shots Iconic Covers: Ringan Ledwidge

2015 is the 25^th anniversary of shots and following our various antics in Cannes this year – including one of the best beach parties in our history at the Festival (pictures here) – we’ll be continuing the theme with more spirited editorial throughout the year.

Last month we presented our picks of the best Cannes Lions-winning campaigns in our 25 Best… feature and now the focus turns to some of the people who have become synonymous with the prestigious pages of the printed magazine over the years.

A profile feature in the magazine means you’re either about to be a Big Deal in the advertising industry, or you already are, and the people and companies covered in the past 25 years are the cream of global advertising’s crop.

Not only do these profiles scale the length and breadth of the subject’s work and their creative career trajectory in words, but also in pictures, in the form of unique creative portraits that have come to represent the subjects’ creativity.

There have been some classic images in the past two and a half decades and over the remainder of the year – and in the 25^th anniversary special (shots issue 159) - we’ll present some of the most memorable images created and dig deeper into the story behind them; the way they were executed and how they have become etched in shots’ history.

First up, Rattling Stick’s Ringan Ledwidge looks back with entertaining comment on his most recent cover that saw him star as our Crown Prince of Cannes for issue 136 in 2012.

Tell us how the idea for the Cannes cover came about?

Jeez… Looking at it now I have no bloody clue how it came about! I was either in the midst of a shoot or some kind of LSD-induced madness. I remember that the cover somehow needed to encompass influences and nods towards things I’d shot.

It’s a painting rather than a photograph as I get really uncomfortable having my photograph taken. So I approached a mate of mine, Nigel Howlett (below), to do a painting without making me look like a complete tool. Obviously he did the complete opposite.

Do you remember the day it was completed and are there any memorable moments?

I have to confess to not sitting for the painting. Although I occasionally don a flamboyant wig I was a little surprised at the barnet Nigel decided to give me. Although I suppose if you give a mate a random bunch of photographs and ask him to make a painting out of them, you’re pretty much giving them an open invitation to take the piss.

Did you get any interesting feedback from it when the issue came out?

Yep. Ridicule.

How well do you think the image fit with your own feature interview?

To be perfectly honest and not wanting to sound glib, so much nonsense has come out of my mouth over the years that I wouldn’t have a clue. Other people are probably a better judge of that than me.

Looking back, could you have predicted how your career would have unfolded since that shots issue?

Well as I couldn’t remember the first cover and had to use the most recent cover I guess pretty well. My memory, when busy, is pretty short term. I guess I’m a classic male in the, one thing at a time mould, so without actually being able to remember I’m figuring I’ve been busy! I’ve been a lucky guy.

Have you got any other personal shots cover favourites from over the years?

Hmm. I must confess to not being an avid purveyor of magazine covers but you did a rather splendid piece on my dear friend and business partner Johnnie Frankel. He was dressed as an English gent with his footman (ably played by Rattling Stick's Josh Carpenter). I also seem to remember Johnnie boasting about his manhood in the article.