Title: The Hubbuck

"I created the image in September 2018. After a chance encounter with Gavin Hubbuck at a petrol station in the seaside town I live. I’d been thinking about a shot with a family in a vintage car having a day out at the beach for a while. But searching for cars to hire, I really couldn’t find anything authentic that fitted in with my idea. Then one day as I pulled up to the local petrol station, I couldn’t believe my eyes through the gap in the petrol pumps. The turquoise ford Cortina was glowing in the afternoon sunshine. Complete with rally headlights and furry dice hanging from the mirror. It was like winning the lottery from a visual point of view. I waited for the owner to return to the car to ask if I could use it for a shot. I told him my idea but at the time planned to stage something with a family and my idea included a red-haired girl. He told me he had a family with kids and his daughter had red hair. He went on to tell me about his love of vintage items, his inflatables, chopper bike and 1970’s caravan, and his days out at the beach. So from there, the whole idea fell into place.

We exchanged numbers and went on to arrange me joining them for a day at the beach. It really was that simple.

I think the success and power of the picture comes from its purity. And let’s face it: it’s a happy image. Who doesn’t want to look at a happy picture in a world led by social media, depression and anxiety? These people are humble and there’s intent from both myself and the family to portray the best version of them."