Dean Chalkley

Dean Chalkley (born 2 April 1968) is a British photographer and filmmaker based in London, known for his distinctive portraits and visual storytelling that merge music, fashion, and youth subcultures.

Chalkley has photographed a wide range of musicians, actors, and cultural icons—including Noel Gallagher, Amy Winehouse, Daft Punk, and The White Stripes —for publications such as The Observer, Dazed & Confused, Mixmag, Vanity Fair, The Sunday Times Magazine, and Rolling Stone.

His work also spans gallery exhibitions and filmmaking, such as Now Stand Tall: Icons of the New Sonic Generation, a photographic exhibition celebrating the contemporary British music scene (2006), Return of the Rudeboy at Somerset House, an exhibition he co-curated documenting the style and spirit of the Rudeboy subculture (2014).

Dean Chalkley's first years were spent on a farm in Essex where his parents were labourers. At the age of seven the family moved to Southend-on-Sea where he eventually attended Fairfax High School for boys, in Westcliff-on-Sea.

In the 1980s, Chalkley described himself as having been "...a hardened mod, totally into scooters, dressing flamboyantly, in cravats and so on."^[1]

Towards the late 1980s, acid house coincided with his discovery of photography, although initially after leaving school his interest had been in fashion, especially the type influenced by music.^[2]

On completing his degree course he moved to London and assisted two notable photographers, Malcolm Venville and afterwards Seamus Ryan, whom he assisted full-time for a period of about 18 months.^[3]

It was during Chalkley's Degree that he first starting shooting for Dazed & Confused,^[4] the first assignment being to shoot Helen Chadwick. This was when it was still based in Brewer Street; and under the founding editors Jefferson Hack and Rankin, as well as Art Director Mark Saunders. With his first spotlight feature on his photography in issue 13^[5] which was followed by Chalkley's coverage of bands such as Solar Race in issue 17,^[6] Darren Almond in 1997,^[7] Angus Farhurst^[8] and many more YBA for Issue 34 and beyond including Sam Taylor Wood, Mat Collshaw, Douglas Gordon, Cerith Wyn Evan, Gillian Wearing.^[9]

Chalkley also became a regular contributor to Mixmag,^[10] shooting the covers and inside features,^[11] travelling to Iceland with dance duo Propellerheads for example, and spending lengths of time covering club-season Ibiza.^[12]

Chalkley's work has worked in various fields including editorial and commercial advertising however he has always kept up with his own projects where he has explored his own areas of interest such as Music, Fashion and Art. These areas of study have produced both photographic bodies of work as well as Moving image pieces.^[13]

Chalkley started shooting for the New Musical Express magazine in 2001, with The Verve's Richard Ashcroft his first subject. Having been introduced to the magazine by current NME Photography Director Marian Paterson, he continues to shoot covers and features for the magazine today. This has proved a successful working partnership with Chalkley winning the Portrait Photographer of the Year at the 2006 Picture Editors' Awards.^[14]

In 2013, Chalkley took pictures that became the covers for the NME, including Beady Eye, Daft Punk, The Vaccines, The NME Awards 2013 and Foals.

As well as shooting within the music genre for magazines such as the NME and Uncut, Chalkley also shoots artist's and band's album's and single's artwork along with their press photography. He has shot for labels such as XL Recordings, Sony, Island Records, Universal Records and Acid Jazz providing images for the following. These include:

• Sonique's single I Put a Spell on You (1998)
• Dizzee Rascal's Mercury Prize winning album Boy in da Corner (2003)

• Lily Allen's single "LDN" (2006)

• The Horrors' single artwork for "Gloves" (2007)

• New Young Pony Club's Fantastic Playroom (2007)

• Paul Weller's album Wake Up The Nation (2010)

• Tinchy Stryder's Third Strike (2010)

• Black Kids's album Partie Traumatic (2008)

• Valerie June's album Pushin' Against a Stone (2013)

• Martin Freeman and Eddie Piller's album Jazz on the Corner (2018)

• The Brand New Heavies's album TBNH (2019)

• Carmy Loves single "Rebel" (2021)

• Phono 48's single "So Pure" (2022)

• Skindred's album Smile (2023)

• His Lordship's album His Lordship (2024)

• Richard Hawley's album In This City They Call You Love (2024)

Screened at the V&A Museum London on Friday 27 September 2013 as part of its Friday Lates sessions. The film spins around the Crash Bang Wallop World of Banger Racing, a 12-minute long ode to the sport and various characters from the Spedeworth Racing Track in Aldershot.^[15]

This project, sparked by a commission from 125 Magazine, had to be completed in an extremely short time frame, Having met up with the 125 Magazine Art Director Rob Crane three days before Christmas, inviting Chalkley to submit inline with the next issue's theme of "Religion" with the deadline being the end of February.^[16] The work took the form of a photographic series and short film which was written, directed and produced by Chalkley.^[17]

The cast of the film were gathered through "putting the word out" on Northern Soul community websites and forums.^[16] In January 2011, a message was posted on Chalkley's official Blog requesting"Good youthful Northern Soul Dancers to feature in a short film and photographic project". and that the project would then be presented through 125 Magazine.^[18] A later post, by Amanda Ashed of Looks London and the Ranch Casting Company mentioned that the project would be a short film that wasn't set out to be a "definitive story of Northern Soul" but that it "does aim to celebrate it." And that the project had no outside funding.^[18] This point has been reiterated since by Chalkley himself, who in an interview with the British Journal of Photography, referred to the project as being a "Labour of Love"^[16]

In this later post by Ashed a call was put out asking for dancers of all ages to get in contact for the filming side of the project that would take place on 30 January.^[18]

On 5 April 2011, a 25-second teaser of the short film, Young Souls, was released on Chalkley's official Vimeo.^[19] Later in April of the same year the photographic side to the project was published in 125 Magazine.^[20] This was a "study focusing on the current Burgeoning generation of young people getting into the scene."^[21]

Being a DJ and running his own club nights around London where he plays rare soul music (Black Cat and Shake! at the Boogaloo); Chalkley witnessed the interest of a younger generation who were interested in northern soul and not just for the short term; 'These are real people who spend all their money on this because they love it, not because it's the flavour of the month'^[21] In an interview with The Guardian in July, Chalkley said about the film:

"I didn't want to just recreate the past, but I did aim to produce timeless works that illustrate the culture as never before. It is great to show how people dance to Northern Soul music, but more importantly how it is a passionate experience, and how its devotees young and old are immersed in it."^[21]

The film was made available to view online from 125 Magazine's website in July 2011 following the short film's premier at Bethnal Green's Working men's club in London, which was attended by many of the participants in the film who took to the floor after the first screening was greeted with rapturous applause^[22] Following from the films screening and online launch, as well as the publication of 16 images in 125 Magazine Young Souls was exhibited at PYMCA's Youth Club Gallery. The Exhibition consisted of the original 16 images with some new editions, which added up to 22 in total. These went on display alongside the film Young Souls. On the night of the private view Kent Record's Ady Croasdell, Jo Wallace, who are credited as Music Consultant's on the film DJed alongside Donna Driscoll and Chalkley himself.^[23] The Exhibition at Youth Club Gallery ran from 21 July 2011 until 16 August 2011. Young Souls was screened at Turner Contemporary in Margate on 28 October 2013.^[24]

"The film is very, very, very authentic." "It's absolutely beautifully filmed, It’s the kind of thing that I’ll come back to and watch again… …so that I can get all of the nuances of it. – Ian Dewhurst.^[25]

"It is really a homage." – Eddie Piller.^[25]

"It was beautifully shot. Dean is a genius photographer." – Jonny Owens^[25]

"[The] film... ...is seriously good in terms of the cinematography, sound, aesthetics etc., and (perfectly captured in the still photos) the dancing is so damn cool it hurts."- Bryony Quin, It's Nice That^[26]

2000, BW & Colour, 10 mins Written and produced by Chalkley, music & sound by Geir Jenssen, edited by Suki, 2000. A synopsis of film on Chalkley's website states: "Tension, excitement and anticipation grow, images from a previous era relate to the characters and events of the present. Time continuums appear to merge as mankind and machinery axis about this strip of tarmac."^[27]

Written and directed by Chalkley, music by Golden Globe award winner Johann Johannsson, edited by Spencer Doane, 2005^[28]

• Back In Ibiza 1998–2003 (ACC Art Books, 2025) – a 160‑page photobook capturing Ibiza’s club culture from 1998 to 2003, during Chalkley’s time shooting for Mixmag. It features scenes from iconic clubs including Space, Amnesia, Café del Mar, and Privilege.^[29]

Skiddle described it as:

"a thrilling deep‑dive through those images, illustrating the unfiltered and sometimes unhinged club scene from a world before Snapchat and TikTok reels."^[30]

The Guardian gallery noted:

"Dean Chalkley amassed a vast archive of images at the turn of the millennium when Ibiza clubbers would lose themselves for days on the Spanish party island."^[31]

And CNN said:

"The photos come fast and furious, without captions, encouraging the readers to figure it out for themselves — just as they would have to in real life if this all was happening in front of them."^[32]

Southend’s Underground opened in August 2006 at The Spitz gallery. "It was a snapshot of the thriving music scene that's grown up around the now defunct Junk Club and bands like The Horrors and These New Puritans."^[33]

His short film Serge and accompanying exhibition of "emotive and graceful studies".^[34]

On 4 March 2010, he opened a new show at The Book Club in Shoreditch, London. The exhibition titled 'The New Faces' was thought of by none other than 'Modfather' Paul Weller who Chalkley had recently shot. The exhibition- a collection of studio photographs shot towards the end of last year, shows a group of sharply dressed young Mods, their attitude and their dance moves. The show ran until 29 April 2010. In 2012, Chalkley released "The New Faces: A Short Film".

Originally only meant to run from 20 March 2014 to 20 April 2014 the exhibition featuring erotic images of the model known only as "Tess" were exhibited at Trisha's in Soho until 9 May 2014.^[35]

Taking place at Quaglino's to celebrate their 21's birthday, Chalkley exhibited 21 photographs portraying the heroes and heroines from the contemporary music scene. Featured in this exhibition were portraits of Daft Punk, Noel Gallagher, The White Stripes and more.^[36]

Return of the Rudeboy was created by Chalkley and the creative director Harris Elliott and was on show at Somerset House from 13 June 2014 until 25 August 2014. The exhibition featured over 60 portraits of notable individuals that embodied the 21st Century Rudeboy.^[37]

• Portrait Photographer of the Year – Picture Editors’ Awards (2006)^[38]
• NME/Nikon Outstanding Contribution to Music Photography (2011)^[39]

• Dean Chalkley
• Skinnydip London | British Lifestyle Fashion Brand
• Snap Galleries - Home
• Dean Chalkley about Northern Soul (Interview)