Just before Christmas 2023, the renowned British photographer and director Rankin set up a small pop-up studio in London’s Carnaby Street for a RankinLIVE event.
People could turn up to sit for a cover-style Rankin portrait: an image to mark a special occasion, perhaps, such as a birthday, or wedding vows renewal, or beating cancer. “And this amazing woman walked in called Paola Marra ,” he said. “I asked what the occasion was, and she said: ‘I’m going to Dignitas.’”
The photograph was for Marra’s final social media post. “So, it was a really, really big deal,” he recalled. “It’s 11am on a Thursday morning. Just a normal day. And it was like a punch to the stomach.”
