Photographer Andrew Macpherson has been working with U2 for the past 20 years. His photos have been used for Rolling Stone, UK Vogue, and CD covers. Recently Macpherson shared his career insights and experiences with Marc Cameron at Fotorater.com. In regard to U2, he said:
As a kid I’d listened to their early albums, and loved them, but fashion pulled me away from rock into House & Dance. Of course I knew they’d become massive, but I wasn’t really a follower or a fan as such.
When Vogue called me to do that shoot, they asked if I wanted to shoot them on a white background. I suggested we go on the road and turn it into a fashion story, and they all agreed.
My first day with U2 was spent at the stadium photographing the building of the set, and that’s when the reality of what it means to entertain 80,000 people really sunk in. The band were selling more tickets a night for $50 than UK Vogue was selling copies in a month at $5.
After working with U2 on that tour, I was lucky to be able to do a few other tours with them, and get a deeper insight into what it means to be U2. The way they run their business has been a huge influence on me, too. As a group of five they split everything equally, their manager Paul McGuinness being as good at his job as each of the others. Together the whole really is greater than the sum of its parts, and a big lesson in the power of harmony in a team.
(c) @U2/Lawrence, 2012