In reply to Patch:

Patch....I definitely admire your courage and candor..... ( without wanting to get into the argument because I do not know the person in question personally )..... but you have made a true valid point in general...and that mirrors the state of affairs about how the real and genuine creativity has been merciless hijacked by a 'supernatural forces ' so to speak ... whether is in music...tv production...fashion....photography or art in general....and there is no serious debate going on to challenge and question certain overrated ' producers' of 'creative ' works......there is no challenging whatsoever or intelligent criticism....rather easy....maybe there is light at the end of the tunnel......lets hope....:) :)

In reply to Galileo's Universe:

Thanks for the in site Patch I did think along these lines but felt that it was not my place to put the view across. I was getting the ipression that self promoting and publishing was the main route in to getting well established. There are a lot of very fine and talented phoptographers that are struggling either becouse they do not have the funds to get established, the conections or not in the right place at the right time. I think in some ways that self promomotion and publishing is the best in the new ways of getting establshed. I love nick Nights work but he bneeded i-D to help him get his work and style of work out there initialy.
Maby I am being ignorant but I would rather work my own sttykle and try and go in my own direction than be an aprentis in a well established and known photographers studio, at the same time I realise that it is the best way o getting conections, If i was 21 I would have considerd this aproach.
I do not want to be crytical of Rankin or anyone else in the industry but people here know my pet hate and yet that is the photographer they seem to like the most. Terry Richardson from the work I have seen is not outstanding and its content rather than quality that seems to get him in print oh yes and of course humer.
I agree that with some photographer having the money and the contacts to estabish a magazine for his creative outlet works, I guess that Rankin is a rich man, I would never want to have a bad attitude with people I work with after all if you did not have them you would have nothing.
So maby that is why I am struggling whilst some people are photo millionares.
In other form of arts self promotion has been part of getting established for many years creating shoc nottariety or a house hold name.
Not an argument but a view I hope. All the best

In reply to Chris Summerfield:

Infact Chris, Nicks work was already out there. I am sure you know the story of him releasing Skinheads whilst still at B&P College. i-D took him on as a result of his work which was already known.

Rankin is relatively a rich man because comapanies like Dove who have no knowledge about commercial photography commision him because every one is talking about him. As a result they assume he must be the best photographer for the job. If they took time to really research the art then they would discover that there are alternatives.

I can not believe some of the people he has been commissioned to take their portait...the queen for example, the prime minister, maddonna! All due to hype. This sounds like I am just jealous I know, but if you really care for couture fashion photographer than surely you too can recognise that he plays no part in its long term story. I remember watching a programme on him once, think it was artsworld scotland or somethin (I live in Scotland) and he was asked what would you like to achieve and he answerd to produce 10 defining images!Hahahahahaha he will never produce one! This was shortly followed by some comments by the editor of ZOO magazine!!! You could'nt write this!Haha The man is a ceberity snapper!!! Again...nothing more, nothing less!

In reply to Patch:

Thanks for the insite in to the back ground of Rankin and yes I did know about Nicks book skin heads, and it is good that it opened doors for him as it should.
Self promotion in its variouse forms is important in order to get a name out there, as well as image. Bailey was a house hold name in the sixites along side Donaven, (not the singer) and Barry Lategon. due to there advertising campaigns with Olympus. and the people they mixed with. I know a lot of creative people whose pasona became bigger than there art becouse of using shock tactics or controversial subject matter or shock dialogue.
We are in a new world where it is a lot easier to get a reasonable picture with littal camera technique, so self promotion and contacts are all important in order vto stand out.
Not a wing but you said that you had work experience with Rankin and I am sure that you found it an intersting experience at that. From my point of view . I have worked with an arist it is imprtant to me that I do not talk about them after the experience, I have worked with a cross section of artits in the South West and they are all at ods with each other and have opossit political views and ways of thinking,we have seen it in the forum before now.There is nothing worse than an artists ego so I try and stay on the fence with my views about others as much as possible.(just me I guess)All the best and I hoped that you enjoyed the experience of workinmg with Nick Knight he seems a gentle man.

In reply to shaw:

There was a centre spread of the pictures from the retina series in todays Telagraph paper and I thought that they where cool and unusual.
Chris I dont know if you agree or not but some people would rather struggle and develope there own style , having funds to take things further forward is a bonus and hopefully in my case the pictures are my time, life and financial investement to others. as well as my self.
As I am sure it is in your case also.