Fascinated by light.
William Mulryne’s journey into photography began as a way to make sense of the world. Growing up with Asperger’s syndrome, he was drawn to collecting things that caught his attention — small objects that seemed too interesting to throw away, even if they had no purpose. Photographing them became a way to let go, to hold on without hoarding. Over time, those collections evolved from objects to people — strangers on the street with striking faces, expressions, or hair that told their own quiet stories.
After completing an HND in Photography, William began documenting his hometown of Stratford-upon-Avon. In 2016, he decided to stop chasing what others were doing and instead focus on creating work that felt truly his own. That decision led him to a group of horse-drawn travellers, where he spent two weeks immersed in their daily lives from dawn until dusk. The experience reshaped how he saw people, place, and purpose — and became a foundation for his ongoing project about Stratford.
William’s work is driven by three core ideas: light, isolation, and devotion.
He is fascinated by how light interacts with objects and materials — how it creates emotion, depth, and meaning. Having grown up finding it difficult to relate to people, he became drawn to moments of solitude and to those who devote themselves, quietly and completely, to their passions or beliefs. His time spent with his grandmother, who lived with severe rheumatoid arthritis, deepened this interest in the human condition — in how our physical and emotional paths shape who we become.
For William, photography is a way to connect. It allows him to step into the lives of devoted people, to share in their worlds for a while, and to ensure their stories are seen and remembered.
Over the course of nine years, William Mulryne immersed himself in a deeply personal photographic exploration of his hometown, Stratford-upon-Avon. Working in collaboration with the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, the Royal Shakespeare Company and other cultural partners, he produced a 250-page A2 book capturing the town’s character, its stories and its light.
The book was launched at Holy Trinity Church, Stratford‑upon‑Avon—the very church where William Shakespeare is buried—underscoring the work’s link to place and heritage. Further to the publication, William held multiple exhibitions of large-format prints drawn from the project, most notably at Hall’s Croft (a Grade I listed historic house in Old Town, Stratford-upon-Avon) where the setting provided a resonant dialogue between image and location.
'I am thrilled to see such an intimate and intelligent portrait of one of the most famous towns in the world. Will Mulryne's dedication to his locale is vibrantly expressed through his photographer's art. This is a photo-documentary of honesty, kindness, and insight, which captures and presents some of the many moods of Stratford-upon-Avon and its inhabitants.'
-Rev. Dr Paul Edmondson, Head of Research, The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust.