m about

Music

Passion

Fashion

About

As a child I grew up in a model school, the son of a fashion model who's circle of friends and acquaintances had included Andrew Loog Oldham of the Rolling Stones and Brian Epstein of some Mersey beat combo! London life eventually becoming too much for the family I found myself re located to Sandbanks before the footballers and tabloids knew it existed and an underground garage converted then abandoned for model training became my own personal Aladdin's cave of experimentation in DIY lighting and set building on a non existent budget.

In my late teens I attended the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art and studied with internationally respected lighting designers Molly Pilbrow and John B Read amongst others. I was fortunate to work with London Contemporary Dance and Ballet Rambert for a time and I was always fascinated by how lighting for ballet was achieved, in particular the use of side light to isolate the dancers from the background and give the body form and shape. It’s an approach I employ in fashion photography to this day.

I then worked with cinematographer and director Haydn Davies. He had previously worked on “Tommy” with Ken Russell, whose anarchic cinematic style was another huge influence on my young mind. Mostly by chance I was incredibly lucky to work on the first and only Kate Bush tour, which probably changed my life, It was an experience I will never forget, the skilful use of staging, projection and stage lighting being years ahead of it’s time. Moving back to London I spent five years working in London’s West End Theatre on shows as diverse as Barnum and Evita,which was another invaluable experience.

A career in Theatre and Rock and Roll followed, spanning over two decades spent touring across the World. A period spent working in the world of corporate events also provided a fascinating insight into the world of big business, working with Microsoft, Rolls Royce, Disney and NASA amongst many others.

The most recent phase of my life has involved me working with both Peter Gabriel and legendary music director Dick Caruthers to bring images to life for artists as diverse as Rush to Usher!

Inspiration comes from many sources, from Italian Vogue on the one hand to the films of Ridley Scott on the other. As long as I have a camera in one hand and a smoke machine in the other, I’m generally a happy camper...

Marc Aitken 2011