Rankin is one of the foremost and internationally recognized fashion and celebrity photographers. He has photographed everyone from Kate Moss to Arnold Schwarzenegger. He is even responsible for a rare portrait of the Queen smiling! In addition to this hectic timetable, he still finds time to edit and create images for his influential magazine "Dazed and Confused." All in all, he is a very busy man. Despite all of this, he managed to take some precious time out to talk to a group of Cambridge School of Art FdA Professional Photography students.

"This was a rare opportunity for us," said one of the lucky group. "Rankin never usually does this kind of thing."

It was perhaps, as ever, a case of pulling strings. Charles Martinez, a Cambridge School of Art tutor, was one of Rankin's lecturers when he was a student. This time it was Charles who sat and listened as Rankin discussed his photography. With a slide show of his enormous body of work Rankin talked of his career. He was brutally honest about both his successes and his failings. He said about working with celebrities: "It's about respecting people but not putting them on a pedestal." So who is the worst celebrity to photograph you might ask? He said that Christina Aguilera was difficult to work with, but that "95% of famous people are really cool and really good at what they do."

After spending an hour or so talking to us and answering questions he gave us a tour of his studio. He gave a demonstration of how he manages a shoot, with three assistants taking exposure readings, monitoring the lighting set-up and handing him his camera when things were all ready to go. When his staff began looking meaningfully at their watches it was time for us to take our leave. Rankin was happy to keep talking to us but it was 7pm and he still had another shoot to fit in.

Our thanks to Rankin and all at his studio for what was a hugely informative and memorable visit, and one which provided invaluable insights into the working practices of a celebrated photographer.

Anthony Pope (FdA Professional Photography)

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