Martin Scorsese

The director as directee – Harry asked Scorsese to wink for this striking image

Back in the late 1990s, the British media had extensive access to world-famous people, and I was fortunate to photograph quite a lot of them within a relatively short period. They included Cate Blanchett, Richard Harris, Robin Williams, Richard Branson, Kylie Minogue and Demi Moore.

Twenty years on, it is much more difficult to photograph people of that stature. Publicists have more power over who photographs their clients, and you have magazine, the picture has probably been bought in from America, rather than one that a British photographer has been commissioned to do. I’m glad I shot those portraits when I had the opportunity.