Shooting Stars
Legendary rock music photographer Scarlet Page has been taking photographs of rock and pop stars for the last thirty years and if you’re a fan of music, you will have definitely seen her imagery.
Interview Sufiyeh Hadian, Photography Scarlet PageScarlet’s work features candid shots that capture a moment in time, most of which have become iconic images of the music industry; as seen on album covers, music publications and posters to adorn every teenager's bedroom since the 1990’s.
You may assume she’s quite the rock star herself and to some extent you’re right, minus the obvious party lifestyle. Having distanced herself from her famous father’s name (that’s Jimmy Page of Led Zeppelin to you and I), Scarlet has carved her own career through hard work, passion and a penchant for reading people.
We caught up with her on Skype to see what she’s been up to since the world pressed pause on creative pursuits. Hint: she dyed her hair pink during the first lockdown, she’s just like us!
Keith Richards
When did you know you wanted to become a photographer?
I suppose when I did a Foundation course at Art College; it was all about trying your hand at different creative media like pottery and fine art painting, but when I did photography I really loved it, because I think my artistic style is very much reproducing what I could see. And because I’ve known a lot of photographers over the years, it just flowed easily. I did my degree and started assisting for photographers and on it rolled.
Was it a family influence to start photographing rock stars?
No, it wasn’t what I was doing originally. When I was at Uni studying, I didn’t really know where I wanted to go with it, but I know I just really enjoyed learning. Then I started assisting a photographer who worked in the music industry, it was all by chance, it wasn’t really something I was seeking out at the time.
When did you begin to photograph musicians?
When I was assisting, I would start taking pictures of what was in front of me. I went to a few live shows that I was assisting on and obviously there's no so much assisting you can do in the pit, so I could take my own shots. Then from there I syndicated some of those images, which ended up on the back cover of a magazine and I just started building my own portfolio. I think it's something that really threads through nearly 30 years later of my work – the ones you do off your own back are the images that carry the most weight. Yes, it’s great to be commissioned but quite often, the pictures of real note are things that I’ve done off my own back.
Smashing Pumpkins
Peter Green
Who was your favourite person or band to shoot?
That’s such a hard question. It’s difficult because I think I go into every shoot with the same amount of healthy nerves – even if it's just shooting a Pilates teacher down the road, the same process happens and quite often on a shoot you might encounter a rapport with someone where it really feels quite meaningful, in instances where you create an atmosphere when you capture something organic and real in a situation that feels quite forced. I come away feeling like that was a really good experience and I feel that gratification.
Fan-wise, there used to be a period where I used to go ’Ooh I really like that band’ and I would end up photographing them – I've been really lucky having photographed people like David Bowie, U2 and just have little snippets of their life. It's been incredible to dip in and out with some of the very well-known musicians like the Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chilli Peppers. More recently, when I photographed Peter Green as part of the Resonators project, a lot of those subjects came forward and said they wanted to be a part of the project – which felt amazing because they didn’t have to, so I felt very grateful at every stage of that journey. The fact that they gave me their time and they weren't promoting anything apart from being a part of this collection felt like a real honour. And people like Peter Green who passed away last year, was a relative hermit – that’s what people would refer to him as – it felt incredible that he allowed me to take his picture.
“I go into every shoot with the same amount of healthy nerves – even if it's just shooting a Pilates teacher down the road. ”
What’s the process behind your photography?
It depends on what it is, if it's like a press session with a band, and you know they want X number of shots done through the day then I might have a conversation with them beforehand, like a creative brainstorm to get an idea of what they want. But generally, I don’t like thinking about it too much. I like having a plan obviously; in what backdrops I’m taking, but because I come from a place where I hate having my own photo taken, I go at it thinking everyone hates it, no one enjoys it so let's make it as quick and painless as possible and try it make it feel real. I like seeing how the journey develops on its own and without having to be too forced or controlled about it.
Slash
Has social media had any impact on your practice?
Yeah, for sure – I’m teaching some smartphone courses. A lot of my social media that isn’t rehashing archive pictures will be pictures I’ve taken on my phone. I really enjoy taking pictures on my phone and the freedom it gives me; it’s not bulky to carry around, it’s always there ready to shoot and I’ve become more active on social. For the longest time, I resisted it, but you do have to play the social media game to a certain extent. I love posting pictures on there, I don’t always have the business head of how best to do, I like being spontaneous with it.
“I've been really lucky having photographed people like David Bowie, U2 and just have little snippets of their life.”
What’s been your most memorable shoot to date?
In lockdown, there was a real need for me to do something creative where everything felt kind of empty. I set on a project taking pictures locally, I always wanted to take pictures of kids with their comfort toys, and I saw a parallel quite quickly from the Resonators project where musicians had their guitar and that object made for a more relaxed environment for them. It does a lot of the hard work for me. I would go and start taking pictures every night, socially distanced in outdoor spaces, capturing kids being kids. Not cheesy happy or grumpy and sad, but just being them. I entered the Portrait of Britain competition and my work was selected as one of the winners, which was incredible because it's not usually something I would do. I took over 60 portraits, which really helped my own sanity over lockdown.
Esmerelda
Can you tell us more about the courses you’re teaching over lockdown?
I taught DLR courses pre-pandemic and it’s super hands-on but of course that’s all stopped for the minute. I have been teaching university students at colleges. I feel like I’m well-equipped to talk about the smartphone courses but I don’t do them regularly and would prefer to do them live. People rely on presets too much and I like to teach how you can have more control and get incredible results. I teach courses for kids and for adults, which is really fun.
Foo Fighters
Whom or what inspires you?
I love that connection with people and being able to draw out the essence of whomever I’m shooting. It’s the people really, I don’t enjoy photographing still things, I don’t really like doing weddings either, as it’s a bit staged and performative. I just like the energy bouncing back between the subject and I – it’s the creative spark that drives me.
I just want to do good by everyone and capture things in a really positive way. I’m perhaps too sensitive to it, I don’t want to just bowl in and get the shot done. A lot of the feedback I get quite often is that I do capture something that isn’t just getting the shot, it gives authenticity to it; and goes under the surface a bit more, and that does float my boat.
“I love that connection with people and being able to draw out the essence of whomever I’m shooting.”
If you could photograph anyone you haven’t shot, living or dead, who would it be?
I like big personalities, as I like a challenge. Lady Gaga or Madonna or Prince would’ve been awesome. I heard horror stories in the past of people photographing Prince where they took two or three frames and he stops and was like ‘You’re done, you got the shot.’ Terrifying. That really appeals to me as a challenge. I’ve been so lucky to shoot many people already, I just think something like that takes it to another level of fear and conquering that would be good.
Red Hot Chilli Peppers
Out of personal interest, what was David Bowie like to work with?
He was just so charming, a real gentleman. Very respectful – which I found more unnerving than anything. I was commissioned by his management and he saw pictures of my previous work with Placebo who he had a good relationship with at that time. So, he was coming at it, knowing me and my work which was nerve-wracking when someone has faith in you from the get-go. It was lovely to be there for a couple of days where I had free access to do whatever I wanted, he was very encouraging for my creative vision and he said, ‘Whatever you need, let me know’. That in itself, is quite unusual coming from a famous musician. That was scarier than anything for sure, because then I was thinking ‘Oh my god, I really need to meet his expectations of me and deliver the goods.’
David Bowie
That’s really a lovely story. Speaking of expectations, what was it like working with your father?
It was a slightly different responsibility in a way, because I had to make sure I get a decent shot – would've been highly embarrassing if I didn’t and it's also finding that fine line between looking too much like ‘Dad’ and THE Jimmy Page. I had to find a middle ground to capture something that isn't always on view to the public, isn’t something too soft or too hard in his public images versus how I see him. Again, the pressure was on, but the times I have done it, it's worked out quite well.
Jimmy Page
John Frusciante
What’s next for you post-lockdown?
I’ve got a few little jobs here and there but in terms of bigger projects I haven't made any long-term plans. I’d like to get back to ‘real-life teaching’ as I do enjoy doing that. I’m still quite baffled how other photographers are working at the moment – there were those images of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle by Missan Harriman who took the pictures remotely on an iPad over lockdown – there's a lot of that going on now, which blows my mind how things keep evolving. I’m excited to see what the knock-on effect is from this lockdown and pandemic towards creativity and what positive creations come from it. But I’m not putting any hard and fast expectations on myself at this point.
Bono
Stereophonics
About Scarlet
She quickly developed her own fresh, documentary style travelling America with The Smashing Pumpkins, The Beastie Boys and the other acts on the Lollapolooza tour of 1994 and the following year she had a shot feature in The Verve’s ‘A Northern Soul’ album artwork which really got things started.
Since then Scarlet has gone on to work with some of the music world’s biggest acts.
Scarlet has had various exhibitions of her own and photographed artists and celebrities and their children for a fund raising exhibition held at the Proud Gallery in Camden and later at the Royal Albert Hall.
Follow Scarlet on Instagram or find out more about her online courses on her Website.
READ NEXT
