Grace Hodge in Peckham, November 2016
When I first started doing photography, I would only shoot on film, I didn’t even own a digital camera, but when I eventually got one a couple of years ago my 35mm cameras got a little forgotten about. Lately I’ve been trying to shoot more film again as the outcomes can be so beautiful, and this shoot with Grace restored my faith in my myself and film.

Miami, December 2016
I was in Miami recently for the launch of the adidas EQT with Pusha T, and luckily I had a bit of free time to explore Miami for myself. I visited places like Little Haiti and Wynwood and it was nice to see a bit of culture and some real people too.

Jorja Smith in Leeds, October 2016
I passed through NAO’s show in Leeds while I was up there and Jorja was the support. I’ve never had the chance to properly see her perform before then, (for some reason I kept missing her) but I was so, so glad I got to see her perform then. Jorja is so unbelievably talented it’s unreal. So excited to see what she’ll do next year.

Man in Shepherd’s Bush market, September 2016
I was doing a shoot with a friend of mine around Shepherd’s Bush when we decided to go explore the market. There was a little back alley where we decided to take some pictures, when my guy comes out of nowhere and tells us to “wait a minute.” He shortly came back with a shopping bag in his hand and an excited look on his face. He then pulled out a giant dead squid and kept turning it around to show us. He was talking excitedly for about five minutes (in Jamaican patois which to my disappointment I didn’t understand much of) then put the squid away and said goodbye. It’s nice when a complete stranger wants to share something with you, for no reason other than in the hopes of improving your day (which it did).

Sonny & Kyra, October 2016
This was another shoot I shot on film which just made me fall back in love with it again. These two girls worked and looked so amazing together, the sunshine even blessed us even though summer was definitely over.

Drake with Bonkaz backstage at Section Boyz show, February 2016
Drake making an appearance at the Section Boyz gig last February was all a bit of madness. I was desperate to get a photo of the guy as it would probably be my own chance. After the performance I was able to catch a moment between him and Bonkaz. It was so nice to see how genuinely happy he was to be there, and to be connecting with UK artists.

BBK at Wireless Festival, July 2016
This was a big moment for not only BBK, but UK music also: that an independent grime crew could headline a festival as big as Wireless. Every moment of this was special and it was an honor to be on stage and be able to shoot it.

Black Lives Matter protest, August 2016
This image I took of my friend Kesang at the Black Lives Matter march is very important. It’s addressing an issue which is probably the main issue we have today. That people don’t care for things that do not affect them, which sadly means that nothing will change. Messages like this will help to change that.

Skepta for Time Out magazine, May 2016
I was pretty in shock when I got asked to do this. I was so nervous that it could go wrong. Luckily, I was able to get that shot that stood out, this was a big moment for me and this was right before the release of Konnichiwa so this image ended up being the signature image whenever somebody mentioned the album.
Credits
Text and images Vicky Grout