Issue #03 Summer '15/16
Words by Jess Mackay
"For Damien Woods, the most influential moment in his career came when he decided to go back in time. A commercial photographer for almost ten years – shooting weddings, portraits and events – Damien found his true calling in the endless variety of film, and the random textures and results different cameras can create.
‘That’s what drew me to film: the journey, the process being just as important as the end result, and of course a love for old things,’ he says.
The layout of his home town Brisbane, and the classic architecture of European cities – London, Lauterbrunnen and Barcelona, to name a few – inspires Damien to capture everyday moments in a unique way. Falling victim to the travel bug, he says he already has his next Europe trip planned.
‘[My inspiration comes from] everyday moments, following the lines and forms of structures, light reflection; a love of history, obsession with architecture and of course the experience of going to different places [and] being engulfed [by] culture, human experience, and food,’ he says.
‘Even with my work from around my home of Brisbane, I try to approach my work differently.’
Damien’s talented eye for unusual framing and composition has led to his first solo exhibition ‘EUROPEAN POSTCARDS’, set to launch in April of next year at Jugglers Art Space in Fortitude Valley. On display will be Damien’s collection of photographs from his overseas travel; a collection that will cover 13 countries and some of the most beautiful cities, each with their own unique flavour.
The upcoming exhibition will feature a mixture of black and white, and colour rolls of film, shot with two late-1970s film SLRs, showcasing Damien’s pursuit of the yet to be discovered.
We wanted to know where Damien –who is self-taught– gets his passion from.
‘My journey began with inspiration from seasoned professionals; later [it was] my own experimenting, practice, technique and blending a bit of technical with the creative on a digital SLR,’ Damien says. ‘I often laughed about switching and am certainly glad I did; it has changed my life. After shooting film now for almost 3 years, I look forward to discovering the many types of cameras from nearly 150 years of film photography history.’
Photography is currently Damien’s part-time passion, something he describes as a continual personal side project that is always developing and growing."
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