It’s been a while since we last spoke with our friend Oliver Chapman, so we thought we’d pester him into doing another interview with us to find out what he’s been up to. Turns out, his photographs still slap and he’s since rekindled his love for running about in the woods. Based, but not bound to Brighton, Oli is a nomadic soul who you’ll sooner find kipping in the back of a van than surrounded by comforts of home. We spoke to Oli about his background in photography and asked him to pick a few of his personal favourites to discuss.

How did you get into photography? And what made you pursue it further?

My initial motivation to learn photography is fairly uninspiring. I was 21, living in London and looking for more time to myself to surf and spend time on the road. I thought that if I got a freelance job it would give me a load of freedom to do so - I was completely wrong about this, it hasn’t granted me freedom in terms of income and movement, but photography has settled at the epicentre of my life. Everything in my life now flows in and out of it in one way or another.

Can you remember your very first camera?

My first camera was a Canon ae-1 35mm. It is still my primary 35mm camera.

What influences your work? Last time we spoke you mentioned places, music and film as a massive influence - have any of these stood out to you recently?

I think since we last spoke I’ve refined and explored what it is that inspires me. It is still all those things you mentioned, but I’ve realised that I value my personal photographs as reminders of what a time felt like to me. So in a strange roundabout way this inspires me to capture places and people more broadly. It's easy to photograph a landscape and remember it just as that one beautiful encapsulation, but to be able to capture whatever the smells were, the sleeping arrangements, and who was around you lends itself to a fuller memory.

How would you explain your approach to working creatively? Whether it's with or without a camera in your hand...

I wouldn’t say I really have much of a set process which Is both a blessing and a curse. Tends to be a bit of a take a camera and if I’m feeling it I will shoot some frames sorta thing.

Your print work has been featured in 'The Earth Issue' recently, could you tell us a bit about that and what it means to you?

It was awesome being able to donate a print to the earth issue. They’re doing good things and spreading good art and information. Their aim in their words is ‘the aim of awakening an empowered consciousness towards our planet and our global society’. In one simple sense they’re a platform for good, informative, activist art. Art that will compel conversation and address social and environmental injustice. This is exactly what they were doing with their freedom fundraiser and I’m just stoked to be able to contribute any way that I can.

Could you tell us about the other work you have been doing? Any projects coming up?

I don’t have much coming up in terms of projects, though I’ve been thinking of making a series of short handmade photo books all hand printed in the darkroom and hand collaged, but it’s a work in progress. I’m currently trying to work towards buying a cheap piece of land somewhere in Portugal in order to build a tiny house and live in the woods!

What’s your most memorable moment with a camera in your hand?

There are too many, to pick one would be unfair. But, one of the favourites that springs to mind would be whilst living in a van in New Zealand. I had woken up to piss at about 5 in the morning and stumbled down to a bush near the lake, bleary eyed, half asleep, only to be met by the most incredible sunrise I’d ever seen. It was just hovering over the lake, burning orange, lighting up the water a deep red. It was lighting up clouds purple above the mountains, it was something else. I immediately fetched the only camera I had loaded film and woke everybody up.

You live quite a nomadic lifestyle, is travelling something you've always been passionate about? And do you have any travel plans coming up?

Travelling has always been in my thinking in one way or another. My parents took us out of school when I was ten, my younger siblings 7 and 5 and bought a round the world ticket for a pretty good deal. We then camped around the world for a year. I then grew up skateboarding and eventually surfing and then got into motorcycles and photography. All these hobbies go hand in hand with travel and I love to see new places as it is. I haven’t been on the move at all recently though, needs must and all that… But I’ve just bought a van which I’m converting into a camper. I’m planning on a big 2 month UK summer surf trip (money and Covid permitting of course).

Tell us a bit about the selection of photos featured...

‘Cole’ + ‘Crewshot’ are photos taken on random summer street missions. I’m not much of a street skater, but the last two summers I’ve really enjoyed going and finding street spots with the bros, getting clips and getting kicked out of places. It felt extremely reminiscent of my early from days where I skated every possible moment, skating everywhere and anywhere.

Sienna is a photo of friend who I met through another friend years ago, we’ve been meaning to shoot for a while but it hasn’t worked out geographically. This was shot using my mamyia 6x6 for the first time in her boyfriend's flat in hackney.

The photo of Dom is from when I shot a dance project on super 8 a couple summers ago down camber sands, this is a 35mm shot I got in the interim of filming.

New F was shot at the new forest, just unforgiving beauty as far as the eye could see.

Genandthepurpletree is of my dear friend Gen on a purple tree somewhere in the new forest. This was on a trip to new forest where a bunch of us stayed in a cabin not long before all this covid came about. We spent everyday walking and every evening drinking, it was an epic trip.

Rosie is a shot of my friend Rosie Matheson. I think this was the first time we met up after the rules were relaxed after the first lockdown. Lots to catch up on. Lots of creative ideas and obsessions that will likely come to nothing haha.

The details is from a camp trip my friend and I took. We were wild camping in the middle of winter in Bivvy bags, I think it dropped to minus 2 that night. We were tucked up in our bags by 9, passing a joint and a flask of whiskey between us. I love camping in just the divvy bag because you get to lie back and see the stars, hear the birds and feel the cold air on your face.

Special was shot on a summer surf trip to Cornwall. I’m particularly fond of this landscape. I think the film stock matched with the grass movement makes it look more a painting than a photo, something I’m always trying to do with landscapes, and another reason I love film and believe it gives frames a more mystical character than the sharp, unforgiving accuracy of digital.

Dissecting Imagery With Oliver Chapman