Ep 244 - Bill Ward; Actor, Ocean ICM Photographer & Finding Solitude Through Photography

Bill Ward is a multi-award-winning creative photographer and professional actor from Newcastle-upon-Tyne, England. Known for his pioneering work with Intentional Camera Movement (ICM), Bill’s photography explores energy, motion, and emotion—particularly through his long-running ocean project that culminated in the book Immersive, published in 2025.   While many recognise Bill for his acting career—most notably his roles as Charlie Stubbs in Coronation Street and James Barton in Emmerdale—photography has become an equally important creative outlet. For Bill, photography offers a quiet counterbalance to the public nature of acting, allowing him to explore solitude, reflection, and connection to place.   In this episode, Bill Ward discusses balancing two demanding creative careers while touring theatre productions such as The Shawshank Redemption. He shares how travelling for acting roles inspired numerous photographic projects, including a 16-year exploration of theatres and a pandemic-era book created in collaboration with the Theatres Trust.   Bill also explains his fascination with photographing water using long exposures and intentional camera movement, creating images that focus less on representation and more on feeling. His approach centres on time, immersion, and emotional connection to the landscape rather than simply documenting a scene.   Alongside his photographic work, Bill is a judge for the UK Landscape Photographer of the Year awards, leads workshops internationally, and continues to exhibit in galleries across the UK. His perspective highlights photography as a deeply personal practice—one rooted in quiet observation, creative experimentation, and the search for moments of stillness.   I hope you enjoy the show! You can find Bill’s work here: Website: https://billwardphotography.co.uk/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billwardphotography/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/billwardphotography/ Bills Book;  Immersive:  https://www.kozubooks.com/books-new/immersive-by-bill-ward     Listen to this and other episodes wherever you find your podcasts or on https://grantswinbournephotography.com/lpw-podcast Or subscribe to my YouTube channel https://youtube.com/@grantswinbournephotography   Theme music: Liturgy Of The Street by Shane Ivers - https://www.silvermansound.com   #BillWard #ICMPhotography #CreativePhotography #OceanPhotography #LandscapePhotography #UKPhotographer #IntentionalCameraMovement #PhotographyPodcast #FineArtPhotography #ImmersiveBook