The Pro Interview

Clive Booth was a successful graphic designer and is now a photographer and filmmaker. He talks to David Clark about his varied and eclectic career.

- David Clark

Many photographers are happy to remain in the same field throughout their working lives, while others develop a more varied portfolio. Clive Booth is definitely among the latter group. His career has included graphic design, photography and filmmaking.

Among other things he has been on an environmental research expedition to the Arctic, he volunteered to photograph the work of the RNLI on the Hebridean island of Islay, shot fashion for Nick Knight, taken portraits of Terence Stamp in a London tea shop and made a pop video with George Michael.

Yet at the root of all this activity is a love of making images and a drive for perfection in all he does. Here Clive talks about his multifaceted career, which he can trace back to a childhood gift…

When did your passion for photography begin? 

When I was about nine years old, my Aunt bought me a Hanimex 110 film camera on a visit to Portmerion in North Wales. I’ve probably still got it somewhere. Ever since I was given that camera I’ve had a total fascination for photography. When I was at school, all I could do was English, art and sport. I was dreadful at everything else. When the careers officer came to our school he asked me what I could do, and I said “I’m good at art.” He said, “You can be a graphic designer.” So, after school, I studied graphic design for four years and then went on to have a career as a graphic designer.

What kind of work did you do?