Richard & Famous

Having your photo taken with a celebrity isn't always easy, but for Richard Simpkin it's something that he's become practised in over the last 22 years.

What began as a teenage urge to have his photo taken with celebrities when Richard was 15, back in 1989, developed into a lifelong project which has resulted in a collection of over 1,000 photographs. An exhibition at the Open Eye Gallery (Mann Island, Liverpool) is showcasing a selection of these photographs, as curated by Martin Parr. The photos have been arranged along a timeline from 1989 to 2011 and as they progress, they show Richard ageing and fashions changing. The photos also act as a self-portrait of Richard growing up.