These superb road and portrait images landed this photographer a dream job on a Hollywood movie set

From road images to portraiture Will Coxford has been creating his fashion alongside his work within the movie trade, and even taken images on a Hollywood movie set! With large goals of changing into an everyday photographing on units, he tells me extra about how he began out in images, the gear he loves and inspirations.

Our rising photographer collection goals to shed a light-weight on up-and-coming expertise. Photographers are provided a platform to share their work with a wider viewers by the AP channels, with the scope of furthering their careers. We additionally get an perception into their inspirations, the digicam gear used and future aspirations, in addition to the journey taken into images – which doesn’t should be probably the most conventional route!

We’ll be sharing the work of photographers on our web site and social media and even within the journal. If you’ve lately began your images journey or are a scholar / graduate, share your work with us at [email protected]

When and why did you begin taking pictures?

I solely actually began to take images extra significantly in the course of the actor’s and author’s strikes that hit the movie trade a few years in the past. I used to be out of labor for practically a yr so used images as a approach of conserving busy and dusting off cobwebs that gathered since ending movie college. I initially wished to try to recreate a sense {that a} house would give me and attempt to lock that right into a body.

My first photographic outing on this time interval was to Great Yarmouth pleasure seaside throughout low season, attempting to create melancholic / nostalgic pictures of the theme park the place you would really feel the imposing presence of the rides and the vacancy of the house). That was an enormous detonating second for me.

Which style do you are inclined to work largely in?

I suppose portrait and road / structure can be the place my work tends to fall however I nonetheless wouldn’t say I’ve actually ‘found my niche’, I’m very comfortable exploring or dipping into a spread of genres if a sure thought involves thoughts.

What attracts you in the direction of your favoured style?

I feel portraiture has the power to relay a lot vary in emotion, tradition, a fleeting look or second, a well-crafted or by chance stunning aesthetic, and I feel it’s the limitless chance of outcomes that it may give which excite me each when behind the digicam and as a spectator.

Tell us slightly bit extra about your photographic coaching?

I went to movie college in Mexico City on a course that lasted about 4 years. Each time period we might cowl numerous facets of images and that is the place I actually obtained to grips with manipulating settings to try to obtain a spread of outcomes. The course was so observe heavy (however not neglecting the speculation) and we got quite a lot of alternative to experiment.

Tell us extra about your current work?

Just late final yr I had some portraits displayed in a present on the Mexican Ambassador’s Residence in London – I took some Day of the Dead impressed portraits with a dance group right here in London and we had been all satisfied with the outcomes. This was the primary time I ever had any images on present and the response so optimistic (which is after all an enormous aid as I nonetheless really feel a bit sheepish saying to folks “I’m a photographer” somewhat than simply treating it as a interest).

What has been your greatest photographic impediment so far?

Keeping a recent perspective and never simply on the lookout for the identical kind of picture if I’m out training road images can be an enormous one! I’m very acutely aware that I’m at an early stage of my journey and have to hold attempting totally different types and methods and never simply repeat related pictures over once more.

Who are your greatest influences?

Hard to pin down – there’s a large unfold that I’m continually altering… Just to call a number of folks’s work that actually lands with me in the intervening time.

1. Victor Melillo in Rio.
2. Josh Jackson can also be doing nice road work which as a rule lands with me.
3. Victor Mendiola
4. Robert Viglasky’s stills work is all the time very spectacular.
5. An apparent one purchase Greg William’s work can also be very cool

I usually discuss with cinematographers like (I do know painfully apparent) Deakins, Chivo Lubezki, Jakob Ihre…

What tools do you employ?

I primarily use a Fujifilm X-T5 which I’ll as a rule hold paired with a 16-80mm lens for versatility. Although if I’m going into the studio, I are inclined to choose a 35mm prime. I’ve lately been dabbling in 35mm movie and have been fortunate sufficient to observe on a Leica M6, borrowed from a good friend (and quickly falling in love with it!)

What can be your dream tools to work with?

Not a very wild one, however after I’m feeling courageous sufficient to decide to a 35mm digicam, I might like to get my palms by myself Leica M6.

What has been the spotlight of your images profession to date?

Hands down attending to spend three days on the finish of a movie manufacturing on set with one in all Hollywood’s best-known Producer/Directors and taking pictures some stills for a characteristic which is popping out later this yr.

(For context — I work in movie manufacturing places of work, and on that individual venture our on-set stills man needed to depart the venture a number of days earlier than wrap and some members of the group had been conscious of my curiosity in images so let me in there for these remaining days.)

What are your hopes to your images profession sooner or later?

Small step: One day in a not too wildly distant future I might like to put by myself expo for an evening or two which doubtless would go hand in hand with the subsequent query (dream project).

Bigger step: in the future to mix images (which is simply one thing I take pleasure in / mess around with in the intervening time) and my work-film world and make that extra of an everyday factor taking pictures on set.

Do you’ve a dream project?

I’d like to spend an prolonged interval / couple of weeks on the Pacific coast (you guessed it, in Mexico) within the smaller, much less developed villages taking pictures documentary fashion images with the households there, seize the rugged however stunning landscapes and colourful life tucked away, hidden from the limelight of the extra standard locations.

What piece of recommendation would you give to different aspiring photographers?

Shoot something you’re excited about. I don’t suppose it’s a must to lock into one style whilst you’re discovering your fashion. I feel it’s a great observe to ask your self “why am I shooting this particular frame / what’s the emotion or narrative?” when taking a shot and never simply doing It as a result of it “looks cool” (which after all generally is okay!).

Instagram: @will_onthestills

Success tales

At the 2026 AP Awards, Nick Teo was introduced as our Emerging Talent winner for this documentary-fashion work. Previous rising photographer award winners embody Ethan Parker, Aliz Kovacs-Zoldi and Tariq Sadu. Si Jubb and Ethan Parker spoke at our Festival of Photography: Documentary occasion in 2025.

More studying:

Do you wish to win some nice prizes to your images? Enter your images in our International Amateur Photographer of the Year competition. Free entry for photographers aged 13-21.

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