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Three portraits of a person with red hair wearing a checked shirt. They are shown from different angles against a white wall, a dark wooded background and a black backdrop.

Photography: Sonny McCartney's candid, friendly snapshots of the UK's rising stars

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Date
26 March 2014

It’s all very well picking up a camera and messing around with it like everyone else, but not everyone takes it to the next level of “amateur photographer” and even fewer make it to “professional photographer.” Those that stand out from here on out are the professional photographers who do one thing incredibly well – whether it’s photographing food, naked women or simply landscapes – much like young Liverpudlian freelance photographer Sonny McCartney. Sonny’s got a knack for candid, lo-fi portraits of some of London’s freshest young talent. Does “young talent” sound a bit creepy? Maybe. That’s even funnier though, because even though a lot of his subjects are half-dressed, there’s absolutely nothing creepy about them in the slightest. The pictures of Mick Jagger with a microphone down his pants? A different story.

A black and white portrait of a person curled up, looking towards the camera. Their long hair falls forward, partially obscuring their face.
Above

Sonny McCartney: Portraits

A person with short red hair looks off to the side against a weathered white wall. They wear a button-down shirt with a small brown and yellow check pattern.
Above

Sonny McCartney: King Krule

Mick Jagger stands in an art studio, one hand resting on the back of his head. He is surrounded by large paintings, including a portrait and a work featuring the word “RESPECT”.
Above

Sonny McCartney: Ronnie Wood

A person looks thoughtfully off-camera in profile. They are wearing a grey T-shirt and a thin black necklace, standing beside a bright window.
Above

Sonny McCartney: Portraits

A black and white portrait of a person looking down and to the side. They wear a dark, long-sleeved polo shirt with a striped collar and hold their arms across their chest.
Above

Sonny McCartney: Jamie Isaac

A person looks off-camera with a neutral expression. They are lit from the side against a dark, textured wall.
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Sonny McCartney: Jamie Isaac

A person with styled blonde hair leans against a weathered, peeling wall. They wear a brown checked blazer over a white shirt and a silver pendant necklace.
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Sonny McCartney: Ky

A black and white portrait of a person with long, light hair looking off to the side. They wear a chunky, dark knit sweater and hold their hand up to their chin.
Above

Sonny McCartney: Verity Hensey

A double-exposure photograph shows a person’s head and shoulders in the foreground, facing a large outdoor screen. The screen displays a figure performing on stage, while a second, translucent layer of the same scene is laid over the image.
Above

Sonny McCartney: Mick Jagger

Mick Jagger stands on a stage, looking down at the crowd during a performance. In the foreground, people hold up phones to take photos of the singer.
Above

Sonny McCartney: Mick Jagger

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About the Author

Liv Siddall

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Liv joined It’s Nice That as an intern in 2011 and worked across online, print and events, and was latterly Features Editor before leaving in May 2015.

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