Mr. Whisper

Mr. Whisper

How did you get started in photography?

When phones first became as good as compact cameras, I started shooting with my Sony Ericsson 1.3MPX and posting to my tumblr blog -- over 7 years ago.

What role has your iPhone and Instagram played in it?

Both have a played a fundamental role in my photography journey. Firstly, came the iPhone, the camera quality blew me away. Coupled with the endless possibilities of apps at your fingertips, it proved to be an incredibly powerful tool. Then Instagram came along and I spent months,

and now years, testing a multitude of apps to achieve just the right look or at least know which apps to use for specific styles. I hardly ever delete images, so If you scroll back far enough you’ll see exactly how I started.

How has London influenced your perspective?

I’m all about street photography and capturing candid city life. London is such a nonstop city with so many different faces to it, both above and below the ground, not to mention the vast vibrant mix of all types of people. Therefore, it’s not hard to be inspired everyday by this incredibly inspiring city.

Where are your favorite places to go in London?

I go where the people go, busy places with lots candid opportunities, that’s when I’m in my element. South Bank, Soho, Canary Wharf, Covent Garden, Carnaby Street, Oxford and Regent streets, Brick Lane, Notting Hill and Portobello and let’s not forget the entire Underground.

What are you inspired by?

Design, Music, music videos, films, fine art, daily life and, of course, my follow list.

**Where does the name Mr.Whisper come from?**

Way back in the day, I use to do a lot of “creative” projects outside my day job (graffiti, toy making, sticker packs) under the title “MrWhisper”, and it’s simply stuck with me ever since. (You can see a number of these “creative” projects which were pre Instagram on my Flickr account – Mr.Whisper).

You have a very distinct visual look and aesthetic to your photos, how did that develop?

As mentioned previously, it was all about research, by reading up and testing out

every app going, until I found the right formula to give me the look I wanted. This so called formula is constantly tweaked and updated, but I’m probably the only one who notices that. Lol!

What made you start the portraits on the underground? What’s your favorite story or stories related to that?

The underground portraits happened by chance, I was addicted to Instagram, and my daily commute was my only opportunity to shoot. The series proved to be a huge success, and I always love throwing in a candid tube portrait in the mix every now again.

Unfortunately, I have no great stories related to portraits, but, in general, I do scare the Underground staff regularly -- not intentionally, of course. It’s just that I’m normally lurking down tunnels in weird positions, kneeling on the floor, staring straight up at ceilings for a minute like a statue, you know the crazy grammer poses. Which I assume can be quite intimidating to approach. Apologies to all the TFL staff I’ve scared over the years ☺!