CAL HOLLAND | Award-Winning Amateur Photographer Film Photographer of the Year 2025
“Just visually, there is something more authentic to me about a photograph that’s shot on film. I’m never fully happy with my digital edits, there’s too much choice, but with film that visual style is provided for me, and it’s always going to beat out a digital photo in my opinion”
Cal Holland is a London-based street photographer with a keen eye for capturing the extraordinary in the everyday. His work brings to life those fleeting, often-overlooked special moments and the unique characters that materialise everyday making the streets so compelling. Most recently, he was named Amateur Photographer’s Film Photographer of the Year - a testament to his skill and artistic vision. Today, we have the pleasure of sitting down with him for this month’s interview, where he shares his insights, inspirations, and journey behind the lens.
© Cal Holland
AR: Hi Cal, thanks for making time to chat to us and well done on your big win at Amateur Photographer. I thought I'd kick things off with a bit of background. I often see you shooting out on the streets in London. You are probably one of the people I bump into the most, in fact. What I do find surprising is that you haven't been doing it for that long - since 2022 I think? Are you the world’s fastest learner or have you been shooting something else before this time?
CH: Thanks Adam! I actually know the exact date I first went out to do street photography, it was Saturday 20th August 2022. I do have one photograph from that day that when I got back I remember having a thought along the lines of “I could do this”. It’s of an older man in Trafalgar Square wearing his jacket as a hood with this interesting ice cream shirt on. I used a technique I still use now to photograph people close-up; when someone’s standing still, if you walk across them perpendicular to where they’re looking, you can get very close and they don’t see you until you’re right in front of them taking the picture.
© Cal Holland
I’ve definitely been a photographer before that though, I bought my first digital camera in July 2019 and started shooting for work. Then I bought my first film camera in December 2020 for photographing friends, and started doing a bit of travel photography. I think photographing beer festivals for work helped me get comfortable taking photos of people in public before I started on the street, it really helps when they’re all drunk! Once I found out about street photography on YouTube, specifically Paulie B’s Walkie Talkie’s I realised I wanted to give it a go.
AR: That’s great. You can really see your style in that image even from your outset. I’m sure if Dan Baker reads this, he’ll appreciate ice cream featuring in your “first time”.
I’m glad you mentioned Paulie B’s walkie talkie series - which is great - as I really enjoyed Tim Jamieson recently featuring you in a similar format on his YouTube channel. How did you find that? Can’t be easy to think, talk, walk and shoot?
CH: Massive shout out to Dan Baker! One of the best photographers, and also kindest people you’ll meet.
Tim’s such a lovely, passionate person, I was definitely nervous as it was my first time doing anything like that, but I felt in very safe hands with him making the video. Walking & shooting while talking was 100% more preferable for me than a sat down interview. Having part of my brain being observant and focusing on the street made it easy to talk, I’m usually pretty quiet and reserved but that day we filmed for 5 hours and everything just flowed easily. Respect to Tim for working all that into a concise edit.
© Cal Holland
© Cal Holland
© Cal Holland
AR: I’ll make sure I share a link to that video somewhere here! You do generally get really nice people shooting street photography. I think it must be to do with an interest in humanity and interacting with people.
CH: Yeah the community around street photography is one of my favourite things about it. Everyone’s such supportive, genuinely nice people. I’ve made so many great friends from it, especially in London and New York.
AR: You’re over in NYC quite often it seems. How do you find shooting street there vs. Shooting in London?
CH: I think London’s incredible for shooting street, I’m honestly never bored of it. But NYC feels so much bigger, with more areas of the city available for good shooting, but it’s hard not to romanticise it for sure, it’s the mecca for street photography. Americans are also just so much comfortable (or less awkward than British people) with being photographed in public. They also use public space better than we do, I find more life and everyday moments happen on the street in NYC compared to London.
One thing London does have over NYC is density of people in our busiest areas, thinking of Oxford St as an example, as pavements & crosswalks are so much bigger in the US you don’t often get such big crowds of people walking close together.
© Cal Holland
© Cal Holland
© Cal Holland
© Cal Holland
AR: I guess all of us London and NYC shooters are spoilt really. To bring things back to film and your AP award, what made you fall in love with film? Why did you pick it up after having a digital camera initially?
CH: I think because it’s harder. Not being able to see the photos I’m taking at the time forces me to focus more on taking better photos. It also means your mistakes when you get your film back later really hit home, so I’m always considering how I’d shoot it better next time. And just visually, there is something more authentic to me about a photograph that’s shot on film. I’m never fully happy with my digital edits, there’s too much choice, but with film that visual style is provided for me, and it’s always going to beat out a digital photo in my opinion.
© Cal Holland
AR: That’s fair. There is something special about having to wait for development to see what you have. Like wondering what’s in the boxes under the Christmas tree. So moving onto the AP award of best photographer; how did that come about, how was the winner selected and how did you decide on which images to submit?
CH: I saw Analogue Wonderland where advertising the chance to “Win a years worth of film & developing” as they’re one of the sponsors. I’d never entered a photography competition before, but that prize was too good not to try for. The criteria was: “a set of 5-8 images that showcase your ability to shoot fantastic film images across a range of situations and styles”, and they must have been shot on film during 2024.
Based on that I chose not to submit 100% street work, and include a mix of the travel photography I’d done that year. There wasn’t much more detailed thought about the selection other than that, I sort of just went on feeling from looking back through my work.
The judges were; Karen Freer of Analogue Wonderland, Andrew Church of Kodak, Adrian Uden of Ricoh, & Nigel Atherton and Jessica Miller from Amateur Photographer. I actually forgot to ask at the awards night how many people entered, would’ve been interesting to know!
© Cal Holland
AR: That’s great, well done again. I checked out the work of the runners up and the competition was high! It’s not easy to pick 5-8 images, however saying that, don’t forget to send some over to go with this interview haha. So looking forward, what’s next for the AP film photographer of the year? A little birdie tells me a zine is imminent…
CH: Yes got my first zine coming out in July, which is exciting! Will have work in two exhibitions that are in the works for this year as well. Lots of travel again too, off to Switzerland & Italy next week, then back in NYC in May with a bunch of our @byeverydaypeople crew. Then just trying to be out in the street in London as much as possible, gotta keep putting in the steps.
© Cal Holland
AR: Blimey! Don’t forget to sleep and hydrate! Reading all those plans is making my head spin a little! Thank you for taking the time to do this interview, I look forward to seeing your exhibition and zine this year and bumping into you on the streets again!
CH: Thanks as always to the UPC crew for all the support, was great seeing so many of you at the AP awards night.
© Cal Holland
© Cal Holland