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Warren Keelan
@warrenkeelan
Photographer based in Australia
Introducing Warren Keelan
Warren is a seascape and ocean photographer living on the South Coast of New South Wales, Australia. At first, he wrote and played music for over a decade and toured around Australia with some bands. He transitioned naturally from making music to creating imagery and learned all about building websites and graphic design. Nowadays, as a multi-international award-winning creative, he spends most of his time alongside or within the ocean, capturing unique moments through the medium of digital photography.
He had started with landscape photography, but he felt a lot more challenged and inspired by the ocean: “Moving water brought to life by the light of the sun’s endless tones and hues, is for me at least, nothing short of mesmerizing.” There are many challenges within this genre, including mental and physical ones. Warren prepares for these by spending as much time in the water as possible, keeping fit, and knowing his capabilities and limits.
Warren showcases his Art in his own gallery in Wollongong since 2013; capturing emotion and reproducing that on large-scale print has always been his ultimate goal with photography. “By having the print medium as the final product, I’ve inherently learned more about my editing process and what I eventually want to see hanging on the walls in my gallery. Ultimately, I’m still learning and hope to never stop finding new ways to interpret and share what I see.”
To build a sustainable living out of Art, Warren mentioned that it’s important to build and maintain professional relationships and commercial partnerships to grow as a business and create new opportunities. To balance the business side of things, Warren also devotes his time and energy to supporting environmental causes, education, and creating awareness with a focus on the ocean and its inhabitants, which he speaks more about in question 9.
In the interview, Warren also shares with us a few photographs he is particularly proud of in his Waves collection. All are taking in the midst of the powerful waves of the ocean and one of them was awarded first place in the International Photography Awards and gave Warren the confidence to open the gallery he has today.
Below you can find the full interview, keep reading!
Interview
Welcome, Warren! It has been genuinely inspiring to go through your work and see photographs so truly unique. You played music for several years, you were a journalist, and then got into photography. Can you tell us a little about this journey?
Thanks for the kind words!
I purchased my first digital SLR as a tool for creative expression, both as a part-time photojournalist and visual artist after retiring from the sonic realm when my band finally called it a day. I found the transition from making music, to creating imagery, a natural progression and within a few years I eventually found my niche. I had the pleasure of writing and playing original music for over a decade and even toured around Australia with some amazing bands until the demise of my own some years ago. Although my days as a touring guitarist had come to an end, my urge to create was still very much alive. So, prior to becoming a photographer, I taught myself to build websites, to read and write code, and I even dabbled with graphics and design with the goal of starting a small business.
"The experience and skills I gained during this time have been essential to how and where I’ve arrived today. The best thing is that my guitar is still there when I’m not in the ocean making pictures."
You definitely found your niche: seascapes and ocean photography. When and how did you develop your fascination for the shape and movement of water?
I first delved into traditional landscape photography in 2010 using tripods and slide filters etc, and I really liked what I was making. Travelling to new locations and discovering new perspectives was great, but what I was shooting kind of left me uninspired. Nothing seemed to change other than where I was standing. There was something missing. I’ve spent most of my life in and around the ocean, either surfing, fishing, or diving, so I thought if I could use what I’d learnt on land and create ‘landscapes’ from within the ocean it might change the way I felt about picture making. When I eventually purchased my first Aquatech waterhousing and took my camera into the water I genuinely felt challenged and more inspired than ever to translate what I feel and experience. Moving water brought to life by the light of the sun’s endless tones and hues, is for me at least, nothing short of mesmerising. This wonderful natural phenomenon provides an endless living canvas to translate and create. If I can capture just a fraction of what I’m experiencing in these moments out in the water, I feel a great sense of personal reward.
"When it comes to ocean photography, no two moments are ever the same - this is what ultimately inspires me to be present with my camera when the best ones happen."
Becoming a full-time photographer is not an easy path to follow. What would you say has been the key to your success in building a business from your photography?
Other than constant hard work and persistence, I am fortunate to have a very supportive wife who has been with me every step of the way. I’m not sure how far I would have progressed without the backing from a partner that has the same drive and vision. However, there are times where I can honestly say it would be easier to get what many would consider a normal job, but I’ve never felt comfortable with anything traditional, so I always push on. It’s not easy making a living from art, but the harder and longer you work at it the more success seems to follow – well, sometimes at least!
I believe it’s important to build and maintain professional relationships and commercial partnerships to grow as a business and create new opportunities. However, I also feel the need to balance the business side of my career by donating my time and energy in support of environmental causes, education and creating awareness with a focus on the ocean and its inhabitants.
In one of your captions, you wrote: “I won’t lie, it’s not always easy to find the motivation or the physical drive to get my ass out of bed and into the ocean to find new moments to interpret and share. I can now recognize when I’m falling into creative dark areas, and although it’s not nice, I realize it’s almost a necessity to endure the static in order to grow and evolve.” How do you overcome these periods of a lack of motivation and creativity blocks? What helps you to rekindle your flame?
There will always be inherent creative obstacles when making art in any form. Motivation, or lack thereof, is just one of many roadblocks that seem to present themselves at the worst of times. I’ve learnt to either push through and maintain a routine until it passes, or I’ll do the complete opposite and step away from the camera entirely and focus my energy on something different. To find inspiration I’ll get behind the guitar, go surfing or just lock in some concrete therapy with a roll on my longboard. In many ways these are better options as it feels more organic and somewhat healthier than the forced, mechanical approach to overcoming loss of motivation. Creative energy isn’t on tap, so I just know it will eventually return and I will ultimately get back to what I love doing.
What challenges would you say are unique to seascape and underwater photography? What are your strategies to manage these?
The many challenges within this genre of photography are also the many reasons why I love making images. Ultimately, the ocean as a subject and canvas is something in which you have no control, especially combining its unpredictability with the natural light of the sun. Whether you’re shooting in comfort at the edge of the waterline, immersed in its deepest blue or navigating the violence of breaking waves, the one thing you can count on is never seeing the same thing twice. This environment consistently puts your knowledge, confidence, and experience to the test. I must also mention the mental and physical challenges of this form of photography, something I prepare for by getting as much water time as possible.
On the other hand, what experiences are unique to this specific genre? Could you share with us one (or some) moment(s) in the water that really touched you and what made that moment so special?
I’ve had the absolute privilege of sharing the ocean with many of its inhabitants during my years behind the camera. However, the one experience that had the most impact on me was when I had the chance to journey to the Kingdom of Tonga and swim with the majestic humpback whales. Being in the presence of these living giants is simply incomparable, and to be able to make eye contact and communicate with them is life changing. This kind of experience does something to your inner being. It makes you feel insignificant, yet overwhelmingly safe and calm. Apart from a collection of wonderful memories (and images) I came away from that trip with an even greater love for whales, along with an increased desire to protect them.
You have been awarded in prestigious photography competitions and opened your own gallery. Can you take us through the experience of opening your gallery (in Wollongong) for the first time?
The end goal of my photography has always been to see my work in printed form. To be able to capture and share a feeling or emotion with others is pretty wild, especially when you can reproduce that feeling in large scale print. In 2013 I had the opportunity to lease a small commercial space in the centre of my hometown of Wollongong and I opened my first print gallery. I was also building websites and shooting for various magazines at the time, so I was able to fund this endeavour. I had also just won a prestigious photographic award which gave me a nudge and the confidence to pursue a career in photography. It felt like a huge risk at the time of launching, and with it came the endless waves of self-doubt and anxiety – something I still endure to this day. It’s amazing to have a space of my own to display and share my most valued pieces, but at the end of the day it still must pay for itself, and that’s when that horrible but essential weaving of art and business occurs.
By having the print medium as the final product, I’ve inherently learned more about my editing process and what I eventually want to see hanging on the walls in my gallery. Ultimately, I’m still learning and hope to never stop finding new ways to interpret and share what I see.
Probably all your photos have a special meaning to you, but can you share with us three images you are really proud of? What is the background story of these photos and what makes you feel proud of these ones in particular?
Whenever I’m at my gallery and someone asks me this very question, I always break down my favourites into specific genres as I have so many. But three of my all-time favourite captures would be from my Waves Collection, titled Silver Helix, Emanate & Sea Horse.
Silver Helix
Emanate
If I was asked to choose an image to represent my work, I’d have a hard time narrowing it to one, but this one would be in my top three. However, any credit really must go to mother nature; I was just in the right place to capture this at the right time. I’m fascinated by the resulting ephemeral sculptures created when multiple waves collide.
Spirit
I love how something naturally occurring, like a bird flying overhead or a random flare from the sun can enhance an existing moment. Rainbows are a phenomenon I have been fascinated with since I delved into photography and I’m always peering skyward under the right elements for the next one. This image represents the countless hours invested in anticipation and being present in that moment when it finally happens. It’s what makes photography so personal, and so personally rewarding.
With your photography, you contribute to marine conservation. Being a creative contributor for One Blue Ocean emphasizes that. How do you advocate the protection of the ocean through your photography? And how are you doing that through One Blue Ocean?
I had the privilege of growing up in various National Parks on the southwest coast of Australia. My father was a park ranger and along with my mother, one of their many roles was to take in and care for injured wildlife, including kangaroos, koalas, and a variety of feathered creatures. In these formative years I gained a healthy appreciation for the natural environment and its many inhabitants. My connection with nature continued to grow and when we eventually moved back to the East coast, I felt compelled to pursue various roles in conservation. Fast forward to today and I’m proud to be an active member and ambassador for various organizations with an emphasis on marine conservation, including One Blue Ocean. Through my pictures I hope to inspire others to take a closer look at the sea and just how important it is to the future of this planet. OBO is the ideal platform to educate, inspire change and ultimately allow others to experience the living treasure that is the sea. This vast body of water connects us all.
As you already live close to such amazing beaches, what do you look for when traveling elsewhere? What are some of your dreams to see and photograph as a creator?
I’m extremely fortunate to reside on a part of the Australian coast that features some of the most unique waves and beaches in the world. Much of my best work was captured less than one hour from my doorstep. I’ll never take my location for granted but I yearn to get back on a plane and travel to regions internationally to experience and photograph something new to me. I’d love to photograph Hawaii and Tahiti and their incredible waves, swim with whale sharks in Western Australia and share the ocean with giant mantas, whales, and other shark species. I’d also like to invest more time in the portrait side of my photography, especially humans in the sea.
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