In a new documentary, filmmaker Lee Shulman has focused his camera on the legendary British photographer Martin Parr. Since the 1970s, Parr has been a leading figure in British documentary photography, becoming famous for his photobooks The Last Resort (1986) and The Cost of Living (1989) which introduced the world to his distinct vivid colour palette and unflinching focus. I Am Martin Parr is a rare insight into Parr’s world, both through his photography and his personal life. A man of famously few words, the film revisits key moments in Parr’s career that shaped the way we see photography today. In the lead-up to the film’s release, we caught up with Shulman to discuss Parr’s life and work, his unmistakable style, and his unique personal collections.

Barry Pierce: I don’t know if you’ve managed to see the exhibition currently on at the Tate dedicated to British photography in the 80s but the one thing that I really took away from seeing it was just how much Martin Parr is in a league of his own.
Lee Shulman: Of course, he’s adding humour and politics together. That’s the thing about Martin, the way he sees the world is so unique and so different from anyone else. I’m lucky to know him well now but when I was younger I fell in love with Martin’s work. You don’t know whether to laugh or cry at those photographs, the balance of comedy and tragedy at the same time. I’ve always said that Martin takes a step forward when most photographers take a step back.

BP: I really enjoyed the scenes in the documentary where you’re just following Martin around the place with his camera. Because here is one of the most famous British photographers alive and yet he can walk around in total anonymity.
LS: He looks like your boring uncle. He likes to wander around and talk to people. He could be the subject of one of his photos.

“I’ve always said that Martin takes a step forward when most photographers take a step back.”

BP: He’s a man of few words and people make references to that aspect of him throughout the documentary. What was his reaction to having you follow him around with your film crew?
LS: I know Martin really well, we did a book together called Déjà View, so I know small talk is not his thing. I’m not going to say that it wasn’t a challenge to get Martin talking but he was great in the end. What could be better than making a film about someone who only says meaningful and interesting things? He also didn’t once ask to look at any of the film. He just let us do our thing.

BP: Often when people think of Martin’s photographs they go to his famous seaside images and their vivid colours. But something I learned from the documentary was that he had a black-and-white phase. More than a phase really, he spent fifteen years shooting only black-and-white.
LS: I didn’t even know about those images for a very long time. You really see the birth of his style in those photographs, you already have that obsession with things that are funny and political at the same time. Like his Morris Minor series. But what’s weird for me was the day he shot colour, he never shot in black-and-white ever again. That’s amazing.
He’s known for using the camera’s flash even during the daytime so that it creates all those amazing, vivid colours. Everyone brings it up as some pioneering idea and he just says, “Back then, people used to have to wait for the good light in order to take the picture and I’m not patient enough for that so I used flash and I could take pictures from morning to the evening.”

“The day he shot colour, he never shot in black-and-white ever again.”

BP: It’s interesting that he’s not precious at all about the technical specifications of his camera. He loves digital, loves the camera’s in-built flash…
LS: He shoots on automatic mode! He’s not even messing around with lenses or anything. Lots of kids who are getting into photography now are obsessed with the type of camera they use, what lenses to use, what film stock… Martin would be happy on an iPhone. It’s all about what’s going on in front of the camera. I think that’s the mark of a really good artist. In the end, it’s not about the tools. He has that eye. He doesn’t have assistants running around him, you see him in the documentary going around the place with his bag and that’s it. It’s so strange to see that but also so inspiring. 

BP: How did you want to approach Martin’s work? Because those images convey so many different meanings. Some people see them as pure nostalgia, some see them as social satire, some see them as cultural critique.
LS: I think people forget how controversial Martin’s work was. People were really angry, but they were angry in London. They weren’t angry in the North – they loved them! In London, they were shocked to see how he depicted people, they thought he was being ironic and sarcastic and that he was mocking these people, which he wasn’t doing at all. It irritates me because I know that Martin just loves people, he loves all people. He’s put his camera on every class and he treats them all the same. I think we all want to see the world in the way we see it in our heads, but Martin shoots the world as it really is. That was uncomfortable for a lot of people. 

BP: I was fascinated to learn that Martin is such a collector. But a collector of utterly bizarre memorabilia, like, Saddam Hussein watches and Obama campaign mugs.
LS: His photography is about collecting. He’s collecting people and events. A lot of artists are big collectors. I feel that his collections represent a lot of the way he works. I think the whole film is about obsession, really. Martin said, “You have to be obsessed to be a good artist. That’s something I really learned from this project, that being obsessive is a good thing. 

BP: What do you hope people will take away from the documentary?
LS: People who have seen it said that they smiled from the first minute. I think this film is very apt for this time because, let’s face it, we’re fucked. But I think Martin’s story gives you faith in humanity. Grayson Perry says in the film that people think misery has more worth than it does. I wish we could all see the world through Martin’s eyes. 

I Am Martin Parr will be released in the UK and Ireland by Dogwoof on 21 February 2025