The Pro Interview

Clive Booth was a successful graphic designer and is now a photographer and filmmaker. He talks to David Clark about his varied and eclectic career

Clive Booth reveals the secrets to his success, and his colourful career and portfolio

Many photographers are happy to remain in the same field throughout their working lives, while others develop a more varied portfolio.

Clive Booth is definitely among the latter group. His career has included graphic design, photography and filmmaking.

Among other things he has been on an environmental research expedition to the Arctic, he volunteered to photograph the work of the RNLI on the Hebridean island of Islay, shot fashion for Nick Knight, taken portraits of Terence Stamp in a London tea shop and made a pop video with George Michael.

Yet at the root of all this activity is a love of making images and a drive for perfection in all he does. Here Clive talks about his multifaceted career, which he can trace back to a childhood gift…

When did your passion for photography begin?

When I was about nine years old, my Aunt bought me a Hanimex 110 film camera on a visit to Portmerion in North Wales. I’ve probably still got it somewhere. Ever since I was given that camera I’ve had a total fascination for photography. When I was at school, all I could do was English, art and sport. I was dreadful at everything else. When

i bought a 5D as soon as it came out, and started commissioning myself for things

the careers officer came to our school he asked me what I could do, and I said “I’m good at art.” He said, “You can be a graphic designer.” So, after school, I studied graphic design for four years and then went on to have a career as a graphic designer.

What kind of work did you do?

I did quite a lot of cool stuff. I worked with Adidas, British Airways, Toyota, Boots, John Lewis Partnership, so I was working at a pretty high level for about 20 years. In those days I used to commission photography and did some really interesting things, including flying out to gas platforms and doing shoots for geophysics companies. Although I was a designer, I also always shot films and stills photographs myself.

Was there a moment when you decided to be a photographer?

Yes. In 2003 I was involved with a charity project on the Scottish island of Islay, which involved collecting whisky from several different distilleries on the island by rowing an old skiff. I was designing the whisky labels and had asked a friend of mine to shoot the pictures. He broke his leg on a bouncy castle two weeks before the trip. I thought, I can’t let them down, so I hired two SLRS, took about 30 rolls of black-and-white film and shot the event. I really enjoyed doing it and that was a turning point.

How did your career develop?

As soon as the Canon EOS 5D came out in 2005 I bought it straight away, and, being a designer, I started commissioning myself for certain things. I then picked up LVMH as a client and covered some of the company’s events. In 2006 they threw an incredibly lavish party to celebrate the career of Nick Knight. Kate Moss and Alexander Mcqueen were there, the British Olympic fencing team were on catwalk and Heston Blumenthal was serving ice cream. It was mad. I had the 5D and an 85mm lens and spent an hour photographing people on the dance floor using available light. The pictures were sent to Nick Knight and the next day I had

a call from him, saying he loved the pictures and asking if I would be interested in working with him.

So that was your big break in fashion photography?

Yes, Nick immediately had me do his set photography and I continued doing that work for a few years. In 2007 he asked me to shoot London Fashion Week and I started winning clients from my work with Nick. I began working with MAC cosmetics, which took me into beauty work. Then I was taken on as a client by the agent Mark George, who represented Terence Donovan and Richard Avedon, and also represents Don Mccullin. Things grew very rapidly from there and I found myself in Milan, New York, all over, making commercials but all the time shooting stills as well.

What kind of work have you done in recent years?

It’s a really eclectic mix. I’ve done portrait shoots with actors Terence Stamp and Karen Gillan and commercial shoots with clients including Aston Martin and Hackett. I’ve just done a beauty shoot with Canon. I made one of the first films in Europe with the 5D Mark II and last year I made the very first film worldwide with the new Canon cinema camera, the EOS C700. I love it all really. I’m very fortunate that I’m busy.

What do you like about Canon?

I think it’s the only brand in the world that can fulfil my vision of what I want to do, whether it’s still or film cameras, printers or projectors. If I want to do something, they’ve got a product that can do it at the high level I want.

What Canon EOS DSLR cameras have you used?

My first Canon was the EOS 450D, but the one that really got things moving for me was the 5D. That’s where I made the absolute jump to digital and, even now, I still use those pictures. I’m not a sentimental person but I still have that camera body. It was the combination of that body and the 85mm f/1.2 lens that really started it. That 85mm goes with me on every single shoot. It’s my favourite lens and my go-to lens of choice.

What is it that you like so much about the 85mm lens?

It’s got a beautiful look and feel. When I first started shooting with the 5D, the highest ISO was 1600, though it could be increased to 3200. The only lens that would shoot in really low light was the 85mm, wide open. The optics and bokeh are absolutely beautiful and you’ve got this incredible range and versatility. It looks amazing wide open and when you stop it down to f/8 or below. My particular preference at the moment is shooting at around f/2.8.

You’re well known for using shallow depth of field. What started it?

I was attracted to using it from looking at Edward Curtis’s pictures of native American Indians. I also loved George Hurrell’s Hollywood portraits. I was really inspired by the look of those pictures. Shooting wide open is great for fashion and beauty, and using it in an environment like a fashion shoot enabled me to create my own individual style.

Are there any other lenses that you particularly like to use?

I’m very much drawn to primes and love the optics, which is why I use Canon.

Kate Moss and Alexander Mcqueen were there, heston Blumenthal served ice cream. it was mad

I like the EF 50mm f/1.2, the 35mm f/1.4 and the 24mm f/1.4. When I want longer focal lengths I use the 180mm f/3.5, which is very shallow. Zoom lenses I like using, which give results like primes, are the 70-200mm f/2.8 II, the 16-35mm f/2.8 III and 24-70mm f/2.8 II. I have a few TS-E lenses but don’t often use them.

What Canon bodies are you currently using?

At the moment I have a 5DS, a 5DS R, a 1D X Mk II and the 5D Mk IV. I could use any one of those, depending on the subject. I very much like the 5D Mk IV, it’s a real advance in the product. It’s a really good go-to camera because its low-light capabilities are good and it’s got the resolution. It’s quick and it’s got an additional feature set, including the touch screen. If you were to ask which camera would I pick up to carry every day, it would be the 5D Mk IV. If I knew I was going to be working in good light, it would be the 5DS or 5DS R.

What post-processing software do you use?

My final images are about 60% in the capture, and 40% in post-production, that takes place in Lightroom. I have a retoucher in London who does the high-end work in Photoshop. The images are comped and layered: I don’t hide this, I’m always transparent about my work. My workflow goes from first to last edit,