Not the cover you'd expect - virtual reality porn for The Independent Magazine

Independent Saturday Magazine - Cover
I bet all photographers dream of the moment they get their image on a cover. I too have day-dreamt of an awesome photo taken by me appearing on a cover of a national distribution publication. I could see the subject's face full of expression, the immaculate styling, the dramatic light and my name underneath the headline.
Little did I know my first national cover will be of... virtual reality porn.
Yes, you read that right. The photograph on the cover of today's Independent Magazine was taken by me. And the story behind it is living proof that you never know what's around the corner.
I got a phone call a couple of weeks ago from the Independent asking if I am interested in shooting a story on 3D pornography for them. How could I say no to that?
So off we travelled one day to an establishment in the middle of an old air base specialising in virtual reality pornography. (For the uninitiated: it includes one of those futuristic headsets and I have to say that is the extent of my knowledge. The Independent piece today by Oscar Quine will hopefully shed some more light for all of us.)
I think it is fair to say that both Oscar and I expected the place to be a bit more ... seedy. What we found was a white, sterile, lab-like office more similar to the McLaren factory than to what I imagine a porn-producer's office may look like. I had planned for a different aesthetic for the shoot, but the place lent itself rather nicely to a more conceptual take. The journalist tried the headset on and I made sure to capture his reactions. There was also a freakishly real 3D printed model of a porn star lying around, so I made sure to include that in a few of the images as well. Little did I know when taking the shots that my first cover for the Independent would be of a load of cameras pointing at nothing at all. But that’s just the way it works in this business, the good things sometimes jump out at you and give you a pleasant surprise.


Thank you to The Independent Magazine team for such an unexpected commission.
Do make sure you pick up the magazine today for the article.

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