SONNY MCCARTNEY: Creating Images That Outlive Time, His Studio, And The Project Don’t Mind Me

Sonny McCartney is a photographer who hopes that what he creates will live longer than he does. He describes his journey as passionate. From an early love of graphic design to music photography and eventually opening his own studio in his hometown of Liverpool, every step of Sonny’s 18-year career holds deep personal significance for him.

When Sonny was younger, he moved to London because Liverpool did not yet have a photography studio like the one he would later go on to create himself.

He believes that the role of a photographer should not cross ethical boundaries and feels that, unfortunately, paparazzi culture has cast a shadow over the profession as a whole.

Throughout his career, he has remained committed to his own principles.

One of Sonny’s most powerful projects is Don’t Mind Me, which explores mental health and documents the real-life experiences of people who have faced it. Through this work, he both filmed and photographed participants, creating an honest and deeply human record of their stories.

Sonny also underwent a leg amputation following a motorcycle crash, after which he continued his artistic practice, expanding into video and photography work featuring people with similar experiences, as well as those who, despite adversity, continue to build careers in sports and the creative industries.

Today, Sonny is focused on preserving as many photographs as possible of his newborn daughter — Audrey — much like his father, Mike McCartney, once did for him — something that has become deeply meaningful to him in adulthood.

Sonny spoke with Asya Radko, founder of Drive Music Media, about his project Don’t Mind Me, his work supporting artists after amputation and people with disabilities, the creation of his own studio, and what exists beyond the frame of his camera.

Interviewer: Everything has a beginning. At what moment did you realise that photography was truly your path? What inspired you to become part of this field?

Sonny: My path was always going to be creative I think, this was due to the amount of creative infulencers I have in my family growing up, be it a lot of them photographers. But my first love was art and graphic design, it’s what I wanted to study early days until I started to pick up the camera more. The two go hand in hand, but over time I shifted my focus more into photography as a full time passion.

Interviewer: Portraits are a very special genre of photography — they demand honesty. What is your process when working on portrait shoots, and what was the most difficult part at the beginning? What has changed over time?

Sonny: Portrait shoots are so special, when I started taking portraits it was just hit and miss due to having minimal amount of experience, looking back I was just taking someones portrait and not much thought was put into it. It was only when I got more experienced that things started to change, I started to assist other photographers and seeing their processes and took note of how they captured someone’s portrait, it was really eye opening. Without that experience I wouldn’t be able to capture the portraits I do today.

Interviewer: Which type of photography feels closest to you? Fashion, documentary, fine art… Where do you find yourself again and again — the kind of work you never grow tired of?

Sonny: I think music photography will always be the closest thing to me, I’ve been doing it for about 18 years now and still love it to this day. The rush of capturing a live show is second to none. Yes the music industry has changed since I started but luckily live shows are still an incredible thing and to be able to capture that is very special to me.

Interviewer: Tell us about your studio. What was the process of opening it in Liverpool like, and what do you remember most from that time? What did you feel when you finally opened it?

Sonny: The studio is a big passion for me, one of the main reasons why I moved to London at a young age was due to the fact that Liverpool didn't have a studio like mine when I was starting out, I saw an opportunity and just went for it. I got involved with the refurbishment and every aspect of the business, yes I learnt a lot along the way but loved every minuet of it. Opening it was so fun, to offer a purpose built photography/film studio in such an iconic city felt special, 8 years later we are still doing going strong.

Interviewer: Which of your photographic projects holds a particularly special place in your heart? Why? What is that work about?

I did a project a couple of years back called Don’t Mind Me, it was all about mental heath and real peoples experiences with it, I filmed it as well as shot portraits of the amazing people that took part. As someone who has gone through mental health struggles in the past, it really resinated with me and something im still so proud to have created, hopefully down the line I can do another one.

Interviewer: Is there a type of shoot you would never agree to do? Do you have personal boundaries or “no-go” areas in your profession?

Sonny: Paparazzi work — that’s a pass from me. Look, I get that it’s a legit job these days and I know that celebs need to be in the limelight. For me personally, I feel that photography is something completely different to what the paparazzi do. That kind of picture profession just feels so unnatural and throwaway. The levels it’s grown to are really hard to watch. Photographers need to be respectful. End of. When that boundary is crossed, it makes us all look bad.

Interviewer: In addition to photography, you also direct commercial video projects. How do you balance photography and filmmaking?

Sonny: Film making has always been a huge passion of mine. When I was in that transition of graphic design to photography, I found myself contemplating being a music video director.

 Unfortunately, I didn't have the grades to get into that kind of school, so I pursued photography instead. Luckily for me, I’ve been on a lot of film shoots over the years and picked up a lot of experience along the way. With the contacts I made and the personal projects I made myself, it helped me launch into the amazing world of filming and directing. The balance is really easy as the way I shoot stills feels quite cinematic to me, so being able to switch from one form to another feels really natural.

Interviewer: You play an important role in raising awareness about the rehabilitation process after a leg amputation. You have spoken about this part of your journey many times, but what would you say people should be prepared for in such a situation? And how can someone find the strength to continue working in a creative field? How did you find that strength within yourself?

Sonny: I think due to being so active and mobile before my accident, I didn’t want it to slow me down.

Yes, I had to take time to recover and adjust, but after that, I started to slowly get back into taking pictures, which felt amazing. Yes, it’s never going to be exactly the same as it was before, but I’ve been able to adapt to make it work for me. The main thing I would recommend when going through a traumatic situation like mine is just to take time to recover, don't rush it; the more you look after yourself early on, the more it will help build that strength for the future. It doesn’t matter what kind of disability you have; I’ve met so many amazing people who are so creative regardless of what their situation is. If you’re passionate about something, you will make it work. My family and friends got me through all those early tough times, and that, and just being honest with people, hiding your emotions never helped anyone.

Interviewer: With the rise of AI technologies and the current obsession with generated imagery, what are your thoughts as a photographer? Do you feel tension in the photography industry because of it, and do you think artists will be able to withstand this shift?

Sonny: I think AI is an amazing tool; what you can do these days is so impressive, but it’s how you use that tool which determines the outcome. Yes, I’m saddened to see some big companies that have decided to use AI to create an image instead of hiring a photographer and team. They have a responsibility over what the new normal will be. But it’s affecting every creative industry, unfortunately. If it does carry on and more and more companies side with AI to create their images, then more and more people will be out of a job. But we have to adapt; we have to ensure that we can keep going and make sure people are aware that real, talented creatives are out there and they can do really amazing work.

Interviewer: What projects are you currently working on?

Sonny: At the moment, my time is spent photographing my new-born baby girl. I’ve never taken so many photos of someone in such a short period of time. I think of the lovely photos my dad took of me when I was a new-born and how special they are to me now. I want to do the same for her, to capture such an important time of her life so that she can look back at them one day and smile. And of course, juggling the studio in Liverpool and some fun other commissions coming up.

Interviewer: Looking back, what advice do you wish you had heard at the beginning of your journey? And what advice would you give to others today based on your experience?

Sonny: This is a tough one. I suppose the only bit of advice I would have taken seriously would be to travel more. It was only when I was more established that I was fortunate enough to travel for work, but if I had my time again, I would have liked to intern somewhere like New York. To be able to meet and assist some of the photographers I’ve always looked up to would have been fun. So yeah, I suppose that’s the advice I would give. While you’re young, get out of the house and travel. Go work in different countries and hang out with different creatives. It’s a great way to learn and experience new things.

Interviewer: What mission do you feel you have as a photographer? Why that mission? My mission now is a simple one: to make long lasting imagery. I will love it for my work. I’ve created it to be around for a lot longer than I am. I look at the likes of bowie and how his legacy will last forever, how people still to this day play his music and admire his work. I know I won’t ever be at the same level as him, but a boy can dream.

Interviewer: If you had to describe your journey in photography — and your work itself — with a word, what would it be? It can be two different words. Why those words?

Sonny: Passionate.

It’s simple but runs true with me and everything I’ve ever created. I can say, hand on heart, I’ve been passionate in my work since day one. That passion has led me on some amazing adventures and life experiences. Without that passion, my journey would have been very different. It makes the work not even feel like work.

The interview was written by Asya Radko. The pictures were provided by Sonny McCartney