“New Light” Gazing: The Photographic Journey of Oliver Woodall

In my conversation with Oliver Woodall, his approach to photography emerged as a deeply intuitive journey rather than a defined path. Oliver described how his artistic voice developed organically, driven by feelings and intuition rather than structured thought. He emphasized the importance of authenticity and the pitfalls of overthinking, revealing how his work evolves as a reflection of his ongoing self-discovery.

Living in Japan has profoundly influenced Oliver's perspective. While originally from the UK, he has found Tokyo to be a vibrant hub of photographic inspiration. Surrounded by a diverse community of photographers, Oliver draws energy and creativity from the city's cultural richness and dynamic urban landscapes. His photographs capture the essence of both familiarity and perpetual discovery, reflecting his deep connection to his surroundings.

Oliver's artistic process blends digital and film photography, emphasizing the tactile nature of his work. He shared aspirations of photographing influential figures who have shaped his life, aiming to capture their essence with clarity and depth. Reflecting on his project New Light, Oliver described a meticulous process of arranging photographs to uncover personal narratives, revealing insights into his own identity and artistic evolution. Looking forward, he seeks to explore new themes and push beyond his comfort zone, aiming for greater visual clarity and deeper emotional resonance in his future projects.

Interview with Oliver Woodall

Anne Murayama (AM) — HOW DID YOU FIND YOUR VOICE AS A PHOTOGRAPHER?

Oliver Woodall (OW): I never really had a moment of "Ah! This is me!" or anything like that. It's almost as if your voice as a photographer isn't something directly accessible or something you can control. Especially as so much of how I work is based on how I feel, rather than some kind of forced thought process. Of course, it's great to have ideas and projects and then create them, but in my experience, every part of it needs to be based mostly on my intuition. The moment I start overthinking something, it usually falls apart. And in that sense, I am allowing whatever that inexplicable part of my being is to guide me, and the more I get to understand it the more I can feel like I have a specific thing that is present within my work, which is a great joy for me. 

I think it’s important to look back on your work often, as well as shoot new things.  Because of the photo you took today that you really liked, you may feel different about it next week or even the next day. But the photos you took 5 years ago and still feel good about are what really matter, and what will ultimately define you in some way. 

AM — HOW DOES LIVING IN JAPAN INFLUENCE YOUR PERSPECTIVE? 

OW: It's difficult to say actually, whilst I started taking photos in the U.K. originally I've spent the overwhelming majority of my years taking photos in Japan. So on the one hand it feels most normal to me. But on the other hand, there is also still this novelty and mystique that hasn't worn off yet — and I hope it never does! 

It's also incredibly exciting to be in, in my opinion, the photography capital of the world. There are a staggering number of people wielding cameras in Tokyo and photography has a rich history here. To be surrounded by such a massive amount of people who all share their unique perspectives and characteristics is wonderful. 

AM — WHAT DO YOU USUALLY SHOOT WITH AND WHAT IS YOUR DREAM PHOTO PROJECT?

OW: I shoot both film and digital these days, but mainly because I want something real and tactile to work with. If it doesn’t exist as a physical object then I struggle to connect with it. So I use many kinds of formats—film, instant film, prints of some kind, etc. I used to just pick up whatever camera made sense to me on any given day, rotating through them based on how I felt. In the past couple of years, I’ve started to really consider what I want to do in advance and have some kind of idea of an end result, but still trying to leave it partially to chance.

I haven’t thought about it that much because I can have a great time just walking around my neighborhood with a camera. But I guess simply photographing the people whose work I admire and who shaped my life would be it — a lot of them are musicians. Those who look particularly compelling off the top of my head would be Frank Ocean, Björk, Elias Bender Rønnenfelt. David Lynch is also a hero of mine and would be incredible to photograph.

AM — HOW DID YOU GO ABOUT THE SEQUENCING AND LAYOUT OF NEW LIGHT?

OW: I had printed out dozens of photos on cheap copy paper and stuck them to the wall in my apartment. I had them there for about a month in various arrangements until some kind of narrative appeared to me on a personal level which I had not discovered previously when looking at the photographs individually.

I got this feeling after a while that these images were quite reserved and apprehensive.

There are people, but not many faces. There are subjects that are intelligible but not ‘clear’ in a traditional sense. I was quite shy while growing up, and despite thinking I have made huge strides in confidence since then, these images told me I am clearly still that shy person.

AM — WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO WORK ON IT?

OW: I had all these photos for some time which I thought were quite good but felt too isolated and fragmented from one another, so I took it upon myself to sort through the pile and close the gap in some way, to see what made sense and what didn’t. In the process, I ended up discovering a few little things about myself.

And for that, I’m quite happy because I wanted there to be some kind of truth involved. 

AM — WHAT IS YOUR NEXT ONE?

OW: I’m not sure yet, but I think it will be quite different —  hopefully in a good way.

Now that I understand my comfort zone I’d like to leave it in a way and make images that feel much closer, with a greater degree of lucidity. I’d also like to explore some things that have always felt interesting to me, body parts, industrial sites, the ocean, etc. 

For New Light I went with a fairly lo-fi look, using uncoated paper & wire stitching. For whatever comes next, I’d like to take it up a few notches in terms of clarity.

AM — HOW DO YOU KEEP YOURSELF MOTIVATED?

OW: When you truly love to do something, you just keep going and you don’t even consider stopping — because you’re always excited about the photographs you haven’t taken yet.

And if you do hit a wall you’re ok with taking time away to just live, knowing that at some point your experiences will lead you to pick up the camera again. 

AM — WHY DO YOU THINK PHOTOGRAPHY IS THERAPEUTIC?

OW: Photography has this incredible and direct ability to tap into the part of our brains that dictates what we think is important.

Plenty of people, including myself, will admit to the feeling of not knowing who we are and wondering what on earth we’re doing half the time we’re alive.

But taking photos, at least for me, makes me slow down and just look at and consider what’s in front of me.

AM — WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE FOR FIRST-TIME SELF-PUBLISHERS?

OW: Consulting the right people who are knowledgeable about it would be wise.

I’m really bad at asking for help when I clearly needed it, and would spend ages learning technical stuff which probably could have just been explained to me by the right person in far less time. 

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OLIVER WOODALL

Born in 1996 — Manchester, UK
Currently based in Tokyo, Japan
Author of New Light

Favorite Artists
David Lynch
Yoshiyuki Okuyama
Rei Kawakubo

Favorite Films
Chungking Express - Wong Kar-Wai
Solaris - Andrei Tarkovsky
Call Me By Your Name - Luca Guadagnino 

Favorite Songs
Age of Consent - New Order
True Blue - Dirty Beaches
Tokyo - Lust for Youth 

Links
Instagram: @oliver__woodall
Website: oliverwoodall.cargo.site

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR