How I use colour: Alexander Coggin

We speak to photographer Alexander Coggin about his distinct way of using colour, of his search for delightful combinations of shades and the role that coincidence plays in his work

Alexander Coggin’s photography work is playful and theatrical. His personal projects celebrate awkward moments, happy accidents and everyday absurdity. What unifies all his work is a striking use of colour.

Most of his best images are happenstance, he tells us, and his distinct colour palette is a result of selection observation. “When I am in the outside world with my camera a lot of what catches my eye is coincidental colour, unexpected things that match, unexpected tones that go together,” he says. “Even when I am shooting people [I notice if] there’s a certain something going on where their clothing interacts with their environment. I think that’s really important to me.”