British fashion and portrait photographer Joseph Sinclair has long been considered one of the industries most talented and creative visionaries, highly respected for his timeless work and sophisticated signature style.
As a leading pioneer in his field, Sinclair aims to bring to life the true essence and beauty of his subjects, by creating unique visual concepts inspired by his love of cinema, old Hollywood and American pop culture.
With his dynamic portfolio of specially curated images capturing the attention of fashion editors around the world, Joseph has photographed some of pop cultures biggest names throughout the course of his career, with his portraits of Elton John, Alexa Chung, Daniel Radcliffe, Jessica Barden, Russell Tovey and more gracing the pages of respected publications British Vogue, i-D, Glamour, GQ, Fault, Men’s Health and The Sunday Times.
As a forward thinking, innovative artist, with his finger firmly placed on the pulse of what’s hot, Joseph’s commitment to supporting fresh and emerging new talent is second to none, with some of his most recent work championing the flourishing careers of captivating creative artists and performers including Louis Partridge (Enola Holmes), Daisy Edgar-Jones (Normal People), recording artist Yungblud and BAFTA Award winning actor Michael Ward.
We caught up with Joseph Sinclair for the latest edition of our ‘My London’ interview series.
Favourite neighbourhood:
Royal Arsenal. I’ve lived here for about ten years. It’s gone through a huge redevelopment in that time. There are going to be a number of creative spaces for artists and performance venues due to open soon which is super exciting.
Favourite place for brunch:
Brick Lane Vegan Food Market is amazing, and a great place to meet up with mates, and Greenwich for a bite to eat in a pub after walking Stewie (our dog) in Greenwich Park.
Best coffee in London:
I don’t drink coffee much, but I adore tea. T2’s Jade Mountain tea is my favourite.
Favourite gallery or museum:
Proud Gallery which is tucked away just off The Strand. As well as regular exhibitions, they have a load of iconic prints for sale downstairs. Bowie, The Rolling Stones, Audrey Hepburn and loads more. Well worth a visit… and they’re dog friendly too!
Tell us a secret:
Dogs are smarter than most humans – but that’s probably more of a fact, than a secret!
Favourite place to shop:
Brick Lane Vintage Market is brilliant for a Sunday afternoon peruse, there’s a vintage vinyl shop in there that I’ve found some rare gems over the years including Mandy Smith’s album for a fiver! Also, the bookshop in The Photographers’ Gallery basement in Soho.
Favourite place to find inspiration:
I’m obsessed with films and I adore vintage cinemas like The Gate in Notting Hill. I actually photographed Yungblud there a couple of years ago; it’s such a beautiful historic venue. I really hope people return to the cinemas after lockdown and not rely on streaming films. Nothing compares to watching a film on a big screen. I saw the 35mm showing of ‘Once Upon A Time in Hollywood’ at Picturehouse Central and it was epic!
Best London destination for a date:
Date night with my partner Ryan would be something like dinner at Mildreds in Soho and then onto Comptons for drinks – I love their upstairs bar, it has the feel of a proper old-fashioned boozer. The staff are also super-friendly and they welcome dogs which is always a plus for me. If we’re staying local then Dial Arch in Royal Arsenal is the one. For football historians, it’s the original HQ of Dial Square FC. They changed their name to the ‘Royal Arsenal’ in 1888 and adopted the name ‘Woolwich Arsenal’ when they became professional in 1891. In 1913, the team moved to Highbury and settled on the name Arsenal.
Favourite park:
Greenwich Park is my absolute favourite. I love a picnic with mates there, plus there are loads of nearby pubs to drink in afterwards. At the end of the first lockdown when restrictions we’re eased slightly we had many a sunset meet-up with friends by the observatory. The view of London from there is incredible.
Your sanctuary in the city:
We live on the river in Royal Arsenal so I enjoy an evening walk to wind down and admire the sunset. Just after the lockdown began I started running which I’d never done outside of the gym before. Now I absolutely love a 5km run along the Thames Path which is on our doorstep, that makes me feel energised and balanced.
What inspires you?
Films and music. I’ve always been obsessed with both for as long as I can remember. I love classic Hitchcock films like ‘Psycho’ and ‘Rear Window’ as well as cult classics like ‘Mommie Dearest’ and ‘Valley of The Dolls’. Music is absolutely vital on a photoshoot as it completely sets the mood for the vibe I’m wanting to achieve.
This season I’m loving…
RuPaul’s UK Drag Race Season 2 and vegan salted, caramel Magnums.
