Boo George: I'm talking about cowshite one day, the next photographing Keira Knightley

He's photographed everyone from Kim Kardashian for the cover of Elle to Victoria Beckham. Internationally acclaimed fashion photographer, Boo George, speaks to us from his West Cork lockdown base

Boo George, the Wicklow photographer who shot Kim Kardashian's latest cover

"I love West Cork. I idolise the place; when I fly from London to JFK or back, I’m always looking down for a landmark; if I see Bere Island, I’m laughing. Or, I say to myself ‘there’s Kenmare bay’ or ‘there’s John Dunne’s house.' Those are the little things that I love." 

Internationally-acclaimed fashion photographer Boo George speaks to me from his West Cork home where, due to the pandemic, he has recently been spending more time. "I used to go to the States every six weeks; I could live there, but I’ve chosen to live in London. Throughout the lockdown I’ve been to Dubai, France, the Canaries, and Spain — I have to travel for work. When I’m in Ireland I’m not making any money.

"I usually travel with two assistants and equipment, well oiled. That’s the equipment — not me." 

Boo is good fun. The Wicklow native tells the Irish Examiner that, although he loves international travel, it’s the West of Ireland that really grabs him. 

"We used to go to Allihies as kids — my parents, myself, my brother and sister. One of my earliest childhood memories is going on the Dursey cable car.

It broke down going over to the island. My mother was sitting on the ground terrified. The state of it as well! Later, we started going to Schull with all of my aunties and uncles — we used to have a laugh." 

Boo’s work too eventually led him to West Cork when, three months ago, The Telegraph commissioned him to photograph Ian Bailey.

Life for Boo has been busy. Initially, after buying his house in Beara, there were long periods of time when he couldn’t visit: "I was in England and I was working hard." 

Boo’s professional exploits see him working for fashion magazines and brands worldwide. Alongside French publications, he works for Vogue, Elle, Porter, and brands such as Zara and Chanel. "The people I meet are all pretty sound. Obviously the fashion industry is on its knees at the moment, purely because the high street is closed. But I’ve had a very, very, good career. Unfortunately, I don’t think the fashion industry will come back as strong as before. After Covid it will hopefully level off — work will be consistent, but I’m not expecting it to be as regular. Once upon a time I worked six days a week and on a plane literally every ten days. I was in Palm Springs all the time, working for names like Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys. All that has slowed down.

"It’s tough at the moment, a conspiracy theorist’s dream. Protesters are labelled as left-wing gurriers; they’re just normal people who want to get their rights back." 

Looking forward to travel opening up and the vulnerable being vaccinated, he is not in favour of the vaccine passport which, he feels, is a step too far in our fundamental freedoms.

"If I go to London, Paris, Milan, New York, or LA I’m solely travelling for work. I live in London. It’s the best city in the world. I’ve loads of mates there and live in a cool area, but it’s not the same if everything closed." 

Perhaps that’s why Boo finds himself living the West Cork life, his house overlooking Kenmare Bay and across from An Siopa Dubh — the Black Shop — and Sneem on the Kerry coast. Just turned 40, Boo's love of the sea is enduring. "For my degree in the North of England I went to Whitby and spent ten days in the North Sea documenting fisherman. I made a book out of it." Boo says he treats his celebrity clients no differently than his West Cork neighbours.

Boo George, the Wicklow photographer with Victoria Beckham

"I think the reasons celebrities gravitate towards me are (A) because I’m quick when I take their photograph (B) I’m very decisive and (C) I’m just being myself. 

"I’ve worked with people like Kim Kardashian and Victoria Beckham and I find, a lot of the time, they’re sound. It’s the publicists, all panicked and hyped up, which can be problematic. Usually, the celebrities themselves are fine.

"I love my home in Beara. When I bought it first I didn’t come [here] — I was too busy. But the more I’m here the more I love it. It’s magical. If the weather's bad I just cook — I love cooking. The first thing I bought was 'an AGA'. I just had lobster linguini for breakfast — bangin’! 

"It’s a local lobster caught by a friend of mine. I got it last night and cooked it this morning. 

"This place is idyllic if you’re not too materialistic. Obviously, everyone is, a bit. But it’s nice to come here, to a place where I can cycle down the road to buy a load of shrimp from Kieran Lyons, or a whole lamb off the farmer next door — you can’t do that in cities." 

He tells me one of his friends has an oyster farm. I tell him he has the life. 

"Ah sure, the grass is always greener. 'I want to be earning more money... I want a bigger house... I want a shinier car... yada yada ya'. ya dee ya dee ya.

"After graduating, I came back to Ireland for about six months before heading over to London, where I spent six years assisting for Julian Broad and Phil Poynter. They were both very good — I learned an awful lot from them. When I went solo, my first big commission was in Zambia photographing diamond mines. There was a military presence and they used to fire off AK-47s at night. When I came back to London, Katie Grand from Love magazine asked me to do a shoot of Donatella Versace. Later, Donatella told me that I’d taken the best ever portrait of her in her life — a nice compliment! From then on, my work in the fashion industry escalated, with clients such as Louis Vuitton. I’m very grateful for it.

"Ralph Lauren — the most iconic American brand — laid off 3,000 people in the US as a result of the pandemic — that’s three thousand families affected. One of the only brands doing well is Zara. Arcadia, which owned TopShop, is gone...  It’ll get better, but it's not going to be the exactly the same. I’d like to see brands give older people in photography more equal employment opportunities — employ the best person for the job." 

Victoria Beckham on the front cover of Vogue - as shot by Boo George

On fast fashion, Boo hopes that sustainability will increase in the industry. "Waste has to be managed. Do we need ten pairs of jeans? Do we need ten t-shirts? UNICEF is now involved in sweatshops — they’ve come a long way." 

He himself doesn’t feel pressurised into wearing the latest off-the-rack. "I’m interested in dressing classically, like an Irish country gentleman or the old Joycean look. When I work, I wear black Chelsea boots, blue denim jeans, white shirt, and a black cashmere sweater — probably a hat and a wax jacket. I always get my boots polished on a Friday in East London with the rest of the Tories — I don’t work every day, but the days I do, I’m paid handsomely, so I like to look smart.

"My wife is from London. She loves Ireland, as does my stepson. But, at 16, he’s not too interested at the moment. I travel back and forth with my French bull terrier, and all I can say is I love life."

Alongside the international world of high-end fashion, the Irish countryside seems be in Boo’s blood. As a young man, he took portraits of Irish Travellers in the Wicklow Mountains. He tells the Irish Examiner that his sister is a farmer in Tipperary. 

"I’m going to photograph Keira Knightley next week for the cover of Harper’s Bazaar," he says.

"That’ll be lovely. It’s in Suffolk. It’s quite a nice balance — talking to my neighbour, John Dunne, about the benefits of cowshite on the land one day, the next flying to do a photoshoot of Keira Knightley for the cover of Harper’s Bazaar."