"I always seem to look for oddities": photographer Clark Franklyn on his dreamy landscapes

Date
20 June 2018

Imagine where you’d want to be right now. Strolling down the side of a bustling river? Walking through a field of flowers at sunset? Roaming through a forest draped in a thick layer of snow? Whichever place you’d chose, photographer Clark Franklyn has probably been there first and taken a dreamy picture to prove it. Clark has been on our radar for a while. Having worked on editorial shoots for Ukrainian Vogue and Odda magazine, and having photographed fashion “It girls” like Aweng Chuol and Emma Leth, the photographer’s pure and unadulterated aesthetic regularly strikes a chord with the It’s Nice That team.

Clark completed his photography degree in 2009, after which he moved to London to freelance assist for a few years. “I didn’t shoot much of my own work during this time but, eventually, it was fashion that prompted me to take my own photographs again,” Clark tells us. “I hadn’t been interested in fashion photography before, but I enjoyed it and seized a few initial opportunities that arose. It was only later that I actively pushed to get somewhere with it. That was around five years ago. I’m now starting to make more space to rediscover photography in a broader and deeper sense, which is really exciting.” As his body of work evolves, Clark is increasingly turning his lens on compelling landscapes across the UK. Whether it’s a dynamic waterfall or a blood-red sunset, Clark skilfully captures the scene in his characteristically elegant style.

“I guess aesthetically I always seem to look for oddities — things lining up or converging in an unlikely way,” the photographer reflects. Clark has an eye for identifying unconventional landscapes silhouettes; his mesmerising photograph of a waterfall, for example, is framed by a crescent-shaped boulder, while his striking sunset shot is captured through a slender opening of trees. Through his unique compositions, Clark’s photography offers the viewer an alternative perspective on inanimate, landscape photography.

Despite Clark’s carefully composed photographs and his immaculate attention to detail, photographing for a living isn’t without its challenges. “It’s difficult to let go of wanting to master the technical aspects of photography; there’s no end to the different conditions that you can encounter (or create) for a photograph. It’s infinite and can be a never-ending distraction if you enjoy it as a craft. But channelling more of my energy into questioning why I’m taking photos is a challenge for me that I know will lead to better work.”

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Clark Franklyn

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Clark Franklyn

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Clark Franklyn

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Clark Franklyn

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Clark Franklyn

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Clark Franklyn

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Clark Franklyn

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Clark Franklyn

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About the Author

Daphne Milner

Daphne has worked for us for a few years now as a freelance writer. She covers everything from photography and graphic design to the ways in which artists are using AI.

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