Take the picture of the white shirt against the blue sky. We just saw the house, stopped the car, I put the camera on the car on self-timer, stood in the picture with the other boys and we took the shot. There was so much energy on the shoot and in the people and it worked perfectly for the brand.

What do you think about when you are framing a shot?

Composition is what separates us. Broken down into three things, the light. the subject. and the framing.. There are very strict rules in photography in terms of what works visually, I like to learn the rules and then break em!

What do you want the viewer to get from your images?

To be involved on every level. I want them to be there and feel it. Art is about stimulating some kind of emotion.

Where do you get your inspiration?

Everywhere I can. The reason I love travelling and doing big outdoor shoots in good light is because I wanted to get away from mundane England. I grew up in Manchester, a place where the energy is electric but isn't very visually stimulating. All the houses look the same and the light is flat, but you still had to be creative. When I left, I longed for the opposite. I like to be around water, surf, snow and the mountains. My eyes are open all the time. I also look at lots of photography, architecture and films.

What else sets you apart ?

I study visual communication, colour theory, archicture and body movement. Stylists and designers have an important role and influence over the photography. The details in the clothes, the colours they use, the way models are restrained or can feel free all affect the image. As well as photographers knowing their own principles of their field. I like to learn about successful retail, if you don't know what sells, how are you gonna sell it? If you have the choice to shoot a red, blue and yellow dress, if you haven't studied Bauhaus, how are you supposed to know how make your image have more impact?. Same with the models you choose, some people have more presence in life but if they've studied the alexander technique it gonna help the image. Then you have to know where you work best and where all those elements can be brought together, Generally, I prefer working in outdoor environments with natural light as it gives me the scope to move. it respresents me more than a white wall of a studio..

When do you produce your best work?

I like adversity. I think I've always cut a different line to most. When most people are sitting in a Winnebago talking bullshit drinking bad American tea. I'll be out in a poncho and getting everyone to turn their car lights on , shooting through the thunderstorm. There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothes. Billy Connolly said that.

Are you interested in fashion?

Course. Fashion gives people an individual style. It's little things like that, which make life more interesting. Before I became a photographer I worked in the rag trade for years, still do I suppose.

How do you go about editing your pictures?

On my beautiful big wooden table in my studio. Editing the good bit too.. I'm not a percentage photographer, There are a lot of producers out there in the business, who can take a well-composed picture and with the right girl and the right team, if they press the shutter enough times, they'll get a picture out of it. I don't work that way. I might take two frames or two rolls. On the Folk shoots for example, I never repeat myself. I move on after every frame. The best feeling is when you have too many images that you like at the end of an edit. For our first Folk shoot, editing was really hard because we had so many good pictures. It then went down to how many pages we could afford, which was twenty-six.

What makes one image stand out more than another?

It has to visually stimulate me and make me think or feel something. I have to not want to flick the page. It has to keep my attention.

Do you think you can learn a way of seeing?

No. Technically speaking, anyone can buy a camera and take a picture. But to create an image that stimulates other people is difficult, that's where art comes in. I always feel that good photographers have that inbuilt. You can't teach people that.

What excites you most about photography?

The feeling you get when you know you've got a good shot.

Extract taken from the book Image Makers Image Takers,
written by Anne-Celine Jaeger, published by Thames & Hudson, 2007.