Portraits and Fascinating People
Set Design by Clarisse d'Arcimoles Styling by Nathan Klein
Featuring Toby Coulson Words by Nastasia Khmelnitski
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Toby Coulson masterfully builds emotional connections between people and places. What emerges is a fun and authentic atmosphere brought into the new reality created. The relationship is of reciprocal nature, and the effect of change is working in two directions; people have the ability to change their surroundings while the surroundings also influence people, their emotions, and actions. Toby's work captures this powerful connection and brings it to the viewer’s attention, dismantling the fourth wall between the audience and the subjects, which allows influencing the viewer through the emotions transferred to them.
Born in the US, Toby Coulson moved from New York to Devon, the UK, when he was four years old. He studied photography at University College Falmouth. Toby’s work was exhibited widely in London, including the National Portrait Gallery. In this interview, we speak about Toby’s experience growing up in the countryside and his determination to pursue his career in London, working with fashion brands and magazines. We discuss the decision to take portraits and the challenge of meeting strangers. As Toby explains, “I began to see photography as more of a tool to explore and meet people.” We touch on the project Atmos Earth and work with models on set to create an authentic feeling of characters who fully embrace their role in the new dream-like reality.
‘Looking back, I remember time moving slowly and things seeming to last forever.’
My Narrative
Hi Toby, how are you doing? Thank you for the time and the discussion of your work with us! You moved as a four-year-old kid with your mother from the US to the UK. What was it like for you to grow up in the countryside? Do you remember any experience connected to the move itself?
Looking back, I remember time moving slowly and things seeming to last forever. It was quite a contrast from New York City to rural Devon. My mum didn’t have a car. So there was a lot of time to play at home and explore the rivers and forest, make a bow and arrow, build a dam, and climb trees. You could imagine I was bored, but I don't think I ever was. It was just a lot of time to play and let my imagination go.
‘It was hard at the start but I built up confidence. Taking portraits led me to weird and wonderful places where I met fascinating people.’
Set Design by Clarisse d'Arcimoles Styling by Nathan Klein
Photography
How did the topics of interest develop for you, from taking photographs as a kid to studying photography at the University College Falmouth to gaining experience with numerous personal and commercial work?
As a kid and teenager, I mostly photographed nature and animals. When I started at art school my eyes were opened to the work by British portrait and documentary photographers like Paul Graham, Jem Southam, and Daniel Meadows. Also, American colour photographers like Joel Sternfeld, William Eggleston, and Stephen Shore. I became obsessed with their work and challenged myself to start photographing strangers. It was hard at the start but I built up confidence. Taking portraits led me to weird and wonderful places where I met fascinating people. I began to see photography as more of a tool to explore and meet people. Once I had finished university, I had a small portfolio and enough confidence to start approaching magazines and picking up portrait commissions.
Set Design by Clarisse d'Arcimoles Styling by Nathan Klein
‘Atmos Earth was shot in my hometown in Devon. I worked with my partner Clarisse d’Arcimoles who is a set designer, an amazing stylist Nathan Klein, and Maki Tanaka, a very talented hair stylist. We cast most of the talent from a local school.’
Commercial Projects
The most fascinating part about your commercial projects and magazine assignments is the connecting element that brings your work under your unique vision and style. The easiness of the models being part of the narrative created, the emotional background that brings joy into the image, and the almost dream-like reality that allows a certain playfulness and authenticity to emerge are the main common elements. Could you speak about some projects like Atmos Earth, Dancers of Bellville for Document Journal, and a story for Cero Magazine for example, and how you work with models to create the special moment, the right frame, and the needed emotion to capture?
That's very kind of you to say. As my work has developed, I have become a lot better at collaborating with models and talent. I think it's very important that they feel involved with the project and give their energy. I love shooting editorial portraits but often you only have 15 minutes with the talent and there are fewer elements you can be in control of. More long-term fashion projects like the ones you mentioned above have a lot of planning going into them: location, casting, set design, etc. It's more like the planning of a short movie. Once the shoot day comes, everyone is onboard and relaxed and there is that space to improvise and allow the magic to happen.
Atmos Earth was shot in my hometown in Devon. I worked with my partner Clarisse d’Arcimoles who is a set designer, an amazing stylist Nathan Klein, and Maki Tanaka, a very talented hair stylist. We cast most of the talent from a local school. There was an amazing atmosphere on set and it really felt like a collaboration with everyone.
‘Houses are built in rows with conformity and no human character but over time this develops and they become a representation of the person living in them.’
Landscapes
Another critical element in your work is color and the relationship between people and the places, the city they inhabit, the nature explored, or the power they have on shaping the surroundings. In projects like Houses and Suburban Hedging, the viewer can see another angle to your work, which always leaves a question mark, a desire to gain more knowledge about the place and people, their connection, and events that took place during or after the image was taken. What is distinctive to your process of thinking about those connections and searching for the right frame to take place at the right time to create those emotions?
I am fascinated by people's impact and change on their environment. Houses and gardens are an amazing way to document that. Houses are built in rows with conformity and no human character but over time this develops and they become a representation of the person living in them. The hedge project was an extension of this. The hedges become these sculptural art forms. There is also a humorous and competitive nature to them. I found in certain areas there would be a high density of tall or very closely trimmed hedges where each gardener is competing with the next.
Upcoming Projects
What theme or narrative are you researching, and what can we expect from you in the upcoming months?
I have a shoot coming out soon for Atmos Earth shot in a salt bath of Romania again working with my partner Clarisse d’Arcimoles. I also have a long-term project coming out soon which is a documentation of my auntie, performance artist, Joan Jonas.
