Who am I
I am Charlie Gray and I live and work in London, England.
What do I do
I am lucky enough to take famous peoples’ portraits for a living.
What did I want to do
I had no idea what I wanted to do until I got to University where as fortune had it photography found me.
What do I love most
It’s the real things in life that are most important, my partner, my son, my pets & hanging out with old friends back home…it keeps you real, I hear about photographers who think they are rock stars, I never want to be that guy!
What do I detest
I detest cruelty but personally detest failure.
What can I teach
I have no ambition to teach, but I do feel I can set an example of how to be calm under immense pressure, and hopefully how to be a good person at the same time…the rest is in the eye!
My hidden talent
My hidden talent is Soccer management…
My Achilles’ heel
Peanut M&M’s and free bags of them 😉
What’s on my iPod
I spent 8 years working in a record store so my taste in music is quite eclectic. I have a lot of rock, Led Zepplin, The Rolling Stones, Kasabian, on my iPod but also love soul classics by artists such as Earth Wind & Fire, Marvin Gaye and Curtis Mayfield.
What’s in my future
I have four shoots I did for American Vanity Fair waiting to be published. I am really excited about them coming out as a lot of planning & post production went into each of the shoots. I am also hoping to find the right agent to work with, I have had a lot of offers of late but there aren’t many who can drive your work to the next level.
A great moment
A great moment in my career was being invited onto the film set Harry Brown to photograph Sir Michael Caine in 2009; this alongside my equally important work with BAFTA at the same time was a game changer.
My biggest mistake
I am not sure I believe in mistakes, I totally fucked up my education and ended up at Anglia University on a Graphic design degree and there I met Stuart Smith (www.smith-design.com) a part time lecturer & now prominent book designer who was teaching a documentary photography course, I hadn’t ever picked up a camera before…so I think everything happens for a reason!
A ‘fave’ quote
It ain’t about how hard you’re hit, it is about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward, how much can you take and keep moving forward.
Rocky Balboa
What has been your biggest achievement in your field of Photography
I don’t think I am where I want to be yet, I am certainly not going to start patting myself on the back otherwise I’ll never get there!
What is some advice that you would give to someone aspiring to become a Photographer
Be prepared to sit and wait & wait some more for your lucky break!
What are the three things that you cannot live without
My family
My Blackberry Passport as it has 2 days battery life
My Land Rover Defender, I can get all my lighting gear in it.
What do you prefer stability or spontaneity
Nothing beats that feeling of an amazing job coming in out of the blue. However once it’s done your instantly hungry for more & can feel a little empty until the next assignment.
How would you describe your style of photography
I’m a portrait photographer and a good portrait relies on knowing the subject psychologically & creating a mood with lighting that will bring the best out of your subject.
What has been your most exciting project as an artist
I was lucky enough to go on tour with rock band Kasabian in the USA for The Sunday Times Magazine. I am a huge fan and to be on the road, backstage, in the dressing rooms and witness the emotional rollercoaster of a tour was really exciting & I like to think I came away with an iconic set of photographs of a band that I still enjoy listening to.
www.charlie-gray.com