Trinity Ellis has been making images in one form or another ever since his granddad gave him his first camera as a child, but his path into the world of imagemaking hasn’t always been a straightforward one. Since pursuing it professionally a few years ago, the London-based photographer’s dreamlike vision has earned him high-profile commissions in the fashion space, including for publications like AnOther and Fantastic Man, and brands including Erdem.

While the technical side of photography had always interested Ellis, it was only when he started printing his photos in a darkroom that he developed a more profound appreciation for his craft. “Photography is quite complex,” he tells CR. “It’s not just capturing, it’s what you’re able to do to the image after – whether that’s printing in a darkroom, or the post process. I started to become obsessed with different types of lighting and the physicality of images, especially in the digital era.”

After spending a few years building up his portfolio, he found himself increasingly drawn to the theoretical side of his practice and decided to apply for the fine art photography course at Camberwell College of Art. “I hadn’t really done the steps where people go to uni and study and assist someone for five years. I just jumped in headfirst and started learning from my mistakes, so I think that was a crucial step that was missing,” he says.