NK: No, not at all. It's a real compliment. It's worse when people don't rip you off.

LC: Every photographer I've talked to says the same thing. When you're not being copied it's as if you're not worth being copied.

NK: That's right. It's different with the Internet, but in print there's such a small amount of feedback to the work, where people say things to you that other people don't. So the only way to gauge a story's success is to see how it's influenced other photographers' work. It's like a conversation where you do a shoot and they answer it.

LC: Do you collaborate with other photographers?

NK: No, but I have a lot of assistants who've gone on to do great work, like Craig McDean and Elaine Constantine. I regard them somewhat patronizingly as my extended family. Then there are photographic duos who share roles, but I don't find myself doing it.