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Billy Clicks
@billyclicks
Landscape photographer based in Scotland
Based in Edinburgh, Billy is a digital artist and landscape photographer creatively addicted to dark imagery. He has spent countless hours experimenting and expanding his artistic skill set to create a personal style. And over the past years, in collaboration with his partner Gabby (@scotlandmagic), he brought his experience to landscape photography – a creative medium he is now hooked on for life.
“I feel my background as an artist has helped. I love finding my visual voice and have been very fortunate in the past with my art. So I feel finding my visual identity was a smoother journey than most. But the key to this is finding inspiration and adapting to what meets you. There is no right or wrong. Follow your idols and adapt or go completely solo. With time your unique voice will emerge.”
For Billy, having the freedom to travel and enjoy all the magical locations our planet offers is a rewarding and humbling experience. Billy aims to show the fantasy in our world by using a target to act as a hero in the frame, resulting in a fun journey to include elements in the composition that add depth and variety.
Similarly, he finds it essential “to play and try something new for your artistic needs when you feel burnt out and uninspired. Having two creative professions can be hard at times, but because they are so different, they act as a balancing weight. When one slows down in inspiration, the other gives.”
In this new interview, we also spoke about client work. Billy believes that content creation is decisive and that there are many ways to monetize photography: “I find collaborations can be way more rewarding than clients. Tourism boards, local businesses, magazines, a creator’s audience, and many more are vast avenues we can use to engage and create unique products, experiences, and content. All we need to do is push who we are and what we have to offer.”
We are very fortunate to live at a time when everything around us is so visual. If you would like to learn from someone that has found a love for creativity and made visual creation his profession, we recommend you read the full interview.
Interview
Welcome, Billy! First of all, can you share with us where your passion for travel and photography comes from? Can you share with us your background?
It’s a very fun journey, to be honest. I have only been shooting for 3 years. It started just before lockdown when my partner, Gabby aka @scotlandmagic, taught me how to shoot. When the lockdown hit I had a lot of spare time to practice and I found my true love of photography. I am an Artist by trade (@billelis), but having the freedom to explore a new creative medium is such an exhilarating experience and I’m hooked for life. I equate it to the magic of fishing, that feeling when you get “the shot” is amazing.
"Having the freedom to travel and enjoy all the magical locations our planet has to offer is a truly rewarding and humbling experience."
Based on Edinburgh, you and Gabby showcase “the most magical, whimsical spots in Scotland.” Could you please share with us three spots that are close to your heart?
It’s so hard to pick only 3 places in Scotland as the country is an adventure and wild playground. But if I had to pick I’d say the area of Glencoe, Isle of Skye, and the NC500. These areas are large and vast, and have so much to offer from castles to mountains, wildlife to waterfalls, unique hikes and coastlines…everything is there.
We found so many images from Iceland in your feed that we love. Do you think some landscapes inspire more than others? What landscapes inspire you the most and why?
Our Iceland trip was a lifelong goal and when we spent 3 weeks there, it was Wow after Wow. We underestimated how vast and wild the landscapes are. From the volcanic grounds to the extreme peaks, the clear blue glacial waters, and the amazing colors of the Highlands. Personally, I love a combination of elements, whether it is extreme peaks with snow and rock formations, or unique waterfalls and ice. For my photography, I need a target to act as a hero in my frame, resulting in a fun journey to include elements in the compositions that add depth and variety.
We are curious about your scouting techniques as well, Billy. You have visited a few popular photography spots during these past years. Yet, the compositions of your photos, in our opinion, are distinctive. What strategies and actions do you formulate and implement to find and successfully capture those compositions?
I feel with everything it’s a journey of inspiration. So many incredible photographers have been to the spots we visit and it’s a fun challenge to capture what I feel others have done way better.
Many times I get imposter syndrome especially since photography started entirely as a hobby for me 3 years ago, but with time I find my own style of working and it’s a fun challenge to see how my input can showcase a location through my eyes. It’s no lie that I like to shoot low as I really enjoy that foreground depth of field and layering of textures. I also really struggle to shoot on sunny days, but give me an overcast, golden hour, or major mood any day and I’m buzzing.
Overall I feel I have a long way to progress and level up my drone photography but I have found real love in producing videos.
"There’s magic in the video where you can’t over-edit and a real technicality that results in capturing the locations in a more realistic manner."
Similarly, you have photographed quite some architecture (houses, castles, towers, etc) in the UK. What are your strategies to capture landscapes and architecture, and show the spirit of the place?
I find negative space and leading lines very important in these kinds of shots. Castles on their own are breathtaking constructions and the fact they have stood the test of time for so long is paramount to that. I find the true magic happens however when these buildings are only a small part of a vast landscape. Take for example the wee White House of Glencoe, or castle Stalker & Rattray Head Lighthouse. The vast wild landscape around these is what truly makes the shot, in my opinion. The remote beauty of these structures as they stand guard protects the landscape that surrounds them.
"So I try to frame them in a way where the landscape is the hero but the buildings stand in a David & Goliath relationship."
Congratulations on your solid and consistent style! Your style quickly called our attention while looking at your feed. Besides practice and lots of trial and error, what helped you in achieving your current style?
Thank you very much. I feel my background as an artist has really helped. I love finding my own visual voice and have been very fortunate in the past with my art so I feel finding my visual identity was a smoother journey than most. But the key to this is finding inspiration and adapting to what meets you. I have tried a variety of techniques and editing but never felt 100% there and through frustration, as I am a perfectionist I think I have finally found the base of my style. There is no right or wrong.
As a landscape photographer, do you find it useful to diversify and shoot other genres, whether that is to find new clients or stay creative?
For me personally no, as I have two very different careers. I find excellence in finding a subject you truly love and grinding. No one wants a Jack of all trades, we get inspired by unique creators exactly because they are that unique. That being said, it’s important to play and try something new for your own artistic needs when you feel burnt out and uninspired. I would never do it to attract clients as that would go against my values. Staying true to your art is key. Having two creative professions can be hard at times, but because they are so different they act as a balancing weight. When one slows down in inspiration the other gives.
We also see that your partner plays an active role in your career. How is it to create with your partner, what synergies do you guys find as a team, and what are the most inspiring projects you guys have produced so far?
Honestly, it’s so much fun. Yes, there are moments of contention but the fact we get to go on all these adventures together is a true gift. We have very different styles but we also complement each other. Our biggest inspiration is @beckiandchris in everything they do. Their creativity and how they love what they do so much are truly inspiring. We want to work on a photography book to showcase the beauty in Scotland next year, launch a print store, and have already started work on travel guides for Scotland but the first dream is to create a unique coffee table book together.
On our journeys so far we have been very fortunate to collaborate with local tourism boards and especially the @northcoast500, helping showcase unique local businesses in some of the most remote places of Scotland. But our journey is only starting so we can’t wait to see what the future holds for me and @scotlandmagic.
Nowadays we see many young talents pursuing a career in the photography industry. What four pieces of advice would you like to share with all these young talents reading us now?
I feel my experience might be lacking in the biz of photography but from my experience as an artist it mostly comes down to consistently pushing, posting your work, experimenting, and finding the love for creativity. We are very fortunate to live at a time when everything around us is so visual.
Content creation is key and there are so many ways to monetize photography. I find collaborations can be way more rewarding than clients. Tourism boards, local businesses, magazines, a creator’s own audience, and many more are a vast variety of avenues we can use to engage and create unique products, experiences, and content.
"All we need to do is push who we are and what we have to offer."
I feel social media needs a big reevaluation too and it’s time to understand the importance of creators, similar to how YouTube pays creators so do Instagram and others need to embrace the community that helped their platforms grow. Feeding algorithms is a very one-sided relationship, there are so many incredible photographers out there and they deserve to be compensated for all their hard work.
How do you define and track your goals as a photographer and what do you dream of shooting one day?
I have a folder of photos taken by some of my favorite photographers, such as @withluke, @theworldwithsarah, @jack_anstey, and @ronald_soethje, to name just a few. I see it as a treasure hunt. It’s a constant reminder and inspiration to witness the magic they have achieved and getting even 1% closer to the locations they have been to is something to celebrate. I don’t have many hard-set goals. I am enjoying the journey wherever it takes me and adapting along the way. Dream wise Patagonia, Norway, and Mongolia are on that list.
I would also love to be able to capture more wildlife in their natural habitat. Until that day I’m enjoying exploring the magic of Scotland and planning our next Adventures. And to end, I want to give you a huge thank you for the honor and opportunity to become part of Nomadict.
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