Tom Barnes - Photographer

This is Tom Multi-award-winning @tombarnesdotcom The latest addition to The Story Lens stable. “Photography has taken me around the world, introduced me to extraordinary people, and given me a life full of stories worth telling. From war zones to politics to portraits of those who hate being in front of the camera, every challenge is a chance to make someone shine.” A real photographer of real people. Full talk here: https://youtu.be/C8XtTDY7mFI 👏 TSL team @lucia_domenici · Pete Way · @larssilberbauer @haydonperrior · @marcograndinettiphoto · @joanneaaaustin · @immafepelaez · @nicktsolkas · @michaelleckie __________ #VisualStorytelling #DocumentaryPhotography #TheStoryLens authentic storytelling, human-centred photography, creative process

So, the guys @ajs_studio love seeing me…… thanks guys!

I accidentally became the most expensive photographer in the world, but only for four seconds. I shot Liam Neeson for @topgear and, it was a quick one!

It’s always a slightly mad part of this job, being sent a postcode and then trying to find the location within a square mile, often ending up in very remote places. This shoot was at the Cambiasos’ private stables, about ten minutes down a private track. You know, the sort of track where you definitely feel like you’ve gone too far, so you just keep going and hope you’re in the right place. Turns out I was. I was there to photograph the polo extraordinaire father and son, Adolfo and Poroto Cambiaso, who are taking the professional polo world by storm. The family own nearly a thousand horses across various stables, and it was incredible to see some of them being cared for and shoed. Adolfo Cambiaso Jnr (@poroto_cambiaso ), currently rated as the world’s best polo player, has followed in Adolfo Cambiaso Snr’s (@adolfocambiaso1 ) footsteps, who is widely regarded as the most famous polo player of all time, often called the Messi of polo. The game and horsemanship clearly run in their veins. After arriving, I set up and we got shooting straight away. Both were great to work with: impressive setup, hugely talented, and genuinely nice to spend time with. Thanks again to you both, and best of luck in all the competitions. Photographed for The Sunday Times Magazine. Thanks to @louisebamfordfenerci for sending me, the PR team, and to the Cambiasos for making me feel welcome. #cambiaso #cambiasopolo #adolfocambiaso #porotocambiaso #portraitphotography #onlocation #polo #sundaytimesmagazine

The elusive and excellent Mr Andy Wilman, photographed for The Sunday Times Magazine at the old Top Gear studios at Dunsfold Aerodrome. Andy hadn’t been back in years. The old offices still stand beside the Dunsfold aerodrome with the racetrack where they spent so much of their time. Here he is, sat on the steps of the old Top Gear studio doors. This shoot threw up the classic ‘go outside and the clouds open’ location shoot joy, so everything outdoors was shot in under three minutes. Got to love a challenge, and got to love moving fast! 4 setups outside in under three minutes, weirdly not my record! Meeting Andy was a real highlight. I had no idea what to expect as he is quite elusive, despite being Mr WIlman! He’s nothing like you might expect, excellent company with absolutely zero ego and full of ideas to add to the shoot. Thanks to Nick for the help, to Andy for being such great company, to the team at Dunsfold for letting us into the old offices, and, obviously to @russocphoto for sending me, as always. #andywilman #topgear #thesundaytimesmagazine #editorialphotography #portrait #locationportrait #portraitphotography

Do you reckon you can just put it in the river? Yes, mate, of course. Not the most unusual question I’ve asked on a shoot, but this was a huge MAN truck we were talking about. Bobby and Marie swiftly agreed, jumped at the chance, and just drove straight in. That’s how we started the shoot. Well, actually, that’s not quite exactly how we started the shoot. We started by them getting stuck under a huge tree and then having to cut it down to free the truck. It was very impressive. I’d love to introduce you to Bobby and Marie of @one.life.truck.it fame. These guys have got such an incredible story, such incredible warmth, and could not have made myself and @olliekew feel more welcome when we went up to spend the day with them a few months ago. Such wonderful people, such a story, and I can’t wait to see what’s next with the new truck, guys. Huge congratulations on getting married. Wishing you an amazing life of adventure and happiness. Can’t wait to shoot you again at some point. Personal note from me: meeting and photographing people like Bobby and Marie is such a highlight of my job. I truly love meeting characters like this. They are so interesting and inspirational. Plus, they’re happy to stick the truck wherever you ask. Thanks to Bobby, Marie, the absolute geez Andy for sending me & Ollie for always sympathetically laughing at my terrible jokes/holding a stand in the wind! #onelifetruckit #mantruck #offroadlife #truckshoot #locationshoot #portraitphotographer #adventurecouple #realpeople #topgear

When I first reached out to the team at @terryblacks_bbq , they replied straight away saying they were totally up for it, but, we should jump on a call because their operation wasn’t like any of the others... I was intrigued, so I jumped on the call immediately. They explained how they ran things and I couldn’t wait to see it in person. A couple of weeks later I land in Austin and headed straight down to their Lockhart branch early in the trip. As soon as I stepped inside, I completely understood what they’d described on the call and why this setup is so different. I was stunned by the scale, with multiple teams working around the clock to keep everything fresh and consistent. The team I met included Juan, Jeremy and Ben (in order of appearance). They were on a late shift, getting ready to hand over to the overnight crew a few hours after closing. Each of them took time to show me their part of the process and explain how the whole system runs. What really struck me was how they’ve managed to keep the intimate, small-team atmosphere and passion, despite operating at a massive scale. The Lockhart branch even smokes for parts of the Austin location because of its extra capacity. It was the biggest setup I saw on the trip, and absolutely fascinating. Coming from the UK and seeing barbecue on this scale was simply mind-blowing. The Terry Black’s team could not have been kinder, more helpful or more generous with their time. They even set up a separate plate for me to shoot at the Austin branch, so I got tours of both pits. The food was beautiful, one of my favourites of the trip. The hospitality, not just towards me but to everyone who walked through the door, was next level. I left completely blown away and deeply impressed. Huge thanks to Marcus, Laura, Juan, Ben, Jeremy and the rest of the Terry Black’s crew, both in Lockhart and Austin, for being so generous and making me feel so welcome. It’s bittersweet to wrap up this project, but I’m incredibly proud of what came from it; and these guys really put the icing on the cake. I can’t wait to come back. #TerryBlacksBBQ #LockhartBBQ #AustinBBQ #TexasBBQ #Pitmaster #PitmasterPortrait #lowandslow #tommybsbbq

Damien is the pitmaster and owner of @distantrelativesatx in Austin, TX. Distant Relatives isn’t just about barbecue, it’s about history. Damien’s menu draws on the African and Caribbean roots of American barbecue, using spices like grains of paradise and bird chilli. He smokes over pecan wood, a sweeter variety of hickory, giving the meat a flavour that feels both deeply traditional and completely fresh. We started nice and early around 6 a.m., but Damien had already been there for hours. Being a pitmaster takes serious commitment, long unsociable hours and relentless precision. The whole operation runs lean, with Damien and his team managing every brisket, turkey, sausage and side so nothing hangs around. Everything is cooked fresh and turned over daily to keep the quality high. Huge thanks to Damien and the Distant Relatives crew for welcoming me in and showing me how you do it. This is barbecue with a story, and they’d just earned their Bib Gourmand a few days before I arrived, rightly so. #DistantRelatives #AustinBBQ #TexasBBQ #BBQLife #PitmasterStories #BBQPhotography #BBQCulture #Pitmaster #PhotographyProject #PitmasterPortrait #LowAndSlow #PersonalProject #TommyBsBBQ #PecanWoodBBQ #TexasBarbecue

It’s with great pleasure I’d love to introduce Ricky Mumphord, one of the two brothers who run @mumphords_bbq_place in Victoria, TX. This spot has been here for 25 years, starting life as a store before being transformed into the barbecue joint it is today. The original pit is still in use, and you can feel the history as soon as you walk in. What makes Mumphord’s special is how they cook. They burn mesquite down to coals, spread them out, and cook low and slow over that bed of heat. Proper traditional barbecue. The flavour is unreal. The crew were incredibly generous with their time, showing me how they manage the pits, keep ribs ready when the lines get long, and fire up chickens, briskets and turkeys every single morning. Hard work in the Texas heat, but they make it look effortless. Huge thanks to the Mumphord’s team for letting me spend the afternoon with y’all. This is Texas barbecue in its purest form. Absolutely loved it, well worth the drive. Thank you guys. #MumphordsPlace #TexasBBQ #VictoriaTX #BBQLife #PitmasterStories #BBQPhotography #BBQCulture #Pitmaster #PhotographyProject #PitmasterPortrait #LowAndSlow #PersonalProject #TommyBsBBQ #MesquiteBBQ #TexasBarbecue

obviously I had to include the wood. It’s a key part of the process, and there’s so much care, knowledge, and skill that goes into creating the perfect stock to cook on. @chief_firewood supply all the best spots, and their crates were a constant sight at nearly every place I visited. What stood out even more was how warmly everyone spoke about them. Obviously, I was excited to hang out! Javier and Joel did not disappoint. They spent loads of time with me and were an absolute joy to spend time with. I learned a ton about wood and their business. How the firewood is seasoned, what makes the perfect size, how it’s stacked, and where it all ends up. They supply some of the top BBQ joints in the state and have big plans to grow it even further. They kindly took the time to show me around properly: the gear, the stacks, the machinery… and even sent me away with a hat (which is now obviously part of my uniform). Honestly, it’s an amazing place to visit and I couldn’t be more grateful. Guys, it was a real pleasure. Thank you. #TexasBBQ #ChiefFirewood #BBQFuel #BBQCulture #PhotographyProject #BBQBehindTheScenes #WoodIsGood #PitmasterFuel #TommyBsBBQ #PersonalProject

Jerry has worked at @smittys_market_official in Lockhart for 24 years. He says it’s run by a great family and he’s been manning the pits ever since. Such a nice guy! Jerry, thank you so much for your time. Smitty’s Market is one of the oldest barbecue joints in America, serving traditional and incredible barbecue, all smoked on site (and inside!!) The first thing that hits you when you walk into Smitty’s is the smell. The smoke is right there in your face. It’s the only place I visited with truly indoor pits, meaning the fires are inside the building. When I walked in there was a low cloud of smoke sitting about a foot and a half above head height. You can even see its mark on the menus, they start out clear enough at the bottom, but higher up they’re stained from years of smoke. Every wall is covered in smoke. The place just oozes history and patina. Its barbecue provenance is written into every wall and surface. I loved the old menus too, some dating back to the early 1900s, but they’ve been so marked by smoke over the years that they’re almost unrecognisable. Visiting Smitty’s is an experience like no other. You’ll see signs everywhere saying “no forks”. Traditionally, cowboys would come in, sit with their food, and a waitress would clean the knife chained to the table. The meats were sold by the pound on butcher paper with bread, onions and pickles. You ate with your hands and a knife. No sauce. The whole point was pride, barbecue that could stand on its own without sauce or utensils. What an experience. Huge thanks to Jerry, Miss Nina, James and the rest of the Smitty’s team who could not have been more accommodating. #SmokyHistory #SmittysMarket #LockhartBBQ #TexasBBQ #BBQLife #PitmasterStories #BBQPhotography #BBQCulture #PhotographyProject #PitmasterPortrait #LowAndSlow #PersonalProject #TommyBsBBQ #CentralTexasBBQ #HistoricBBQ

Evan Leroy (@evanleroybbq ) of @leroyandlewis BBQ in Austin, Texas. A lovely spot with a big car park full of smokers, smoke billowing everywhere, and it looked incredible. Huge thanks to Evan, Tom, Cole and the rest of the team at Leroy & Lewis. I could not have been made to feel more welcome. The sandwich I had was the best sandwich I’ve ever eaten in my life. And from someone who lives life on the road, that’s pretty high praise. They’ve recently been awarded a Michelin star, and it’s not hard to see why. Just a couple of weeks after I left, the team were also given the #2 spot on @texasmonthly Top 50 BBQ Joints list. Real care and attention goes into every dish, and it was a delicious and smoky afternoon. Thanks guys. #LeroyAndLewis #TexasBBQ #BBQLife #PitmasterStories #AustinBBQ #BBQPhotography #BBQCulture #Pitmaster #PhotographyProject #PitmasterPortrait #LowAndSlow #PersonalProject #TommyBsBBQ #MichelinStarBBQ #TexasBarbecue