Julian Lennon: 'I'm not part of the Beatles inner circle – I never have been'

Born in Liverpool, Julian Lennon, 61, was raised almost solely by his mother Cynthia, but has spent his adult years labouring to get out from under the shadow of his famous father, John. Already a Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter, children’s author, documentary film-maker and philanthropist, he’s now moved into fine art photography with a glossy new book, Life’s Fragile Moments. Spanning more than 20 years of work, it includes reportage taken while travelling the world for his charity, the White Feather Foundation; a closeup of his half-brother, Sean Lennon, taken on tour; and candid glimpses of a royal wedding. He lives in Monaco.

How did you get interested in photography?
I think I was about 11 years old when I first went out to the US to see Dad, and he had a very simple brown leather Polaroid camera that he used a fair amount – I have it here. I was really fascinated. That immediacy was exciting. I tried becoming a photographer with film, but always had problems – although I have great patience on some levels I have little in other circumstances. Then digital came along.

Have you had any formal training?
Hell no, I’ve always done everything organically. I never learned to read and write music. I’m self-taught and I prefer it that way. Most photographers know exactly what they’re aiming for; I don’t know what I’ve got until I look later at the photos. If I knew what I was doing I think I’d lose that spark, that creativity.

Source: Hephzibah Anderson/theguardian.com

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