Richard Boll

Category Archives: Fine Art Photography

The Portrait Photographer Irving Penn

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Posted by Richard Boll on 25th March 2025 – 11:48 am
Filed under Advertising Photography, Commercial Photography, Editorial Photography, Editorial Portrait, Fine Art Photography, Photography Projects, Portrait Photography

When I first began exploring the world of photography during my studies in 1996, one name that stood out for me was the portrait photographer Irving Penn. His extraordinary vision and impeccable technique, particularly in portraiture and still life, captivated my imagination when I first saw his work whilst studying photography at Edinburgh College of Art.

Penn was renowned for his meticulous, minimalist approach. Whether photographing high fashion for Vogue or creating intimate portraits of cultural icons, his work consistently exuded elegance and simplicity. One of his most iconic projects, Small Trades (1950-51), left a lasting impression on me. The series documented tradespeople—bakers, butchers, and florists—in their work attire, set against a plain backdrop. Penn’s ability as a portrait photographer to distill the essence of his subjects into striking, timeless images became a significant inspiration for me.

A portrait of a woman holding a bunch of balloons by Irving Penn.

Marchande de Ballons (B), Paris, 1950 [Balloon Seller]

Irving Penn’s Remarkable Career

Throughout his prolific career, Penn seamlessly bridged the realms of fashion, fine art, and editorial photography. His work featured an extraordinary range of subjects, from portraits of artists and writers to fashion as well as still life images that felt remarkably ahead of their time. What struck me was how he balanced his highly personal creative projects with demanding commercial assignments for Vogue and other high-profile clients.

Penn’s distinctive use of natural light and neutral backdrops created a timeless quality in his portraits. He captured subjects such as Pablo Picasso, Audrey Hepburn, and Truman Capote with a sense of intimacy that revealed their character in a captivating and poetic way. This unique ability to present his subjects as both individuals and symbols of their era turned his photography into a profound document of the 20th century.

A portrait of Pablo Picasso by Irving Penn.

Pablo Picasso at La Californie, Cannes, 1957

Penn’s Personal Projects: A Deep Inspiration

In addition to his commercial work, Penn was deeply committed to his personal projects, which often reflected his interest in culture, craftsmanship, and nature. He created striking still-life images that transformed the subjects—cigarette butts, bones, or flowers—into compositions of remarkable beauty. These works taught me to find inspiration in the seemingly mundane and to approach every subject with curiosity and reflection.

Close-up photograph of Cigarettes by Irving Penn.

Cigarette No. 17, New York, 1972

I strive to maintain a balance between my personal and commissioned work and his approach reminds me that photography can be a form of introspection and discovery, whether the work is of a commercial nature or taken as part of a personal project. This philosophy continues to influence my current work, including my portrait series on UK visual artists.

Who Was Irving Penn?

Born on June 16, 1917, in Plainfield, New Jersey, Irving Penn initially pursued painting at the Philadelphia Museum School of Industrial Art. However, his fascination with photography led him to a lifelong career in the medium. After working as an assistant to Alexey Brodovitch, the legendary art director of Harper’s Bazaar, Penn joined Vogue in 1943. He quickly became one of the most influential photographers of his time, pioneering a style defined by simplicity and precision.

Penn’s contribution to fashion photography was transformative. Unlike his contemporaries who often relied on elaborate sets, Penn photographed his subjects against austere backdrops, allowing their personality and the artistry of the clothing to clearly stand out. Over the years, he pushed the boundaries of the genre with bold compositions and dynamic poses.

A woman photographed through a wine bottle by Irving Penn.

Man Lighting Girl’s Cigarette (Jean Patchett), New York, 1949

Legacy and Lessons from Penn

Irving Penn believed that photography was a deeply personal art form. His body of work is a testament to this ethos, blending technical precision with emotional depth.
Penn’s ability to elevate photography into a form of fine art has had a profound impact on generations of photographers. His work continues to inspire me to seek simplicity, authenticity, and beauty in the images I take.
To delve deeper into Irving Penn’s legacy, explore resources such as the Irving Penn Foundation or retrospective exhibitions that celebrate his enduring contributions to the art of photography.

See some of my portrait photography here, and a post about my recent project of portraits of UK artists here.

The portrait photographer Diane Arbus

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Posted by Richard Boll on 11th December 2024 – 1:07 pm
Filed under Cornelia Parker, Diane Arbus, Editorial Portrait, Environmental Portrait, Fine Art Photography, Jake Wood-Evans, Portrait Photography

My Inspiration and Influences as a Portrait Photographer

When I first began to produce work as portrait photographer, one name that captured my attention was Diane Arbus. Her direct, unflinching, sometimes provocative, and deeply human work stood out as a striking departure from conventional portraiture. Studying her images during my early years as a photographer, I was drawn to the honesty and raw emotion she brought to her subjects. Arbus dared to photograph people on the fringes of society, illuminating their individuality with openness and empathy.

Diane Arbus’s Unique Approach

Arbus was renowned for her ability to connect with her subjects on a deeply personal level. Whether photographing circus performers, artists, or people on the streets, her work radiated an authenticity that invited viewers to reconsider their expectations of what can make an effective portrait. Arbus’s photographs often feature her subjects staring directly into the camera, their gazes meeting the viewer with startling immediacy. This approach fostered a sense of intimacy and mutual respect between the portrait photographer and her subjects.

A young man in curlers at home on West 20th Street, N.Y.C. 1966 by Diane Arbus.
Diane Arbus, A young man in curlers at home on West 20th Street, N.Y.C. (1966)

One of her most iconic images, Identical Twins, Roselle, New Jersey (1966), exemplifies her uncanny ability to blend the familiar with the unsettling. The photograph’s composition, with the twins posed symmetrically against a plain backdrop, evokes a sense of both harmony and unease. This duality became a hallmark of Arbus’s work and a constant source of fascination for me.

The portrait Identical Twins, Roselle, New Jersey (1966) by Diane Arbus

Diane Arbus, Identical Twins, Roselle, New Jersey (1966)

Lessons for Commercial Portrait Photography

Diane Arbus taught me to embrace the complexities of humanity in my own photographic practice. While Arbus’s work delved into unconventional subjects, her commitment to capturing authentic emotion is a principle that resonates in commercial portrait photography as well. Working as a commercial portrait photographer in London, I strive to bring a similar sense of honesty and connection to my portraits.

A portrait of the artist Cornelia Parker taken in London by the photographer Richard Boll.

A portrait of the artist Cornelia Parker by Richard Boll.

In my own work, such as my series of portraits of artists, I aim to reflect the unique character of each subject. For example, my portrait of London-based artist Cornelia Parker captures her character through a combination of effective composition and candid expression. Another portrait, featuring the artist Jake Wood-Evans, features the artist with a direct and unflinching look to the camera while revealing the thoughtful intensity of his creative process. This portrait was left on the floor of the studio of the painter in order to develop a “history” of marks.

A portrait of the painter Jake Wood-Evans in his studio, by the photographer Richard Boll.

A portrait of the artist Jake Wood-Evans by Richard Boll.

Who Was Diane Arbus?

A portrait of the photographer Diane Arbus by Arthur Lubow.

Born Diane Nemerov on March 14, 1923, in New York City, Arbus grew up in a privileged environment but was drawn to the complexities of life outside her immediate world. After working in commercial photography with her husband, Allan Arbus, she found her true calling in the 1950s when she began pursuing personal projects that focused on the human condition. Her career gained momentum in the 1960s, as her work was published in prominent magazines and exhibited in galleries. Arbus’s style was shaped by her preference for square-format cameras and predominantly natural lighting. She often worked in close proximity to her subjects, creating an atmosphere of trust that allowed her to capture their essence. Her images, while sometimes controversial, challenged conventional ideas of beauty in portraiture, paving the way for future generations of photographers to explore similar themes.

Legacy and Lessons from Arbus Diane Arbus’s contribution to the art of photography lies not only in her technical skill but also in her courage to confront uncomfortable truths. Her work reminds me that photography is not just about aesthetics; it is also about empathy, connection, and the willingness to see the world through another’s eyes. As a commercial photographer in London, I strive to incorporate these values into my practice by creating portraits that are not only visually striking but also emotionally engaging.

Arbus’s legacy is a testament to the power of vulnerability and authenticity in art. Her images continue to challenge and inspire, urging photographers like me to approach our subjects with honesty and respect. Whether through her stark portrayal of human fragility or her celebration of individuality, Diane Arbus redefined what it means to create meaningful portraiture. Tragically Arbus took her own life on the 26th of July, 1971. Her work continues to significantly influence the work of many photographers.

To explore more of Diane Arbus’s extraordinary work, visit collections of her work such as that at the Museum of Modern Art in New York or look out for exhibitions dedicated to her groundbreaking photography. For examples of how her principles translate into modern commercial photography, you can explore my portraiture portfolio at Richard Boll Photography, where I aim to blend technical precision with a genuine connection.

Get in touch to commission a portrait photography shoot.

The art of collaboration and relinquishing creative control

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Posted by Richard Boll on 25th September 2024 – 11:35 am
Filed under Artists, Conceptual Photography, Editorial Photography, Environmental Portrait, Exhibitions, Fine Art Photography, Limited Edition Prints, Portrait Photography

The art of collaboration and relinquishing creative control

I’ve been working on my latest project Expression: Portraits of Artists for two years but it’s been an idea I’ve been exploring creatively for the last decade.

The project features visually striking photographic portraits of celebrated contemporary artists: Yarli Allison, Rana Begum, Gordon Cheung, Adam Chodzko, Ann Christopher, Marie Harnett, Bruce McLean, Cornelia Parker, and Gavin Turk. Also featured are Sussex-based artists Stig Evans, Richard Graville, James William Murray, and Jake Wood-Evans. The ongoing project involves elements of unique collaboration with many of the artists involved, inviting each artist to make their mark on the final piece and truly make the portrait their own.

The aim of the project is to celebrate the individuality and artistry of these talented people. Often artists are known for their works, but I wanted to tell the story of the people behind the artworks and capture their creative process.

With traditional approaches to portraiture, the sitter is typically invited to a photographer’s studio and the photographer directs the shoot. With this project however, it’s been more of a two-way dialogue with each artist about how they would like to be photographed, and inviting them to collaborate on the portraits by relinquishing creative control. This has challenged my standard process and opened my eyes to what that creative collaboration could achieve.

Yarli Allison (she/they) (b.1988) is a Canadian-born, Hong Kongese art-worker based between the UK and Paris with an interdisciplinary approach that traverses sculpture, installation, CGI (VR/AR/3D modeling/game), moving images, drawings, poetry, tattooing, and performances. This portrait was taken at her studio in London and she is photographed wearing one of her wearable pieces which references her sculptural and performative works. In this image, we worked together to create the mise-en-scène featuring a series of props, clothing, and headgear.

A portrait of the artist Yarli Allison by Richard Boll. The art of collaboration and relinquishing creative control is Richard's on-going project.

Gordon Cheung, born 1975 in London to Chinese parents, has developed an innovative approach to making art, which blurs virtual and actual reality to reflect on the existential questions of what it means to be human in civilisations with histories written by victors. Cheung raises questions and critiques the effects of global capitalism, and its underlying mechanisms of power on our perception of identity, territory, and sense of belonging. These narratives are refracted through the prisms of culture, mythology, religion, and politics into dreamlike spaces of urban surreal worlds that are rooted in his in-between identity. I took this portrait at Cheung’s London studio. During post-production, Cheung added a collaborative element – he applied his signature digital glitch – an algorithmic blur that distorts the pixels – inviting the viewer to question time, space, and reality.

A portrait of Gordon Cheung taken by Richard Boll and digital glitch applied by Gordon Cheung. The art of collaboration and relinquishing creative control.

Stig Evans (b.1964) is a painter and public artist based in Brighton. Evans’ work investigates concepts of visibility and perception. He uses colour to explore our visual acuity, how we perceive it, respond to it, represent it, and by its historical, chemical and physical and immaterial nature. He paints with an airbrush, building up many layers of sprayed colour creating chromatic colour experiences where boundaries, borders and chroma subtly move and shift in front of the eye. I shot this portrait on black and white film using a Hasselblad medium format camera. The background of antique pigment bottles was constructed by Evans in his Brighton studio. I hand-produced the silver gelatine fibre print in a darkroom which was then hand-coloured by Evans. He also applied 21,915 “strikes” in pencil, each strike representing a day of his life.

A portrait of the artist Stig Evans by Richard Boll. The art of collaboration and relinquishing creative control, Richard's ongoing project.

Jake Wood-Evans (b. 1980) is also based in Sussex. In an age dominated by screens and pixelated images, Jake Wood-Evans’ work feels like a welcome antidote. Drawing on the legacies of Old Masters, his intention is to capture the essence of these historic works without replicating them, depicting familiar, yet obscured subject matter. Creating ethereal images that are both unsettling and beautiful, Wood-Evans’ powerful use of light emerges from a loose and instinctive application of paint. His oil paintings shimmer with luminous and intense layers of colour as bold marks, dripping oils and scored surfaces sit in company with fine, delicate detail. The portraits of Wood-Evans were shot on black and white film using an Ebony 5×4” large format camera in Sussex studio. I hand-printed silver gelatine fibre prints which were then left on the floor of Wood-Evans’ studio for several months. They collected paint marks, drips, and textures from the artist at work. The collaborative portraits explore aspects of time as the prints develop their own history of marks.

A diptych of portraits of the painter Jake Wood-Evans by the photographer Richard Boll

Gavin Turk (b.1967) is a British-born, internationally renowned artist, who lives and works in London. He has pioneered many forms of contemporary British sculpture, including the painted bronze, the waxwork, the recycled art-historical icons, and the use of rubbish in art. Turk’s installations and sculptures deal with issues of authorship, authenticity, and identity. Concerned with the ‘myth’ of the artist and ontological questioning. Turk was included in several YBA exhibitions and his work is held within public and private collections worldwide, including the TATE, Museum of Modern Art New York, Museum MMK Für Moderne Kunst, Musée Magritte Museum, and San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. I shot this performance-style portrait of Turk in his London studio as he writes his signature in the air. It pays homage to Turk’s earlier works including Multiple Signature (1999) and Jazzz Signature (2009), while referencing Gjon Mili’s photographs of Picasso drawing with light, taken in 1949. The use of red and blue references Turk’s pieces I (2015) and That (2015).

A portrait of Gavin Turk writing his signature by Richard Boll.

Bruce McLean (b. 1944) is an acclaimed Scottish sculptor, filmmaker, and painter. He studied at the Glasgow School of Art and at Saint Martin’s School of Art, where he and others rebelled against what appeared to be the formalist academicism of his teachers. In 1965, he abandoned conventional studio production in favour of impermanent sculptures using materials such as water, along with performances of a generally satirical nature directed against the art world. From the mid-1970s, McLean turned increasingly to painting, sculpture, and film work and won the John Moores Painting Prize in 1985. This collaborative portrait is really significant to me as it initiated the idea for the Expression project. The blank canvases seen in the background inspired the idea to add collaborative elements and I invited McLean to apply paint onto the print. McLean added a painting of a sculpture of a jug to the final photographic print. The portrait was shot on a Hasselblad medium format camera using available daylight.

Bruce McLean in his London studio photographed by Richard Boll.

Richard Boll’s photography exhibition Expression: Portraits of Artists will open on the 4th of October at The Regency Town House in Brighton & Hove.

Limited edition prints of the images in the show will be available from the 4th of October at richardboll.art

Event details:
Location: The Regency Town House, 13 Brunswick Square, Brighton and Hove, BN3 1

Exhibition opening times: 
Tuesday – Friday 11am – 4pm

Saturday & Sunday 11am – 5pm

Monday closed

Artist Talk: Saturday 12th October 3pm. Tickets are free but limited: Eventbrite

About Photo Fringe

The biennial, open-platform Photo Fringe festival runs from the 4th of October to the 14th of November with exhibitions and events taking place online and in venues across its home city of Brighton & Hove and along the south coast from Newhaven to Portsmouth. The programme presents a vibrant mix of lens-based work from emerging practitioners and well-established names, in galleries, cafés, pop-up venues, outdoor installations, and other extraordinary spaces. photofringe.org

Q&A with Richard Boll on his show Expression

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Posted by Richard Boll on 11th September 2024 – 6:08 pm
Filed under Conceptual Photography, Editorial Portrait, Environmental Portrait, Exhibitions, Fine Art Photography, Gavin Turk, Gordon Cheung, Location Photography, Portrait Photography

Interview with photographer Richard Boll about his forthcoming exhibition Expression: Portraits of Artists

What inspired you to create the Expression series, and how did you choose the artists you photographed?

The inspiration for the series goes back to 1997 while I was studying at Edinburgh College of Art. I worked on a personal project photographing Scottish artists including Callum Innes, Elizabeth Blackadder, Callum Colvin, and John Houston which was a very enjoyable process and was an experience that really stuck with me.

In 2014, I had the opportunity to photograph Bruce McLean at his London studio and it was this portrait that initiated the idea for the Expression project. I was keen to reference the artist’s work by incorporating the teacup and saucer, which I bought from a charity shop. This references the work Tea on the Knee (1971). The blank canvases seen in the background inspired me to invite Bruce to paint on the final photographic print, which he generously agreed to, and that’s really where the concept was born. We reconnected in 2024 and McLean added a painting of a sculpture of a jug onto the final portrait and I’m delighted with the result.

Bruce McLean in his London studio photographed by Richard Boll.

It’s been a really interesting process of reaching out to artists to be a part of this project. I’ve tried to take a democratic approach inviting a broad range of artists from different disciplines. Some respond positively, some politely decline, and then it comes down to scheduling and availability as they are all busy people with their own creative practice. They all share one thing in the common which is that they all produce inspiring work that I’m keen to highlight through these images.

Can you share some of the most memorable moments you experienced while photographing the artists for this exhibition?

Each portrait shoot has been extremely memorable in its own way. I’ve enjoyed telling the story of the people behind the artworks through these images and I’ve found it interesting visiting their homes, studios, and working spaces. Some artists have embraced the opportunity to add collaborative elements to their portraits.
Visiting Gavin Turk’s studio in London was a fantastic experience. I was welcomed by a delightful team who were very accommodating as I had a series of different portraits planned, including Turk signing his name with a torch. Prior to the shoot, I tested this process at my home studio with a red torch to ensure a good exposure for the final shot. I felt very honoured to see bodies of work in process. For example, Turk’s candle paintings were underway in the studio on the day of the shoot. I then saw the completed paintings at a show at the Ben Brown Fine Arts in the winter of 2022-23.

The studio of the artist Gavin Turk in London. Photographed by Richard Boll.
Another memorable moment from this project was working with the fantastic Adam Chodzko. He was really engaged in the performative element and we spent the day driving around Kent to create some really interesting shots of him wading around in a pond, emerging from the sea in a suit and also dragging some sheets across a car park… It was a slightly surreal and highly memorable experience. I’m very grateful for his time.

The artists Adam Chodzko in a suit in the Sea off the Kent coast.
I also enjoyed visiting Ann Christopher’s home and workshop just north of Bath. It’s a wonderful and inspiring space. Christopher curated the RA Summer Exhibition and had selected one of my photographs for the show, which is how we connected. I invited her to be part of the project and she was really enthusiastic. I enjoyed talking with her and it feels like a very fortuitous meeting.

The workshop of the sculptor Ann Christopher in Bath, UK.

Were there any challenges you experienced?

The biggest challenge was scheduling the shoots. There are 13 different busy artists featured in this project to date and others I have been in dialogue with. Trying to manage shoot days in different locations around my commercial work has certainly been a challenge.
Relinquishing elements of creative decision-making and control has been very good for me, and to some extent challenging to my standard working methods. Each subject and portrait has had an individual approach and some artists have added collaborative elements to the finished photographic portrait. That creates a moment of anticipation during the reveal, not knowing how the artist has made their mark. But each time I’ve been overwhelmed with their contribution, from seeing Gordon Cheung’s digital glitch, to Bruce McLean’s painting of a sculpture of a jug, and Ann Christophers’ cuts and collage approach. Collaborating with artists opens the door for works to be created that are beyond my creative potential and is a very exciting process.

How do you approach capturing the essence of an artist in a portrait?

It all starts with research. I look carefully at each artist’s work and read as much as I can about them. I then try to plan 2-3 specific shots. I am always open-minded about being spontaneous on the day of the shoot, especially as many of the subjects are people I’m meeting for the first time in a space I’ve never seen before. To illustrate this, at Turk’s studio the illuminated signature was one of my original planned shots, but one of my favourite outcomes from the day was the seated portrait where he is facing away which was a spontaneous idea on the day.
Similarly, with Marie Harnett, I was eager to keep the approach spontaneous and fluid to reflect the film-like nature of her work. Not over-planning was the plan…

A portrait of the artist Marie Harnett drawing in a cafe in London.
With Cornelia Parker, I originally planned to use a backdrop and studio lighting. But on the day, I ended up using a handheld Hasselblad with natural daylight for the final portrait negating the need for some of the equipment I had taken, but you don’t always know that in advance. When you’re going to shoot in a space you haven’t seen before, planning is important, but sometimes you need to be open-minded and reactive about how to capture the person most effectively.

How does the project Expression contribute to the conversation of photography, art, and portraiture?

What interests me is the element of representation. The traditional model of photographic portraiture is that the sitter is typically invited to a photographer’s studio and told what to do by the photographer. Often there is not a great deal of input from the subject and I find that power position can be questionable.
I’ve enjoyed the dialogue created through the process that has resulted in a celebration of individuality, artistry, and collaboration. These portraits are an extension of that dialogue.
I’ve been interested in photographic portraiture since I started studying the medium in 1993. It can communicate the significance of these amazing creative people and hopefully encourage people to explore their work further. Photographs can be wonderful triggers for curiosity.

What do you hope viewers will take away from the Expression exhibition?

I hope people enjoy the show and that they have the opportunity to discover artists they might not have been aware of previously, encouraging them to investigate their work and ideas.

How does it reflect your evolution as a photographer?

I frequently carry out portrait shoots for my commercial work but this project has enabled me to explore different approaches to portraiture. From new and experimental methods to using medium and large format cameras which I don’t use in my commercial work, and hand-printing in the darkroom after a break of 20 years. I’ve loved the process and I’m delighted with the results.
I’ve also enjoyed the process of bringing a personal project through to an exhibition and I hope to continue to develop my personal practice alongside my commercial photography. Curating the exhibition has provided an opportunity to pause and reflect on this project, which I see as an ongoing work in progress. I’m already in dialogue with other subjects and plan to keep building on this body of work and to hold future exhibitions.

Expression is a compelling new photography exhibition showcasing a series of portraits of celebrated contemporary artists including Rana Begum, Cornelia Parker, and Gavin Turk. The free exhibition will run from Friday 4th October to Sunday 13th October at the Regency Town House gallery in Brighton as part of the Photo Fringe calendar of events. Limited edition prints from the project will be available to purchase at richardboll.art from 4th October.

Key details:

Location: The Regency Town House, 13 Brunswick Square, Brighton and Hove, BN3 1EH
Exhibition opening times:
 Tuesday – Friday 11am – 4pm
, Saturday & Sunday 11am – 5pm
Monday closed

About Photo Fringe
The biennial, open-platform Photo Fringe festival runs 4 October – 14 November with exhibitions and events taking place online and in venues across its home city of Brighton & Hove and along the south coast from Newhaven to Portsmouth. The programme presents a vibrant mix of lens-based work from emerging practitioners and well-established names, in galleries, cafés, pop-up venues, outdoor installations, and other extraordinary spaces. photofringe.org

Photography Exhibition: “Expression: Portraits of Artists” by Richard Boll

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Posted by Richard Boll on 29th August 2024 – 4:23 pm
Filed under Artists, Exhibitions, Fine Art Photography, Limited Edition Prints, Portrait Photography

I’m excited to announce that my show, Expression: Portraits of Artists will open on the 4th of October at The Regency Town House in Brighton & Hove. The show brings together visually striking portraits of thirteen celebrated contemporary artists: Yarli Allison, Rana Begum, Gordon Cheung, Adam Chodzko, Ann Christopher, Marie Harnett, Bruce McLean, Cornelia Parker, and Gavin Turk. Also featured are Sussex-based artists Stig Evans, Richard Graville, James William Murray, and Jake Wood-Evans. The ongoing project, commenced in 2022, involves a level of unique collaboration with some of the artists involved. These elements infuse the portraits with a blend of creative input, resulting in a dynamic and expressive visual narrative.

Limited editioned prints of the images in the show will be available from the 4th of October at richardboll.art

A close up portrait of the artist Marie Harnett drawing in a cafe in London. Photo by Richard Boll.

Exhibition dates: Friday, 4th October – Sunday, 13th October
Location: The Regency Town House, 13 Brunswick Square, Brighton & Hove, BN3 1EH
Exhibition opening times:
Tuesday – Friday 11am – 4pm
Saturday & Sunday 11am – 5pm
Monday closed

Special Event: Artist Talk
 On Saturday, 12th October at 3:00 PM

I’ll be giving a talk about the creative process behind the portraits, the collaborative nature of the project, and the broader themes of artistry and identity explored in the exhibition. Spaces are free but limited, so please RSVP for the Artist Talk here: EventbritePortrait of the artist Gavin Turk facing away from the camera in his London studio. Photo by Richard Boll.

This exhibition is part of the 2024 Brighton Photo Fringe festival taking place in venues across the city throughout October.

A colourful portrait of the artist Rana Begum in her home in London. Photo by Richard Boll.

 

I’m very grateful to the following suppliers for their help and support in creating work for the show.
Spectrum Photographic have printed my photographs for many years and I can strongly recommend them both for the exceptionally high standard of printing and also for their fantastic customer service.

I hand-printed several of the black and white prints in the show in the fantastic 71 Darkroom in Lewes. Run by the photographer Torz Dallison, excellent black and white printing facilities are available for small, medium, and large formats.

Many of the prints in the exhibition were framed at The Framing Workshop in Hove. I can wholeheartedly recommend their great customer service and very high standards of workmanship.

About Photo Fringe
The biennial, open-platform Photo Fringe festival runs from the 4th of October to the 14th of November with exhibitions and events taking place online and in venues across its home city of Brighton & Hove and along the south coast from Newhaven to Portsmouth. The programme presents a vibrant mix of lens-based work from emerging practitioners and well-established names, in galleries, cafés, pop-up venues, outdoor installations, and other extraordinary spaces.
photofringe.org
Follow @photofringe #photofringe2024

FLASH SALE: 30 LIMITED EDITION PRINTS AT £30 EACH

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Posted by Richard Boll on 2nd June 2024 – 1:46 pm
Filed under Conceptual Photography, Exhibitions, Fine Art Photography, Limited Edition Prints, Uncategorised

I’m pleased to share that throughout June 2024 I am hosting a special print sale on richardboll.art  There are 30 limited edition photographic prints (10” x 8”) available exclusively priced at £30 each until 30th June 2024.

The prints available include seascapes from the project Six Degrees of Freedom, a series of still-life photographs from the project Memento, and other selected images taken in France, Greece, Iceland, Mauritius, Egypt, and Kenya.

A black and white photograph of Wildebeest on the Masai Mara in Kenya.

 

A storm photographed at night in Mauritius by Richard Boll.

The seascapes from Six Degrees of Freedom were created by attaching a handmade large-format pinhole camera to different navigation buoys in the Solent at different times of day. The diffused visual effect is created by the combination of a long exposure and the movement of the sea.

Limited edition prints of Bourne Gap from the project Six Degrees of Freedom.

Hook, a seascape from the photographic project Six Degrees of Freedom.

The project Memento serves as a study that explores form, composition, and colour. The images were taken in Mallorca in September 2023. A room in an ancient villa with plaster walls and old wooden furniture became an improvised studio. Shutters and linen drapes were used to control the natural daylight that came in through a single window. The subject matter of decomposing fruit and burnt wood was found in the grounds of the villa.

Memento III from a still-life photography project by Richard Boll

Still-fine photograph from the project Memento.

All proceeds from the print sale will contribute to the production costs for my forthcoming exhibition in October 2024 which will take place in Brighton. Buy the limited edition, signed prints at richardboll.art

Thank you for your continued support, Richard

 

Five Favourite Photography Projects from 2023

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Posted by Richard Boll on 14th May 2024 – 4:18 pm
Filed under Advertising, Advertising Photography, Commercial Photography, Corporate headshot photography London, Corporate Photography, Editorial Portrait, Fine Art Photography, Luxury product photography, Photography Projects

2023 gifted me with interesting and varied photographic shoots from still life to portrait, to corporate headshots and lifestyle photography. Here, I share five of my favourite photography projects from last year and the story behind each image.

Memento I – Still-life Photography

Fine art still life photography by Richard Boll from the project Memento.

In September, I stayed in a villa in the mountains of Majorca. Whilst there, I turned the spare room into an improvised photographic studio. It was a great space to work in as I could use the existing shutters and curtains to precisely control the level of daylight.

I explored the grounds of the villa for objects to use in a still-life project and found some citrus fruit in various states of decay. I loved the beautiful colours of the rotting fruit that went from almost black to deep purple through to burnt orange.

This still life photography project was inspired by Memento mori, an element of visual language used in classical painting for centuries to remind the viewer of their mortality.

I placed the images into antique picture frames as a reference to classical painting and successfully entered it into the South West Academy Open Exhibition in Sidmouth, Devon. A series of 10 photographs from this project were also entered into the Sony World Photography Awards.

2. Yarli Allison – Visual Artist Portrait Photography

A photographic portrait of the fine artist Yarli Allison taken in her studio in London.

Yarli Allison is an artist born in Canada, raised in Hong Kong and is currently based in London and Paris. Her artistry uses an interdisciplinary approach that crosses sculpture, installation, CGI, moving image, drawing, poetry, tattoo, and performance.

She has been a subject for a personal project I started in 2022, producing portraits of Visual Artists. As part of this project, I shot some studio portraits in a suitable space in her London studio. Allison organised her wardrobe, choosing a range of different outfits to wear. It was a collaborative and creative process working with Yarli, making mutually agreed decisions on ideas and approaches for the shoot.
It was particularly satisfying to have time to play and experiment with lighting and different approaches to portraiture with such a great artist.

This portrait of Yarli is one of my favourite images from the shoot. I love her wardrobe choice and I feel the image captures her profound strength of character and identity. You can see some of Yarli’s work on her website here.

3. The lasts of Thomas Patrick John Anson, 5th Earl of Lichfield – Still Life Photography

Fine art still-life photograph of the John Lobb wooden lasts of the 5th Earl of Lichfield.

John Lobb have been crafting exquisite bespoke footwear and leather goods for Royalty and celebrities alike for over 170 years. Central to their process is a pair of unique wooden lasts made to the exact specifications of the wearers’ feet.
In 1863, John Lobb received its first Royal Warrant after crafting a pair of riding boots for the then Prince of Wales. Since then, they have continued to craft bespoke footwear for ongoing generations of Royalty.

As part of a long-term project, I photographed the complete collection of significant John Lobb wooden lasts. It was great to photograph the lasts of Thomas Patrick John Anson, 5th Earl of Lichfield as part of the project. Known as Patrick Lichfield in his professional life, he joined the Grenadier Guards in 1959 and on leaving the Army in 1962, he began to work as a photographer’s assistant. He was asked to take the photographs of the wedding of the Prince and Princess of Wales in 1981, and went on to become one of the UK’s best-known photographers.

I used the same technical approach for this image as for the other photographs in the project, incorporating focus stacking to achieve a sharp image throughout the depth of field, from the top to the bottom of the wooden last. You can see more images from the project here. Original limited edition prints can be purchased here.

4. Swaine London 1750 – Still Life Product Photography

Still life product photography of luxury bags and an umbrella for The House of Swaine.

Swaine London, established in 1750, is one of the oldest and most prestigious luxury brands in the world, providing the finest handcrafted leather goods, hats, and umbrellas and supplying to the TV and movie industries since the 1950s. For example, Swaine have supplied Poet hats for every Indiana Jones film, including the original Herbert Johnson hat worn by Harrison Ford in ‘Raiders of the Lost Ark’ in 1981.

Swaine have commissioned my work as a luxury product photographer for a range of projects. This image featured on their website was from a shoot for their Christmas promotional campaign photographing a range of luxury leather products arranged into a still-life image. The shoot was a collaborative team effort working with the Art Directors from Swaine.

5. Newcore Capital – Corporate Lifestyle & Headshot Photography

Corporate lifestyle photograph taken for Newcore Capital in London by Richard Boll Photography.

Newcore Capital was founded in 2011 and is a Certified B Corporation. As a specialist investor in social infrastructure real estate in the UK, Newcore invests in assets that are integral to the needs of society. I’ve been commissioned to photograph several corporate portrait and lifestyle projects for Newcore Capital in the past.

In 2023, I carried out two Newcore corporate photography projects. The first was a corporate lifestyle shoot in the summer, and a range of different shots of staff in informal meetings were set up. It was an enjoyable and productive shoot, making the most of the natural daylight that was available.

The second shoot was a large-scale corporate headshot shoot at their London offices, producing headshots of every current employee in the company. You can see more of my corporate photography here.

See more photography projects I shot in 2023 including Derwent London and the OXO Tower Restaurant, Bar and Brasserie.

How & Why I enter Photography Awards

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Posted by Richard Boll on 2nd August 2023 – 5:45 pm
Filed under Exhibitions, Fine Art Photography, National Portrait Gallery, Photography Award, Photography career, Photography competitions, Portrait Photography

Why I enter photographic competitions

Early on in my photography career, I started entering interesting and highly respected competitions that were suited to my personal style and creativity.  I had various reasons for wanting to enter these competitions:

• Exposure for my work to be seen on respected global platforms
• The personal challenge to produce high-quality work for a specific brief
• Recognition for my work to be acknowledged by judges of a high calibre
• Providing me with some content to share, whether for a blog post, social media or to show potential clients
• The potential to win prizes!
• The opportunity to have my work seen alongside highly respected photographers

Here are some of the successful entries that have either won or been shortlisted in photography awards:

1. 2004 – 1st place – Audi/Next Level International Award for Contemporary Photography

A dark mirror leaning against a wall, from the project Studio, produced in the Edinburgh College of Art.

From the project Studio

2. 2006 – 1st place – National Portrait Gallery (NGP) Photographic Prize

The portrait Joe, winner of the National Portrait Gallery's Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize in 2006.

This image, Joe also led to a commission by the NPG to photograph Sir David Attenborough.

3. 2011 – Selected Winner – Magenta Foundation Flash Forward Exchange

A portrait of a man in a snow-covered field holding a pheasant from the project Death in the Afternoon. Richard Boll Photography, London.

From the project Death in the Afternoon

4. 2021 – Shortlisted – Wellcome Photography Prize

A portrait of Louise, taken in March of 2022.

Louise, March 2020

5. 2022 – 3rd place – Kuala Lumpur Photography Awards

The artist Adam Chodzko standing in a pond in Whitstable, Kent, 2022. Richard Boll Photography, London.

The Artist Adam Chodzko, Whitstable, 2022

6. 2023 – Shortlisted – Professional Creative Category – Sony World Photography Awards

An image from the project Road, shortlisted in the Sony World Photography Awards 2023.

From the project Road

Two main approaches

When deciding which competitions to enter, I have two main approaches and I’ve had good results from both. I’ve also entered many awards and competitions in which I had no success at all!

The first approach is producing work specifically for an award. This involves planning the kind of work that could potentially do well and photographing a subject accordingly. When researching new potential competitions, I turn to various sources of information regarding awards, competitions, and also open exhibitions for example:

• https://submit.picter.com/home
• http://fotoroom.co/photography-awards-competitions/
• https://photocontestdeadlines.com/all-photo-competitions/

2. The second approach is when I have suitable images already created that I feel strongly about and that I believe have the potential for a specific competition. With this approach, there is an element of chance that I happen to have something that meets the competition brief.

Competition Advice

If I were to give any specific advice to photographers about entering competitions, I would encourage them to blend producing the strongest work that they can with meeting the expectations from any particular competition. It has to be work that you feel is strong and that has come from the heart, but there is a skill in adapting work to particular competitions and recognising the potential in that competition for your own work. Similarly, understanding when your work is not a good fit or suitable can be key. However much you’d like to be in the running, you have to be realistic about whether you have strong and suitable work. Looking at galleries of previously successful work is a good way of getting an understanding of the nature of imagery that judges in the competition are likely to be looking for. If you start to believe that a competition doesn’t correlate with your style of image-making, the best thing to do can be to decide not to enter at all.

I find researching and entering photography awards a fun and enjoyable process and it’s a significant part of my work. I like looking at images that have been successful in current competitions and seeing what’s fresh and contemporary in other photographers’ work.

I enjoy the personal challenge of selecting suitable images, entering awards, and then hearing the results, whether good or not so good! To have your photographs critically assessed and receive constructive feedback from respected judges helps to elevate the standards of your work.

Call +44(0)7812 908229 or email richard@richardbollphotography.com to discuss your next photography project.

Fine Art Photography Project shortlisted in Professional Creative category of Sony World Photography Awards 2023

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Posted by Richard Boll on 3rd July 2023 – 5:43 pm
Filed under Conceptual Photography, Fine Art Photography, Photography Award, Post Production

This personal fine art photography project titled ‘Road’ (previously ‘Glitch’) was recently shortlisted in the Professional Creative category of the Sony World Photography Awards 2023.

A photograph manipulated in post production of the side of a road in Crete. Fine art photography by Richard Boll.

The Road – a fine art photography project

The project was based upon a series of photographs that I took whilst in Crete in August 2022. The taking of the images was haunted by an awareness of war crimes that had been committed in Crete by the Nazis in 1941. After the Germans invaded the island, strong resistance was shown by the local population, and in reprisal, many villages were razed and hundreds of civilians were massacred.

We were staying in a very remote hotel on a quiet country road and at night the road was very dark due to the lack of streetlights. I took photographs of the road using a flash. What interested me was the various points where the road turned around a bend. The flash would pick up the road itself and any trees, foliage, rocks, etc but it could only see so far around the bend leaving areas of darkness in the images. This aesthetic appealed to me and I felt that the road images are effective universal visual metaphors for the unknown. I took a series of shots of the road over two evenings.

A manipulated photograph of a road in Crete form the series titled Road. Fine art photography by Richard Boll.

Post Production

When I got back from the trip, I enjoyed looking at and working my way through the series of photographs but I felt that the images needed another layer of interest. They were good visual content to start working on but I wanted to develop the images further.
I manipulated them in various ways to play with the surface of the photograph with a view to generate questions about how we see the photographic image. The original pictures of the road became a canvas on which to work, rather than an end point in their own right.
The shots were taken digitally, so could be made either colour or black and white. They are mainly black and white, but with some selective areas of colour. I also turned some elements to negative, whether it was negative of a black and white or colour image. I also overlaid certain areas with blocks of colour and used coloured filters. The original image is still variably evident but with elements of abstraction applied.

Smashed glass laid over a black and white photograph of a remote road in Crete.

Experimental process

The whole project was intentionally instinctively experimental. I wanted to work quite quickly with the images to avoid overthinking what I was doing. This way of working was good for me, because most of my personal projects are often considered over a long period of time and I like the freshness in the images that this approach helped to generate. I’ve found that working more spontaneously can be refreshing and can often lead to unexpected results that I wouldn’t have achieved if I’d laboured over the images over a longer period of time.

A burnt photograph of a road in Crete from the fine art photography project Road.

Future Plans

I intend to build on this project. I see it as a starting point rather than an endpoint. Over time, some of the images will probably get discarded and other images will be brought into the project to be worked upon.
At this stage, I’m thinking about how I can manipulate the photographs further. Since beginning the project I’ve experimented with setting fire to certain parts of the images and overlaying glass that is then smashed. I plan to experiment with overlaying other elements, such as paint and tracing paper.
This project plays on the idea of our perception of the photographic image and things that can influence that perception. There are also visual comments on different visual mediums; where photography has come from, as well as posing questions about the direction that the photographic image is taking.

See all the Sony World Photography Award finalists here and see more of my past personal projects here.

UK Visual Artist Photographic Portraits 4 of 4: Gordon Cheung – contemporary multi-media artist who blurs the line between the virtual and reality

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Posted by Richard Boll on 30th May 2023 – 5:21 pm
Filed under Editorial Photography, Editorial Portrait, Environmental Portrait, Fine Art Photography, Gordon Cheung, Location Photography, London, Portrait Photography

UK Visual Artist Portrait Series

When I first developed an interest in photography and started learning about well-known artists and photographers, I appreciated seeing portraits of them taken by other photographers. A portrait can be an effective introduction into the life of an artist and can tell a visual story and open a window into that person’s world. I found it really intriguing and was curious about why that person had been photographed in a particular way. I’ve decided to continue this rich photography tradition, by shooting a photographic series of well-known visual artists currently working in the UK.

Gordon Cheung

The artist Gordon Cheung wearing a mask ready to spray paint a new picture. Portrait photo by Richard Boll of London.

The fourth set of images in this series features Gordon Cheung, a London-born contemporary, multi-media visual artist from Chinese parents. Cheung has developed an innovative approach to creating art, blurring virtual and actual reality and raising questions about what it means to be human in a capitalist society. Working with a variety of media including stock page listings, spray paint, acrylic, inkjet, and woodblock printing, he blends his art into dreamlike spaces of urban surreal worlds, using the topics of culture, mythology, religion, and politics.

The London-based artist Gordon Cheung facing toward a picture that he's about to start painting.

His work centers around financial market crashes, incorporating elements of the Financial Times into his art to make 3D sculptural pieces. Tulips crop up in most of his work as a symbol because ‘Tulip mania’ was reputed to be the first ever market crash in February 1637. Tulip mania was a period during the Dutch Golden Age when contract prices for some new and fashionable bulbs reached ridiculously high levels – a handful of tulips would have cost the same as a house nowadays.
Gordon has pioneered a now iconic digital glitch technique, involving taking an image, whether it’s a painting or a portrait, and altering the structure of the digital file, getting into the programming behind it. This process produces a really interesting aesthetic, dragging the lines down and blurring the virtual with reality.

The photographic concept

The original photographic concept for this series was to shoot four different elements of the visual artist: behind-the-scenes studio shots, finer details referencing their work, the artist working, and photographic portraits. As part of this project, I also wanted to introduce a collaboration and crossover element between the visual artist and myself and I asked Gordon if he would be prepared to digitally glitch a portrait that I’d taken of him. I’m keeping that particular portrait under wraps for now to reveal at a future exhibition of the visual artist series. I chose Cheung for this series as I find his work fascinating and unique, in particular how he incorporates financial elements and assesses financial institutions. I regularly shoot corporate portraiture for an investment bank and I’ve even noticed his work hanging on the walls of their offices.

A close-up detail photograph of an art work by the London artist Gordon Cheung.

It was great collaborating with Cheung on this project and it’s encouraging to see my imagery being extensively used on Gordon’s own website and in a newsletter produced by the Cristea Roberts Gallery, the worldwide representative for Cheung’s original prints.
Watch this space for the next visual artist in this series – Yarli Allison. Visual artists previously featured in this portrait series were Gavin Turk, Adam Chodzko and Jake Wood-Evans.

Discover more about Gordon Cheung and his work by visiting his website.

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