Picture This: Myles Pritchard

Myles Pritchard is a photographic craftsman with the heart of a storyteller.  Both his fashion and commercial work capture the truth and beauty of his gentle nature and tell tales of his worldly travels. He is a master of being in the moment and holds an innate awareness of the subtleness of humanity, of every little movement.

From a childhood as a street-smart kid of the UK, to barefoot living in the rainforest of Costa Rica, then as a young adult moving to the emerging culture and art scene of London, it’s no wonder his work has been featured in the prestigious magazine’s and global publications.

Myles, pictured alongside Tash Iannis, with whom he opened the fashion, jewellery, homewares and art store Bone and Arrow

Myles is represented by 13CO’s new photographic offering 13FOTO.

We spoke with him about his latest work - a photoshoot for Lab Gallerie - and how he’s applied his unique photographic philosophy throughout.

LBB> What was about the initial brief that intrigued you?

Myles> I was asked by Lab Gallerie to come up with a photographic story that highlighted the timeless sophistication of a number of fashion brands. The brief was quite open which always excites me and gives me a freedom to find a visual freshness.

LBB> What were your first steps when it came to breaking down the brief and formulating your ideas?

Myles> When I looked at the collection of fashion, the concept of classicism struck me. An aesthetic and attitude that, for better or worse, feels inhabited by the elite. Laissez-faire of the privileged.

LBB> And what were the ideas and influences that you wanted to bring together?

Myles> Carefree style that transcends time. A time capsule.

LBB> What were the interesting or challenging conversations that you had with the art director or client?

Myles> The concept of shooting a mirror shop intrigued me. I also like the themes of high society and nobility that chandeliers invoke in me. This all then snow balled into hanging chandeliers in a large run down studio. Then I added multiple moods through light and natural light changing plus smoke and shooting through bits of chandler plus shuttler drag. SO MUCH FUN 

LBB> Who were the key members of the team and what did they bring?

Sarah Laidlaw was a big part of the team adding so much, along with Micheal Azzollini on wardrobe. The girls are great collaborators and have never ending energy - which is important on a long day/night of shooting 

(If it includes people) How did you approach casting - and how challenging was it to uncover the perfect cast? What was it about the models/actors that you ended up going with that really struck you when you came across them?

In this instance we cast for look and selected our models from a collection that was offered. I did have a work history with some of the girls - as I like to know that someone will bring more than a face to a shoot. There needs to be the right attitude to match. 

LBB> How do you generally like to work with your cast/subjects to get the best out of them?

Myles> Getting the best out of everyone is casting the right person for the job. I like to keep my shoots positive and energetic and provide encouragement to all involved. At the end of the day it’s advertising and it’s meant to be fun. In this environment, my talent will always do what they do best.

LBB> Tell us about the location or setting - where did you shoot and why there? 

Myles> I’d like to keep the location under wraps as it’s a secret favourite of mine, but as you can see, it was perfect. There was so much texture already there, which we then highlighted by art department. Do you think we had enough chandeliers :-) 

LBB> Tech specs - what did you shoot on? Any interesting elements in the lighting or lenses that we should know about?

Myles> I shot on my trusty Nikon 850 with a mix of flash and ambient with defusers. I shot through crystals and sandwich bags to add more love plus used a smoke machine a little. I would have liked more smoke but the fire alarms would go off from time to time.

LBB> What were the interesting technical challenges that this project brought up and how did you address them?

Myles> Every time I shoot I’m met with challenges and this was no different. Probably too many to highlight, but this is what’s great about the job - problem solving. I took my time and experimented until I got the result I wanted. I find it’s always important to not let these stresses affect the talent.

LBB> How did the day of the shoot go? Any spontaneous opportunities or surprises?

Myles> The shoot day was a hoot. Once we worked out all the challenges, the biggest surprise was that it turned out way better than I imagined.:-)

LBB> When considering the final shot, why this particular shot over any of the other takes?

Myles> This was a collection of shots, so when it’s a campaign I let the magazine editor make the final selects from my long shortlist. This ensures they were completely happy with the fashion being shown. Sometimes it’s hard for me to select as I loved so many. 

LBB> What is it about this project that stays with you? What made it different to anything else you’ve worked on?

Myles> I would like to think all shots stay with me and have something special