What advice would you give someone starting from square one?

Move to square two—find an appropriate stepping stone to your ambitions. I wanted to make films and thought photography would be a good stepping stone to that.

When did you feel you had found your artistic identity and was there a specific moment that contributed to this?

I fell into photography and worked within the vernacular of magazine editorials—after a short time I became bored by the pictures I was making. I picked up a pencil and started sketching new ideas—this was a breakthrough.

And a setback that turned out to be a redirection?

The slow death of magazines led me to consider showing my images in galleries. Like a plant we grow towards the light.

How important was art to you growing up?

My father was a famous artist so Art was there with me everyday.

Who do you rely on for advice when you need an honest answer?

Myself.

What does "taking a leap" actually look like in your experience?

Avoiding self parody.

What's a lesson you had to learn more than once?

Don’t get married (joking).

When have you felt most "on the right ladder"?

You have days like that all the time but a snake is always around the corner.

A place that you return back to when in need of inspiration?

Any Art Museum in any city.

Is there a song that takes you back to a specific moment in time?

Frankie Goes To Hollywood—Xmas 1983 at art school. 

If you were playing a second game, which career route would you have taken?

As David Hemmings the fictional photographer in Blow Up states “if only I had loads of money then I’d be free”. Money is always an attraction when you don’t have it but it’s also a trap.

Miles will be bringing his '15 Minutes of Fame' Polaroid portrait studio to Mayfair this October, offering one-off sittings during Frieze and PAD London as part of the Mount Street Neighbourhood Arts Festival. Bookings can be made via shopmilesaldridge.com.