Access was much better back then but now everything is so controlled
THAT was the time when athletes were still accessible. I was talking to this agent one day who was looking after a few sports people and he said to me that he had this young cyclist, he was going to be good, and would I mind photographing him. I did that job and after a while he said to me that his mate looked after Nicolas Roche and would I like to get pictures of him. I was into cycling myself and said I’d love that and when the opportunity came to photograph Nicolas I jumped at it.
I remember he turning up in December (2012) and he was going to give us a couple of hours. Nicolas was really into his image and his photography and his style and all that stuff. He turned up at our office with two suitcases and I thought here’s a man running to the airport and I’ll only get about ten minutes.
What happened was he said ‘all I have is my winter clothes, I don’t have anything for the spring or autumn but I hope we’ll be able to make use of what I have’. And I’m looking at him and saying ‘I think we’ll be alright here, you’re talking to a man who hasn’t the first clue about fashion’.
He gave us so much time, in the studio first, and then we went up the road to the old John Player factory. It’s just a lovely picture of an athlete who is just taken out of his context and he looks like anyone else.
It was a time when we had great access to athletes, but it’s so controlled now. If you get an athlete now it’s almost has to be tied to a sponsor and it’s branded, and the sponsor will say the branding is too small and can you cut out this or that. It’s much more controlled now and therefore maybe not as enjoyable anymore. As much as it pays the bills and let’s you travel around the world your creativity is hampered by people standing over your shoulder.