The Mind Behind The Lens

Oliver is a bright young artist and has an extremely skilled eye for detail. Also specialising in social media strategies.

I first met Oliver when I started as a copywriter and social media assistant at a multi award winning agency.

My first impression of Oliver was a mix of rocky hills and fern valleys. Of course my first thought of Oliver was "Oh hello chipmunk!" which was followed by a wave of suspicion when I got to know he was, indeed, an influencer.

As someone with an art degree, I had a keen interest in Oliver's work and career. Although photography was one of my favourite subjects, I still couldn't quite figure it out.

Will he be able to help me on the matter while telling me more about his work?

So I contacted Oliver regarding an interview just to give me an insight to photography as well as other not so comfortable topics for this article - which, to my surprise, he accepted and answered honestly.

What got you into photography to begin with?

I started out with some basic knowledge of photography in school when I studied graphic design and as I progressed onto sixth-form I completed a 2 year course in photography. Most of what I learned was on photography history and the basics of camera settings, gear, and setup.

Do you think someone needs to be special/exceptional to do photography?

Not at all! Photography is expressed in so many different levels and lots of it can be artistic interpretation. Creativity isn’t something you start with, it will always be something you learn and develop. All it takes is practice and knowledge and anyone can become a great photographer over time.

What part of photography do you think is not talked about enough?

I think all sorts of photography from beginner to advanced aren’t talked about enough. Although my images aren’t all perfect, what some of my work shows is the ability to create and envision final results with very basic equipment. I think any photographer should be open to sharing their knowledge because it can only help you personally develop as a creative too.

I noticed you have been doing a lot of product photography. Can you tell me if there's a change of direction there or are you going to do more photography on the artistic side?

I’m still open to all sorts of photography but I think product photography has really helped me develop my skills as a photographer overall, it's very different to landscape and portrait work because of its technicalities with light. It also allows me to still be creative at home which is what people originally loved about my work, and since the pandemic I think a lot more people are interested in creating photoshoots from home and not at incredible locations.

Is photography something you want to carry on doing until retirement?

I think it will always stay with me for the rest of my life. There are endless possibilities with photography as an art and I'm sure I’ll be trying even more new stuff in the future, and for me I hope I can also become more established as an artist.

What is the key to your success? Are there any tricks up your sleeves ?

There are always tricks up my sleeve, and tricks to learn along the way too. I can’t reveal them all, but that’s why I like to share them with others on my page so they can be inspired to create and express themselves through photos. The key to my success is staying focused and persistent with my work, I’ve learned over time that if you really love a hobby or activity and want to become better at it, you should really practice it every day in some way.

Do you have a muse or something that gives you inspiration?

I think the internet gives me inspiration, it's become such an advanced source that you can see an image, object or shape and you can be inspired by pretty much anything. I’d love to explore around the world a bit more because I also think that certain cultures will help me develop my work even more!

Is there a technique you would recommend to people who are starting out?

Honestly I would just say pick up a camera or phone and practice, learn the basics of ISO, shutter speed and aperture. From there you’ll be able to play around with the settings and understand your own style of photography.

What would you suggest for people who start out? What advice would you give?

If you’re starting out I’ve realised that its always best to be yourself, make content that you love and make as much of it as possible. It's a very fast paced world out there, but I think everyone online can relate to something so there will always be an audience for you whether it’s 1000 or 1 million followers. If you’re truly passionate about something then none of these followers should really matter other than that impact it has on people's lives, so for someone starting out I’d just say go for it as you never know what could happen!

After all these questions about his career and his admirable work I couldn't help but wonder what his thoughts were on certain aspects of social media.

Influencers and influencer marketing may not be unheard of. Certain influencers may portray a negative image on the rest. And growing up in a second world country and knowing a general reaction when they hear the word “influencer'' didn’t help much. Autism and narrow minded teaching do not mix well as you can see in my case.

But should we class artists with a big following as an influencer?

Ever since becoming an influencer, did it change how others talk to you or see you?

Since I started gaining more followers online I’ve never noticed any difference in the way that my friends or family talk to me. The people that know me will always know that my mentality will never change, and I think it’s always important to never let numbers get in your head. I will always stay humble with my success.

What do you think of the celebrity status some influencers are seen in?

Lots of influencers are of different levels of publicity and I think lots of them publicise themselves to come across like they have celebrity status when in fact it’s a very small audience. I think amongst all these social accounts there are very few that can actually define themselves as a true ‘influencer’. To me someone who is regularly in the news/press should be labelled as an influencer because they are the ones who are actually influencing an audience.

Have you ever encountered negative reactions towards your achievements and success?

Yes! I think at some stage all content creators will experience negativity, for me this is very minimal and I'm pleased that art and photography is highly appreciated on social media. The negativity I get on my account is mainly people being subjective to my work, this could be other professional photographers who don’t like social media, or people who simply just didn’t believe the idea was interesting, but even I know that everything I publish isn’t going to be a major hit online!

How do you think others see you?

From what I see online, I assume others see me as a genius/creative photographer. I’m very self critical with my work so I will not often appreciate my photos in the same way, but I know that what I do brings a lot of value to their creativity and that’s why they continue to follow me. I don’t think my community has become a place for people to take my ideas, but a page where they feel connected with my work.

I know you do most of your work on social media. However, do you think there are any downsides to it?

There are definitely some downsides to social media, and it's not always a joyful experience creating content. Issues that regularly occur are imbalance with time management and creative block. Time management is different for everyone but because I work part time, it can be quite stressful when you’re trying to create content but also hit deadlines for clients, its a continuous juggling act. I am always motivated to keep trying but sometimes you’re working so hard at your personal stuff its not easy to continuously be creative, and I also think people expect you to just turn creativity on like a tap when in fact it develops over time.

Do you think there is anything that can make these matters better?

Life is a learning curve and I think over time I will develop an understanding of when to do certain things that will make my social page a lot easier. For now I’m just taking the roller coaster ride and seeing where it takes me, and the beauty of this experience is there are lots of opportunities out there. I find that talking to my friends, family and work colleagues makes the whole journey seem a lot less stressful because I know those are the people that will support what I do.

Oliver not so long ago got challenged by the BBC and The Apprentice (UK) to create a short video using a toy cruise. You can watch the video here.

He also has a lot of interesting ideas and tutorials to spark up your creativity. Now go and create!