The shape of light

Lauren Wiig-Aspland speaks in images. Where others rely on words, she finds stories in the fall of light and shadow, the quiet poise of hands. Words By Jamie Crocker

She first picked up a camera at 14 while studying photography in school, but her real passion for it developed later. Lauren takes up the story, “A couple of years after finishing education, I took my old DSLR to the moors on a whim, sparking something in me and realising this was something I needed to keep practising. Soon after, I enrolled at the University of Arts Plymouth, where I did a degree in Commercial Photography for Fashion, Advertising, and Editorial. I loved every moment of it.

“Now 25, I’ve spent the past three years freelancing part-time and have recently taken the leap into full-time photography. I’m drawn to storytelling – constantly searching for beauty in moments, people, and landscapes, weaving them into visual narratives. I love the art of finding, creating and sharing aesthetically pleasing stories. Capturing and highlighting beauty is what brings me the greatest joy.

“My work is deeply rooted in the natural environment, seeking out scenes that evoke a sense of peace. I look for where natural light falls best and sculpt the composition around it to tell the story I’m working on.

“I want my work to feel pensive, thoughtful, and calm. I try to express my romantic view of the world, often leaning toward a soft, feminine aesthetic. I try to poetically showcase crafts, people, and places, focusing on their beauty as that’s what I love to share most.

“I grew up closer to London, surrounded by towns and suburbs with little access to wild nature. Moving to Devon as a teenager, I was captivated by the moors and woodlands, falling in love with their constant, naturally occurring earthy tones. That sense of awe has never left me, and I think it carries into my work. I’m always drawn to stories of people connected to the land and environmentally conscious processes.

“Utilising natural light and shaping my scene around it is one of my favourite ways to work. For indoor detail shots, I sometimes introduce a single external light to sculpt a hand or object, creating moody contrasts with light and shadow. Fine-tuning details in dark environments is something I want to do more within my shoots, where subtle shifts in light can make all the difference.

“My work includes craftspeople, landscapes, portraits, branding and weddings, but I approach everything the same way. Image-making is an instinctual process for me, and while I find it difficult to change, the benefit is that my style remains cohesive. Over time, my instincts evolve, adapt and improve, shaping a continuous creative process.

“One of my favourite images was taken while traveling with my Norwegian family to a hill overlooking the land where my ancestors once ran a smallholding. Most of the time, I take photos for others, but every so often, there’s one just for me – and those are always my favourites.

“Photographic artistry isn’t down to the tool in your hand, I have seen amazing phone images that are greater than lots taken by the camera, the choice of tool is yours. The artistry comes down to perspective and intention. Be true to how you see the world and work to reflect that through your process. We are all drawn to noticing different aspects of what’s around us, and sticking to your unique viewpoint, I think, makes great artistry. I also think the intention behind your work is important, to have purpose behind your image making, to not flood the world with too much visual noise without meaning.

TOP LEFT: Cliff Ellis’s Studio

TOP RIGHT: Portrait of Ceramicist Cliff Ellis

ABOVE: Martin Stallard, Dry Stone Waller

ABOVE RIGHT: Bowls by Cliff Ellis

“Over the next year, I plan to pour more energy into photography, continuing to focus on people, craft and connections to the land. I’m also excited to experiment with moving images and analogue photography – not just for creative growth but out of curiosity and the pure joy of learning.

“As someone who works a lot in storytelling through multiple images, I find the selection of stand-alone photos difficult. They all fit together like cogs in a machine to tell different details of the same tale. I think I am yet to take the one image I would show to represent my work, perhaps it will be discovered in my endeavours over the next year.”

laurenwiig.com