Tom OD

Tell us about yourself where are you from, how did you get into photography?

My full name is Thomas James Fillan OʼDonoghue.  Like all long names growing up in West Yorkshire this was abbreviated to Tom OʼD.

On the 1st of March 1991, I was born to an Musician Mother & an Organist Father on a small island called Hitra in Norway, before moving back to West Yorkshire where my Mother was from.  Iʼve always either being creative, throughout education I naturally gravitated towards the creative arts.  I got properly into Photography after meeting fellow photographer James Starkey whilst studying Graphics Arts at University.

What first attracted you to photography?
The magic of it, you can create your version of reality.

What steps did you take to first engage in photography?
A good friend (Luke Nunn) introduced me to his Photographer Cousin (Christopher Nunn) around that time where you need to decide what the fuck to do.  Curiously I asked Chris how one would go about pursuing a career in Photography and he kindly put me onto some photographers, which I rang up to see if I could assist.

What are your favourite type of projects to work on, do you have a particular one you done that stands out for you, if so why?
£Paid ones are my favourite, personal ones stand out because theres more of an affinity with them.

I hear your working on series of images focusing on dogs in particular the Staffordshire Bull Terrier, what inspired you to undertake a project like this?
The Aesthetic of these Dogs and the traits which Iʼd observed in them.  I understand these dogs can be dangerous but refuse to believe itʼs because of how they look.  It started out with the Staffordshire Bull Terriers & Breeds but more recently have been focusing on Pit Bull Terriers.

What do you hope to gain from the project in terms of a response?
A positive one. Iʼm not trying to glorify these powerful dogs in a way that encourages irresponsible ownership or make out that theyʼre not animals historically bred to fight.  Everyone’s got an opinion about these type of Dogs, this is mine. The issue  surrounding these Dogs is multi faceted, Iʼm just showing the viewer how they look to me.

What would you say is your biggest influence for photography as a whole?
Thatʼs a tough one. I feel like any creative practice is equal to the sum of itʼs parts. My interests are varied but feel like they inform each other.

What Type of equipment have you used in the past and present?
My first dance with Photography was with a Canon SLR & a prime Canon F.D. 50mm 1[1.8 50mm lens. At the moment Iʼm shooting digitally on a Canon DSLR with prime lenses.

What is the most important thing to you about photography?
Expression.

Are there any other projects which you dream of doing or have upcoming which

we should be on the lookout for?
Of course, we all know actions speak louder than words though so Iʼll leave it at that.

Where should people go to find out more about you and your art, any social
media links, website?

Yeah sure, check out www.tomod.co.uk on Instagram as @tomodphoto & for any questions or enquiries send me an Email: info@tomod.co.uk

Have a good day, nice one. 🙂