Nick Prideaux on Cultivating Creative Spaces

You mentioned your ‘studio’ is your home. Tell us about your space and how you curate it to encourage your own creativity.

I live in the 4th arrondissement of Paris which is quite central. There is a constant hum and noise from the city so my apartment acts as a quiet refuge from this, but more importantly it acts as my creative space as I shoot some of my photography work within it. I try to create a minimalistic, mindful space where I can move easily around and play with the light that falls inside it. The space itself is quite open and there is a sense of airiness that makes me feel at ease. As far as curation, it’s nice to have a few items constantly on display like cameras and framed photo prints because they remind me of what I do and what inspires me.

What’s the most inspiring corner of your space?

I have a bedside shelving space that acts as a kind of hub for all my creativity. It houses all my cameras, photobooks and little mementos that I've kept from my travels. It’s nice as it acts as a kind of museum of my own mind, and a pretty good summation of all the things that I adore. Depending on my mood it’s sometimes nice to sit quietly and flip through a few pages of a photobook, which always manages to inspire me to pick up the camera and shoot.

How would you describe your workflow and process when shooting at home?

I don’t really have a set workflow as such but when the light is right, usually during spring and summer I’ll usually be shooting at home with models or friends depending on who's around. I tend to work quite sporadically and usually only when inspiration strikes as I’m less and less about forcing creativity to happen but rather working more mindfully and slowly when the moment strikes. I just try to utilise the light where I’m able to as it’s such a key component to my photography.

How do you stay inspired to create while working at home?

I think I’ve come to a point with my creativity where I just have to enjoy the lulls in it, let it pass and then move on when it feels right. More often thought I’ll watch a film or take a look at something other than photography to inspire me such as art or architecture books or going outside for a walk along the Seine. The MEP (Museum of European Photography) is in my neighborhood so if I’m at a loss of inspiration I’ll check out what current exhibition is on. It’s important to be able to escape home and refresh your mindset outside, then come back feeling invigorated and ready to work.

How would you describe your relationship with your camera and photography as an art form?

I’m much less of a camera person than I used to be, so I see them more as utilitarian and as a tool to help me shape the way I see the world rather than something to obsess over. Photography has always been a present in my life from a younger age so it feels natural that I have such an attachment to the form. I took photography classes in high school and my first job was working in a Kodak photo lab. I went on to study filmmaking in university and was always drawn to really ‘visual’ directors so there were always elements of photography that coloured my life in different ways. Photography is a never ending journey of personal discovery and the world around you so I feel it will always be a big fabric of my being.

What gear are you getting the most use out of at the moment?

I’ve just bought my first medium format camera so I’m really enjoying shooting with the Fuji GA645.