“The moment will always outweigh technical perfection”: The Fashion Photography Award winner shares the inspiration behind his final major project
An Interview with the winner of the Photography Award 2026, supported by Free Range: Ellis Carroll from Southampton Solent University.
Ellis is a 21 year old photographer working out of London and Winchester. His final major project 'Common Folk' was made up of 8 editorials with the aim to celebrate folklore across the British and Emerald Isles. Each of the 8 shoots, all shot on medium and large format film and printed within the darkroom, reference a different folklore tale and are accompanied by a contextual paragraph within the final book.
What unexpected source influenced your final outcome?
“For ‘Common Folk’, the research process was a long one. I delved into artefacts from the Museum of British Folklore, founded by Simon Costin, to help with visual aesthetics for the final book. I come from an artistic background with my grandad previously being a fine art lecturer at UCA, so artists such as Hockney and Avedon played a big part in influencing my triptychs.”
What’s the best piece of creative advice you’ve ever received?
“The best advice I’ve ever received is: the moment will always outweigh technical perfection. Always.”
How would you describe your creative voice in three words?
“Imperfect, analogue, surreal.”
What kind of impact do you hope your work has beyond aesthetics?
“The main aim of the project was to celebrate British and Irish folk customs through the form of fashion imagery. In an ideal world, the photographs connect both fashion audiences and the folklore community so that each can understand a bit more about the other as both play big parts within my life.”
Which designer, artist or creative would you most like to show your work to?
“Fashion designer Johh Skelton and photographer William Waterworth had massive influences on this project. I’d love for them to see.”
What conversations do you hope your work starts?
“I want these photographs to act as a reminder of what true British culture is. The diversity within my casting was intentional, as folklore is not just old white men as some may assume. British folklore is extremely diverse and more people need to understand that.”
What advice would you give to a student currently starting their final collection or portfolio?
“My advice would be to use references no one else is looking at and look beyond fashion. I see so many photographers creating the same photographs and are clearly using the same references as each other. Explore art. Explore the natural world. Make your work personal to you and identifiable as YOURS.”
So what’s next for you after graduating?
“After Graduate Fashion Week, I’m now applying for an MA in Fashion Communication. This allows me another year where my creativity isn’t hindered by the restraints of the commercial world.”
