Harry Rose

My name’s  Harry, I'm a photographer based in the UK. I’ve been taking photographs since I was encouraged to study photography at college by a teacher. My work focuses a lot around identity and wider conversations around representation within western society. As an openly Queer person, I think its really important that I use my voice and privelage I do have to help support and share the stories of others. This sense of moral duty and ethics has fed into every other aspect of my life too. 

I am also the founder of Darwin Studio, a global photo agency founded in late 2021. After working at places like British Journal of Photography and launching their content platform Studio 1854 and co launching Rocket Science Studio, the global pandemic really gave me the perspective to launch my own agency which has a core foundation of being inclusive and progressive with who we represent and how we go about business. I have invested so much of what I’ve experienced both as a working photographer, creative consultant and photo agent into the framework of Darwin Studio. 

The portrait above of myself in lockdown during pride was a really strange moment. We all have stories about lockdown. How we got by and how we coped. For me it was the disconnect with my queer friends to thinking about the future I wanted for myself. I was at a turning point in my life where I was doing a lot of work for other people and not leaving any space for myself. I was turning 30 in a few days time and the anxiety of being queer and in my 30s really threw me. 

I wasn’t looking forward to hitting that milestone. A lot of commentary within the queer community is that when you hit 30 you’re old and the better years are fully behind you. That paired with not being able to go outside, see people and unhappy with where I was in my professional life is sort of written all over my face. I like to think the portrait shows a level of disconnect to the here and now whilst also showing up and being open and proud of who I am.

First, reading your introduction above really hit me. You have done so much and it is so interesting to hear how as you were turning 30 you thought about the ways you weren't leaving any space for yourself. Can you elaborate on how you came to the realization? When you began to create space for yourself, how did it shift your perspective, priorities, and overall feeling? What advice might you have for an artist who feels like they are hustling non stop, leaving little space for their own needs? How did you remind yourself of the importance of slowing down to address your own needs?

I think it really dawned on me that throughout my career, I had never really taken stock or gave myself enough credit. I have always been incredibly tough on myself in general, always thinking I can do better or having imposter syndrome. My parents didn’t have much when they were young, and the creative industry has always felt and is in much respect a rich kids playground. So many gatekeepers went to private school or come from very privileged backgrounds.  This naturally meant I would take on a lot to just get a slither of their perceived success. Whilst doing my best to hold doors open for as many other like minded folk without realising the door could close on myself at any time. I know that’s very metaphorical but the creative industry is very unforgiving and up and down. 

One step I did take was spending more time on the themes and ideas I cared about as a person first and then see how I can communicate that as a photographer. I know I sometimes give off the impression of being this liberal militant queer, whose often shouting fuck the tories or highlighting social inequalities within the industry. I started to explore ideas that are really important to me. Representation was the first thing, especially when it comes to Queer relationships. I didn’t see anyone like myself on the tv growing up and the idea of love between queer folks was always portrayed as risky and forbidden. This led me to making portraits of LGBTQIA+ couples together. Just showing real couples together. Presenting them as just two people who had found each other. No hyper sexulisation or highlighting perceived differences. 

I then moved more towards questions I had around my own sexulality and how I felt that I needed to present to society. I had gone through 5 years working in London masking who I was to colleagues and friends. Masculinity was the big thing for me. I felt like I had to choose being masc or femme, that there was no room for being a more complex person than that. So I began to talk to people from the community about masculinity, and how it plays a part in their lives. The more people I spoke to, the more it became apparent the pressures society puts on our community to normalise and fit into pre packaged boxes. Working on Queering Masculinity is a really liberating project, if nobody really looks at it that's fine with me. It has become a series where I feel that the connections I’ve made and stories that have been shared are far more important than having a well received photo series that gets media attention. 

And I think that realisation of doing something for yourself and not really giving a shit about the end result is important and healthy to do from time to time. Of course, to succeed you need to make work which people want to look at. Playing to the gallery will always play a role. But I always encourage folks to tell stories they care about and want to tell. If you’re passionate and care about something, others will too. Sometimes we’re too focused on finding that balance between making work for yourself and making work for others. I don’t think I have the answer to that. But what I have learnt from mentoring photographers and as a photo agent, is that the right people will find your work. You can’t please everyone all the time with your photography. Some people have different taste levels, others no taste at all. And that often dictates what work gets seen, who gets commissioned and who doesn't. 

I realised that once I took those steps with my own photography I was able to reset my ambitions in life a little. I found myself working in freelance jobs where I was making other people successful and I was left feeling cold and disconnected from what I was doing. I wasn’t happy injecting all my energy, passion and spirit into something just for a pay slip at the end of the month. I realised I needed more fulfilment than that, I needed to do something where I could be proud of and champion day in day out. I found that space to achieve those things ironically by creating a space for others. 

How does your own identity find its way into your work?

I think that those who know me well, can see me all over my photographs. I’m a very vocal and passionate person about social mobility and equality. I always approach work by looking for photo series I want to see as a viewer. When I can’t find those photographs I take them myself. I am very much focused on queer identites and pushing further representation and equality for LGBTQIA+ folk both in photography and outside of it. I’m very aware of the straight photographers who are now more than ever, cashing in on the queer experience. Our lived lives are now being exploited by creatives who seemingly want to piggyback onto our movement which we’ve fought hard for. So my frustrations are straight folk trying to dominante queer storytelling is a real drive at the moment. I am working a lot for LGBTQIA+ photographer in a mentor capacity and pushing these stories in my own work. 

I am of course not saying nobody can tell different stories. But when cis men in paticular are dipping their toes into our community for financial and personal gain as an artist, I think there is an ethical conversation to be had there. Especially when queer artists are marginlised enough as it is. I mean, I don’t blame them. There are a wealth of stories and diversity to be found. I guess photographing men in pubs gets boring after a while. And I think how others outside of the LGBTQIA+ community really influences what I want to shoot. Queer Love for example is a balance of showing real life couples together, happy. No jockstraps, glitter, vibrant colours or butt plugs in sight. I’m really interested in showing the different sides to the community whilst also not making us look or feel hetronormative. Because we’re not. And for Queer Love that was a real balance. I didn’t want to say “hey look we’re just like you!” because we do live and experience things which are totally separate to growing up straight. Its a series I’m going to continue working on and finding a way of showing queer relationships in a way that feels natural and authentic, without the expectations of performance from a straight viewer. 

All of these complex narratives and ways of thinking about visual representation play into the projects I want to do. One thing I am currently exploring is queer folk in sport. With trans lives being targeted day in day out and sport being a way in for the bigots to make themselves known, I’m looking at ways of telling stories between sport and queerness.

I love that you created Darwin Studio, from this core response of acknowledging what was missing and creating it yourself. How do you pick photographers who align with your mission? With your background in photography, how does that help you better serve artists?

Darwin Studio is something I am incredibly proud of and work tirelessly on. It was really important to me that I set up an agency because I was passionate about it, not the status of owning a photo agency to fuel ego or somehow influence perceptions people may have of me. It had to be 100% something I care deeply about. We’re a global photo agency that has built into its DNA all the things I’ve experienced within the industry to create a culture that empowers, supports our creatives.

That DNA played a really important part with who I approached to be on our roster and come on this journey. Our mission was really simple, to become an inclusive, diverse photo agency that really nurtured talent. I wanted photographers who had that drive to make work but also open to collaboration with myself when it came to project ideas for clients and their own work. I really care about our artists and their careers and the stories they want to tell. Giving them a space to breathe, have ideas and pitch to clients together gave me the space I needed. 

One of the unique aspects of Darwin Studio is that I am a photographer as well. I have also been in marketing roles, creative strategy and as a photo agent. So I often play into those lived experiences and apply them to how we work with clients and how I mentor our roster. I get the stress and anxiety that comes with making images. I make myself open as personally and accessible to our artists as much as they need. They all know they can ask me for anything, whether that's related to commercial, personal work or something within their own lives. I want to ensure that all the talent I work with know that Darwin is a safe and empowering place to be.

One of the things I always say to myself and friends is that Darwin Studio was and never will be about pulling a chair up to the table to sit with others. We’re all about building our own table, and welcoming like minded folk to join us. If you can’t find a space where you feel people like yourself are seen within an industry, you need to make that space for yourself. 

What I’ve learnt since 2020 is really to take a step back, re asses. Is what you’re doing right now career or project wise fulfilling you in the way it needs to? The hustle is real for a lot of folks. I get that. We all have it. But so is your worth as a creative person and how you treat yourself mentally. I was unkind to myself for so many years. And I think when you realise your own progress and achievements are something to be proud of and carry  with you rather than looking around all the time and trying to be as good as others who you think are better than you. Of course things like privilege which I mentioned earlier will always be bloody annoying. But I think finding people who want to shift the power a little bit and make life a bit more diverse are worth seeking out and collaborating with. 

So many artists graduate from school believing they must have a job in the field they studied, what advice would you have for artists about seeing the potential for being creative in various ways? (I teach now and my own path has been everywhere, I try to help my students see there isn't one correct path, the only important thing is that they don't stop making their work)

That's the real pressure isn’t it? to be seen as doing well in something you studied in. And it's totally imagined. University only teaches you so much. I find people can graduate with a level of confidence as they’ve had 3 years of having tutors nurturing and supporting their creative practice. Yet when you hit the real world, it turns out there's hundreds of other graduates in the same boat as you. I will always say it's important to figure out what you want to do on your own time. You’ll do jobs you don’t like, work for people you dislike, experience things which aren’t positive. And I’d say it can really help shape what you want to do and give you a certain level of drive. Some folks know what they want to do and run at it, which is great, but there are so many roles and creative things you can do within the photo industry which aren’t solely taking photographs for clients. 

One experience that has always stuck with me is something that happened whilst at university. At graduation, a fellow student turned to me and said “you’ll be fine because you’re jammy like that”. It really took me back. I’d always pushed myself to experiment, do different things during my studies. One of the big things which made me have such a strict work ethic was losing my father to cancer during my first year of university. It taught me a very brutal and unfair life lesson, life really is short. And I think what that student meant to say was “you’re always working, you really want to do things”. Well, that’s what I tell myself.

You’re right when you say there is no correct path. I thought I wanted to be known for making photographs and getting paid to shoot. But it turned out I’m a lot happier helping facilitate other creatives and their ambitions. I only learnt that by doing different roles within the industry. And I think finding your feet is important. Don’t do what I did and put so much pressure on yourself. Knowing your worth and feeling out what works for you and what doesn't is all part of the process. Just because someone you went to University with is landing loads of photo jobs and you’re not doesn't actually reflect on yourself at all. And lastly, the one thing which is the most important is working hard. Nothing that is worth it really comes easy. I worked 12 hour days and took on a weekend job when I launched Darwin Studio. I still work crazy hours. Because that's what is needed.

To keep up to date on Harry’s latest work follow along here:
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