‘You can have photographs about people, even if there is nobody within miles’ In conversation with Jim Fenwick

London-based photographer Jim Fenwick was on location in Sicily in September 2023 when a wildfire broke out. With his equipment at hand, and some time to spare before going to set, he captured the images in his series Wildfires of Palermo. This body of work earned him second place in the Landscape category of the Sony World Photography Awards 2024 Professional competition. 

At once landscape photographs and portraits, Fenwick’s striking images of this spectacle bring a new dimension to the subject matter, placing focus on the individual trees the forest is composed of. The images show the plants’ resilience in the face of the sweeping, destructive flames looming. Jim tells us more about this series, his early days in photography, and new projects. 

This interview has been edited for clarity and concision.

What drew you to photography?  

I thought I'd be a painter when I was a child. I spent my early years travelling, and most of my time drawing. I took a photography workshop during my foundation, and I was amazed that you could have an idea, shoot it in the morning, process it, and do a print the next day. I adored each step of the photography process, and I had a really magical time in the darkrooms. I'm a bit of a daydreamer, so that tempo suited me. Instead of applying for a painting degree, I went on to photography instead. 

I would say it was very organic. I didn't choose photography, it just happened upon me, really. 

Do your early experiences impact your practice today? 

My upbringing has completely shaped me and the way I make pictures. All my photographs are about people, whether they are portraits, or landscapes that tell the story of a dwelling. 

I have this particular childhood memory from when I lived in Italy. It was my last day at my school, and I was riding home on the school bus. I remember my friend getting off the bus, and the indentation left in the pleather seat. He got up, and I knew that would be the last time I would see him. I was around 11, and I remember really noticing that dent in the seat. For me, [this experience] is my first photograph, though I never made it. Moments like that inform my photographs. In this way, you can have photographs about people, even if there is nobody within miles. 

Could you tell us more about your series Wildfires of Palermo, which was awarded in last year’s Sony World Photography Awards?

That was a strange experience. That series is a great example of an idea or a feeling about a photograph that I'd had for years and years, but when I came to shoot, it was very immediate. This wasn't something I spent six months doing a photo essay on. It was there, happening, and I just happened to be on a job nearby. I was lucky to have the tools with me, and just enough time to stop and photograph. Though it only took me a short period of time to capture the images, it was a long time in the making, because I think you get to a point as a creative where you are certain of the kinds of photographs you want to take. I think the fact that these images were quite instinctive to make was to their credit. If I had planned the images, not that you can really plan a wildfire photograph, I'm not sure the series would have had the same energy.

You say the concept for this work existed for a long time. Did any of your earlier work inform this series? 

Historically I've taken lots of photographs of trees standing separately from the rest of the forest landscape. I like breaking away from the landscape format and shooting in portrait when photographing landscapes, not just because it makes that tree an individual or a pair, but because it helps to plot the wider vista. It's about those trees and that sky. In a way, it’s like projecting human qualities onto these trees. If you're into gardening and trees, you know that all those trees are interlinked, a little bit like people in a society.

"Though it only took me a short period of time to capture the images, it was a long time in the making, because I think you get to a point as a creative where you are certain of the kinds of photographs you want to take."

How do you approach photographing landscapes and locations?

I try to work fast, because I like the energy you can capture in a particular moment. Not all photographs can work that way, for example if you're doing a certain type of landscape or you’re waiting for the right light or the right conditions, but on the whole, I like to work quickly and I think that stems from working with people a lot. 

If I do an edit, it tends to be the frames at the beginning that I use rather than the later frames. I like to capture the energy there and then, and that is true of my commercial work too. I am drawn to the initial ‘what’s going on’ moment. 

Do you recall any photographic works that you saw at an early point in your life or career that had an impact on you?

When I was doing my foundation course, I went to the Hayward Gallery to see a Garry Winogrand exhibition. That was a lightbulb moment for me. I think part of the reason I was really drawn to those pictures was because I had memories of being an American schoolboy even though I'd never been to the States at that time. When I saw these Winogrand pictures, it reminded me of that time of my life, the kids at school, the community I was living in. There were moments of crossover with my life, moments of recognition in those photographs. It’s a strange feeling really. I saw many resemblances in those images to my own memories and people I’d seen before. 

What’s next for you? 

At the moment, I'm doing a series of landscape photographs where I'm playing with reflected light. I'm also doing a set of portraits about moments of change, like the third act of a film. It's still ideas first, and then execution second; like painting really but much faster.

You can learn more about Jim's work on his Instagram.

The Sony World Photography Awards 2025 Professional Competition is open until January 10, 2025. Enter the competition for your chance to win $25,000, a range of Sony digital imaging equipment, a solo exhibition in London, and to have your work promoted across World Photography Organisation channels.