From a fresh faced Stella McCartney to the acclaimed Dame Judi Dench, Dalston dweller Derrick Santini has captured a multitude of stars during his career. However, the most featured, though not the most famous subject he has ever photographed, is his beloved dog, Lily.
Lily turned 15 last week and Derrick wasn’t going to let the occasion pass without a celebration: “15 is old for a pure-breed bull terrier. Loads of people brought her treats, she had a good day!â€
When Derrick rubs shoulders with stars and captures their individual spirits in his portrait photography, Lily does too. In the project, ‘Pictures of Lily’, the bull terrier is seen sitting casually in front of Taylor Swift, held in the arms of Spice Girl Mel B, or sitting side by side with her namesake, Lily Allen.
The relationship between a photographer and his subject is usually fleeting and from the perspective of the outsider, impersonal. Derrick attributes his success to forming a bond with the subjects of his work. “It doesn’t take long to connect with people, even if you only have 20 minutes. People skills are more important than the craft, anyone can take a picture, but not everyone can have the character to make it interesting, to make the person come alive.â€
He adds: “A lot of famous people, are shot all the time, so the key is to be real and try and get involved, they don’t want to be treated like their special, if you try to treat them with kid gloves then that’s when problems start.â€
Photo courtesy of Derrick Santini
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