Ricky Hatton - Portrait
When we were commissioned to photograph boxing legend Ricky Hatton for a series of professional lifestyle portraits, we knew it was going to be a memorable day. With Ginny Matthews art directing, we had the stunning Cloud 23 — the 23rd floor restaurant in the former Hilton Hotel, Manchester — booked out for the shoot. The shot list was carefully planned, and we believed we had Ricky for the whole day.
But, as often happens when working with celebrities, expectations shifted the moment he arrived. Ricky thought he was only needed for 45 minutes. After some gentle persuasion, we managed to keep him with us for a couple of hours.
We started with classic portrait shots — tight close-ups, hoping to draw out some genuine reactions. That’s my style: aiming to evoke a genuine response, a flicker of emotion. But Ricky gave me nothing but the classic boxer’s stare.
I tried everything. Still nothing. Then Ginny pulled me aside and quietly said, “Paul, we really need him to smile.” I replied, “Ginny, I’m trying everything here.” That’s when it hit me: this man has stood face-to-face with world-class fighters, trained to keep a poker face under pressure. If they can’t provoke a reaction, what chance did I have?
Time for a different tactic. I cleared the room, walked up to him, looked him straight in the eye and said, “Ricky, I really need you to f***ing smile.” And that was the moment. He cracked. He grinned. The ice broke — and from then on, the mood completely changed. We were chatting, laughing, and capturing some truly great shots. Much to everyone’s relief.
Later, we moved to shoot him against the floor-to-ceiling windows with the Manchester skyline in the background. That’s when we discovered something unexpected: Ricky Hatton, boxing world champion, has a fear of heights.
Getting him to stand near the glass? Out of the question. But we managed to coax him into sitting in front of the view, just enough to capture Manchester behind him — and in the process, learned something delightfully human about someone who’s looked some of the best fighters of his generation in the eye.
The resulting portraits? Honest, surprising, and full of character. Just like the man himself.
