"The Cut Newspaper Online"










Ricky Powell : Photographer , In His Own Words ™/ Text / The Cut / Photography / Courtesy Of Ricky Powell 13th August 2008 Forget aperture settings, reflectors and light meters. This is the Rickster guide to getting a good shot. On asking first With photography, it’s all good as long as you have tact. Some photographers are like, ‘shoot first, ask second’, but I think it depends on the situation. I could understand how someone could feel violated if I just took their picture. I remember I got screamed at by some lady on the street a couple of years ago. I think she was Russian, she had some hotel uniform on and she was smoking a cigarette. I took a picture of her from like 20 feet away and she didn’t look happy. I went up to her and some other guy came over. I thought I was going to get beat up, but I just walked away feeling weak. On mixing it up with the day job I can’t really work a regular job. I got ADD. Whenever I’ve worked a job - bike messenger, substitute teacher, being a bus boy in a nightclub – I’ve always had a camera with me. On bringing up your peoples I like collaboration and I like bringing up my peoples. In my book Public Access some of the images are done by famous artists but a lot are just ordinary people. My friend Michelle Tanitelli paints on the LL Cool J image. This girl is not a famous artist, she worked with a women’s shelter, but when the book came out they showed her image in Italian Vogue. On shooting animals Dogs are just natural. They don’t have an agenda, although sometime dogs play their own little head games. This is a husky from a dog walking business. His name is Sly and the famous photo is like in an elevator with shiny walls and stuff. I just love that dog. I actually have a tattoo of that picture. On shooting where you’re from There’s this one street called Bleeker Street. It used to be sandwich shops and flower shops and now it’s all Marc Jacobs. I’m making a documentary called The Village, interviewing friends I grew up with. They’re all just hard working people. I’m like the last person left in the west Village, I’m trying to hang in there. On sticking to your guns I’m trying to make things work, but I’m under the gun. I owe electricity, I owe rent and I might have my free phone turned off tomorrow. I’m all about street photography these days. I can just a shoot a regular moment that’s nothing earth shattering, but I can turn it into something iconic. I do it for my own love. I’m sticking to my guns. Ricky Powell’s new book Illy Funksters is published this autumn. Watch The Rickford Files on YouTube.		Issue Two Aug 2008 Reggie Yates Interview Road To 2012 : Olympics Special Road To Carnival Fashion Freedom At A Price Red Hot Interview Nash Money Sneakers Micachu Interview Natty Interview Life In The Marine Corps Parents Meet The Teenagers Young Londoners Meet The Cast Of Adulthood Cyko Logic Interview Fred Butler : Prop Stylist Interview Immortal Technique Review Made In Queens Victor Timofeev : Artist Interview Ricky Powell Interview Twizzle Interview Flywear Feature Top Girl Film Feature Queen Of Nations Not Without My Sister Sky's The Limit Career's Advice Issue One March 2008 Bashy Interview The Cool Kids Lady Lykes Grimes New School Rowdy Superstar Interview The Sound Of Reason Slash Interview Hoxton Vs Hampstead Fashion Young Designers Lucinda Chua Interview Will Kay Interview The Brothers Size Chris Lambert Duane Henry Drug Trafficking Feature Does My Bum Look Big in This Life After Prison Whats Upsetting Our Children MP Julia Goldsworthy Autechre Live In London Hardcore Is More Than Music Media Box Paddington Development Trust The Cut On Myspace