It’s been 50 years since Richard Young took his first photo of a celebrity. Since then, he has become a favourite amongst musicians, actors, models and even royalty, capturing some of their most iconic moments.
We caught up with Richard ahead of our ‘Capture the Moment’ event later this month where he will be sharing even more of his experiences as a legendary photographer to the stars. Here he gives us a taste of what we can expect.
Richard, you’ve had such an incredible career to date, becoming one of the most renowned photographers in London. Where did it all begin?
My interest in photography began purely by accident in 1974, when I was given a Nikon camera and asked to take pictures to illustrate a book written by Welsh author John Cowper-Powys. A few months later, a friend introduced me to Paul Getty Jr. He had recently been released by Italian kidnappers, was missing an ear, and being sought out by virtually every newspaper in the world. Paul invited me to take pictures of him and his girlfriend around town and that was the start of everything really. The Evening Standard bought my photographs, and so began my long and successful career as a social photographer.
It's certainly been a star-studded career from that point on! Is there a celebrity that you’ve most enjoyed shooting?
There are so many. Freddie Mercury, George Harrison, Jack Nicholson, Joan Collins, Elton John, Princess Diana, The Queen, Prince Charles; I honestly don’t’ have a favourite, it’s been great to photograph all of them. I did particularly enjoy shooting the club scene in the 70s; that was a lot of fun.
I’m sure many of our homeowners at Wallacea Living will also remember the hey days of the 70s and 80s when the Rolling Stones, David Bowie and Elton John were delighting fans and stories of wild partying were prevalent. What are your memories of this era and what was it like to be behind the scenes with such iconic musicians?
Well, from what I can remember of that period, it was wild. It was incredibly decadent and fun, with loads of clubbing, travelling and very late nights. I was shooting Royals, high society, actors, models, musicians, artists, writers, bad boys and bad girls; it was fantastic. I certainly didn’t get much sleep!
Trust must be so important for your career in being allowed access to such parties. How did you develop this trust amongst the celebrities that you photographed?
You’re right, trust is very important but I never turned anyone over and I was polite, always saying please and thank you, which goes a long way. Also, you have to remember you are only the photographer, you are not part of their inner circle so you have to know when to walk away –especially late at night when it can get messy. I guess they also trusted that they were going to like my work.
Did you ever go on tours with celebrities?
I only went on tour once and that was with Electric Light Orchestra. It put me off for life!
Which celebrity has surprised you the most and why?
It was probably Michael Jackson. He was such a lovely man. We spent the day together in Romania going around the orphanages after Ceausescu fled the country. It was for his Heal The World Foundation Charity and I was picked out to accompany him as he walked around the orphanage. We went around together, witnessing some of the most horrendous conditions, including metal cots, overwhelming urine odours, children banging their heads against the railings. Michael was just so kind and delightful throughout the whole experience. Interestingly, he spoke with a regular voice the whole time, not squeaky at all.
Which is your favourite celebrity photograph that you’ve taken and why?
That’s a tough question. It’s very difficult to choose but if I really had to, maybe Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton kissing at his birthday party. It was one of my first shots and the money I made from off it enabled me to buy my first house in 1974!
Another favourite is the shot I took of Marvin Gaye in the back of his limo from 1976. This shot is iconic, with only one left of the edition now.
You’ve certainly built up an incredible collection of images. Where can people view your photographs?
Many of them are on show at the Richard Young Gallery, at 4 Holland Street in London. You can view all my limited edition prints at the gallery, including the ever-popular Freddie Mercury wall. Alternatively, you can view my photographs online at www.richardyounggallery.co.uk.
How would you describe your style of photography?
It’s natural. I believe that being spontaneous delivers the best photographs and helps to tell the story of what is happening at that time.
Does photography play a huge role in your personal life too?
Of course I love taking pictures of my family. My wife Susan has created the most incredible photographic albums over a 35-year period which the kids love going through whenever they’re together. Capturing memories is a great way to reflect on times together. I personally find it very joyous to watch my kids pore over photos of their early years.
Many of our homeowners will be downsizing which can often involve sorting through family photos. Have you got any tips for the best ways to collate these to save as much space as possible?
Try and digitalise all your material. Your whole photographic library can fit onto a USB stick, or be stored online, and then you can share them with your family without having to worry about having the physical space for all of your photo albums.
Photography has changed immensely over the last few decades. What are the most notable changes and do you feel they’ve all been an improvement or do you miss some of the trends and equipment of years gone by?
It certainly has changed a lot. Mobile phones, social media, Instagram, Facebook etc, have all been the biggest game changers and, in my opinion, not necessarily for the better.
In the old days when a brand wanted to do a promotion, they would have a launch party, employing PRs, caterers, florists and photographers, and this formed a big part of my business. That has now largely gone as the brands go straight to the celebrity with a big Instagram following, who then get paid directly to publicise and the job’s done. Unfortunately, this means the professional photographer often gets cut out.
That’s certainly a shame as we love your photos. During our event in May, you’ll be taking portrait photography of our guests. Do you have any top tips for looking our best in front of the camera?
Be yourself and relax, you don’t even need to smile if you don’t want to. I prefer to shoot quickly as I find the longer I spend studying my subject the more inhibited people become. Often, when I edit it’s the first image we use.
Thanks for the great tips Richard and for sharing memories from your incredible career. We can’t wait to hear from Richard at our Capture The Moment event on Tuesday 21st May. Anyone wanting to come along to the event can book their space by calling our friendly team on 020 3960 1000.
