Interview: Tim Kavanagh, photographer

Tim Foley of Write Speak Recover has a wee tête-à-tête with renowned photographer Tim Kavanagh. Turns out they have more in common than just a forename...

Picture the scene - I am adrift in the bowels of the beast at my corporate job. Four hours into a content heavy Generative AI event when across the room, as if by magic Tim Kavanagh appeared. Robed in black, deftly working the room as if he wasn’t there. Capturing candid photographs and skilfully gathering smiling groups together before they knew what had happened. I thought - that guy really knows what he’s doing! I’ve needed a new headshot for a while as my previous one seemed fraudulent with its lack of wrinkles and fully brown haired beard. So, when I saw my chance I cornered Mr. K and asked if he’d shoot me. What ensued was just wonderful. Two artists having found themselves meeting in the most unlikely of places - we became fast friends. Realising shortly, that not only did we both yearn for the past; for film, analogue cameras and dark red rooms, we also both learned our craft of those at Bournemouth Arts Institute. Albeit a few years apart. It’s been a treat to get to know Tim and share stories of shoots and I admit I was a little intimidated but relished the chance to shoot him for this article. Of course that was the one time I failed to wind my camera properly at the start and the vision of him reclining in a deck chair in a central London plaza is lost forever! But, we got there in the end! So, I dragged Graham Thomas, Founder of TheNeverPress, out of the shadows so we could all three sit down to talk life, photography, creativity and how it is being threatened by the very place we met.

Graham Thomas (GT) - Hey matey! Let's get to it from the start. May you please tell us about your creative journey so far?
I was always “ARTY”. I think my father was an artist but never got a chance to express himself creatively. His outlet was drawing with me as a child and crafting exquisite Dinosaurs from plasticine. I owe him and my mother everything. I also owe a debt of gratitude to my teachers. My secondary school art teacher and all the art teachers who encouraged me through the maze of further education.

On completing sixth form I got a job as an insurance clerk. I hated every second but stuck with it for 3 years. When I left I immediately signed up for a one-year art foundation course at Cheltenham art college. I think everyone should do an art foundation course regardless of artistic ability. It was amazing! My mind and horizons were broadened greatly. Cheltenham led to the photography course at Bournemouth. It was tough! I nearly lost my mind trying to find myself. My portfolio was testament to that suffering. I felt my soul was on display in each image.

I had originally wanted to be a “fine artist” but decided not to be confined to that genre. Compelled to be creative I continued with my personal work but also wanted to explore every other category of photography. Logic dictates that you should specialise in one discipline, but I couldn’t do it. I now shoot portraiture, fashion, architecture, travel, music, documentary, editorial and advertising. I also teach and occasionally write articles.

Tim Foley (TF) - Which one photo from your portfolio would you like to leave us with that sums up your photography style. And please tell us why you love it.
When I started photography, I always took pictures at night. It was exciting and dangerous and added a layer of mystery and malevolence to my imagery.

For this image I had to pay for a room in The Palace Hotel in Southend. I think it was being used as temporary accommodation for the homeless at the time. My aim is to portray an entire narrative in just one image. Packed with questions and potential. What has just happened and what is about to? I think this image has achieved that.

Photography is a language and photographers use that language to weave stories from light.

TF - Despite owning a Hasselblad, a Leica and other classic cameras, my favourite camera is actually my Holga - a £45 toy camera! I love it because of the lack of settings and difficulty in actually making a good image from it. And the completely unpredictable magic that can appear out of it! If you could only use one camera forever which, would it be?
I used to keep a portfolio of the first image taken on each roll of film that was shot as the roll was wound into the camera. They were always the best images to come out of any batch exactly because they would be at unexpected angles of unexpected things viewed from an unusual perspective.

I think it would have to be my Mamiya RZ 67. Mainly for the amazing quality of that huge negative.

GT - Is shooting film critical for someone new to photography in 2025 so to really understand how to work with camera settings, light, depth of field and focus?
It’s probably not critical but I think it’s a great discipline builder. As you don’t get to view the image immediately you must rely on your skill to get it right first time. Also, if you only have a limited number of images on each roll of film then they become far more valuable, and more thought must be put into each composition.

With both medias it is essential to work in fully manual mode to be in complete control of exposure, depth of field and focus and learn how they interact and affect each other.

TF - Can you explain how this shot came to life from the idea to the final image?
At college I had an idea to take portraits of people on buses as the bus drove past. It had all the elements of one of “my” images, but the idea didn’t crystalise until 20 years later when I was living in Shoreditch. I started photographing people on parked buses near Bishopsgate. Each image became a stage presenting a moment from the play of life for the individual caught in that moment. Lit by the sodium haze of competing night light, just how I like it. A friend of mine pointed out that they always looked better after it had rained, and the windows had steamed up, so from then on I only shot in the rain. The independent magazine was kind enough to print a four-page spread featuring some of these images under the title Omni Bus.

GT - Does the limitless and immediate nature of a digital camera make you more creative? Or do the limitations of film force more intentional creativity?
Creativity comes with practice so it could be that digital speeds up that process. On the downside the immediate, infinite and ultimately disposable nature of digital lacks the level of concentration and connection with the subject that you get from using film.

TF - You’ve sustained a successful career in photography for 30 years. The equipment available to you now is wildly different to when you started. How have you managed to stay current with technologies that have constantly evolved?
I seem to absorb information about new technology by osmosis. I must thank some of my tech savvy friends who are more into equipment than I am. They generally point out the new trends and I make an informed decision on what I need to invest in.

I’m in awe of most of the new tech. Especially drones and phones. It’s still Sci-Fi to me. Thankfully everything seems to be getting smaller and lighter which is very much appreciated as one gets older.

TF - To follow on from that, what excites you about AI and new technologies and what worries you the most?
AI terrifies me. It’s been created specifically to take peoples jobs so I’m not sure what we’re going to do when everyone is unemployed!

So many horror stories are circulating about it outperforming humanity that I think we should proceed with extreme caution.

GT - Your voice – was it there from the start, or is it an ongoing quest to discover and define it?
I was always very shy, so I have struggled to find a voice. I’m now very good at relating to people and believing more in myself but continually fighting the less confident side of my personality can be exhausting.

GT - Tells us about the moment you captured an image and knew you had a voice
I shot a series of images in Weston-Super-Mare while at Cheltenham Art College. They were shot in daylight but were very dark, black and white and filled with foreboding. I was so excited printing them as I knew they had come from within me, and I had created something of substance. I think they got me into the Photography course at Bournemouth.

TF - Have there been any moments of true doubt or insecurity in your journey and how did you overcome it?
All the time! I felt like I was skiving school for the first ten years of my career. Making money as a self-employed person is always a challenge and if anything goes wrong it’s all on you.

However, the upsides of a career in photography far out way the down. In my moments of doubt, I try to think if there is another job that could match it and the answer is always no. 

GT - How can art help us?
Art is everything and artistic expression informs and unites us. Either in film, music, poetry, literature, photography or graffiti it’s part of the human essence and we need to protect it. Technology is attacking these artforms and we need to fight back.  Art enriches our lives so much, but it can take its toll too as you struggle to create authentic artwork in a world increasingly saturated with art.

TF - What advice would you give to anyone out there who is starting out on their photography journey?
It’s a bit of a cliché but one does have to just keep at it. Take as many photographs as you can. Talk to your friends and colleagues but don’t let them put you off if the feedback is negative. You simply can’t learn unless you fail (a lot).

Read as much as you can and look at as much work from photographers who inspire you.

I always recommend Lee Friedlander, 'Like a One-Eyed Cat' to my students along with Mari Mahr.

We're constantly on the look out for new artists, creatives and initiatives to feature in TheNeverZine - so if you are, or know someone who is going their own way and doing their own thing on their own terms and would be a good fit to feature please smash that button below and get in contact. By talking to each other, and sharing our journeys, ideas and insights on creativity, art, mental health and resilience we can all create, share and thrive together. Nice thought that.

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