Who Shot 50 Cent?

Behind The Camera With Amit and Naroop

Tucked away in a London café, two local lads tuck into some home cooked grub congratulating themselves on the successful shooting of 50 Cent. Celebrity photographers Amit Amin (24)  and Naroop Jhooti (26) have just returned from New York after completing a commission with Desi Hits to shoot the infamous rap star.  The pair are probably the first British Asian photographers to have been given the opportunity to get so close to arguably the world’s number one hip-hop artist and are themselves becoming the fastest rising stars and British exports in photography. Xcel catches up with the talented duo to discuss their partnership and the driving force behind their work.

So, how did you guys get into photography?
Amit: My dad is a photographer, but he specialises in weddings. That never appealed to me and so I was keen and eager to make it in an industry which interested me. Music and fashion is what I wanted to get into. I was working with a lot of aspiring singers, however it was when I teamed up with Naroop that things really started to kick off.

Naroop: At the time I was working in the fashion industry as a stylist. I didn’t find it very satisfying, as I wasn’t able to be creative, which was extremely frustrating. I knew Amit was a budding photographer and was keen to expand his portfolio, so we organised a photo shoot that we had totally creative control over. The shoot was amazing. It was there and then we realised together we could produce some incredible results. That’s where it all began!

What is it specifically that appeals to you about being a photographer?
Naroop: Probably recognition. When I was young we would visit the National Art Gallery in history class. I was fascinated by the paintings and used to marvel at the time it must have taken to produce the paintings. In photography the same thing applies. Getting recognised for producing amazing photos is one of the best feelings in the world. 

Amit: For me photography is a form of expression. A photo is like a story, but without the words. A photo can have a huge effect on people. Just think of the Benetton advertising campaigns some years ago. They caused a lot of controversy, but they also had a huge impact on people. For me that was amazing.

Ever feel like getting in-front of the camera yourself?
Naroop: (laughs) Not really. I’m much better at telling people what to do than actually doing it myself.
Amit: Yeah you’re always telling me I’m quite photogenic! You’d think we’d be used to it eh? When we started out we used to shoot each other to experiment with different techniques. But I’m much more comfortable behind it thanks.

Naroop: Yeah I always reckon it would be refreshing to have someone photograph me but I know I’d be a nightmare to work with though!

Without any formal training did you find it hard to break into the profession?
Amit: At first I did, but then I started to see the benefits of being self-taught. It allows you to become resourceful and think for yourself. When you face an obstacle you can’t automatically ask someone for the answer, you have to be creative and find the solution yourself. This develops you as a photographer, it makes you unique. It’s something creative directors pick up on. I meet assistants today who are 5 years older than me, so in my eyes that initial struggle has paid off.

Naroop: Assisting a photographer is great as not only do you get to learn about photography but you also get to meet a lot of people. The creative industry to a certain degree is about who you know. However, I have no regrets about being self-taught. It has allowed us to develop our own style, and as a result we have caught the eye of many creative directors.

What have been the highlights of your career so far?
Amit: Probably getting our first paid shoot. It’s the day Amit & Naroop became a business and not just a dream. I’ll never forget that. It wasn’t a huge sum of money, but I thought to myself, ‘someone is actually going to pay for our work’. I can remember it as if it was yesterday!

Naroop: It has to be shooting 50 Cent in New York. He is the biggest rapper in the world. Thress years ago if someone has told me we would be shooting 50 Cent, I would thought they were mad. It is definitely an experience I will never forget.

How does it differ working in London to New York?
Amit: Right now being British in America is seen as being ‘cool’. The fact that we are two young Londoners really works for us. We get a lot of respect from people, which is great.

Naroop: Well in New York and the US in general they place a lot of focus on big production shoots, so everything has to be done on a large scale, big sets and big budgets.

Amit: Yeah it’s not uncommon to get an allowance of $10,000 just for lighting! You can produce much bigger production shoots out there.

Naroop: Whereas in London and Europe, they focus a lot more on the concept and the idea, the scale of the shoot is not as important. You have much more scope for being creative and in Europe they accept that, whereas in the US it can be seen to be weird. But we enjoy doing both.  

Is there any celebrity that you have photographed that has surprised you in any way?
Amit: Damon Dash, who started Rockafella Records with Jay-Z, was a character. From what people told me he was meant to be a big show off, but I found him extremely interesting. He is not what he seems like on TV. Yes he is very successful, but he makes time for people. He’s a bit flash, true, but you need to take him with a pinch of salt. He wouldn’t be a millionaire if he didn’t know what he was doing. I call it confidence.

Naroop: For me 50 Cent did! He was very down to earth. You would not believe that he is one of the richest artists in the music industry. I expected him to be slightly arrogant but he was the total opposite and I respected that.

What’s the highest compliment you have been paid about your work?
Naroop: We were recently told by a photography expert that we are going to become extremely successful and that our work is amazing. The reason this meant a lot was because he was 65 and our worked still appealed to him. He’s a seasoned expert, so his compliments were really meaningful.

Amit: Probably the first time my dad complimented our work and said, ‘son, you might must make it’.

What has been the worst?
Amit: When my dad said son, this photo is terrible, what where you thinking? I must admit he doesn’t say that to me much anymore.

Naroop: Really? I would say there hasn’t been. Photography is very subjective. Everybody has there own opinion and you have to accept that. You can’t please all the people all the time and so if someone does say something negative we forget about it.

Where would you like to be in five years time?
Amit: I still want us to be producing high quality work but I want to take the Amit & Naroop brand into other creative industries not just photography. Film is something that has always interested me, so that could be a possibility. But our central focus will always be photography. We can never stop growing, there is always more to achieve and do.

Naroop: Well we want to have our own studio in New York so we can spend time between there and London. Our aim is to become internationally recognised as being specialists in our field. I would like people to see a photo and say, ‘that must be by Amit & Naroop’. We also want to do a lot of charity work helping underprivileged teenagers make a better life for themselves through photography, similar to what Jamie Oliver has done with his Fifteen restaurant.

If you could photograph anyone, who would it be?
Amit: Ricky Gervais. We are huge fans and think he is hilarious. What he has achieved with Stephen Merchant is incredible. I think it would probably be the funniest shoot we’ve ever done.

Naroop: Dead or alive? Dead I would have to say Bob Marley as he had so much character. He always looked cool in all of his photos. Alive, probably David Beckham. I know it might sound obvious, but I really respect him. He has a lot of passion for what he does and he achieved a lot in his life.

What advice would you give to any up and coming young photographers trying to break into the profession?
Amit: Practice, practice and practice. You need to eat, live and sleep with your camera. I know it might sound a bit much, but the people who have achieved success in photography are almost ‘obsessed’ by it. You should always have a camera to hand. You never know when you might have a flash of inspiration. Another thing is study what other people are doing. You can look at a photo and almost tell how the photo was lit. This is where you can pick up a lot of tips and learn a lot about how the pros are doing it. Lastly don’t be afraid to send your work to people no matter what level you are at. All you need is to be in the right place at the right time and you career could take off.

Naroop: Firstly you need to have passion. You need to want to do it. It’s not like a typical business where you might just do it for money, as money does not come easy at first. Secondly, you need to have determination. You have to keep on trying and believe that you can become successful. Thirdly you need to practice, experiment and never stop. You can never know too much. There is always more to learn, more to try and more amazing photos to create. Lastly you have to be creative. Not only in your photography but also in the way you brand, promote and market yourself. Too many people forget that as a photographer you are self employed. You need to get noticed to get work. You can produce the most amazing work, but if no-one ever sees it, you won’t fulfil your potential.

Find out more about Amit & Naroop at:
www.amitandnaroop.co.uk

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