MARTIN BECKETT

British photographer Martin Beckett has been shooting advertising campaigns for over 15 years and has had work featured in Lürzer's Archive for Volvo and Rolls-Royce. He talks dream collborations and about the movement to make images look "photographic" again.

Image: Martin Beckett, photographer.

About myself...

I have always had the balance of my volunteer work for artist’s rights as (at various times) President of the AOP, Pyramide Europe and CIAGP, but now I am stepping back from that. It's good to have the stimulus of longer-term photographic projects to counter the wham bam of advertising.

At the moment I am working on...

A book on the real Greece, an exhibition about hipsters in California and a series of ads for an airline.

The best thing about photography at the moment is...

We have been given a magic box of tricks in recent years which has brought us some amazing availabilities, but like all new toys it can look worn when over played and now there is an increasing movement towards photographs looking “photographic” again rather than like digital illustrations.

I am inspired by...

Light.

This year I’ll be attending...

I used to go to Arles every year and I keep meaning to go to the Hereford festival. I was invited to Perpignan and Paris Photo is a possibility..

What got my attention at the last festival I attended is...

How much people love photography .The growth of interest in it over the last 30 years is revolutionary. And social media has made everyone a critic and lover of photography - it is the most pervasive modern art form.

The best year to be a creative was...

Any year at the peak of a boom. It is not what you can do but what you are allowed to do that’s the key and when money flows so do opportunities.

The next big thing in advertising is going to be...

The re-emergence of great content. Advertising can and has produced magical photography but shoehorning a generic stock shot into a concept is like going to a beautiful restaurant and being served a ready meal.

Digital or film?

Digital works but film sings. One day soon I will start humming along again.

In a film about my life, I’d like to be played by...

Richard E Grant - there aren’t many tall actors.

In my industry, I admire...

All the real photographers who can make great images even during a power cut and the creatives who can get the clients to buy into great ideas and great execution.

My dream collaboration is...

Pablo Picasso, Frank Zappa, Anthony Burgess, Tony Kaye and I were in the Dog and Duck and...

In up and coming talent, I look for...

Ability beneath the software.

A piece of criticism I’ve received is...

Not stopping working for lunch.

The last piece of music I listened to was...

That terribly catchy metronomic theme tune from “The Bridge” TV series.