Shirlaine Forrest

Whether shooting rock gigs, fashion models or the high-speed track sport of roller derby, Shirlaine Forrest is one of the busiest photographers you will ever meet. She pauses just long enough to tell Keith Wilson why she always carries a bag of sweets and how Bob the Builder fixed it for her

- Keith Wilson

As Shirlaine Forrest herself describes it, back in the 1990s “media studies was deemed to be the GCSE course for idiots”. But in her case, taking up media studies proved to be the pivotal moment in an education that ultimately led to her beginning a successful 25-year career in photography. Born and raised in north-east England, Shirlaine readily admits to not being a model student. “I used to skive a lot so I got put in that class because I just didn’t turn up to school for about two years,” she recalls, “but I discovered that I loved media studies, went and did it at college and then university, and then got a job in film.”

That first job saw her working with the creative team behind Bob the Builder and Pingu, the animated stars of kids’ TV, produced by Hot Animation in Manchester. Although she didn’t know anyone in ‘the Manche’ prior to her move from the north-east, Shirlaine’s love of rock music meant she knew that Manchester was the place to be. “It’s the land of music,” she exclaims, “so I was doing Bob the Builder and Pingu in the daytime and metal gigs in the evening. Lots of fun!” But what made it more fun was taking a camera and trying to get backstage…

You always loved music, so when did music meet photography?

I started to go to loads of gigs. You know when you’re in your early 20s and you’re obsessed with bands and you’d read NME and