What a year what a year what a mighty might big year! Yup it's been awhile since we posted any new social media portraits and you may be thinking WTF? They was on a roll! Indeed we were! But then would you believe it, we got PREGNANT. And a TINY DC STERNE has taken over our lives.
Obviously our priorities have changed but don't get us wrong, we still love our photography! But as you might guess, DC Sterne remains on hold for the time being. Having said that, if you'd like us to photograph you or your loved ones for any ol' reason, we'd love to hear from you.
We were very glad when Jon and Leah suggested the Portico library for their photoshoot, as we hadn't heard of it and if there's one thing that can never hurt, it's going to a library. The Portico turned out to be a very old Manchester library hidden in plain sight on Moseley Road, accessible through a very small and discreet door, like Narnia. Inside was beautiful, and we were soundly looked after by Emma Marigliano the head librarian, who gave us a tour so that when Jon and Leah turned up we were like ready, and everything.
Jon and Leah are accomplished writers of comics, their work including (amongst other things) 'Albion', the classic reboot of British superheroes; adaptations and re-interpretations of Alice in Wonderland, Dracula and Sherlock Holmes; a one-shot Dr.Who outing; two series on zombies ('Raise the Dead'); an online enhanced comic collaboration with Channel 4 ('The Thrill Electric') as well as the book '800 years of haunted Liverpool'. Knowing this canon, and being easily influenced by our surroundings, (along with our subjects' eerie unflusteredness at having their picture taken), DC and I did begin to feel like futuristic interlopers in a Victorian thriller - a bit like Keanu Reeves and Winona Ryder from the film Dracula
or Daryl Hannah in the film 'High Spirits'
Whilst we were shooting away (literally shooting away), we found out that Leah is from Northamptonshire, like me (Sterne), which led to reminiscences of the now defunct Panache nightclub, where I spent many nights trying to convince goth girls that I was the keyboard player from Saxon. Even better, there was a pub below the library where we retired for beer.
John: We are Leah Moore (@leahmoore) and John Reppion (@johnreppion) and we're a husband and wife writing team based in Liverpool. We mostly write comics but we do other stuff too.
How do you use social media?
Leah: I’m on Facebook, Twitter Google+ and Linkedin. I used to have a Myspace page too, but I couldn’t hack all the spangly “Thanks for Add” stuff and eyewatering page themes. Also the crazy people. Myspace has lots of them. I use Facebook for family and people I actually know in one way or another. Twitter I mainly have work buddies on, so we can all sit in our respective studios/workrooms gabbing away when we should be working. Linkedin is a weird place, where its all supposed to be network but its so formal and CV like it makes me instantly uncomfortable. Maybe they should merge with Myspace, get some of the glittery gif stuff going on. Google+ I have to say is still very much like a big empty room. I don’t see a lot on there that I can’t get on Facebook or Twitter, but maybe it’s just early days. I mainly use it to play Angry Birds.
Do you think social media helps people?
John: Definitely. I think the world is genuinely a better place for it. It's helps us a lot. It's helped us to get work (a Doctor Who one-shot with Ben "30 Days of Night" Templesmith @Templesmith), it's how we heard about DC Sterne and managed to get these lovely pictures taken! Sometimes its useful for research - people recommend books and sites and stuff - but, mostly, it just helps people like us who work form home to feel part of a greater community. It helps all us comic freelancers to feel like we're in one big virtual office, which is nice.
What's the best thing that's ever happened to you because of social media?
Leah: Oh loads of things, people I had lost touch with completely including my oldest friends in the world (Hi Jenny! Hi Sheri!) people I haven't seen since I was like ten, all that kind of stuff. Seeing all the pictures of babies as they arrive is rather magical. Instead of just an announcement and a name, yu see them actually growing right there on Facebook. We have got work from people being in touch on Twitter or Facebook, we’ve been invited to events, we’ve made new friends, sold books, discovered new bands and of course we get lovely messages from people who have enjoyed our work, which is the most encouraging thing for any writer. I would say that without social media the last ten years would have been very different indeed.
And the worst?
John: Sometimes you forget that the people you're working for can see what you're actually up to all day if you just keep updating. Not that we're particularly bad slackers or anything, but sometimes you look back at your stream and feel a pang of guilt. Oh, and drunken tweets are rarely a good idea. Drunken tweets at celebrities, even less so.
Who's the best person/being/group to follow on twitter?
Leah: my favourite is @xaimeh because its Xaime Hernadez of Love and Rockets fame. I keep hoping that one day I’ll get to actually be in Love and Rockets and hang out with Maggie and Hopey but alas I doubt it’ll happen!
And the worst?
John: Form a very personal, selfish point of view, I'd say any writers who constantly tell you how many million words/new series pitches they've written before breakfast. I sit down at the PC all eager to start work, crack my knuckles, read their updates, and then just think "What's the point? They've already written it all". Lots of them are very interesting, talented and lovely people though, so I still follow them. If you had the chance, which one person you follow on twitter would you like to meet? Leah: ha! See above. I would love to meet Xaime Hernandez just to say thank you for all the amazing stories.
What's your prediction for the next 5 years in terms of social media?
John: Dream tweeting. Ability to block people in real life. Automatic Augmented Reality display of the holiday photographs of everyone within a 30 metre radius. It's a bright new future.
We shot David outside where he works at the MMU business school, which involved going inside this building and feeling that we weren't making enough money to be valid. David was very down to earth however, and didn't even look at his watch and tell us time was money at any point during the whole morning, for which we were grateful as for us time is copper money at best. In fact, he was very generous with said time, and gave us great insight into the world of digital marketing and some of the potential futures of this/social media/the internet in general. Also, after a few shots (literal shots) with the colourful exterior as backdrop, we moved up the road to a small retail-area as it had a water feature and security told us not to take photos, which made us feel very rock and roll as we did anyway (David's picture became the poster for our exhibition earlier this year). You can follow David on twitter@groovegenerator, or at his blog http://facebookcreeper.wordpress.com/
Who are you and what do you do?
My name is David Edmundson-Bird and I work at MMU Business School in Manchester. I teach Digital Marketing and I am the Course Director for the Econsultancy Masters Programmes in Digital Marketing and Internet Retailing.
How do you use social media?
I use Twitter to keep in touch with my industry and to share ideas about the Digital sector. I use Facebook to keep in touch with my friends.
Do you think social media helps people?
Social media is a great research medium - a great place for quick answers, and networking socially or professionally.
What's the best thing that's ever happened to you because of social media?
Meeting friends I lost touch with. Uncovering secrets that some one else had tried to hide.
And the worst?
It's the first thing I do in the morning and the last thing at night. I worry about that.
Who's the best person/being/group to follow on twitter?
Voyager 2 - the space probe launched by NASA. It tweets it's position and what it's instruments are doing. And it's all alone in the cold darkness of Space. I secretly hope that it knows it's got followers and that cheers it up.
If you had the chance, which one person you follow (non-celebrity!) on twitter would you like to meet?
I'd quite like to meet @greggholden because we tweet a lot but live far away from each other.
We've seen sites like friendster and myspace come and go in terms of popularity....What's your prediction for the next 5 years in terms of social media?
Something better will replace Twitter. We'll use fewer tools to access a greater number of services.
What are your thoughts on the Manchester social media scene in particular?
A happy vibrant community. It's like living in a village sometimes. Everyone knows everyone else's business. And people care.
Briony actually suggested the location for our shoot, the Manchester Amateur Photographic Society building in Platt Fields Park, which we thought was rather apt, although a bit of a shame it wasn't open. Briony is the only person we've ever met who talked about having specific life goals for late middle-age, in her case being a Physics teacher, on the grounds that a young person can't carry off the necessary eccentricity. This led to discussions on NASA, obviously, and Norman Mailer's book about the Apollo 11 mission A Fire on the Moon, in which the English journalists covering the launch were thinking of asking Wernher von Braun if 'there was any chance that the Saturn 5 rocket might land on London...?'.Which I can imagine Henning Wehn doing http://www.henningwehn.de/index2.htm .(This book also contains the line “The horror of the Twentieth Century was the size of each new event, and the paucity of its reverberation”, which I think is pretty good). Bryony works in SEO/PPC/Social media, and you can follow her @BrionyGunson.
Who are you and what do you do?How do you use social media?
My name is Briony Gunson and I work for a digital media agency in Manchester - specifically doing what's called Search Engine Optimisation which, in a crass nutshell, means trying to get people's websites to be number one on Google's Search Engine Results Pages.I use social media for professional and personal reasons. There's a fantastic and very lively community on Twitter in Manchester of people who are either work in the digital sector or have a personal interest in it. Twitter can be a great forum for discussion, throwing around ideas, finding out about what's happening in the industry as well as in Manchester. I am involved in social media projects for clients at moment, principally Twitter and Facebook.
Do you think social media helps people?
Having grown up abroad in Hong Kong and lived in quite a few different cities, the main benefit to me for social media is staying in touch with people from across the world. It's a great way to make travel plans with people! I think social media's also a great way to communicate with brands and businesses directly online via media like Twitter. It can be a very powerful tool for the individual.
What's the best thing that's ever happened to you because of social media?
Best thing to happen through social media? I'd say the blend of social/professional relationships that I've built up with people that I might have never met. And finding people who I lost touch with when I was very young. I got in touch with a friend who I grew up with in Hong Kong through Facebook and decided to go visit him in Durham. The last time I saw him we were both 11 years old, so it was a bit of a bold move. But it was fantastic! So great to meet up after all these years, if a bit surreal as neither of us had changed much!
And the worst?
The worst? Probably finding out about the death of a close friend through Facebook. Her Facebook page is still there some 3 years later, which is rather bittersweet.
Who's the best person/being/group to follow on twitter?
Best person to follow on Twitter? Ah, that's much too personal a question! And there's too many to choose from. It depends on what floats your boat. For your average person who's using Twitter for more social than professional means, I'd say people like Charlie Brooker (@charltonbrooker), Peter Serafinowicz (@serafinowicz), Milton Jones (@themiltonjones) are fun and topical to follow. And following politicians, activists and journalists (such as Jon Snow (@jonsnowC4)) as well as breaking news accounts can be fascinating. More often than not, big news breaks out first on Twitter.
And the worst?
Anyone who has automated tweets set up, where they just bleep out the same few repetitive messages or links promoting this and that. It's dull and spammy. It'd be like trying to talk to someone in the pub and they ignore you whilst constantly shouting "Hey, LOL, check out my new amazing book on weight loss!"
If you had the chance, which one person you follow (non-celebrity!) on twitter would you like to meet?
Oooh real life Twitter people?! I follow Douglas Adams' Twitter account that someone runs. Adams' being dead might make this slightly more tricky. So I'll say Steve Martin (@stevemartintogo) or William Shatner (@WilliamShatner) just because I think it'd be a hoot (does anyone actually use the word "hoot" these days?)
We've seen sites like friendster and myspace come and go in terms of popularity....What's your prediction for the next 5 years in terms of social media?
I'm going all Mystic Meg and saying I reckon Facebook will continue to dominate but with more and more businesses and brands jumping on the bandwagon, I think people will get put off by their social space being invaded by commercial messages. I also wonder about the openess of Twitter in the coming years and wonder if it will eventually start being censored. Either way, social media's here to stay. It's evolved so fast in the last 5 years, I don't think anyone can say with any certainty how it's going to pan out in the future.
And finally: which would make the best pet: a gibbon or a rhino? Discuss
Oh, I'd go for a rhino! You could wonder around on its back and stomp about the place! Did you know that a type of rhino, long extinct, called the Indricotherium was almost seven metres high?! I'd like one of those, please. Doesn't matter what colour. Thanks.
We had great plans for Joanna, hoping to shoot her (literally shoot her) in a trendy retro northern-quarter bar on a Saturday morning. Come the day of course the bar wasn't open, and DC and I had to scout for other backdrops, doing the theme to 'Countdown' when they didn't work, which was funny up until the third location that looked good but smelt of wee, when it wasn't. Theme tune humming is a valuable life tool, and I often like to hum the theme to 'Casualty' if DC ever puts more than one thing on a tray to carry, which of course she doesn't get because she is American. This causes rowing (literal rowing) about oblique cultural references, causing me to hum the theme tune to 'Sorry', at which point she kicks me in the knackers until I stop (a skill that Americans excel at by the way, because they are raised on a programme of sports from an early age, as well as steroids). And at which point she hums the theme tune to 'Casualty' as she is a fast learner.
Theme tunes are in my view under-used in life. For example if 'Dick Barton Special Agent' was played when a man was trying to undo a ladies' bra, the whole operation would be less upsetting for everyone:
Similarly, revealing a wish for gender re-assignment/career in pornography/desire to see them dress as Ewok to a significant other can be made less emotionally exhausting by the theme to 'It's a Knockout'
whilst if things go badly, but you've tried your best (bra going back on is one example), then the theme from the end of 'The Incredible Hulk' is there to remind you that it's all the fault of circumstances beyond your control
But I digress. Back to Joanna, who was one of our favourite subjects as she had no problem arriving in some very wonderful 60s-style clothes and jumping around in high heels (on concrete mind) for absolutely ages. Joanna was a social media manager and strategist at Manchester's first purely social agency, and is now employed as a social media manager at an integrated, creative agency. Her blog is here: http://joannahalton.com/ or you can follow her@joannahalton.
We were keen to shoot our next target, Stanley Chow, as DC has a piece of his artwork that we both really like - 'W is for Wonder Woman'. We shot him (we literally shot him) at his home, where we were very nervous to discover that his partner is a professional photographer, and although she didn't appear and ask us if we'd been drinking (we hadn't), it did mean that Stan was very used to being shot (literally shot) so there was more time to take in the gazillion bits of art on the walls of his very interesting house. Top amongst these was a real-life photo of Colonel Saunders which apparently came from a real-life KFC years ago, when it was being refurbished. This was the first time DC or I had ever seen a real photo of Colonel Saunders, and we both agree KFC should go back to using these on the grounds that it's less harmful to their customers, who can't possibly live up to the current airbrushed “size-zero” one they have now.
I am Stanley Chow, I am of Chinese origin, 36…husband, father, DJ and illustrator. I also run a print company, which sells my prints, but also hopefully other artists too in the near future.
How do you use social media?
Mainly with Facebook and Twitter, I use it to tell people what work I have done, what pictures I have to sell, what my feelings are towards what is topical in the world of football (mainly Manchester United), TV and film. Also I try to make funny observations about everyday life. But the bottom line is, the more I tweet, usually the more followers I get… this in turn generally means more people to promote my work to. It's basically free advertising if used to in the right manner.
Do you think social media helps people?
I can only speak for myself, but I think I'd be really struggling in my career if it wasn't for social media. -What's the best thing that's ever happened to you because of social media? Being asked by Edgar Davids (Ex-Holland Footballer) to do a portrait of him, when he saw my portrait of Wayne Rooney posted on twitter… the Edgar Davids portrait led to my work being published in a football book based on the World Cup. -And the worst? Because of the nature of what I do, I will be fishing for compliments. And it's great for the ego when compliments are sent my way… Though every now and again there are 'haters' out there who have slagged off my work.. you do have to take it on the chin, though you can feel wounded.
Who's the best person/being/group to follow on twitter?
@mofgimmers
If you had the chance, which one person you follow (non-celebrity!) on twitter would you like to meet?
@Chinatownbranch Basically he's an artist, he's Irish, he used to live in Manchester and he's a Manchester United fan. He now lives in New York… That's where I'd like to meet him… ideally in a pub, where there's a game on.
We've seen sites like friendster and myspace come and go in terms of popularity....What's your prediction for the next 5 years in terms of social media?
I think Twitter will last for a while… purely because of it's simplicity. It's a very comforting form of Social Media… you tweet something.. it goes into Twitter cyberspace, and maybe someone will reply or even chuckle. I think Facebook might lose a few people to Twitter.., Facebook's problem is that as it keeps growing, it's becoming more buggy and more and more unreliable… I feel it's started getting bogged down too by too many fan groups and aswell as corporate companies jumping on the bandwagon… most of the time my Facebook page just looks a mess, and for me, that's a turn-off. It was just a place where you would tell your mates where you were hanging out and also to share your photographs… As far as I was concerned, that's all it needed to be.
And finally: if you could make one form of headgear insanely fashionable, what would you choose and why?
Do goggles count? Goggles… Flying Goggles… I'm short-sighted, so my goggles will have prescription lenses in. I think they look cool, plus I can use them to see with.
Adam Christopher was born in Auckland, New Zealand. In 2006, he moved to the sunny North West of England, where he lives in a house next to a canal. Adam’s short fiction has appeared in Pantechnicon, Hub, and Dark Fiction Magazine, and has been nominated for the British Science Fiction Association, British Fantasy Society, and Parsec Awards. Adam's debut novel, Empire State, is due from Angry Robot books in January 2012, followed by a second novel, Seven Wonders, later the same year.
When not writing Adam can be found drinking tea and obsessing over Dark Shadows, DC Comics, and 60s Doctor Who. We shot him (we literally shot him) on the Manchester Cycleway, and he was very gracious about sitting on a stone chair in sub-zero temperatures for quite a long time.
Who are you and what do you do?
I'm Adam. I'm a writer... or author... or novellist. I haven't quite worked out which I should use yet. I write novels, mostly science fiction, horror and superhero fiction, and usually with elements of each combined. My first two novels are coming out from Angry Robot books next year - Empire State, a hardboiled science fiction noir about a dimension-crossing murder, and Seven Wonders, a superhero novel full of spandex and primary colours and people shooting laserbeams out of their eyes.
How do you use social media?
My main focus is on Twitter. I maintain a Facebook account but to me Facebook is just a great aggregator of spam - checking now I have 185 event invitations (mostly for stuff in other parts of the world), 98 messages (all of which are CCed spam), 200 application/game invites, and 56 group invites (for stuff I have never heard of and have no interest in). So I keep Facebook updated by linking to my blog, and use it to point people towards Twitter, which is where it is all happening.
Twitter is about conversations and interaction, far more than Facebook is (Facebook feels very static to me). If you can find your niche, Twitter has a huge community of people you can interact with - I use Twitter as both a means of socialising (I work at home and live out in the country, so on a day-to-day basis don't have that much interaction with other people) and as a place where like-minded people can interact, share information and contacts, and talk about what they are interested in. For me this is books, writing and comics. For others it could be photography or music or technology. I think Twitter probably works best when you have a defined field of interest, because you can find the communities online and join in. Twitter is all about interaction.
Do you think social media helps people?
Professionally, for sure (see below!). And anything that brings people together has to be good.
What's the best thing that's ever happened to you because of social media?
I got my book deal via Twitter! Because I use Twitter to talk about writing and my own projects, I came in contact with a whole lot of editors, agents, publishers, etc. A couple of years ago a new publisher, Angry Robot, started up, and I made friends with the editor there online. We met in person at a few different events, and although we never discussed it, they were aware of what I was writing and that I was hoping, one day, to get that first book deal. Eventually I bit the bullet and went down to their offices in Nottingham for lunch in August 2010. The conversation came around to books - I basically pitched my novel over a beer, they liked what they heard, and invited me to send it in. A few months later they made an offer for two books and I'm now on their roster of authors. It's basically a dream come true, as Angry Robot are in fact one of my favourite publishers, and to be on the same list as some terrific authors - some of whom I now consider good friends, again thanks to meeting them on Twitter and cementing the online friendships by later meeting them in person - is both wonderful and surreal.
The fact that I was "discovered" via Twitter was a pretty big deal - news of my signing was covered heavily by a lot of industry press, and a screenshot of my Twitter feed even made it into Sci Fi Now magazine.
Twitter also got me my agent, thanks to a chance conversation with writer friend based on in the US (again, who I met via Twitter and then became friends with) who is also a client of hers. I was just looking for some advice on how to get an agent when you already have a book deal (which is kinda backwards), and my friend said he'd ask his own agent to see what she said. I was introduced via email and after a few exchanges she asked to see my material, liked it, and sent me a contract straight away. Although it seemed so easy, I'm still slightly in awe of how that happened, because she's not just any agent, she's an agent with what is about the best science fiction/fantasy/horror/genre agency in the world. I would never have got onto her radar had it not been for Twitter.
So, I pretty much owe my entire career to Twitter. That's a pretty good argument against those who don't see the point of telling the world what you had for breakfast! Which, of course, is exactly what Twitter isn't about at all.
And the worst?
Although sometimes the line is a little blurred, Twitter is basically how I present myself publicly to the world. I think for people like me it's important to remember things like that, so I'm pretty careful not to annoy people or post anything contentious. Not that I'm that kind of person in "real life" either - and like I said, while Twitter is my public image, it's pretty much the same as me, privately.
So I can't think of how social media has affected me negatively. The general rule of the internet applies - don't be a dick. Stick to that and everything is peachy.
We've seen sites like friendster and myspace come and go in terms of popularity....What's your prediction for the next 5 years in terms of social media?
I think Twitter may fragment into possibly a two-tier system - they're trying to come up with a model of how to moneytise it (it is a business after all) and maybe we'll see "free" and "pro" versions. I suspect that despite concerns about privacy and control of user data, Facebook will continue to be top dog. There is a backlash against it but I still think that is from a very tiny minority of users. It's possible that Twitter will eventually overtake Facebook once people see how static Facebook is.
I hope that the trend for extended Tweets - ie, longer than 140 characters, which are permitted with certain applications like Tweetdeck - dies out, because that's really missing the point of what Twitter is all about: concise communication.
Certainly social media's influence on the world in general will continue to grow - a great example recently is the death of Osama Bin Laden. As you would expect, it was all over social media (especially Twitter) as soon as the news broke. Several hours later, the newspapers of the day went on sale... and, of course, there was nothing about the news at all, simply because newspaper copy is finalised late the previous day.
Although that's by no means the first time that has happened, it really showed how archaic things like print newspapers are, and how important social media is. I personally don't follow news and current events, but I know for sure that when something big happens, I'll find out in seconds without seeking it out at all. Social media means total connection with all parts of the world, which might be as big a step forward and have as much impact again as the internet itself did.
And finally: if you could make on item of headgear insanely fashionable, what would you choose and why?
Oh man, how I yearn for the days when everybody wore hats. I used to write at lunchtimes in my local library and they had this giant photograph of a town meeting from about 1900, held outside. Every single person in the photo is wearing a hat. Hats are cool.
I'm actually going to go for the top hat. If the top hat became popular it would be completely crazy but also very, very cool. The casual top hat. And maybe capes too. Then we could all dress as magicians, and magicians are cool.
We shot Graham in Piccadilly Gardens. DC told me to look out for 'Johnny Cash with a North-Eastern accent', but even so I was unprepared for the scale of Johnny Cash involved in the hair alone. Those levels of product are banned under EU law, in my view only adding to the overall image, and when he started talking in his 'boro accent I actually saw one of the metrosexual men drinking outside Kro3 burst into tears as the fine, child-like hair on his legs fell off in shame...
Graham was completely unfazed by being the subject of a photo-shoot in the centre of Manchester, and we learnt many things about vegetarianism, Johnny Cash and best of all, Black Sabbath's first album – which we at DC Sterne heartily recommend to everyone, especially 'Behind the Wall of Sleep/The Warning'.
Who are you and what do you do?
I'm Graham Drummond and I'm the Communications and Events Officer for a charity. I moved to Manchester five years ago for the job. I was raised in Middlesbrough and went to the University of Teesside to get my batchelors degree in Media Studies. I also studied for a year in the US, at the University of South Carolina, as part of my degree. Outside of work my main interests are film, music and gaming, and I love technology and gadgets.
How do you use social media?
I use Facebook and Twitter at work as it's a very good tool for our organisation to spread the word of what we're doing, respond to questions and offer help. At home I use it for staying in touch with friends I have in England and further away, to find out opinions on current topics and to generally socialise with people.
Do you think social media helps people?
I think it can help people. I've made friends through Twitter and one of the best ways social networking helps is allowing you to contact companies you have services with. For example, whenever I have a problem with my BT service I tweet them as it means I don't have to spend ages on hold on the phone. I may not get an answer right away but it's much less frustrating! As much as Twitter and Facebook can be used to socialise with others, it definitely doesn't replace going out and meeting up with friends.
What's the best thing that's ever happened to you because of social media?
I actually met my girlfriend of 6 years through Facebook. When I was studying in the US I heard about Facebook, and back then it was only available in the US. I randomly clicked through to her profile and sent a message. Six years later she lives here in England and we're still together!
And the worst?
I don't think I have had a bad experience using social media...
Who's the best person/being/group to follow on twitter?
Like real life, Twitter is diverse so it's hard to pick out one person. Some of the best and most interesting people I've encountered on Twitter are local to Manchester and following them is a good way to get different perspectives of your locality. I can relate to that much more than what Ashton Kutcher tweets about.
If you had the chance, which one person you follow (non-celebrity!) on twitter would you like to meet?
I'm not sure to be honest, sorry!
We've seen sites like friendster and myspace come and go in terms of popularity....What's your prediction for the next 5 years in terms of social media?
I think social media such as Twitter and Facebook, whether we like it or not, is going to be staying a while. Aside from normal people interacting with normal people, they do hold a value greater than some may perceive. News stations are now beaten to exclusive stories by ordinary folk tweeting about them and major companies and corporations are realising social media is an important asset for interacting directly with their customers. There are many things that can be done with social media and I think in 5 years time more people, old and young, will understand what it is and how to use it.
And finally: if you could make one form of headgear insanely fashionable, what would you choose and why?
I'm not really a fashionable person and I don't get most fashion trends (what are those Aladdin trousers about?), so I'd make the balaclava uber-cool. It'd be funny watching pretentious fashionistas clamber over each other at boutiques trying to grab a clothing item most commonly associated with robberies.
Having been interested in politics as a way to swear at the TV using made-up words like 'git-rubbing' and 'traffic warden's catamite', I was t'rilled when DC informed me we were to photograph a real-life politician who was also an SMS. This turned out to be Grace Fletcher-Hackwood, now a Labour councillor for Fallowfield, who to my surprise turned up not surrounded by apparatchiks who would threaten us with legal action if we made her look bad, but with a superb collection of badges in a bag and a very red coat. Our photoshoot, in Platt Fields Park as this is near where she lives and represents, involved much looking at these badges, as well as discussion on whether David Cameron was best described as looking like a) he should be playing trombone in a lurpak advert or b) C3PO made of ham. We also asked her many questions about local government, which she answered with great patience, and during which we found out that a) she is very passionate about politics in Manchester, b) the People's History Museum in Manchester (http://www.phm.org.uk/) has even more badges than she does and c) that her mother has followed her into politics and is now a Labour candidate in the Midlands - which is the way nepotism might work if one's mother could briefly accelerate to a significant fraction of lightspeed.
I can't remember why I (aka DC aka @texansteve aka Diana) started following Matt on Twitter but I'm glad I did. Matt and I eventually met in real-life at a tweet-up and then again at another one. And then for normal non-twittery reasons like 'lunch' and 'getting drunk'. This eventually led to him borrowing my tripod and me borrowing his projector. You know you're really friends when you mutually borrow each other's crap.
I mention this becoming-buds story because I've never been able to use Twitter or other social media in a professional capacity due to the confidential nature of my day work, and neither can Matt. So I think we both view social media as a fun distraction and if you become friends in the 'real world' too, then that's just an added scoop of awesome.
We photographed Matt in Salford Quays. You can follow him on twitter via @notmetaltax, which I highly recommend because he is an added scoop of awesome.
Who are you and what do you do?
I am the legend, the t-shirt and the restraining order that is @notmetaltax.
How do you use social media?
I use it as a communication tool. My general rule is that I only follow people that I've either met or stand a good chance of meeting. I know this goes against the ethos of being able to communicate with anyone anywhere in the world but face-to-face communication is important to me, and I use Twitter and Facebook to help me grab people in a way that I couldn't ordinarily.
Do you think social media helps people?
In some cases, yes. It certainly offers creative people a ready-made platform to get their work in front of a mass audience, and the popularity of social media has helped shape how linking different buckets of data around the world can give entertaining and useful results. All that comes at a price though, and you have to wade through a lot of crap to find the good stuff.
What's the best thing that's ever happened to you because of social media?
Not particularly something that's happened to me personally, but I think @lauriepink's 24-hour Drawathon for Comic Relief was a wonder to behold, and a great thing to be a part of (if only by shirking work and watching it unfold in real-time.)
And the worst?
I've lost hours, days, possibly weeks from my life expectancy to reading other people's unfunny jokes and recycled opinions on reality TV shows.
Who's the best person/being/group to follow on twitter?
That depends on your interest. Don't follow Stephen Fry or Simon Pegg because loads of other people do -- find your own entertainment. Chances are that someone you follow will retweet them anyway, and in the world of social media, traditional "celebrity" counts for very little.
And the worst?
Oh, me. I'm sure if you've never met me I'm interminably boring, (and I'm sure many would say that's the case even if you have.) [Ed: blatantly untrue]
If you had the chance, which one person you follow on twitter would you like to meet?
Hard to say as I've met pretty much all of them. I think I'd like to meet @angryplumber because I don't believe for a second that he's as crude as he makes out to be.
What's your prediction for the next 5 years in terms of social media?
I think there'll be much more covert sponsorship and monetisation of people's everyday life, then there'll be the inevitavble backlash and one product will emerge as the accepted norm, albeit one that people pay a monthly fee to be a part of. I'd like to copyright that idea now, so representatives from Facebook, Google or Microsoft can feel free to throw blank cheques at me whenever.
Which would make the best pet: a gibbon or a rhino?
A gibbon, obviously. A pet rhino would just be ridiculous.
