Polly Samson's Intimate Photographic Journey with David Gilmour
For two decades, acclaimed author Polly Samson has been quietly documenting the creative life of her husband, legendary Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour. Her photographic work, spanning concert tours and studio sessions, now forms the basis of her inaugural exhibition at London's Leica Gallery, running until May 7, 2026.
A Literary Eye Behind the Lens
While firmly established in the literary world with five highly praised works of fiction, Samson has simultaneously developed a parallel career as a documentary photographer. Her sixth book, David Gilmour: Luck and Strange – Studio/Live, published by Thames & Hudson, provides the foundation for her current exhibition titled Polly Samson – Between This Breath and Then.
"I'm not trying to make him look like the most handsome man in the world," Samson explains about her approach to photographing Gilmour. "The fact that he's not looking for that and doesn't censor is really freeing."
Two Decades of Creative Partnership
Samson began documenting Gilmour's creative process during the making of his 2005 album On an Island, continuing through subsequent projects including Rattle That Lock and the recent Luck and Strange. Their artistic collaboration extends beyond photography, with Samson having served as main lyricist for Pink Floyd's The Division Bell (1994) and The Endless River (2014), as well as Gilmour's solo albums.
Her photographic work offers an intimate perspective on their creative partnership, capturing moments both on stage and in private settings. "Even in a concert packed with people, you need an outsider's eye," she notes about her concert photography.
Atmospheric and Narrative-Driven Imagery
Samson's background as a writer informs her photographic approach, with images carrying narrative weight while remaining open to interpretation. One particularly personal image, Muse and Magpie from 2016, features a rescued magpie that lived with the family and was later immortalized in their son Charlie's memoir Featherhood.
The exhibition includes several technically innovative images, including one of their daughter Romany recording harp parts for Luck and Strange, lit entirely by candles at producer Charlie Andrew's suggestion. "I was using my film camera for the first time in a decade," Samson recalls, "so it was a tense few days waiting for them to be developed."
Emotional Depth and Creative Freedom
A recurring theme in Samson's work is the emotional depth that characterizes her images, sometimes described as "deeply and sometimes darkly" atmospheric. One striking portrait shows the couple with their dog reflected in a large mirror placed in a misty landscape, created using an out-of-shot fire of leaves and twigs to simulate rising mist.
Samson describes the peculiar experience of photographing during concerts: "They look straight at you but they can't see you because they've got the lights shining right at them. It's quite odd; it gives me the chills sometimes. It's like being a ghost."
Beyond the Main Subject
The exhibition also features images of other musicians from Gilmour's circle, including expressive portraits of backing vocalist Hattie Webb, whom Samson befriended during the pandemic after Webb read her novel A Theatre for Dreamers. The backing vocalists from the Luck and Strange tour have since formed their own band, the Marshall Gilmour Webbs, currently performing across the UK and Europe.
Samson's photographic work represents a significant expansion of her artistic practice, complementing her established literary career. In 2018, she was appointed a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, and her work has been translated into numerous languages worldwide.
The current exhibition at Leica Gallery London offers visitors a rare glimpse into the creative partnership between two significant artistic figures, documented through the intimate lens of their personal and professional relationship.
