Meet Alistair Morrison | Photographer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Alistair Morrison and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Alistair Morrison, is there a quote or affirmation that’s meaningful to you?
From T.S. Eliot poem – The Hollow Men:

Between The Idea
And The Reality
Between the Motion
and the Act
Falls the Shadow

As a photographer who looks to capture a truth in my portraits in celebration of who we really are, as opposed to who we are told we should be – these lines from Eliot’s poem resonates. In our private thoughts we struggle with self image and the reality of what we may look like, so we look for another way to present ourselves, falling into a shadow of doubt, lacking confidence and looking for validation. My belief is that we should accept that we are born unique and should feel able to present ourselves for the person we are.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I have been a photographer for the past 40 years – building a worldwide reputation with my portraits of well known people and dignitaries. This has been honoured with over 80 portraits in London’s National Portrait Gallery Collection and with numerous photographs being Collected by individuals and organisations internationally.

I became disillusioned by the way that the media represented celebrities, in a ‘fake’ retouched, manner and felt a responsibility in my work, to ensure that I celebrated a truth, the raw reality of who we are. The Collection has been built up over the past 10 years and is called ‘Immune from Praise and Abuse’, concentrating on non-celebrities, people that I meet along the way – ordinary, yet extraordinary, people who choose to sit for my camera.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
If in London – then I would recommend The Courtauld Gallery which has the most wonderful Collection of Impressionist paintings, with Gauguin, Manet, Van Gogh, Cezanne, Monet, Seurat and Modiglaini’s Master works on display.

When the weather is fine, take a picnic into the many green parks in the City – particularly Green Park where you can then visit some of the tourist sites, such as Buckingham Palace.

Food is internationally represented in London – my favourites are Hide Restaurant and Scotts.

And take London black cabs and get into conversation with the cab driver, as they are characters and know the city inside out.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My shoutout is to all the subjects that I have photographed over the years – from celebrities to our neighbours.

Website: www.alistairmorrison.com

Instagram: @alistairmorrisonphotography

Image Credits
All Photographs are by Alistair Morrison