As the hardest working photographer at Steal-Life.com, it's a miracle we were able to sit Cleveland Aaron down long enough to hear what makes him tick! Somehow we did and this is what he said.

Steal-Life - Where did your interest in photography start?
Cleveland Aaron - 40's black and white movies actually and most television up to the late 70's which is when we got a colour TV!

SL - You've not always been a photographer though have you? What were you doing before?
CA - Was unlucky enough to do time in the square mile of the city. I earned parole after about ten years though.

SL - So what prompted such a big change?
CA - Unfortunately it was the death of a brother like figure who died far too young. Death has a funny way of putting everything into perspective.

SL - Do you have regrets then?
CA - I regret it took a tragedy for me to come to my senses but that's as far as it goes!

SL - How does your passion for music influence your pictures?
CA - Music for most people I know is what keeps us sane. I'm not different, I just use it to illustrate the mood or essence of what I'm shooting. I see images through music and my taste is as varied as the images I take.

SL - Moloko, Joey Negro, DJ Rap, LTJ Bukem, Roni Size - You've shot some of the most influential underground musicians around, how did you find them? Any egos?
CA - Creative people, whatever their medium, are fascinating! When someone is driven by passion, their vibe can be seen a mile away! I suppose when you get to a certain status some people may take on an alter ego for protection, but part of my job is to break through the hype. Once I have their trust the barriers are usually lifted.

SL - Your the hardest working photographer we know, do you still find time to shoot for fun?
CA - Damn! If it weren't fun I don't think I'd be in it. If you could imagine being born blind and by some miracle your sight had been returned after twenty years, you'd go crazy over everything. That's me, never been blind but I'm affected in the same way.

SL - Tell us about Geneva, why did you go there?
CA - I Actually went to Villars for Snowbombing, a snowboarding event. It was supposed to be a holiday but I got roped into doing a night or two of work.

SL - Do you only shoot on digital?
CA - Hell no! My baby's an RB67 but digital helps me to banish the demons so that I can sleep at night.

SL - A lot of professional photographers out there snub digital for not being at a high enough standard yet, what would you say to that?
CA - I could quite easily earn a living using my Olympus Camedia E20 alone. Digital is just another medium. People said the same thing about 35mm on it's introduction due to the size of the negatives, but some great and classic images where shot on that format. You're not going to shoot billboard quality images with the average digital camera but for many magazines, brochures and books there really isn't much difference. With digital you can test the boundaries of your creativity.

SL - What's next for you? I here you have an exhibition?
CA - Yep. I'm calling it First Contact. Not sure why, sounds good I suppose. I'll be exhibiting from the 15th May for a month at Dust Bar in Clerkenwell Rd. The exhibition is a selection of images that sum up my perspective as a visual fanatic!