My Inspiration

We would like to introduce you to a new exciting feature on our blog – ‘My Inspiration’. Every week we present to you one of our clients, and what inspired them to get into photography. Enjoy!

This week we want to introduce to you Travis Hodges – Travis takes pictures of people. He has worked with a broad range of clients, from charities to banks and from the homeless to celebrities.

His personal project on youth culture ‘DeadTime’ has been recognised by the Jerwood Awards and The Observer Hodge Award. Travis is currently working on several personal projects alongside commercial, editorial and advertising commissions.

Describe yourself in three words!
Looks, creates, questions.

When did you start taking pictures?
I was given a camera as a child and was interested enough to have a go at hand printing at school, that got me hooked. I feel lucky to have started my career as the industry embraced digital, I got to experience working commercially on film before moving to digital.

I feel that the time spent hand printing taught me more than the many hours spent in front of a computer since.

What inspired you to do so?
Ask for access to something people are doing because you want to ‘have a look’ and you usually get turned away, ask to document it as a photographer and you are often welcomed.

My camera lets me go beyond the usual view point of things that interest me, behind the curtain of something or someone. I love meeting and learning from people who live completely different lives to me, each person I photograph has the potential to teach me something, about the world or myself.

What image did you choose to show us today?
The image I have chosen is from a commission for the Police youth education department, this was my first major commission after graduating. The client had seen my personal project on youth and asked me to create a set of portraits to help tell the story of what happens to a young person when they are arrested.

It is not easy to find commissions that truly fit with your photographic vision so it was wonderful to be approached for this project right after graduating, and an example of how your personal projects can lead to work.