The photographer on growing up vegetarian, and with musicians, her supportive dad, Paul McCartney, and coping with grief after the death of her mother, Linda
Born in London in 1969, Mary McCartney is a photographer, film-maker, presenter and vegetarian cookbook author. The eldest daughter of musician Paul McCartney and photographer Linda McCartney, Mary’s childhood was spent on the road with the Beatles and in studios such as Abbey Road, about which she made a documentary, If These Walls Could Sing, in 2022. She lives in London with her film-maker husband, Simon Aboud, and has four sons. Mary has curated Sea Views, an online exhibition for the luxury cruise line Cunard, featuring archive imagery and submissions from the public.
This was taken in Nashville. I’m wearing a lanyard as I had been commissioned by the Country Music Awards to take portraits of all the winners and nominees like Loretta Lynn, Kid Rock, Shooter Jennings and Lynyrd Skynyrd. Wandering around the hotel on my way to the event I saw this row of mirrors: I’m attracted to shiny things and loved the repeat image of myself so I took the photo. It was a spontaneous moment and I really liked the camera being in it, too – something you wouldn’t get with a selfie today.
