Neurodiversity and the creative process

Lou was also influenced by a friend who urged her to post a photo a day on Instagram. From there, she moved into doing music and gig-based shoots. Now, she works as both a director and a photographer. As a neurodivergent creative, she leans on a lot of systems, such as having an auto-bounce-back email that allows her to create a buffer between herself and inbound email. Another programme she has used to create more accessibility is the UK’s Access to Work scheme, which allows her to hire someone to manage administrative tasks that she can’t manage.

In the field, Lou finds that having someone who can gently nudge her to move to the next task boosts the accessibility of her shoots. “I think just being really clear about what my boundaries are is really important to me,” she explains. “Because I also struggle with perfectionism, like most of us, it is really important for me to have people around me who can say, ‘Listen, Lou, it’s OK. I think we’ve got this shot, we can move on.’”

Other strategies Lou uses include having her transport booked for her at the first available moment, so that she can decompress without the pressure of additional planning, as well as hiring post-production team members to assist with completing the shoot.

Lou’s top tip: speak up for yourself and find community

“As photography can be a lonely professional at time, don’t be afraid to speak up,” she concludes. “Connect with as many other photographers and neurodivergent creatives as possible.”

Lou’s kitbag: Nikon Z6II, Nikon Zf, Nikon Z30, Nikon F100, NIKKOR Z 24-70mm f/2.8 S, NIKKOR Z 85mm f/1.8 S.

Alfie Bowen

In his first experience of photography Alfie Bowen, who has autism, faced a common problem: the image he wanted to capture was not the type of image his camera – or his skillset – would allow. However, he was certain about what he wanted to photograph.

“I have always had an obsession with animals,” he says. “Indeed, my first word was ‘mallard’, after the duck species. But I was looking for another way to explore that obsession when I stumbled across my mum’s little compact camera and set about attempting to photograph wildlife.”

In 2015, Alfie was gifted a camera for Christmas, a day he says changed his life. His rise since then has been nothing short of meteoric. His practice is focused on a variety of wildlife, with stunning images of everything from primates to flamingos, and he recently released a book, Wild Horses, which took two years to complete. Alfie often works in black and white which, he says, allows him to focus on the personality of each individual animal.

How Alfie comes to a project, and how he executes it, are things he attributes – in part – to his autism. “I notice every tiny detail about every single one of my subjects, about the conditions in which I’m photographing them and about the backdrop behind them,” he explains. “I have an incredibly vivid imagination thanks to my autism diagnosis, and this often results in me thinking of new images at the most random times.”

As a result, Alfie relies on sketching out an image, noting it down, so that his fast flow of creativity doesn’t leave an idea without a home. He says the beauty of the process is then in the execution. “It’s then about putting in the hours to turn those sketches into photographs in the field,” he says. “It can be a long mission, but the feeling when I have the final image is incredible.”

Alfie’s passions for wildlife and raising awareness of autism have also led to him working with various charities and becoming an in-demand public speaker, including at last year’s Nikon Photo London event.

Alfie’s top tip: lean into what you love and plan accordingly

“It helps me to be familiar with my kit, and plan well. Keeping the surprises to a minimum is great for keeping anxiety down, and creativity up!” Alfie explains. “I always say that you should photograph what you are familiar with and what you love. I always work best with what I know best. I know my subjects intimately, and that really benefits me when I go into the field.”

With his recent project’s singular focus on horses, Alfie says that he’s now relishing the chance to take pictures of other animals: “The project was intense and resulted in few opportunities to photograph anything other than horses for two years, so I have been enjoying photographing zebras, flamingo, lemurs and lions again in recent weeks.”

Alfie’s kitbag: Nikon Z9, Nikon Z6III, NIKKOR Z 70-200mm f/2.8 VR S, NIKKOR Z 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 VR S and NIKKOR Z 14-24mm f/2.8 S.