“The camera is nothing more than a tool. Communication; simplicity; shapes on a page. What’s important is the story…. the message… the feeling… the connection… how do you make this reach people. It’s the combination of graphic simplicity and the power of spirit and soul.”
PLATON
Oliver Doran, a commercial photographer with a decade of experience living in the Middle East, returned to a new Portrait Studio in Jersey in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lockdown period brought significant changes to the lives of people worldwide, and for Oliver, it was an opportunity to focus on his passion for people and portraiture. Over the last three years, Oliver has been working on an ambitious project, capturing the essence of Jersey’s people and their milestones. His unique photographic style is raw and graphic, highlighting the character and personality of each subject. Through his lens, Oliver creates images that are both beautiful and powerful, immortalizing the faces of his subjects in a way that celebrates their unique beauty. The project has involved photographing hundreds of individuals from all walks of life, each with their own story to tell. Oliver’s approach to portraiture is intimate and personal, and he captures each subject’s essence with a rare sensitivity and insight. The photos from this project will be published in a new magazine called Portrait, which celebrates the Faces of Jersey. The launch of this publication will be a significant milestone for Oliver, representing the culmination of three years of work and a deep connection with the community. Oliver Doran is no stranger to photographing celebrities, having captured the images of many notable figures throughout his career. Among them is legendary actor Robert De Niro, who was the subject of a particularly unique portrait titled “Call me Bob.” In this photograph, Oliver used his signature style of capturing the faces of Jersey people and incorporated them into a mosaic-like composition to form Robert De Niro’s portrait. The resulting image is a beautiful and striking representation of both the actor and the people of Jersey. But “Call me Bob” is more than just a celebrity portrait; it is a message to the people of Jersey that they each possess a bit of Robert De Niro’s iconic spirit and character. Oliver’s artful blending of individual portraits into a cohesive whole serves as a reminder of the diversity and beauty of Jersey’s people, and the unique qualities that each person brings to the community.
