OLLIE KIRK
The Leicester based photographer has a strong and diverse portfolio. His work is deeply involved with the music scene, he has photographed names such as Goldie, Mala, Barely Legal and D- Double E to name a few. Along side this he and Grade 10's Greg GTI, run the the publishing platform Shadow Axis, together they put out a great variety of different zines and prints. They are definitely one to watch.
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For those that haven’t seen your work could you give us a description of what you do and where your passion for photography began?
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Im a photographer focusing and specialising on the music industry, shooting portraits and parties as well as festival work. I also publish magazines with my good friend / graphic designer Greg Hardy, together we form Shadow Axis. I’d say my passion started when I was about 16. I remember being in Valencia with my parents, pinching Dad’s Nikon and exploring the city trying to get capture life that I found odd or out of place. Remember being gone for hours and managing to get a series of photographs together, I don’t think I’d been more proud of something I’d produced and caught a buzz off like that. I got back home, bought myself a cheap point & shoot from Oxfam and I’ve been doing the same since.
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Would you say you approach personal work differently to festival portraits or editorial shots?
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I never intend to approach work in any different way to how I approach my own work. Obviously theres times where there’s added pressure and I know I need to spend a little longer perfecting things, but I always feel comfortable to just go with it, you know? My work is very “in the moment” and fast paced so it’s hard to change the way I shoot.
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What artists / photographers have had an impact on you?
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My biggest inspirations when it comes to anything creative are my friends. Whether that be with music, design or photography we’re all working on our own projects and come together. In particular the Grade 10 crew they’ve helped me a lot. If I had to pick out a few photographers whose work I admire I’d say Michael Wolf, Camille Nehlig and Daido Moriyama.
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Would you say the music you listen to inspires your photography in any way?
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Yes 1000%! I often do this weird thing in my head when looking back through images I’ve shot where I soundtrack each photograph. So bleak photos I associate with ambient music and busy, intense nightlife I associate with techno and so on and so forth. I find as well that a lot of the time when I’m out and about shooting, I listen to music which changes the way I shoot completely depending on what I’m listening too, that mostly brings out the best in my work if I know what I’m looking for. This made shooting the images for Kollaps’ - Duprass album my favourite project yet.
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Which festival has been your favourite to shoot and why?
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Outlook for sure. For me, its my favourite festival I’ve been to so the fact I’ve had the opportunity to photograph it the past couple years has been dope. I find because of its size its a very intimate festival so everyone comes together a whole lot more including all the artists, so you never know whose going to be at the next stage. I find that the majority of people that go as well are all there for the music not just to party which corresponds with the photos, people get lost in the music. The weather ain’t bad either.
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What gear are you using at the moment and why have you chosen this set up?
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I have a number of different point and shoots that I’ve picked up in various charity shops and market stalls over the years. Thet all have different faults meaning you get some interesting outcomes, I use them for a lot of work. But mostly I use my Contax T2, thats the most fun I’ve had with a camera and the results are mad. So good to have with you and is perfect for portraits, thats my go to! On the digital front I have a 7D MK ii with a Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 lens. I know it like the back of my hand and gets great results so I use that for any Hi-Res work I’ve got on.
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Do you think photography will start to become saturated due to the rise in highpowered phone cameras?
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Hopefully not. I think photographers and appreciators of photography see past individuals taking pictures on their iPhone. I think it’s viewed completely different, photography is an art form that is so much more interesting to people, beyond the photograph. However, I do think the amount of people who for example would carry a disposable or budget camera with them will decrease. Not your keen photographer but the average person who fancies getting some pictures on holiday. I think this is mostly down to the fact of how easy and instant it is to have photographs on your phone, people are lazy. The rise in social media does this no favours either. But for as long as photography is such a popular art form and enthusiasts stay interested, I don’t think there’s going to be much change.
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Could you tell us a bit about the vision behind Shadow Axis and where you see yourself takingit?
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Shadow Axis was formed when I approached Greg to help me on a zine I had in mind. We chatted for a while about idea’s and decided we’d make the zines a regular thing and start our own publishing company; Shadow Axis. I feel like my style of photography and Greg’s design really complement each other well. Things tend to just click when we work together; we’ve got the same eye for nice design and its all lots of fun. There’s no real vision or rules of style when it comes to the work we do, if one of us has an idea then we’ll get the ball rolling and get a project underway. It might get used, it might not, there’s no real pressure to release new work. Hopefully, things carry on in the direction they’re going right now with the same relaxed vibe. I think the next steps for Shadow Axis will be collaborative work and more features from other creatives. This then leading on to bigger publications.
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Have you got any projects coming up that you could tell us about?
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I have a few projects in the works that have been going on for a while now. I’m most excited about the Grade 10 project that’s coming up. There’s a cassette tape coming out with tunes from all the artists which correspond to a new series of photos of mine. It’s a very dark series of photographs and the music works with it wonderfully. Also features some prints, that should be with you in the next couple of months. I’m also working on a run of Risograph A3 prints of some of my favourite photos and of course, plenty more zine projects from Shadow Axis. So keep ‘em peeled!
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How would you like to take your work further in the future?
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I just want to stay creative and able to put out work that I love whilst working with good people. Pretty much what I’m doing now but on a larger scale, bigger and better publications and a broader arsenal of clients. I like the idea of staying close to the music scene as thats what I’m most into right now, but who knows that could change. In the coming years I aspire to work on a book featuring work built up of my time photographing. For now though, I’m just going with the flow, doing my thing and enjoying it all.