Martin Parr: ‘There’s no time for being intimidated’

My childhood was “very Home Counties”. I was born in Chessington, and we moved to Epsom when I was 12. My father was an obsessive bird ringer and president of the Surrey Bird Club, so in my teens I’d head to Hersham sewage works with him every Saturday. That’s when I started trainspotting. It was light relief and a welcome distraction.

I knew I wanted to be a photographer by 13. I’d go and stay with my grandfather who was a keen amateur. We’d go out shooting, process film and make prints together. I became dogmatic about it, boring almost, but it made a good start.

I don’t believe in God, I don’t think I ever did. My parents were Methodists, but I was always arguing in Sunday school and being precocious. I really couldn’t shake the feeling I was being peddled a massive lie. My outlook on that hasn’t changed for 50 years.

You have to be fearless if you’re to be a photographer. If you want to get the picture, you need to go up and take it. There’s no time for being intimidated, and if you look guilty then you are. My best advice is to avoid eye contact, don’t invite someone to comment. Of course I still have problems, it’s an occupational hazard. Do know that if the police come, the law is on your side.

Class is still everywhere in Britain, it tells us who we are and what we do. There are class systems across the world, but here it’s clearly defined, woven into daily life and extremely visible.

Photography doesn’t change the world, I don’t buy into that humanistic line of thought. I just go out with my camera to observe and present. All photojournalists are leftwing, you don’t do this job unless you care about people and have an interest in their wellbeing. But in my work? I’m simply creating entertainment. There might be some politics there, somewhere, but it’s lingering in the background.

Fatherhood has been amazing. It had a profound impact on me. Being a dad has seen me unlock parts of myself I didn’t even know existed. I think I’ve probably been an average parent. I’m away too much for work, I always was.

I’ve travelled the world, but I can’t get a visa to Iran, a place I’d still love to go. The authorities say I’m too “political”, which I find pretty staggering given I’m not very politically active in any traditional sense. Could someone have a word with the Iranian embassy for me? I’d be much obliged.

Instagram has been a blessing. More people are engaging with photography, going to shows and supporting the industry. And yet, documentary photographers are needed more than ever. If we’re all doing it, we need people to be doing it well. The skill of our profession is exploring one’s relationship with a subject. That isn’t easy. It’s your personal take on the world, and that’s the story.

Photographers are known to live to ripe old ages. We’re very active and keep ourselves working, thinking and walking around. That said, I fully accept I’m getting older. There are more aches and pains, but I won’t let them intimidate me.

A membership scheme has begun at the Martin Parr Foundation. For more details, go to martinparrfoundation.org