Over the last few years, colour trends have leaned more toward the grey and beige ends of the colour spectrum. We’ve seen it in the interior choices made by high-profile celebrities. Several fashion houses doused their fashion lines in nude and muted colours. People loved the grey and beige colour palette so much that they combined the two to form a new colour altogether: greige. We’ve embraced this minimalist and muted lifestyle to such a point that researchers have begun investigating the loss of colour in our world. There are many factors responsible for this grey reality, i.e. a desire for modernity, a silencing of the visual noise, and basically a reflection of the world that we’re living in right now.
While many have succumbed to this new grey world, artists like Travys Owen have steadily led the charge to bring colour back into our lives. The work of Travys Owen is like something out of a kaleidoscope. Bursting with colour and vibrance, it’s easy to lose yourself in his incredibly immersive work. We sat down with Owen to learn more about his creative process, his obsession with colour and his love for photography.
Please tell us a little about yourself.
I originally come from the small town of East London and come from a design/illustration and VFX background. Moved to Cape Town straight out of varsity and worked as a designer and illustrator for a couple years until I decided I wanted to do something else. I was always intrigued by the immediacy of photography and filmmaking. I assisted for around 4-5 years doing that and then started shooting my own work with people I grew up with within the industry.
Where does your love for photography and videography stem from?
It comes from how immediate an image can be made and how the smallest details in images give me so much joy. I am naturally drawn to bright, bold colours and compositions and spend hours, if not days, on a single image after it has been made, tweaking colours and tones in post-production. I have this process where I am naturally drawn to people and love creating images with people I love. Then I have this time when I am completely alone in the post-production process, where I colour and digitally paint images. My personality is usually extroverted on set whilst making images, and then I have the time afterwards to be completely introverted. I have set up the way I work to match my personality perfectly, and I love it.
Which do you prefer more, photography or videography?
Honestly, it changes a lot. I like to experiment with many things, and I am still playing between the two. I don’t think my video work is where I want it to be yet, so for now, I am trying to get my stills work and experimentation to a place where I am happy, but I keep discovering new things, so I dont get to spend enough time playing in film.
How would you describe your style?
That’s a tough one. Let me give you a few words that I love right now. Movement, Emotion, Graphic and Colour
Would you say that you intentionally cultivated your style, or did it happen naturally?
I wouldn’t say I intentionally developed my style, but the way I take pictures has everything to do with how I grew up from the age of about 16-30. My career path and experiences definitely shaped the way I make images.
Your work features a lot of vibrant colours. What is it about dousing your work in these colours that you love so much?
I can’t exactly put my finger on it, but it’s always about the way it makes me feel at the time I am creating. Colours mean different things to me at different times of my life. Things change from one day to the next. For instance, I love how a bright red photographed in an image can be celebratory and also feel very sad and emotional based on how it is contextually used. I guess colour is something I never think about but always use intuitively, and that’s why I love it. It’s the most frustrating and rewarding thing at times.
What does a day on your set look like?
I always try to make a day on set feel like I am hanging out with my friends. I like a very relaxed and friendly environment. I detest hierarchy, as I assisted in a time when this was the norm. I love working with new assistants and getting to know new people. Oh, and also good loud music. Big commercial shoots are generally very stressful environments, so why not make them as enjoyable as possible.
What kind of subject matter do you enjoy exploring?
Right now, the biggest thing I am exploring is movement in every shape and form. It is something I have been digging into lately, and I am enjoying the process of testing things both on-set and post-production.
When you’re approached to do a project, what things need to motivate you to get on board?
The only projects I get approached to do are commercial projects, and those are generally determined by three things. Money/Time/Creative. If I cannot tick at least two of the three, I usually turn down the job, as it can be quite wild out there. Otherwise, most of my projects are self-initiated, so I work and move freely at my own pace.
What are some of your career highlights?
I would say getting to work with all of the best creative directors, stylists, makeup artists, and assistants South Africa has to offer and that most of those people are close collaborators or friends. This has been the biggest highlight to date. Brands come and go, but collaborators and friends are special. I hold that so dear to me. I have just recently moved to New York City, so I am missing everyone terribly.
Whose work are you most inspired by and why?
Oh gosh, there are so many, but my all-time favourites are Pierre Commoy and Gilles Blanchard. I love how their work looks so effortlessly beautiful, specifically their process of making the image and then accentuating it later in post-production using airbrush and very old techniques and yet still producing images that feel so nostalgically modern.
Which camera do you shoot with?
I don’t shoot with any specific cameras. I will use a number of systems depending on what I am shooting. I generally shoot personal work on my Hasselblad and Commercial work on either Leica or Sony Systems.
Do you have a favourite gear set that you shoot with?
For me, it is generally Hasselblad and Profoto for now.
What’s always in your camera bag?
Every colour of Gaffer Tape you can imagine; I love a good collection of coloured tape.
Do you have some tips and tricks for aspiring photographers?
Anything you want to learn when starting out, the answer is always on Youtube. If you want to find out how to do something, there is a tutorial for everything these days. Make tutorials your biggest friend.
Do you have any upcoming projects you’d like to highlight or where people can check out your work?
Currently, I am working on personal work to release my own book and exhibit, but for now, I am settling into my new home here in NYC. You can find me on Instagram or on my website.
