Fun editorial work from Taylor Wessing Prize winning photographer David Titlow

This year’s open submission Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize was awarded to London-based photographer David Titlow for a photograph of his toddler son. The photograph, if you haven’t seen it, is a hazy, Vermeer-esque image of David’s hungover friends on the morning after a party, passing his new son around in the cold light of the Swedish sun. Back on UK soil, David’s work couldn’t be more different. He seems to be something of a darling of the glossies: snapping models and celebs for the likes of Vanity Fair, Esquire, Nylon and Marie Claire. His impulsive, confident shots are a far cry from his tender, voyeuristic personal work – which is why we wanted to ask him a few questions about what he does. Here he is…

How does it it feel to win the Taylor Wessing prize?

Very surreal – I thought I would get into the exhibition but was totally knocked out to be shortlisted for the prize.

What kind of photographer would you call yourself?

An optimistic one! I still get very excited about taking pictures.

The work on your website is so different to the intimacy of the photo that won the prize, tell us about the relationship between your personal work and client-based projects.

I have always taken personal shots from a very young age and this is like a diary I guess. I always try and have my camera with me to get a shot for my blog or otherwise – I try to inject a bit of this personal aesthetic into my commercial work if I can.

What kind of camera do you tend to opt for?

I shoot work stuff with a Nikon D800 and a 24-70 MM lens, this is pretty much perfect for fashion as it’s super portable. Personal stuff I shoot on an old Lumix GF1 or various film cameras like the Olympus O Product or a Contax T2. All the old faves.

The photos you shot of Bill Nighy for Esquire are brilliant. What do you like about shooting editorial photography for men’s magazines?

Meeting interesting people in the case of the celeb-led fashion stuff. The time restraints can be quite liberating as you have to think fast and combat various problems in terms of light and locations or awkward subjects.

Once you’ve worked for a magazine, is it relatively easy to keep going back? Also, do you tend to pitch ideas to magazines or do they request you?

It’s good to get a relationship with a magazine’s fashion team, usually I am commissioned by the mag and it’s their brief, but occasionally I will get an idea together with a stylist and pitch something to a mag, but it’s usually a bit of an effort to get something placed.

What do you look for in a subject? Has it ever been difficult to make someone relax and do you have any tricks of the trade to make them do so?

I don’t really look for anything – I take what I’m given. Some people just eat the camera up and others are a nightmare. I like to think I make people relax by moving quickly to a conclusion but I have less patience than I used to with tricky subjects, you know the second you put the camera to your eye if someone is going to be cool or not.

Has photography, or being a photographer, ever taken you anywhere very unexpected?

The Playboy Mansion.

How do you like the atmosphere to be in a studio while you work?

Loud music, lively and relaxed.

Finally, what one piece of advice would you give a young photographer who’s just starting out?

Assist someone, don’t bother with college – learn the history stuff at home yourself.