Biography

A Deptford Beginning

I was born in 1949, in post-war working-class South London, in a vibrant place called Deptford. It was the kind of childhood most would dream of — full of character, community, and colour. I started shooting photos back in the 1950s on the family’s Kodak Brownie 127.

I still remember the sheer excitement of waiting for our prints to return from the local chemist on Evelyn Street — a feeling that has never left me to this day.

1968 Jimi Hendrix London . © Jim Rice

From School Darkrooms to Hendrix

Credon Boys School, South Bermondsey — the “pinnacle” of South London education. In the early '60s, I’d skive lessons just to spend time in the darkroom. At 17, I began taking portraits of my girlfriend Linda and her family.

With her full support (and a fair bit of pushing), I went on job interviews in the photography world. After several rejections, I kept shooting regardless. Then, in 1968, everything changed: a chance meeting with my hero, Jimi Hendrix, on London’s Kings Road. I snapped a shaky photo — but that was it, I was truly hooked.

The Studio Years & Mentors Who Mattered

In 1969, I interviewed with British photographer Peter Deal — cool as you like. He trained in New York under legends like Irving Penn and Bert Stern. Pete had worked on The Last Sitting with Marilyn Monroe. He was a fashion and beauty perfectionist. That wasn’t my style — I was street and portrait — but I learned so much from him.

Peter was a master black-and-white printer, and hours in the darkroom with him left a permanent mark on me. He and his wife, Pat Goddard (a former English model and mum of six), became like second parents. The influence they had on my career and character was profound.

A Life Through the Lens

From top British magazines to deeply personal projects like The Last Jews of Whitechapel and Deptford Creek, photography gave me purpose. With master B/W printer Ken Ashby, that work even earned the ILFORD Photographer of the Year title.

Whether I’m photographing 1970s NF Skinheads, CEOs, or rock stars, I treat everyone with the same honesty and humour — the kind only a Deptford Boy can offer.

1950 shot by John French

Client List

The Observer · The Independent Magazine · Country Life · British Airways High Life · GQ · Tatler · Loaded · Front · Time Out · The Times Educational Supplement · ELLE · British Gas · BP · Texaco · Alfred Dunhill · Lang O’Rourke · Shelter · Help the Aged · Feltham Young Offenders · LDDC