Hanna Kantor: You were born in Uganda but raised in Hackney, London. Did your early years shape your worldview?

Zed Nelson: Indirectly, yes. My parents were journalists, and that influence definitely shaped me. I had a strange educational path—first an international school in Hong Kong, then a rough comprehensive in London. I left school early, disillusioned, but later returned to education with more clarity. At university, I discovered photography, and it became my way of asking questions and engaging with the world.

Your projects explore very different matters. How do you decide when a subject is worth devoting years of your life to?

It’s not always conscious. One thing leads to another. I tell young photographers: just start something. It may seem insignificant but can evolve into something profound. Looking back, many of my projects connect through a recurring theme—how culture and commercial forces shape us psychologically.

Snow cannon producing artificial snow. Dolomites ski resort. Italy © Zed Nelson / Institute

Your book Gun Nation shows how gun ownership is sold like a product in America. Was there a moment that particularly stuck with you?

Photographing Mike, cradling his baby and a gun, was one. That image went viral. I revisited him 18 years later—his baby was 19—and asked if his views had changed. They hadn’t. It was sobering. The project didn’t change the world, or even Mike, but we had a conversation. That still matters.

That image has been used in unexpected ways, right?

Yes—after a school shooting, protesters used it on placards at an NRA convention. Meanwhile, Mike had it proudly displayed in his living room. To him, it symbolized protection. Same image, completely different interpretations.

Walk with Lions tourist experience. South Africa © Zed Nelson / Institute

Your project Love Me was focusing on the global beauty industry. What drove you into that topic?

Love Me looked at how our natural vanity and self-consciousness are exploited. To sell products, the beauty industry first has to make us feel insecure and unhappy with ourselves. Once you’re unhappy with how you look, they can sell you a fix. What’s happening now is that the industry has turned to men. They’re being targeted and made to feel insecure too, so they’ll buy products and procedures. So again, there’s a clear link between these projects — both explore how we’re manipulated psychologically by powerful industries.

Your projects are often long-term. How do you know when one is finished?

Sometimes you don’t—you just hit a wall. With Love Me, my own mother told me to stop. With Gun Nation, I grew frustrated staying neutral—I just wanted to argue. That’s when I knew it was time to let the work go.

Have you ever abandoned a project?

Yes—many. The key is to quit early if it doesn’t feel right. But once you get going, stick with it. I’ve also pushed through projects that almost collapsed mid-way, like my first film. A good project is made by keeping going and seeing it thorough.

If you were starting out today, in a world dominated by AI and social media, would you still choose photography?

I think so. We live in such a visual, photographic culture—it’s not like photography is disappearing or becoming irrelevant. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I’m ultimately interested in storytelling, and photography is just one powerful way to do that. Of course, I think it’s important for photographers today to look beyond traditional approaches too.

In today’s media landscape—dominated by TikTok and Artificial Inteligence—what role does documentary photography still play?

I honestly don’t know. We’re living in a moment of massive transition. With AI, deepfakes, and disinformation, truth feels fragile. But maybe that will make people crave authenticity even more. Trusted platforms and verified stories could become more valuable. That’s my hope, anyway.

Shanghai Wild Animal Park. China © Zed Nelson / Institute

Your latest project – The Anthropocene Illusion – which won the Sony World Photography Award 2025, explores how we destroy nature while creating artificial versions of it. What’s the core idea?

It’s a six-year project that explores how we, as humans, have disconnected ourselves from nature—how we’ve essentially divorced ourselves from the natural world. At the same time, we’ve been creating increasingly artificial, choreographed, or curated versions of nature—the very thing we’re destroying. 

The Anthropocene Illusion deals with psychology in a different way. It’s about how we, as humans, are destroying the natural world — yet we’re also creating artificial, curated versions of nature to satisfy our longing for it. There’s this psychological disconnect: we know we’re causing harm, but we create illusions to distract ourselves from it, or to reassure ourselves that all is well.The hope in the project lies in that very desire: we still want a connection to nature. But the problem is that we fetishize nature while destroying it.

All my projects are very different in subject matter, but they’re united by a core interest — understanding what makes us behave the way we do.

This project was shot in 14 different countries. How did you choose the locations you photographed?

It involved a lot of research—collecting ideas, studying images, working through logistics—until I decided a place was worth visiting. Usually, I’d settle on a location once I had two or three compelling things to photograph there. I also wanted the project to have global scope. So I photographed in Africa, Asia, Europe, and North America. I didn’t want it to focus too heavily on one country, like China, even though there’s a lot of artificial nature there. This isn’t a criticism of one country—it’s a global phenomenon.

Why did you use the word “Anthropocene” in the title?

It refers to a new geological epoch—one defined by human impact. Scientists argue that future geologists will see this era marked in the earth itself: by fossil fuel residue, concrete, even chicken bones. That’s the scale of our effect.

…and what’s behind the “illusion”?

The “illusion” refers to the ways we distract ourselves from what’s really happening. We’re creating curated experiences of nature—zoos, botanical gardens, artificial beaches—while ignoring the destruction of real ecosystems. At a time when we should be reassessing our priorities, we’re instead building illusions that suggest everything is fine.

If I would ask you for one advice you could give to a young photographer what would that be?

There is no golden rule in the photography industry. Honestly, all the questions I face today are the same ones a young photographer faces. Maybe I have a bit more experience now, and maybe my name helps me get a reply to an email that a 20-year-old might not. But often, even I still get a “no.” Every rejection is a necessary stepping stone to where you want to go.

Start something—anything—and stick with it. It doesn’t have to be big or polished. Commit to it, and it will grow. Be persistent, stay curious, and ask questions. The beauty of photography is that it gives you permission to ask. People want to be seen and heard—you just have to ask.

Thank you!

Zed Nelson was awarded Photographer of the Year for The Anthropocene Illusion at the Sony World Photography Awards 2025. The work was on display as part of the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 exhibition at Somerset House, London until 5 May 2025. The project won the Cortona Award, (First Prize) and has been nominated for the Prix Pictet 2025. A selection of photographs from the project will also be on display as part of the Royal Academy of Art Summer Exhibition in London, from 17 June – 17 August 2025.

Get a copy of The Anthropocene Illusion, which offers a haunting visual commentary on humanity’s impact on the planet.