Hail to the Queen

Celebrated photographer Neal Preston rocks the pages of Real Art Press’ latest book with stunning photographs of the legendary British band

- Maritess Garcia Reyes

For the celebrated photographer Neal Preston, there are only two things that matter most: photography and rock music. “I was one of those people whose life changed the night that The Beatles played The Ed Sullivan Show. So, it was almost pre-ordained that my two greatest passions ended up melding into a sort of a super-hobby. Early on I realised that I was particularly good at shooting live performances, so I just kept on doing what I was doing,” recalls Preston who started his career as a professional photographer at the age of 16. Through the years, he worked with some of the biggest names in the industry such as Led Zeppelin, Billy Joel, Madonna, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Heart and Duran Duran.

But out of all the popular musicians he took photographs of, the iconic British band, Queen, takes a special place in his heart. “Queen was not only a great band with amazing songs. They were a feast for the eyes. There was always a lot going on onstage. For me, it was like being a kid in a candy store—great shot opportunities were everywhere. They were also a visually oriented band, so the staging, lighting and production values of each gig were just stunning. As a photographer I couldn’t have asked for anything better,” he shares.