Kevin Cummins (photographer)


Kevin Cummins is a British photographer known for photographs of rock bands and musicians including Mick Jagger, Ian Curtis, Joy Division, Morrissey, Courtney Love, Patti Smith, and David Bowie.

Career

Cummins studied photography in Salford. He started photographing rock bands in the mid-1970s in Manchester. Cummins had a 25-year association with the NME, including 10 years as their chief photographer. He has photographed numerous bands and musicians including Joy Division, Manic Street Preachers, The Clash, Sex Pistols, R.E.M., U2, Patti Smith, Marc Bolan, The Smiths, Roisin Murphy, Oasis, Foo Fighters, Michael Hutchence, The Stone Roses and Buzzcocks. His images have been seen as a contributing factor in the rise of the Madchester and Cool Britannia scenes.
Cummins was instrumental in establishing City Life, Manchester's what's on guide and was a founding contributor to The Face, the influential style magazine where he won an award for Magazine Cover of the Year.
Cummins's photographs have been used extensively in cinema and TV documentaries including Grant Gee's Joy Division and John Dower's .
In November 2009, Kevin was awarded an Outstanding Contribution to Music Photography award by the music industry website: Record of the Day.
He worked extensively for the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester when it opened in the late 1970s through to mid-1980s. He shoots regularly for the National Theatre in London, most recently Harper Regan and Mrs Affleck.
A lifelong Manchester City supporter, Cummins documented City's final season at Maine Road in the book We're Not Really Here
In 2015 Cummins was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by Manchester Metropolitan University

Exhibitions