As a kid growing up in London, seeing Places+Faces photographers Ciesay and Soulz accompany Skepta on early trips to New York or pop up with Japanese rapper Anarchy in Tokyo felt like a victory for all of us. They were our guys on the inside, from London to the world, sneaking into venues and giving us a window into the cultures we grew up admiring. Today, they no longer need to sneak in anywhere: their names now appear on guest lists and beside iconic portraits of Rihanna, A$AP Rocky, Travis Scott, and many more. But, as their photographs hit the historic Sotheby’s auction house this week, marking the release of their first ever photobook, it’s hard not to still feel proud of the underdog duo and all the doors they’ve broken down.

“When you hear Sotheby’s, you’re thinking the Basquiats, the Warhols,” Ciesay tells me as we settle down in a luxurious backroom of the auction house. “For us, it was important to show the new generation of artists who never thought we’d be in these spaces that their work matters and can be considered art.”

It’s a statement that calls back to Ciesay and Soulz’ own childhoods and the hours they spent admiring the photographers and storytellers that came before them. “I used to watch Anthony Bourdain travel to all of these different countries and interact with local communities. I was thinking, ‘One day I’d love to go to these places,” says Ciesay. “So, when I moved back [to London] to go to university, I started skipping classes to go to New York. It was that curiosity to explore a place that especially came from watching things.”

From there, it was Ciesay and Soulz’ undeniably cool demeanour that led them to develop star-studded photographs and relationships alike. “A lot of photographers would take the pictures and run and put it on their profile,” says Ciesay. “We’d always stay and have some dialogue. People would be like, ‘Oh they came to our event,’ or ‘They came to hang out.’ We’d try to make everyone on the team feel comfortable.”

But it’s also this childhood fascination with the world that points to a significance of Places+Faces beyond the big names. “Places+Faces isn’t just streetwear, fashion, celebrities, it’s more documentary,” Ciesay explains. “[The upcoming photobook] has pictures taken in Cuba, in Rio, even of Soulz drinking tea in business class. We want people to see some of us as well, to be amazed by how much we have done and why we continue to do it.”

”I think that’s what makes us different to other people,” he continues. “It’s not like every time there’s a press release like, ‘Hey, this artist is dropping their album tomorrow. Do you want to post them on your page?’ It’s more about our personal interests.”

“We’re kind of selfish,” Ciesay eventually concludes, letting out a chuckle that suggested ‘selfish’ was a bit of an understatement. In fact, in many ways, it’s the secret to their success. It’s the reason why kids like me grew up admiring their work, why artists like A$AP Rocky and Rihanna trusted them with their likenesses, and, above all, why their debut photobook and Sotheby’s takeover is so significant.

Below, from Rihanna to Quentin Tarantino, Places+Faces’ Ciesay breaks down the stories behind some of their favourite shots.

UNKNOWN T

Ciesay: This was taken on the River Nile in Uganda. Unknown T is originally from Uganda and he hadn’t been back for a while. He invited us to come with him and document that experience. The guy in the back on the boat was his security guard and had known Unknown T’s grandfather, who was a soldier. It was a very special moment for him to reconnect with his country, and we were obviously blessed and grateful that we were able to be there and capture the moment. It’s such a strong and powerful photo.

RIHANNA ON YAMS DAY

Ciesay: This was taken at Yams Day 2019, which is an annual concert that A$AP Rocky does in memory of A$AP Yams. It usually happens early January, around Paris Fashion Week. I was in Paris, but I was like, ‘I’ve seen Paris Fashion Week thousands of times, but I’ve never been to [Yams Day].’ I hit Rock, and he was like ‘Yeah, come through,’ so I literally booked a flight to go to New York. I missed the flight, so I just took a flight to Philadelphia, and then I took the train from Philadelphia to New York.

I got in five hours late. I came with A$AP Nast. We were hanging backstage and then Rihanna was there. It was one of the first times I met her, and she was so cool. I asked, ‘Can I take some photos of you?’ And she was down. This pic is legendary because Rihanna is such a great person, but catching her in this element? A lot of celebs are conscious of how they appear, but I think she felt comfortable around me because I knew Rocky and people around them. I think that helped her be more free when I was taking the photos and know that I wasn’t gonna give it to TMZ the next day. The picture was great, and she told me she liked it.

POP SMOKE

Ciesay: This was taken in Paris after the Louis Vuitton show. Pop Smoke had worn our clothing a few months before. We’re known for not gifting people unless they come to our space. We want to be able to communicate, interact, talk, hang out and then give the clothes. That leaves a good taste in everyone’s mouth and everyone feels comfortable. So, I had to be convinced by my team. Everyone was like, ‘Just give him the clothes!’ I was like, ‘Oh, but I don’t know the guy, I’ve not met him. What if he doesn’t wear it?’ But, you know, he wore it and it was amazing.

Then, a few months later at Paris Fashion Week, we were both at the Louis Vuitton show. I just went up to him, like, ‘Hey, what's up? You don’t know me, but you wore my brand a few months ago.’ He was like, ‘Yeah, I love it, man. We should do some stuff.’ Pop Smoke typically wore blue, but it was a red outfit they’d given him, so he was like, ‘Let’s make a blue version of the outfit.’

Afterwards, we went to Hotel Costes. He was so young, maybe just turned 21, but he had this grown presence. It was funny, he had ordered five pasta dishes. I think he felt like it was one of his first times in Europe and he wanted a real experience of eating pasta. We were hanging out, taking photos, and this moment happened. Again, it’s just comfortability. It was just like, snap, snap, snap, snap, eating, eating, eating.

QUENTIN TARANTINO

Ciesay: We are a fan of culture, but we never liked to fanboy about things. I’ve never been like, ‘Oh my God, I need to take this picture!’ More like, ‘if it happens, it happens.’ But, with Tarantino, that was one of the few times where I had to find out. In my head, I was like, ‘We need to get this photo somehow, somewhere.’ I met him at this after party for GQ, but he just disappeared. I figured, ‘Damn, I've lost my chance.’

But then there was an afterparty, and I met him again there. I just went: ‘Hey, I’m a huge fan. I’d love to take a picture.’ He was like, ‘Hey, man, I don’t even take photos.’ ‘Like, bro, I’m a huge fan. Please let me take your photo.’ He said, ‘OK, I can see you’re a fan.’ I took it on a Polaroid, I didn’t even have time to take out my other cameras – literally, one and done. I left the party straight away and went to the hotel to print the Polaroid slowly. These Polaroids, especially Andy Warhol ones we use, are so fickle. You might be lucky and it comes out great, or you might be unlucky and it just doesn’t come out. So I’m in my hotel, sweating, praying the picture comes out. Then it came out perfect. I think this is one of my favorite pictures ever.

Places+Faces’ work will be on display at Sotheby’s from 26 February-4 March, and their debut photobook is available to purchase from Sotheby’s Story Café, which they have taken over with special edition merchandise and decor. Take a look at the gallery above for a peek inside.