Featured Artist: Mr Whisper

How would you describe your work?

I’m probably best known as @mrwhisper for my work that documents everyday street life in central London by night.

My street photography is all about documenting the present — the now but with an artistic approach. In the short term, when people look at my work, they can relate to the various situations that unfold in the city everyday, which evokes a sense of nostalgia. However, more importantly in the long term, if someone were to see my work in 50, or even 100, years, they should be able to gain some insight into city life in the early 21st century.

SOHO George

How do you select your subject matter?

99% of the time I will be walking along the street with my camera at the ready, until I’m stopped in my tracks by a potential image, normally it’s an interesting light source that catches my eye. So I’ll stop and take a few test shots, if the location still looks like it has something to offer, I‘ll find my spot and camp out until the right subject moves across the frame to both compliment the overall composition and give the image a sense of time and scale.

Which artists inspire your work?

I’m inspired by the usual suspects of legendary street photographers, i.e Saul Leiter, Elliott Erwitt, Vivian Maier to mention a few. Also my work is heavily inspired by Film Directors & DOP’s i.e. Wes Anderson, Stephen Chow and Hype Williams. All have played some part in the way I see the world.

Underground

Outside of art what other subjects inspire your work?

I have a genuine interest in technology, not in a technical sense, more in a conceptual way to explore how it can enhance my visual storytelling experience for my audience. Thus I’ve instigated a project to be released next year and will showcase how technology inspired me to take a different approach to a very traditional medium. Sorry I can’t be more specific right now, but I don’t want to spoil my big reveal.

Did your education help you become an artist?

From a very early age it was clear that I was destined for a more creative path. At school I focused heavily on Art and Design. At college and then Art College I began to specialise in Graphic design and finally at University I became addicted to 3d animation and motion graphics, which gave me a sensibility towards cinematic photography.

Clearly all of the above have provided me with beneficial skill sets i.e. colour theory, composition, storyboarding etc, that have certainly aided me to become the artist/ Photographer I am today.

Netflix- Narcos Pedro Pascal, Javier Pena B

How has social media affected your work?

Before becoming a full time commercial photographer 7 years ago, I worked in the advertising industry for almost 15 years working my way up the ranks from Designer to Digital Creative Director, and I absolutely loved it. I got to work with some amazing brands which gave me some very useful insights on how to solve brand problems with visual solutions.

It was around 2012, I was still working in Ad land but also heavily into Instagram - posting everyday. I began to get a few commissions from the likes of Lonely Planet, Jaguar and Adidas simply from my Instagram images. This got me thinking that If I continued to evolve my photography skills, perhaps one day I maybe able to do this full time. Fast forward two years and that dream became a reality, and I haven’t looked back ever since I still pinch myself to this day on how this small app changed my life and career path.

BMW i8

Did you begin with this style or was it an evolution?

Over the years I’ve developed my own editing process using Adobe Lightroom which is constantly evolving to give my images a recognisable ‘Mr Whisper’ look and feel. It’s very important for me to give my work a visual identity. Which in turn brands can utilise to give their campaigns a specific look. This deliberate approach has enabled me to work with a great range of clients to name drop a few: Star Wars, Netflix, Leica, Samsung, Channel 4, Lonely Planet, Audi, BMW, Lacoste, Huawei and the Design museum.

What’s your favourite piece you have produced and why?

Being approached by Disney to create a London based series of images to promote the Star Wars film ‘Rogue One’ was a amazing job. Two highlights from the project were firstly when I received the brief and saw my images laid side by side with stills from the new film to show the familiarity in styles. Secondly was when I got to speak to the Films DOP Greig Fraser to discuss my ideas and he insisted on calling me “Mr Whisper’ lol!.

Star Wars- Battle Station

What’s the worst piece you have produced and what did you learn from the experience?

My worst piece of commercial work was the result of me committing to a project, without the finer details being confirmed. Mainly due to my inexperience alongside a sprinkling of FOMO, I went ahead and signed a contract stating I would create a series of images of some incredible art installations

Do you learn from criticism of your work?

Most definitely, and as long as it’s constructive there is always a positive outcome from even the most negative feedback. Being an artist it’s easy to become caught up in our own creative bubble, so being injected with a subjective opinion every now and again helps me question and rationalise my work moving forward.

What advice would your 80 year old self give you?

Follow your passion. Don’t follow trends. Don’t worry about what other people are doing. You’re on your own, personal journey that you have to pursue. And don’t give up. There are always hard times, but sticking to it is the difference between success and failure. It’s a long journey and there are no shortcuts.

What’s your future plans?

I have a real mixed bag of interesting projects and collaborations on the horizon (most of which are under NDA) but I can give you an idea of the variety. I’m currently working on my first solo street photography book, working with a couple of established music artists, some festival assignments along with the launch of a new exotic sports car. Watch this space!

Liverpool St

What advice would you give to someone trying to start in your industry?

My best tip would be to work out the personal value of each opportunity or potential project that comes your way. As I’ve found out during my career It’s not always about the money. Sometimes the brand association can hold more value to your freelance career in the future. So try to think in the long term and consider the bigger picture on the effect a said project may have on your portfolio. However at the same time never let big brands take advantage of you. The bottom line is that creativity takes time, and time is money, therefore you should always place value on the creative input you are giving to any project and ensure you are happy with what you are receiving in return, be it monetary value or not. You have weigh up the pro’s and cons of each project individually as well as considering your personal financial situation at the time.

What’s been your biggest success?

Taking that leap of faith and quitting my day job to pursue my passion and turn my passion into a career.

DISCOVER MORE

www.mrwhisperstudios.com

Instagram: @mrwhisper