5 Questions with Will Scown.

My name is Will Scown, I am a full-time photographer from Arrowtown, New Zealand.
Outside of photography, you'll likely find me out hiking in the mountains, eating pizza or going for a rip on my skis.

Q1. What made you first pick up a camera?

I was actually given our old family DSLR (Canon 300d) while I was going through the process of leaving university. At the time my mental health wasn't great and I ended up using it as a tool to get away from the shit I was dealing with as well as the student drinking culture I was wrapped up in. It also just gave me a fresh start at something new.

Q2. What does success look like to you?

I don't mean to sound generic but the answer to this question is constantly evolving for me (which is probably a good thing). I think if anyone has a cemented image in their head of what their success looks like they'll most likely find themselves repeatedly disappointed.

To keep this answer relatable for anyone reading, I try my best to view the word 'success' as an exercise of embracing the pursuit at hand with the future's potential in mind. Much like a pioneer's reason to embrace sailing with the wind he's given.

Q3. What is your desert island lens?

24-70 f2.8 - Wide enough for a weight-loss transformation journal and long enough to spot boats on the horizon.

Q4. Which shoot for you stands out as most memorable?

It's gotta be back in 2016 and prior to working in photography, I was spending some time in New York by myself with no real intention but to shoot the city every day. This is definitely where I learnt the significance and fulfilment of documenting with photography vs. simply trying to produce 'cool' imagery.

Q5. Which photographer influenced you and your style the most?

An all-timer and someone whose work I've always gone back to is Chris Burkard. I weirdly enough came across his work in an issue of the White Horse's Surf Magazine and on not social media as most people would have discovered him. At one point the style of my work was definitely striving towards how he produces his images but now I'm in a limbo between film and digital aesthetics and have been really inspired by the likes of Joe Greer, Dan Tom, Andrew Kearns and Michael Oneals work. Sorry I can't narrow this down to one person haha.

You can find Will on Instagram as @daysrun_