Never heard of MTV UK‘s Geordie Shore? Then you must be living under a rock, or at least outside of England or Australia. The UK’s sister show to the popular State side Jersey Shore, Geordie Shore launched in 2011 quickly becoming the highest rated show on MTV UK in the last three years. The second season is set to air this month, on January 31st.
So why am I so interested in Geordie Shore? Well, that would be because our very own United Kingdom-based advertising photographer Jacob Niblett has been there shooting the outrageous cast from the beginning. Jacob is no stranger to working with MTV, having shot promos for several of their shows—Gonzo with Alexa Chung, Suck My Pop, MTV Meets Lady Gaga, Teen Dad, etc—as well as shooting their presenters for MTV Online.
Having shot the cast of the Geordie Shore many times already, Jacob has learned how they like to work: casual and fun,
I usually shoot the cast during their press days or whilst they’re filming the TV promos for the series. For the latest shoot, we had them during the UK press day. I shot the cast individually and whilst others were free they were being interviewed by the UK media. I’m quite used to having to work fast when shooting the cast as we usually only get a day or less to shoot the eight individual set ups and a few group shots. MTV is really good to work for, they allow me to plan how the images are going to look completely. I was given free reign in terms of lighting and interaction with the cast members.
There’s a lot for Jacob to love about working for a big television network, especially all the exposure his images see. Jacob says, “I always know when I shoot something for MTV, whether it be advertising of just press stuff, that the images are going to go a long way. It’s a great feeling seeing my work in so many different places.”
The MTV team was very happy with the finished shots, and quickly started rolling them out on MTV UK Online, in various magazines, press stories, and all over the internet. He’s also currently in talks to photograph a large produced shoot in Newcastle, where Geordie Shore is set. So stay tuned!