“I like to use Photoshop as a way of not limiting my imagination, and if I can’t physically have a pet lion, I will just have to edit it on set afterward,” says Adam Bird to the Phoblographer in an interview about his work when asked about his post-production. “It all depends on what I’m shooting, for bridal work, the post-processing work and time is a lot different than my fine art pieces.” Adam has been hired by Panasonic, Disney, Cosmo, and a slew of other big brands for his work. So we asked him a bit about how he makes his magical creations.
All images by Adam Bird. Used with permission. For more from Adam, please be sure to visit his website, Instagram, and Facebook page. Want to have your work featured? Click here to see how to pitch us.
How Adam Bird Got into Photography
Adam tells us that he always loved taking pictures when he was younger using his dad’s camera. But he only got serious about it when he became a teenager. At the same time, his sister was scouted by a modeling agency. “Neither of us had jobs at the time and couldn’t afford a photographer, so I practiced taking some photos at home, and that kind of got the ball rolling for me,” he shares. “I initially wanted to be a studio photographer, but after discovering artists such as Tim Walker, I knew that I could use photography as an escapism and tell stories with my work.” Those ideas are holistically presented through Adam’s final images. We can see ideas from fairy tales, books, and movies that have probably inspired the photos.
To do all this, Adam shoots with a Canon 5D Mk IV. He tells us that prime lenses are essential for his creative style — which incolves shooting at f1.2 to create a soft, dreamy look is essential. Adam typically reaches for 24mm, 35mm, 50mm, and 85mm lenses.
His Favorite Photo
One of Adam’s favorite images is a self-portrait that he shot during the Lockdown in 2020 — it’s the lead image of this article. “As well as having a strong fairy tale theme, it resembles the struggles I had that year and is a great reminder that it’s worth pushing yourself outside of your comfort zone to create a great photo,” he shares. “I shot the image on a super low budget in a paddling pool in my back garden and used some lily pads I picked up whilst walking my dog down the canal.” The image is a beautiful conceptual photo that harkens to what we’d see in a Netflix series or a dark fairy tale version of a movie. But more importantly, it’s a very human image.
Thoughts on AI
Adam admits that some folks consider his work to be more digital art than photography. In fact, he also states that he’s experimented with AI for fun. “It’s a tricky one as some people may even refer to my work as being “digital art” rather than “photography”. I have experimented with prompts and using AI for fun, however “…it didn’t fulfill me in the way that Photography does,” states Adam. “There’s something about just going out and creating an image from scratch that is exciting to me.”
While it’s clear that many of Adam’s images are photography composites, there’s something to be said for the fact that he’s going out there and shooting the assets himself. There’s nothing inherently wrong with composites as an art form, but it’s important that we’re transparent about it the way that Adam is. In the age of misinformation, it’s wonderful to know that photographers like him are so very transparent.
