Robbie Bannerman

“Photography is art and art is about expression, so focus on what you want to say and tap into what you feel is right”

Intercru: Where are you from? Where do you live and work now?

My name is Robbie, I’m working as a freelance photographer and creative in London, where I was born and currently live.

How did you get started as a photographer?

I have always dabbled in photography having studied art and design. I was typically required to document my work/research with photographs but I would say I really started my journey over 3 years ago when I started to really become interested in taking photographs.

I wondered what I was going to do with my life. I had shown skill in a few creative endeavors but never had the focus to stay committed to a single art.

I felt like a creative with no home, often talented but occasionally uninspired and unmotivated.

I owned a camera and decided whenever I went out to take some photographs of pretty much anything that interested me. I found it therapeutic and enjoyable.

The goal at the time was to take images of subjects that would go unnoticed and find a perspective that would promote interest. I used my own outlook as a foundation as I wanted to appreciate things around me again, so I brought a second-hand Olympus OM20 35mm film camera and started taking photographs of just about everything.

Because of the nature of how film is a process when images are developed, it allowed me to put my perfectionist nature aside and focus on the experience of taking a photograph and connect to whatever I aimed the lens at. Although fun, it became expensive buying and developing film continuously, so I dusted off my Nikon D7000 and started applying everything I learned to a digital format.

What’s the hardest part of photography?

Trying to be consistently creative with my output. Naturally, I’m a perfectionist so I’m very picky about my work- a gift and a curse some might say.

Essentially, it’s about finding that balance and lately I have been in that place where I have just been creating when I feel like I have something I want to communicate and it’s helped considerably.

What do you do to find creative inspiration?

I soak in life around me and go with what feels right. For me it’s always about feeling and feeding off the world around me, both contemporary and nostalgic.

My work tends to get labelled as cinematic and I think it’s because I love movies and music. I like to create narratives create moods using light and really create an atmosphere unique to the photograph.

I often apply the idea of juxtaposition while promoting conflicting elements that come together to create a marriage with something unique.

What’s your favorite part about photography?

The experience of creating and meeting other like-minded individuals is a buzz that I still appreciate to this day. Brainstorming ideas that maybe seems impossible or foggy then applying it to create a vision other people can interpret and enjoy is really something.

In your opinion, what makes the perfect photo?

Haha the infamous question. Some might say there is no such thing. But if I attempt to give you a concrete answer...

As a photographer you have to ask yourself what you want to say. The best way I can communicate this is by asking, “What do you feel when you are creating and when you look at what you’ve created?”

The perfect photo manifests feelings people can appreciate or relate to. In terms of portraits, a photograph that has the subject out of focus might technically seem off but create a sense of mystery and disarray. So it’s important to understand how your gear works, lighting, angles, and concepts but essentially photography is art and art is about expression, so focus on what you want to say and tap into what you feel is right.