Anton Rodriguez in Focus The Photographer Who Turns Everyday Moments into Cultural Statements

Some photographers document the world while others reframe it. Anton Rodriguez belongs firmly in the latter camp. Speaking to Hinton Magazine, he traces the journey from chance beginnings to the creation of work that feels both deeply personal and culturally resonant. His lens moves from the texture of daily life to the discipline of still life, from the intimacy of portraiture to the precision of food photography, yet always with the same intent — to reveal truth in its purest form. What follows is an insight into an artist who refuses to be confined by category, a conversation that captures not only his craft but the perspective that makes each image unmistakably his.

You were born in Germany, raised in Liverpool, and then lived in the Barbican in London. Could you describe the moment you first set eyes on the estate — and what about it captured your imagination?

It was by chance that we ended up finding the Barbican Estate, I had only lived in London for one year and had never heard of the Barbican Estate before. I was actively looking for apartments in the Clerkenwell area as that was where I was currently living. The estate agent mentioned about an apartment which was very close to Clerkenwell and on that first viewing I fell instantly in love. I grew up surrounded by brutalist architecture in Liverpool, such as car parks and office buildings but had never seen it done so beautifully for residential buildings. I know also of people think of the Barbican as ugly but personally I fell in love with it, the apartments are very bright with floor to ceiling windows, that was the first thing I noticed with the apartment was the quality of light.

‘Barbican Residents’ is such an evocative personal project — effectively neighbours turned collaborators. When did you first decide to flip the narrative and turn the lens back on yourself?

I always wanted to see what the apartments looked like, as there are so many types. At the time other than looking on right move etc there was not much out there to get a good insight. I had applied for a grant with VSCO Artist Initiative to help fund the project of buying new equipment, and I was surprised they loved the idea for the Barbican residents project. From there I contacted residents via an online forum to gather interest, luckily many got in touch. The typical Barbican resident can be very private and also you often don't meet your neighbours as their front door might be in a different entrance or floor. 

Your debut book, Residents: Inside the Iconic Barbican Estate, sold out fast. What did it mean to you to see it move from spontaneous side-project to published work with cultural resonance?

It was elating, I had no idea that this little project published online could develop so quickly. I remember I sent the Barbican an email with the idea for the project to be a book, I honestly didn’t even think I would hear back let alone be asked to meet in person and discuss how we could move forward. I think it was even more exciting to get Tom Munckton and his studio involved. Tom was a resident I photographed for the book and became friends with. Tom and his team really listened and understood what the Barbican and I wanted for the book to look like and how it should be layed out.

You effortlessly cross genres — shooting portraits, food, interiors, architecture. How does your approach shift, emotionally or technically, when you move from photographing a chef’s dish to capturing a person’s character in their own home?

I think each type of photography helps show a different side to me, when shooting portraits you have be emotive and personal with the subject, where architecture photography is much more methodical and requires a more in-depth understanding of light, shadow and composition. I really enjoy food photography because I for one have a huge love for food haha and I really enjoy working with chefs and seeing how they will cook, plate and present the dish, its then up to me to show that dish in its best light.

You’ve been commissioned by Soho House, Cereal Magazine, Dulux — names known for their refined aesthetic. In what ways do you make a commercial assignment still feel personal, and what are the tell-tale signs a brand ‘gets it’?

I think the commercial clients will choose me for my style rather than me having to change my style for them. I often will decline commercial jobs if I think my style will not align with what they want. The commercial clients have give me more creative control are the ones I align with, I think it should be a collaboration and not just always a brief to work to.

Living amid the Brutalist forms of the Barbican seems to have shaped not just your work but your worldview — you once mentioned it “changed the way you looked at the world”. Could you unpack that a little?

Coming from a small town called Kirkby, my views were constrained because I hadn’t seen enough of I guess the real world, moving to London and the Barbican helped me find myself, I became confident in myself and my work. The Barbican helped me shape my photography skills, the shadows and the light were a constant focus of mine, at every corner of the Barbican you can discover another scene. By doing the Barbican book I also met so many different people, from different races, jobs, disabilities, ages, it was a great way to make friends and discover why people chose the Barbican to live in.

When you’re shooting food and wine — as in your Sociovino piece — you call it “never-ending joy”, yet there’s an artistry in still life that’s deeply contemplative. How do you balance spontaneity with precision in those frames?

A lot of the still life work I have done is spontaneous and the way shoot is organic, I often have not been to the location, I cannot control the weather and light. My job is to work amongst the limits of the these things  I have to shape the light that is available to me or create light in a natural way. I really enjoy the methodical process of composition, lighting and even the post production.

Looking forward: where do you see your photography going next? A new city, medium, or wholly different project, and what’s the one image you can’t wait to make?

Right now I’m mostly focused on food photography, with a project idea I’ve had in the works for a couple years now but just haven’t had the time to bring it to fruition, hopefully for 2026 I can make it happen. As a teaser it focuses more on whats chefs eat outside the restaurant...

Our discussion with Anton reveals more than the details of a career behind the camera. It uncovers the way an artist thinks, how he finds character in people and meaning in light. His reflections trace a path from side projects that became cultural touchstones to collaborations with brands that trust his vision. As he looks to future projects, Anton remains rooted in the same principle that has guided him from the start — to capture the world as he sees it, honest and unforced, always searching for the image that tells the truest story.