Guardian feature — My Best Shot: Derek and Quentin
“If you didn’t know their story, you could look at this picture and think they are maybe runners or cyclists. Their skin is white where it’s been covered by T-shirts but their necks and forearms are tanned, and the colour of their skin and hair is echoed by the orange flowers in the background. Then you see the tattoos – Quentin, on the left, has a little star under his eye. They’re also unconsciously mirroring one another in the way they’re holding their hands. There’s so much going on in this picture that it’s a little confusing. But because of that, you keep staring, and that, for me, is a way to break something open – people who see this photograph are curious and always want to know more about these boys.
I use a medium format camera because I love capturing the texture of people’s skin and hair, and the twins were fascinated by that and the other tech we were using – the film camera and sound equipment. They’re really into machines and electronics. You can see in their gaze that they’re communicating with me, their posture is open. That’s how I like to approach these portraits – they’re a collaborative process. I love being in that moment where the subject is as completely focused on me as I’m focused on them and we’re reacting to one another.”
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