Where have you just come back from?
“Venice. I went without any plans, so we just wandered about and discovered things ourselves, such as Harry’s Bar, where Giuseppe Cipriani came up with the bellini in 1948. I took my old Rolleiflex, the camera that street photographer Vivian Maier used to shoot with. Every corner of Venice is like a painting. I love the way it is all cracked at the edges, in the best way.”
Where in the world have you felt happiest?
“I went to Provence before shooting my most recent series, Wilderness. We’d cycle at 5am to towns such as Baux-de-Provence – with its ruined castle on a rocky outcrop jutting out of the plains – and Saint-Rémy, for the beautiful pastel houses and vineyards, and then be back ready to work by 9am. My partner was working too, so we’d break to have lunch together. The other place is Scotland, where I shot Victoria. We stayed in Pitlochry, close to the Cairngorms. There was something grounding and calming about breathing that air, and being surrounded by the Scots pine and Douglas fir forests in Tay Forest Park. Maybe having a Scottish grandfather had something to do with it.”
Name the place that most lived up to the hype.
“The Amalfi Coast. Even though you’ve seen it all over Instagram, it’s just so breathtaking. Everywhere you eat is amazing, but my favourite restaurant was Lo Scoglio at the Marina del Cantone. It’s built on a large rock on a jetty that extends over the sea.”
And the place that least lived up to the hype.
“Marrakech. I was decorating my home at the time and obsessing over rugs, tiles, flea markets and antiques. Somehow, it ended up being quite stressful.”
Which is your favourite city?
“I’m torn between New York and Florence. Last year we shot Wilderness in New York. It just has its own rhythm, which means you come back feeling exhausted but invigorated. I celebrated my last birthday in different dive bars on a hot balmy night. I love that there is a village feeling in a city, and an ease to being social. And then Florence. I love just walking without a plan, and discovering places such as the Boboli Gardens, and all those grottoes and Renaissance statues.”
Have you experienced a holiday disaster?
“When we finished Wilderness, many of the flights were down. Ollie [co-star Oliver Jackson-Cohen] and I had to get back home from the middle of the Grand Canyon, so we drove six hours to Phoenix. On the way, we passed through Sedona and this stunning, red-rock landscape that I had never seen before. Stopping for lunch, we were like, How has this ended up being the best day ever?”
Which is your road most travelled?
“Back up to the North of England. I’m from Blackpool, so I’ll drive up the M1 for Christmas, or to the Lake District, which is the antidote to Blackpool’s city centre.”