A recent interview from the good people at Bond Imaging,
Melbourne.
1. When did you start taking photos?
A common occurrence in our family when I was a child were ‘Slide
Night’s’. My Father is a keen photographer and his 35mm slides from the
60′s are some of our (my) most prized possessions. This led me to having
a interest in photography from an early age and it always been
something I’ve enjoyed. In 2006 I started taking it more seriously and
have progressed from there.
2. Who/what has been an influence to your work?
As well as my Father, in the early years Ansel Adams was an influence
but it was upon discovering Andreas Gursky that I really got hooked on
photography. I have diverse style exploring urban landscapes and
narrative styles. More recently Gregory Crewdson and Alex Prager’s
lighting, subjects and way of thinking has been a big influence on my
narrative series. The slow burn of Australian cinema is also something
that gets me in a photographic mood.
3. Can you tell us a little about your process, lighting techniques and equipment that you use?
My process is very spontaneous.. I don’t like to get technically bogged
down. I’m currently shooting with a 5D using 50mm and 35mm primes (I
really enjoy composing through a fixed lens) I like to use ambient light
where possible and I have been exploring strobes more lately with my
narrative work. I’m constantly collecting themes and ideas in my mind
locking them away for when the impulse to shoot comes. While the initial
process is fast the post work can be slow. I like to live with the
images for a while before sharing them. I will often sit on images for 6
months or more before they get my tick of approval.
4. Has your approach changed over time?
The main change has been working and thinking in the form of series of
images and working towards the ‘bigger picture’ rather than single
works. Also with landscapes now I find myself portraying a theme or
emotion through a number of works to strengthen the overall experience. I
once used a lot of post P/Shop work but I find myself using as little
as possible now as I gain confidence in my imagery. I’m also exploring
lighting techniques more as the nature of my works evolve.
5. Which papers do you like to use and why?
I like traditional style papers like C-type lustre papers… more recently
I have explored Bond’s HD Endura prints and was blown away with the
clarity and quality… I will be heading down this path with
suitable works in the future.
Silense (Love Awaits)