Famous Faces — Adam Docker Photography

Benjamin Zephaniah - Poet and Artist - London UK. Benjamin happened to be on the same commercial shoot as I was, he was hanging out with a footballer. I went up to him and asked if I could take his portrait. It was a very simple setup; one single light through diffusion. There was an openness and warmth to him that came through immediately. What stayed with me was how generous he was with his time and energy. You can feel that in the portrait. RIP Benjamin. P.S it turned out that he and David Soul were good friends. Both died within four weeks of each other.

Rio Ferdinand - Footballer and TV Pundit - Manchester UK. I’ve worked with Rio a number of times on promos for FIFA and TNT Sports. After one of the interviews, I asked if he had a couple of minutes for a portrait. It was quick and again very simple. There’s a directness to him that comes through immediately, so it didn’t need much. A couple of years later, I saw him again on another shoot and brought a print with me. He was genuinely taken aback by it and said he was going to hang it in his kids’ bedroom.

Ta-Nehisi Coates - Writer - Paris France. I photographed Ta-Nehisi Coates in Paris after a long and fascinating interview for a documentary I’m not able to talk about yet. I asked him to sit on the edge of the table and used the light from the interview set up as a key. The library behind him reflected his intelligence of thought. There was a lot of depth to him, he's a very measured man

Rafael Jodar - Tennis Player. This kid is going places. Another Spanish sensation. How do Spain do it, they are churning them out like nobody's business. This 19 year old has gone from 900th to top 30 in the space of a year! I spent the day filming with Jodar at a tennis club in Madrid. As always, I found a break in filming and then asked him to take a few hits. I perched myself low on the clay court, by the baseline, as he hit balls centimetres from my camera. What a buzz!

Little Simz -Musician, Artist and Rapper - Kyiv Ukraine. I spent four days with Little Simz in Kyiv, filming a promo for the Champions League final. She had written a track specifically for it, and we moved through the city shooting in a range of locations. One of those was a memorial park. Beneath a bridge, there were rows of Soviet-era statues carved into the wall. They looked so impressive, so I asked Little Simz to stand in line with them, her gaze locked into infinity. Towards hope and a brighter future.

Starsailor - Band - The Forum, London. I’ve loved Starsailor since their first album, so working with them in recent years has felt quite personal. I got to know James Walsh a few years ago, and we’ve collaborated on a number of projects since. This was taken after soundcheck, just before their final show of the 25th anniversary tour at The Forum in London. The space has a strong presence, with that central light hanging above the seating. I positioned the band across the upper tier and framed it so the light sat above James, almost like a crown. It felt like a simple way to bring the environment into the portrait and give it a sense of occasion. I asked Barry (keyboard/piano) to hold a mobile phone to his ear, just to shift it slightly away from a straight band portrait. It becomes a quirky detail in the frame, something that gives the viewer a reason to stay with it a little longer.

Boxer Rebellion - Band - Amsterdam. The Boxer Rebellion are a band I’ve followed for years, their music has been a constant on long drives. This came together quickly. They were playing at Paradiso in Amsterdam, and the plan was to capture a live video. I packed the kit, left early, and made it there just in time for soundcheck. We stepped out to the canal nearby for a quick portrait. I used flash with a slower shutter to bring movement into the frame, letting the reflections and lights fall away behind them. There’s a slight nod to a Van Gogh palette in the colours and texture. After dinner, they played a mesmerising set. I packed everything back into the van and drove straight home to Suffolk, 26 hours later, exhausted but completely wired.

Deontay Wilder - Boxer - London UK. This was the second time I’d worked with Deontay. The first was ahead of his fight with Tyson Fury, filming some action shots into camera. Mid take, he suddenly roared straight down the lens. I caught the biggest fright and jumped out of my skin, I had no idea this was his 'thing'. A few years later, we were filming again. I picked up the stills camera and asked him to roar into the lens. There was no hesitation. I was prepared. I didn't jump out of my skin this time.

Paul Craig - UFC Fighter - St Helens UK. I photographed Paul Craig while filming a series with Tom Aspinall for TNT Sports, a project that took me up to St Helens every couple of months. He was open and easy to talk to and such a nice guy, which made taking this portrait really straightforward. What stood out was his face, the structure, the broken nose, the way he holds a gaze. It didn’t need much more than a simple setup and the right light, which were a couple of Astera lamps.

Nathan Nicholson - The Boxer Rebellion. This was taken at Beachy Head while filming my first music video with The Boxer Rebellion. We met early on the south coast, it was freezing. We shot the video over a few hours. Just before leaving, I asked Nathan to step up onto one of the wooden barriers. I love the simplicity of it and as he stood there, a gull passed overhead. It felt like everything aligned for a moment and all completely natural. This became the cover to their single 'Hidden Meanings'.

David Soul - Actor - London UK. I first met David Soul in 2012 when he recorded a voiceover for a documentary I had shot in North Dakota. Not long after, he asked if I’d be interested in filming a project with him in Havana, restoring Ernest Hemingway’s long-lost Chrysler. That became something much bigger, a story that I'm still working on fourteen years later! I have photographed him many times, but this portrait has always stayed with me. There’s a peaceful vulnerability to his expression, he's open and unguarded. It feels close to who he was. I miss him.

Tyson Fury - Boxer - London UK. I’ve filmed Tyson on a number of promos in the build up to his fights, and over time you see different sides of him. This was taken on the last shoot, against a green screen just before we started filming. He spent some time talking to the crew, openly and about what it takes to operate at that level. There was a sense of how driven and obsessive you have to be. This portrait felt different to others I have taken of him. One of the few moments where he seemed honest.

Arslanbek Makhmudov - Boxer - Montreal, Canada. This portrait of Makhmudov was taken in his gym in Montreal, against a green screen set up ahead of his fight with Tyson Fury at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. I’ve always been drawn to photographing fighters. There is something darkly primal about their job and it comes across in their expressions.

Jayden Elijah - Actor - London UK. I met Jayden Elijah while working on a project I’m not able to talk about yet. He was performing in Deep Azure at the Sam Wanamaker Theatre, part of Shakespeare’s Globe on the South Bank. I spent a few days with the cast as they rehearsed and then filmed the performance. The level across the production was striking, from the acting to the music and direction. The emotional intelligence and dedication from everyone involved was inspiring. This portrait was taken in the theatre itself.

Tiger Woods - Golfer - West Palm Beach, Florida. I spent a couple of days filming with Tiger Woods not long after he had won his fifth green jacket at The Masters. The first day was out on the course, capturing specific moments and experiencing in close-up his impressive swing. The following day we moved into a studio for interviews and more controlled setups. During that time, I had the chance to take a series of portraits. This one stood out. There’s a sense of him being completely internal, removed from everything around him. He's very much in his own space.

Tom Aspinall - UFC Fighter - St Helens UK. I’ve spent a lot of time working with Tom over the years on various UFC projects, and have seen his steady rise to becoming a champion. What stands out is the consistency, the work behind it, the discipline required to operate at that level. You can see more photos of Tom in my blog under Behind The Lens link.

Martin Landaluce - Tennis Player - Mallorca, Spain. I photographed Martin in Mallorca while shooting a piece for the ATP, spending time with him and his family as he continues to come through the ranks. Part of the shoot took place at a pool where everyone was relaxed and off guard. It felt like the right moment to step away from filming and take a portrait. He's such a grounded and emotionally intelligent kid, especially for someone so young and at that stage in his career.

Diego Armando Maradona - Footballer - Havana, Cuba. There are shoots and then there are shoots. This was one of those shoots that you'll never ever forget. I took Maradona's portrait after a long, unpredictable night, the end of a few crazy days. What was he like? Charismatic, full of energy, intense, a real Tasmanian Devil. He gave a memorable three hour interview and at the end dedicated his handball goal (against England) to the Scots, the Welsh and the Irish. In this frame, I lit a white line against the wall behind him, something intentional, a small detail that reflects what was always present beneath it all. You can read more about this moment in a blog post in Behind the Lens page of this website.

Mariah Carey - Singer - Milan, Italy. Mariah asked one of her assistants she wanted her photo taken for her socials. She was all pumped up after having performed at the Opening Ceremony at the Winter Olympics. I was summoned into her dressing room (I can't tell you the project just yet). It was a quick, practical setup, using just a top light. She's very specific about lighting and prefers a hard direct light on her portraits, interviews and music videos. I began snapping on my phone, then asked her if I could use my medium format camera instead and shot as much as I could in the short time I had. The dressing room was fairly bland and neutral, and it was all about working fast, knowing you'll work something in Photoshop later.

Paolo Maldini - Footballer - Milan, Italy. I photographed Maldini in Milan, coincidently while filming with him on two different shoots (different clients) in the same week. When I asked if I could take his portrait, he told me he hated having his photo taken and rarely agreed to it. He was clear I had about thirty seconds. He gave me a look, half reluctant, half amused. A few days later, on the second shoot, he saw me and said 'You again? No photo this time!" and smiled. A brief moment with someone who has spent a lifetime in front of the game, but not the camera.

Jack O'Connell - Actor - London. The Rivoli Ballroom in South East London is a beautiful location to shoot in, every corner offers a different texture, detail and character. This was taken while filming a UEFA promo with Jack. We moved through a number of setups across the day, using different parts of the space. He was so easy to work with and a complete professional. Between takes, there’s often a moment where things pause. I loved the light on Jack's face and his relaxed pose, I always have a stills camera with me, so taking this was instinctive.

Rafa Benitez - Football Manager - Liverpool UK. Football managers can be complex, especially when you encounter them at the height of a season. This was different. Rafa Benítez wasn’t managing at the time, and there was a calmness to him as we filmed a documentary about Liverpool FC. As we travelled in a van from Liverpool city centre out to Anfield, being a life-long Liverpool fan, I asked him a few questions I’d always been curious about. His answers were so analytical, very precise and yet lacked any emotional and human connection. It was scientific. You could sense how he sees the game, and the people within it. It was interesting to witness that up close.

Anita Asante - TV Pundit and former Footballer - London. I spent an afternoon with Anita in West London, filming a story around a team that had formed from the ashes of the Grenfell fire. We were at the back of a hospital near Wormwood Scrubs, waiting for the players to arrive. It wasn’t the most perfect setting, worn pitches, chain link fencing, nothing particularly inspiring. The light was dropping quickly and I was trying to find something that would connect with her. I asked Anita to lean against the fence. As she did, the low sun cut through, casting hard lines across her face. Seeing that in the viewfinder got me really excited, it felt like a visual, symbolic moment that spoke to me. It reflected the path Anita, and many women in football, have had to navigate, and the space they’ve had to fight for within the sport. They’re constantly criticised and held back, but they still keep fighting and pushing through.