Familiar Shadows
by Scott Uzoho
HeyBoy Exclusive
Familiar Shadows
by Scott Uzoho
HeyBoy Exclusive
Photographer: Scott Uzoho
Models: Matteo, Aaron Milligan,
London/Scotland (UK)
HeyBoy Exclusive
“Familiar Shadows” is an anthology of transient intimacies captured through Scott Uzoho‘s discerning lens for HeyBoy Fanzine. This editorial traverses the silent dialogue between the ephemeral and the eternal, casting light upon the contours of passing figures who imprint lasting tales upon the canvas of memory. In this space, the models—Matteo, Aaron, Ollie, Tom, and Jordan—transform from mere silhouettes into poignant echoes of shared experiences, their narratives etched in the landscapes they briefly inhabit.
Scott’s photography is a delicate dance of revelation and concealment, inviting the viewer to discover the profundity in the commonplace, the extraordinary in the ordinary. Within these “Familiar Shadows,” each frame whispers a storied past, where every blemish, every fold, every glance becomes a vessel for the silent stories that unite us in our shared humanity.
“Familiar Shadows” is an anthology of transient intimacies captured through Scott Uzoho‘s discerning lens for HeyBoy Fanzine. This editorial traverses the silent dialogue between the ephemeral and the eternal, casting light upon the contours of passing figures who imprint lasting tales upon the canvas of memory. In this space, the models—Matteo, Aaron, Ollie, Tom, and Jordan—transform from mere silhouettes into poignant echoes of shared experiences, their narratives etched in the landscapes they briefly inhabit.
Scott’s photography is a delicate dance of revelation and concealment, inviting the viewer to discover the profundity in the commonplace, the extraordinary in the ordinary. Within these “Familiar Shadows,” each frame whispers a storied past, where every blemish, every fold, every glance becomes a vessel for the silent stories that unite us in our shared humanity.
Q) Scott, each photo you take is like a visual poem. When conceptualizing a shoot, how do you weave together the elements of place, subject, and moment to create that poetic imagery?
A) Making sure my work always contains an essence of vulnerability, lostness and a deeper story behind the eyes I always keep the place minimal — but its not the most important but helps with distractions. this can be from a thrown sheet over a bed, to a vastly empty field or even the kitchen floor. The emotions I’m always thriving to portray, we as humans have felt everywhere, I want this to be relatable so it can get messy.
When it comes to the subject, I always choose models that have a story. when you look into their eyes you can see more. I always want to scratch beneath the surface and get to know the model. I want to be able to not only create a great photo but photo that can communicate a story.
Finally moment, this takes time. we can spend a long time together — we talk. there’s a lot more to my work than solely the image. There’s so much in the conversations we have, strangers with memories i like to say. With these types of bonds creates confidence to bare your skin and trust in the concepts. there’s a whole lot owed to the models.
Q) Capturing candid moments can be both challenging and rewarding. Can you share how you make your models comfortable in one of your shoots?
A) Going into a shoot we break down walls — tell me your secret and I will tell you mine. we want to work off the truth, no facades just skin and bones so it can be challenging. I want each and every model to leave loving what they may have once hid and the stories they kept locked in books so this means we have to share a lot with each other. I like to take it slow, talking lots in between scenes so I can grasp a real understanding of their deeper stories. Models share a lot being a muse, but I want to share something different to what they may already share on social media — call it a therapy session of some sorts — digging deeper into themselves to express something unique.
Q) How do you improve and develop your skills as a photographer?
A) Going back to the archive — I feel its something sometimes forgotten. You will change over time naturally as you consistently shoot and try new ideas but this means you may forget about your old work. Work at one point you didn’t like so never shared. I love going back to my old shoots and re-editing my work in a different way – a new way. changing up the composition with crops, the lighting/shadows even down to ‘worsening’ the camera shake for example. Reliving these days by going back with newer stories I’ve heard and experiences I’ve had in my new life can strike so much inspiration where I begin to love the old photos. you also learn from your mistakes — the ways yours re-imagining of ‘fixing’ these shots teachers you ways you can shoot better in the future, new concepts and ideas.
Q) Models bring their own energy to a shoot. Who among Matteo, Aaron, Ollie, Tom, and Jordan would you say surprised you the most on set, and what was the moment like?
A) Strangers with memories like said, I always find it fascinating how you can know nothing about someone one moment — yet so much the next. Matteo I had met from school. He was a boarder with a passion at the time to model. We didn’t know each other at all but after a quick message we met up at the weekend and had a shoot. This one came with no plans at the time — purely winging it yet it turned out so great. He owns some of my most favoured images. He has an atmosphere which comes so naturally to his image and I loved capturing that. I can always find myself going back to the archives and finding another masterpiece, even if I didn’t see it at the time. his body spoke strength yet his eyes spoke depth. He has seen a lot of the world and curated such a great nature to himself.
Q) In the grand theatre of photography, what has been your most memorable ‘encore’ moment with a model or a shoot?
A) Jordan Moth — the story, the conversations before. this made the photos come out much more sentimental than i first imagined. there’s a darkness within these images that I find so fascinating that contrast so well to the stereotype of nudity. There’s another juxtaposition to the strength Jordan has with the contours casting these shadows yet there is a strong light shining onto the marks he holds. these marks, that some would say are imperfections and hide I wanted to draw focus — embrace. we talked for hours about our pasts and I knew this should be the focus. Jordan lays on the floor, takes a shower and reflects himself into a mirror. These concepts of giving up, falling to the ground, looking at their reflections and the thoughts that would derive yet the purity of water washing these away at the same time came together perfectly.
Q) The dance between photographer and model is intricate. What song best represents the rhythm of your photo shoots?
A) Dark but just a game — Lana Del ray. the essence of beauty, power, glory with a sense of lostness and vulnerably I would say perfectly describes both my shoots and style of work. this song starts slow, it has a timid atmosphere slowly growing into a synchronized ensemble which is the perfect goal to each and every shoot.
Q) In your vast palette of black, white, and greys, which shade do you feel most drawn to and why?
A) White is a go to for me, its a blank canvas being an absence of colour. The greys hold an almost nonchalant calming atmosphere to the overall vibe of an image but I’m most drawn to the contrast white brings to the blacks in my images. It strikes an almost pure, clean and innocent connotation within the centre of a dark distressed bigger picture. don’t get me wrong though, I work with colour a lot. I work as both an artist and commercial photographer so when i client has a scheme I will be inspired — there’s just not much to hide behind when you remove all possible connotations of colours from an image and left with a much rawer canvas to interpret.
Q) There’s a magic that happens when the perfect shot comes together. Can you recall a time when everything just clicked, and what sparked that moment?
A) There is one shoot that stands out, it was my first time shooting on 35mm film. this was done with Aaron — called ‘love yours’. not being a stranger there were stories already there and a connection. We didn’t have a plan once again, I love to focus on what happens and what strikes the inspiration in the moment but I decided before hand to load the camera with expired film. The images came out so imperfectly perfect — from the like leaks to the film coming loose half way through… Each image tells the story of the time we spent together, the mishaps and the journey we had.
Q) If your camera could talk, what do you think it would say about your shooting style?
A) Damn! but in a bad way — almost question it but let me explain. We spend thousands on gear yet the true purpose of what we do is for the emotions that spiral from the art, yes, our work is high quality but we throw grain on our photos, harshen the shadows and create images so contrast to what the brands create our gear for…Stereotypically. Lets go back to the 1960’s when film cameras in their most beautifully brutalist way have inspired some of us today.
Q) When you look through the viewfinder, what’s the first thing that catches your eye about a model?
A) A lostness behind the eyes and the shadows in the contours of their body. I want more than just a stereotype. I believe there is beauty everywhere but I love the hidden parts, the ones that aren’t the common norm. I want stories and tales from the past that can come together and make another but in photo form. Sometimes these can express their emotions, or mine in the moment but nonetheless there is a story to be told and I want to be the one to tell it in our way.
