Something went wrong.

We've been notified of this error.

Need help? Check out our Help Centre.

Matty Parks

29th March 2022

Interview & Editor in Chief: Owen James Vincent

Photo Credit: Matty Parks

Portrait above: Matty Parks.

A photographer that you need to keep your eyes on is the talented, Matty Parks. Matty sits down with ReVamp to discuss all photography such as working with Drag Race superstars, his first ever photoshoot and we ask him what he has in store for future projects!

RuPaul's Drag Race Season 3 finalists: Kitty Scott Claus, Krystal Versace and Ella Vaday.

Hello Matty! It’s such a pleasure to be interviewing you! You are a sweetheart and one talented photographer. Now, let’s start from the beginning of your photography career! What got you in to photography? 

My angel, the pleasure is all mine – thank you for asking me, and I try my best always. I’ve always been an artsy kid, especially from quite a young age. I tried out quite a few different mediums growing up from drawing, painting – fyi, I’m HORRIFIC at it, pastel crayon, markers, the lot, and I enjoyed them, but I then started to do more photographic work as I didn’t feel like I was fully bringing my ideas to reality. And through taking photos I was able to do just that.  

Are there any photographers that inspire you? 

I have always been inspired by David LaChapelle from his bold colours, over the top scenery, campery and jaw dropping effect that every photo he creates brings. His book Heaven to Hell shaped my entire understanding of photography when I first began shooting – it was life changing flicking through those pages. 

Models above: River Medway & Kitty Scott Claus

Do you remember your first photoshoot?  

Haha so! My first ever photoshoot was in Year 11 – if you can even call it a photoshoot – and I had created this character called ‘Wacky Jacky’. He was a skeletal bone man who carried round this big crucifix on his back, and scared kids at the circus. I did my friends makeup – botched – got my dad to BUILD a white wooden crucifix, and did this creepy, fear inducing shoot on the top of a building site hill in my village. It’s to this day, one of my favourite shoots.  

You’ve shot a lot of Drag Queens such as Cheryl Hole, Kitty Scott Claus, Bailey J Mills, Jinkx Monsoon and many many more! Have you got a favourite shoot? And any funny BTS stories? 

I never really have one favourite shoot – I know that’s cliché to say – but I genuinely don’t. I have the utmost fun whenever I am shooting a subject and it’s never the same. Shooting Kitty’s looks for Season 3 was my highlight of 2021 of course. Meeting Bailey and connecting on such a wonderful level was another highlight as well. They were ridiculously funny on set. It was the first time we’d ever properly met, and I kid you not, she just screamed at the camera lens when we starting shooting, and I couldn’t stop laughing. I was on the floor and had to breaks between shots too many times to count.  

Model above: Bailey J Mills

Now if you weren’t doing photography what would you be doing? 

Weird one, a clinical psychologist. I went to college with the idea of doing some form of therapy as I love to help people and understand different thoughts and feelings, and I was incredibly intrigued by the concept and wanted to go down the career route.  

Have you got anything exciting coming up that you can tell your readers? 

I mean, you’ll just have to wait for now. But all I’ll say is, to my squirrel friends, when one season ends, just wait for another, it’s called binge viewing. Go ahead, I support you.  

Model above: Cheryl Hole

Lastly, what advice would you give to upcoming photographers that want to break in to the entertainment industry?

Be brave, surround yourself with creativity and think outside the box at all times. Photography has no limits to what you can create – you’re in for one hell of a ride. 

Thanks for chatting to us Matty! Love ya!

Using Format