Mad About the Girl: Newly released photos show Amy Winehouse the way she saw herself

‘This is not a doom-and-gloom-and-then-she-dies story,’ says photographer Blake Wood. ‘There were amazing bright moments amid all the chaos and that’s what I see in these images’

Winehouse in Saint Lucia, 2009. The singer was at the height of her celebrity but struggled with personal issues and the scrutiny of constant media attention (Blake Wood/Taschen)

When 22-year-old American photographer Blake Wood moved to London on the heels of a breakup in 2007, a mutual friend introduced him to Amy Winehouse.

After winning five Grammy Awards for her 2006 album Back to Black, the celebrated singer with the sultry and emotionally raw voice was at the height of her celebrity, but struggling with her wayward partner and the scrutiny of constant media attention. Bonding over their relationship woes, Wood and Winehouse developed a close friendship and would become inseparable for the next two years.

From Winehouse performing in Paris to playing drums at her home studio in Camden Town, from her at ease on a holiday in Saint Lucia to carefree vamping, Blake Wood captured his own visual diary of the soul diva at a time when she was one of the most celebrated voices on Earth.

He captured photographs that reveal their mutual love, trust, and respect and discovered a rare and lighter side of Amy, totally at ease in front of her friend’s camera; a typical young London girl enjoying life to the fullest.

“This is not a doom-and-gloom-and-then-she-dies story. There were amazing bright moments amid all the chaos and that’s what I see in these images.” — Blake Wood

The photographer: Blake Wood is a multidisciplinary American artist based in New York City and London. Wood’s work has been featured in international media outlets, including Channel 4 UK, i-D, Vice UK, and Dazed

You can purchase Amy Winehouse by Blake Wood and Taschen online