PHOTO SPARKS: BROS by HONEY SALVADORI September 1989

A single image by a photographer that sparks and ignites something within me.

It’s a great moment for a photo editor when an image comes in that nails a certain mood and embodies the story.

BROS 1980’s BRITISH BOY BAND “when will I will I be famous, when will I see my picture in the papers”

CJ: Honey and I have followed each other for a while now on social media and I have loved learning about all the work, she has done, her street photography and music/band photography for Q magazine and Vox magazine. After five years of covering bands on tour for those magazines, she went on to work with Picture Publicity at the BBC and Channel 4 as well as producing documentary features for magazines including Elle, Marie Claire and Moda (Italy). Her work is represented in numerous collections including the National Portrait Gallery who acquired this photograph of Bros as well as some other portraits for the permanent collection.

A set of images that stood out personally to me, are photos backstage with Bros. When I was a teenager I saw Bros at The Dome in Brighton, it was totally bonkers crazy nuts, girls screaming we love you Matt, Luke, and Craig (not me! but I was there) and I did have ripped jeans and a bomber jacket, so enough said! I think at the time it may have been my dream to be in Honey's shoes.

Honey how did this great image happen? I love it!

Limo Life, Bros on Tour, USA, September, 1989 Copyright Honey Salvadori

HS: The job photographing Bros for Q magazine was initially a routine commission. I was working on a regular basis for the magazine, mostly taking pictures in hotel rooms, where an artist would be installed for Press and PR sessions. Most people wouldn’t have expected to see Bros in the pages of Q, least of all the people who worked at Q. But they accepted the invitation from Bros’ management to photograph them in Minneapolis on a US tour where they were being introduced to the American market by pop star Debbie Gibson.

When I was asked to do the pictures, my immediate reaction was to question what sort of pictures Q wanted. “You’ll think of something” was their reply! So I packed my sense of humour in my camera bag. We spent a couple of days with them, during which I tried to blend into the background, so that they’d accept me avoiding posed clichés, and concentrated on reportage photographs. This proved easier to do with Luke than Matt, but I persevered.

This photograph happened by chance. We met them in the hotel lobby as they were going to do a radio interview and I just invited myself along for the ride to the Radio station. I took a few predictable snaps, then they both spontaneously yawned…I quickly snapped the picture. I couldn’t believe my luck!! They were a bit surprised when I took this but didn’t react much at all. Until it was published. Then they expressed their shock live on Saturday morning TV!! This was of course very good for me…I woke up on Monday morning discovering that I had a career!! So I’ll always be grateful to Bros for having a sleepy car journey and for over-reacting to the result!