Khans on camera
ASOUTHPORT photographer’s work is being displayed on huge billboards across the North West as part of promotion for a BBC TV series.
Matt Rycraft, of Matthew Rycraft Photography, took publicity pictures for a new documentary starring boxing world champion Amir Khan and his influencer wife Faryal Makhdoom.
The series, called Meet the Khans: Big in Bolton, follows the married couple as they juggle a young family, their relationship and career pressures under the glare of modern media.
Ahead of its release, giant adverts have been placed in prominent locations across the region to be seen by thousands of people each day.
Southport-based Matt was handpicked to take photographs for that advert and create glamorous, magazine style images.
He said: “They wanted a local photographer from the North West to photograph the couple. The creative team researched local photographers to come across and work with them and they wanted someone who could manage a studio style shoot, which is exactly what I do at weddings and at Rycraft Studios.”
The shoot took place near to the Khans’ home town of Bolton and gave Matt the chance to work with a larger team than in a typical day and given creative control of aspects such as lighting, direction and posing.
“It was a very well managed BBC production.
“The whole BBC creative team were on location, from clothing stylists to props, make up team, art director, BBC photography producer, creative director and the project producer.
“The shoot was live streamed there to various rooms so each team could access each image that was being taken.”
Of his experience working with the couple, Matt said: “They were lovely. She knows exactly how to pose, how to position herself.
“They were really nice people to work with.”