The unforgettable frame

“I don’t go around saying that my photographs are better than anyone else’s, but I’m sorry, that is one of the best photographs of that band. Bono’s kinda (makes smirking cocked-eyebrow Bono face), Edge is really smiling, Larry’s taking the piss – they’re all taking the piss, but in their own really different ways – but all really revealing so much about themselves.

“And the best thing is that it’s not a comp shot – it’s totally in camera: caught it, got it. To get that kind of shot normally you have to comp a little, you have to kinda take people out, take their heads out, put it together, magazines do that all the time. It’s really hard to get a band of four people to look exactly right, all at the same time.

“I’ve got a really funny story about Adam. Cos Adam came later than the rest of them, that day. And I had shot them all individually first, cos I didn’t want them to not know what I’m about – and I was like, Head down, chin out, you know, you heard what I did with Elvis. But Adam hadn’t been there. So they all get in the group shot, and I was going Right, Bono, put your feet like that, angle your head more, do this, do that – and Adam’s face was like (forms expression of fixed stony rage) – he could not believe that I was ordering these people around! And I was going, Adam, can you push your chin down. Adam. Please Adam. And he was just ignoring me! It was really hilarious, it made me laugh so much. He was like, Who is this bloke? Who is this person telling me what to do?

But you know, U2 were just the best. He’s the best. [meaning Bono] He said the nicest thing that anyone’s ever said to me. He goes, Rankin, you remind me of me. And that was like – for me, that was a proper compliment…And I’m not like him. I mean, he’s a bit older than me, and he’s much more – he’s got loads more going on. But he is an incredible man. They all are.”