Interview by Mike Angangan
Q1. What got you involved
with photography, and
who inspired you to be a
photographer?
SB: I moved to London in 1996
and fell into modelling, which
gave me the opportunity
to be around incredible
photographers. In 2000 I made
a solo trip to Tibet, I bought a
Nikon F3, travelling from Lasa
through to Katmandu in Nepal.
I fell in love with photography;
it gave me the freedom to
approach people, a reason to
introduce myself.
Q2. You trained in Kung fu
with the Shaolin monks in
China and spent time tribal
dancing in Papua New
Guinea, yet you taught LA
gang members to speak and
swear with a British accent.
What is the reasoning behind
this?
SB: Why not! I was in the car with
Franky one of the homeboys I
had just photographed, and he
was laughing at something I had
said with my English accent, I
am originally from Manchester.
So the conversation came up at
how we cursed in the U.K, “never
mind the bollocks, my friend!” I
trained Kung-fu for many years,
and I travelled to the Shaolin
Temple in China to photograph
the monks. I trained with them for
one week before I limped away,
lol. I photographed the Highland
festival in P.N.G. but definitely did
not go there to dance.
Q3. You work closely with
Father Gregory Boyle,
the Founder & Director of
Homeboy Industries, and
former pastor of Dolores
Mission Church. How did you
first meet? And whose idea
was it to produce the book
Skin Deep?
I first met Father Greg when I
had finished the project for the
book. He was surprised to see
me because I sat down with the
homeboys in the reception for
Polo De’Marco July 2020