When did you begin taking photographs and how did it lead to your current practice?
I’ve been taking photos all my life, but got into it seriously in 1993 when I wanted to learn how to take good photographs. Learn all the settings and such. Though I did fall out of love with it with digital, I hated having no control over things. Since digital camera and Photoshop came about I have never looked back.
Are there any photographers whose work you admire?
I like lots of photographers, no one that I really admire that much. I have always found inspiration
from painters, like Edward Hopper, Rick Amor and Antonio Lopez Garcia, I think that is how you
spell his name.
Where do you find inspiration as a photographer?
All around me. I like drama and I try to achieve that in my photos, so I take an image and then
see what I can do to it.
Tell us about your gear!
That is a can of worms. My first camera was a Pentax K1000, then I changed to Nikon with a
F90x until 2009 when I purchased my first Nikon DSLR. I have had various cameras since then, but
In 2019 I got my first Fujifilm camera, a gift from Fujifilm Australia.
For both cameras, I have lots of lenses. I have many different ones for macro especially. I also have
filters for long-exposure photography. I’m part of the pro team for 3 Legged Thing and Formatt Hitech
so, I have tripods and filters from them.
What’s it like being a woman in the photography industry?
This is something I have really struggled with. Why do people only want training from a man?
Is it because photography is technical so how can a woman really understand it?
It has driven me mad over the years to see very few women make it in the industry while men
seem to thrive. I gave up on it all.
What was the best piece of advice you were given starting out?
Have fun with it. Do what you want to do and not what you think you have to do. Don’t listen to
People who say you have to learn everything. You don’t have to know how your camera is to be
able to use it. I don’t know how my car works but I can still drive it.
What advice do you have for women who would like to be in the photography industry?
Just take action if you want to move forward in a certain area – be it photography or anything really! Take that leap and go for it! I’ve always taken calculated risks in my business and I’m not reckless when it comes to trying something new, but I am fearless. I won’t make a decision that could tank my entire business or undo my years of hard work, but I also understand that to move forward I have to put myself out there. This is something I continue to do even after being in the industry for 17 years. The goals which are never attained are the ones you didn’t bother trying to achieve. I don’t like to ever wonder “What if” when it comes to business and my photography. I would rather attempt something and have it not work out (and learn the lessons that come with it) than never give something a go at all.
Along with this, don’t worry about what everyone else is doing. Just follow your own path and your own style of imagery. I’ve seen people get very hung up on how to define their style – you will figure this out by taking lots of photos and then assessing what you were most drawn to, got the best results in, and enjoyed the most.
How has your work evolved over the years?
It has got better, I hope. I have gone from all black and white with film, to doing lots of long exposures
and now concentrating a lot more on macro.
I am a strong believer about climate change and as such want a beautiful world to photograph. I
don’t really travel much because it isn’t bad. I believe that you get the best photos where you
live because you can go out over and over again until you get the perfect image.
What advice do you have for women who would like to be in the photography industry?
I don’t have any advice, none as far as business goes. I would say just do your things and don’t
let others tell you what you can and can’t do. Be your own person.
You will find prejudice being a woman. Apparently women only photograph weddings and portraits.
I was told that by a company once. I photograph neither and never want to photograph those.
How would you describe the creative process behind your work?
I don’t know what it is. I just take photos of things I like and then see what I can do to them. I like to take photos that are taken during the day and then make them look like they were taken at night with the lights turned off.
Talk about 5 of your favourite photos and the inspiration behind them.
I can’t pick 5 images. I like to play with the light in an image, as I said before. I like to try and make them seem like they were taken at a different time. Even my macro images often have the look of being taken in a studio, but they aren’t. I love dark dramatic images that are silent, like there are no people. No noise. What will the planet be like if we are all gone.
What are your upcoming projects?
I don’t really have any projects coming up. I have a trip to Tasmania in May to explore the rainforests. I’ve also been doing a lot more timelapses and hope to continue doing more and getting better at them once summer is done. I hate photography in the summer and tend to stick to my garden. At this time of the year you will find me with my macro lens outside photographing my flowers.
Thanks Leanne!