road trips, sunrises, and magic

Photographs By Felix Russell-Saw

Photographer and Creative Director Felix Russell-Saw opens up about understanding the rules before bending them, sleeping in a beat up motel in San Francisco, and how art is a product of your surroundings.

London, United Kingdom

How did you begin your journey as a photographer?

I’ve been photographing since I was 15/16, growing up around a skatepark and with all my friends being in bands just naturally ended up becoming part of my life. As we all grew up I was just the guy with a camera down to hang out and shoot.

What have you learned along the way?

Damn, I’ve learned so much, often the hard way, but that’s what makes you better at something, right? Creatively, it’s hard because jobs like this are subjective. There’s no right or wrong way to take a photo, just guidelines. It’s only when you understand the rules and guidelines that you begin to see where to bend them. That’s where the magic happens and it becomes uniquely yours.

How would you describe your style? What makes your eye unique?

I don’t know honestly. I still don’t think I’m doing anything exactly unique, I guess my little slice of the world is unique, I’m the only me out there and that’s pretty cool. I don’t think unique exists so much these days. Everything has been done to some extent, it’s all about borrowing from the right places and honouring the reference.

Your subject matter varies from adventure to fashion to lifestyle and more. How do these subjects inspire you?

I’ve found you end up being a product of your surroundings. Just getting out there and following things I like, immersing myself in a space or thing, being drawn to communities that make me ask questions and finding stories that I want to tell with my work.

Tell the story behind one of your photographs.

It’s always hard picking just the one. This one for example I had just finished a mega drive from Las Vegas to San Francisco and ended up arriving so late that I was struggling to find a reasonable place to crash. After phoning around and finally getting a room at a small bay-side motel, I discovered that it turned up to this crapped out place and the only room they had was some beat up smoking room that felt like someone had smoked cigs there for the last 100 years. It was so bad I put all my belongings in the bath to try and stop them smelling so bad. I didn’t sleep for a minute as it was so unbearable. I just laid awake thinking how early can I get up to get out and get a coffee. I made it until about 3am before I decided I was better off just getting in the car and driving around the city until things opened. I managed to get a coffee from a nearby gas station and just drove to the highest point in town I could to catch the sunrise and air my clothes out.

This one on the other hand, my friend was wiping tears from his eyes down in Venice beach because there was piss on the floor next to us that was so bad it made our eyes water.

Which challenges have you faced during your photography journey? How have you overcome or grown?

I think just evolving with the times and the industry. I was doing this before even instagram was really the mainstream so seeing the boom of ‘content’ has made me want to seek out far more authentic approaches to my work instead of it being thrown in with the rest of the masses of copy and paste internet slop. Martin Parr says you only take about 5 genuine photos a year or something along the lines of that which I think is a really good perspective. I’m just keeping my camera by my side and going for that.

What are some memorable shoots you have done?

This is one thing I love about what I do specifically, I do so many different things that all my work is super memorable. I’ve had some photos I’ve done at my own home that have been just as special as being sent out overseas on assignment for a month. One that stands out will always be when I was living in East Hollywood shooting for an agency for 4 months. I was out shooting projects literally daily meeting some of the coolest people that have become life long friends. That really felt like I was living it.

In addition to being a photographer, you are also a creative director. How does being a creative director on a shoot different than just being a photographer? How would you compare the two? Do you prefer one over the other?

It really depends, I used to run a small studio / agency where I’d be approached to do a job starting from idea conception and doing everything through to graphics and branding. I love being able to execute something like that from start to finish and stepping back to see the bigger picture with it all. Other times I’ll get hired as a photographer where someone will come to me with an idea or plan of what they are after and I’ll be more on just the shooting within a world they have built. I don’t prefer one over the other at all, it’s just good to be practicing and keeping those creative muscles working.

Is there one thing you want to accomplish while on your photography journey?

I’m always working on something, many somethings all the time. It does feel like it’s time I start putting my money where my mouth is and get something physical out again. It would be nice to get a book / gallery showing but honestly I’m at a point where I feel like I just need someone else to wake what I’ve got together now and help me put something together with it. I think I spend too much time going over it all that I just end up forgetting what I started doing it in the first place.

If you could photograph any country in the world, where would you want to go and why?

I don’t want to say more of America, I’ve spent too much time there photographing over the last few years but each time I go out I just find myself just getting lost in such an inspiring world. Maybe it’s just a case of the grass is always greener.

I think this year I want to get somewhere crazy tropical for some good surfing and crazy weather. I met some spear fishermen last year and it’s basically all I’ve been able to think of ever since. Maybe pick up a dope underwater camera and document something like that.

What's next for you?

Usually I’d be saying I’ve no idea, but I think sitting down to answer these questions has got me thinking I need to start booking some flights and sending some emails.

Work wise, I’ve got the latest fashion campaign I shot and co-directed for Wax London coming out on the 20th. Super proud of that one and the team that made that all happen.

Longer time, I guess this book, gallery, prints I’m always yapping about. Don’t ask when though, because I never know.