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If you wanted to just start
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by telling us a little bit about yourself
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and your photography Dion?
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Yeah.
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Well basically.
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I'm born in Canberra and I sorta start off my photography
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during college where I sort of
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basically took it up just to try it out.
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And I basically got super interested in it,
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and especially into photojournalism.
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And just sort of documentary, photography, and storytelling.
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That's sort of where that started.
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And then pretty much from there
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I just went directly to Melbourne where I did my degree
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my Bachelor of Arts in photography.
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And again sort of specialising
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that sort of photojournalism sort of storytelling area
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is where I was really interested,
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especially like news media and things like that.
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And that sort of brings us to now
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where I'm at The Canberra Times.
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And I work as a staff photographer for them
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and I cover all sorts of things
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and take all sorts of photos.
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Where it could be portraits, sports,
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you know breaking news, events, you know food photography,
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pretty much anything really.
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But definitely my focus for my personal photography
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is you know photojournalism really like capturing stories
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and capturing people and you know
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capturing those big events that happens in life.
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That's really sort of what I you know
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that's the photography that I definitely strive
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to sort of capture for sure.
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And as well portraiture is another sort of big aspect
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of what I do.
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So you're living the dream
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getting to work as a photographer
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and then doing your own personal practise as well.
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Yeah yeah well I get to well luckily
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with at The Canberra Times they're happy for me
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to also kind of experiment a little bit
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and pitch ideas for them.
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You know that can work for stories
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and usually in news nowadays
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since it's so sort of spontaneous
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you don't have as much time to work on those
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sort of long-term projects.
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But it's good sometimes if I can spend some time to do that.
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It's nice to bring something a bit different
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to the paper every now and then,
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bring a different project here and there.
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I think that's very exciting.
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And you know it's still an art form
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I think that should still keep going for sure.
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Yeah certainly.
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And have you been into being at Canberra a lot
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have you been into see your works
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hanging in the gallery yet?
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Yeah yeah I actually went on
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I think it was like the first day it opened
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I went with my family.
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And I remember this was like a few weeks
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before lockdown happened again.
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So I managed to go in there
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and look at the photos on the wall,
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'cause that was the first time
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I've ever been sort of exhibited
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and had my photos printed out.
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So that was really exciting.
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And it was really exciting
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to see all the other works as well
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'cause there were so many amazing other portraits
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and photographers and stories.
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And yeah it was just great to experience
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all those different pictures on the wall.
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Yeah it's different isn't it going into a big space
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and like going oh this is my work and reel
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and it's hanging here and.
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Your family enjoyed it as well seeing your work
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so must be proud.
Yeah I mean
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they were really really proud
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to see those images on the wall.
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You know I think when they first saw those images
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I remember I came back sort of the motel that night
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and bringing out my parents and I told them
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sort of some of the photos they got
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and then they were really you know proud of the stories
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that were able to capture.
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And I think especially to capture the bush fires
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which was at the time
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was such a devastating thing within Australia.
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Such a seismic event.
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So having those featured I think is really important.
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Yeah and I don't know
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if you've got to see our panel conversation with Mike Bowers
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who's photojournalist extraordinaire
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where he touched a bit on
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we had Christine Morgan on the mental health side of things.
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And then Mike Bowers talking about the importance
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of covering those stories and taking those photos
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even you know in times of tragedy to share the story
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and to get it known.
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Oh definitely 100 percent.
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I mean definitely remember during that time
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you know it's sort of that weird give and take
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like as a photographer and especially
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as someone who is into photojournalism
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you wanna be as close to I guess the action
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as possible and you wanna be as close
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to the story as possible.
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Because that's really where you get
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sort of the intimate storytelling that you might not get,
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you know if you had to push yourself
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to get that access or to find those people.
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You know you won't find those sort of those stories I think.
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Well let's I mean that leads us straight into your works
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In Living Memory.
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So you've got two works which doesn't happen
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you know all that regularly
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that photographers get two lots of their work in there
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especially with our judging process
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is done by images first and foremost so.
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You know you have the Salway Family
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and then the Wandella Firestorm.
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Did you wanna talk a little individually?
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Because they're both such personal
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important stories to tell.
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You could start by I mean you could talk about it overall
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and then touch on the Salway family
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and the Wandella firestorm individually or?
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Yeah yeah well I can touch on,
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what I might do is I'll touch on
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sort of the order that I took the photos.
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So I guess to start of with the Salway family picture
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I might start off by giving you
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a little bit of background but basically
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you know we in Kabago it was one of the worst hit places
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by you know the black summer during that time.
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And about a week after it had impacted the region
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they wanted to send me out with a journalist Peter Brewer
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to cover just basically what had happened out there.
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We really didn't have many contacts.
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I think we basically talked to a couple of people
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which was the Kabago Hotel owner.
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He was an outspoken person in the community
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and at the time they had a huge sort of warehouse
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with all this stuff.
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Managing it, managing donations and things like that.
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And so those are two of sort of people
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that we had got in touch with down there.
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And sort of but pretty much after that
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you know we had some of blank slate.
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And we wanted to basically figure out
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how the community was going
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and just see what had happened after the fires.
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'Cause this was only you know about a week
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after the fires had hit.
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It was incredibly fresh for everyone down there.
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And pretty much we were just driving around the region.
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And you know as we're doing that
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you would see people on the side of the road fixing fencing.
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You know you would meet all sorts of people.
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And you know we kind of got a tip off
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from the local fire station
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that mentioned you know that up the road
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certainly at Wandella way
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was one of the you know worst hit places.
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So we decided to go up there and
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purely by coincidence we saw
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what looked like a father and his son
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on the side of the road just with a quad bike
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basically fixing up the fencing
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and doing some work sort of around the farm it looked like.
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And you know we passed so many people
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but you know Peter Brewer the journalist
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decided like hey I reckon we should chat with these people.
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And so we got out of the car
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and basically started talking to them.
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And I mean Aaron was such an incredibly candid person
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at the time.
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And I think it's very clear that you know
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we didn't realise we were talking to Aaron initially.
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But basically after a bit of conversation
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Peter mentioned to Aaron about you know
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the father and the son that had passed away
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and if you know they sort of knew of them
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or had connections with them in the community.
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And Aaron basically said
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that you know that was my father and brother.
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And that the you know the child he was holding
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wasn't his son it was actually his nephew
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which was his brothers son at the time.
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And you know it sort of really took us aback
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that he was so open to talk with us.
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But it was so clear
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that there was so much work for him to do
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that you know there was really no time to grieve,
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and that his willingness to talk to media
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and to have his photo taken
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was incredibly generous.
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And I think you know those farmers out there
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are these super strong resilient you know people.
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And when it comes to these types of situations
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they just get straight to work.
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And you know he was sort of taking up the reigns
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and responsibilities of managing multiple farms now
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and he was very open about that.
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And it was just such a weird sort of coincidence
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to you know to suddenly meet
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you know the Salway family like that.
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But also you know you see the nephew running around and
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you know he kind of had obviously no idea
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what was going on the sort of a confusion for him,
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I think he was about two years old at the time
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or three years old.
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And just had no idea,
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you know just running around playfully you know ignorant
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to sort of the catastrophe that has happened.
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So you just had this you know
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sort of stark contrast between
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you know Aaron and his nephew Patrick
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oh and his nephew sorry Holly.
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And then after that
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you know it wasn't a long chat,
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we had a you know sort of 10 minute chat with him
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and then were kind of off on our way.
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And he we said goodbye and then we started going up the road
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because that's where we heard as well sort of some more
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I guess aftermath of what had happened.
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And after we met Aaron we sort of drove up
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and we sort of got a tip off
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that there had been a basically a fire storm
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or I guess a fire tornado
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that had impacted the region up there
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that had flung cars from this property
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and you know twisted them up
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and you know they're all mangled and things like that.
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I mean we didn't know too much what to think about that
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but we just decided let's just drive up
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and see what we see.
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And we started driving sort of long
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and you know talked to sort of the neighbours
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that are driving about.
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You know have you guys heard about this vehicle
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that had been you know sort of in this wreckage?
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And you know they're pointing us in the right direction
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and you know all around us it's just totally pitch black
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you know have this moody kinda grey sky.
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And there is no green or life whatsoever,
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everything is totally blackened.
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And as we're driving up this road we eventually see
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what looked like a car,
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but we didn't know too much of it
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if that was what we're meant to find.
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And then that's where we met Jade Corby
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who is the next you know person that I photographed
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for the portrait prize.
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And he was actually the owner of the property
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and you know we're you know classic media
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sort of running out in the back blocks of these regions
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just trying to find out what's going on.
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And you know he's initially a bit you know
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sort of confused why we're there
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but we got talking and once again just like Aaron
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you know Jade was incredibly sort of an authentic person.
267
00:12:43.021 --> 00:12:44.506
And he was very happy to chat with us.
268
00:12:44.506 --> 00:12:45.673
And I remember
269
00:12:46.978 --> 00:12:51.292
Peter had the idea to bring some animal feed with us
270
00:12:51.292 --> 00:12:53.750
that we could get a gift to some of the farmers
271
00:12:53.750 --> 00:12:56.322
if there was you know struggling with feeding their animals.
272
00:12:56.322 --> 00:12:59.898
And I remember you know we gave him some feed
273
00:12:59.898 --> 00:13:00.919
just as a gesture.
274
00:13:00.919 --> 00:13:05.919
And I remember after that I think sort of that small gesture
275
00:13:06.215 --> 00:13:07.872
was so important to I think breaking down
276
00:13:07.872 --> 00:13:11.472
some of the barriers to him talking to us
277
00:13:11.472 --> 00:13:14.901
and being open with his own sort of experience
278
00:13:14.901 --> 00:13:16.151
with the fires.
279
00:13:17.277 --> 00:13:20.403
And basically after that he you know we got talking
280
00:13:20.403 --> 00:13:23.912
and he was more than welcome to show us around the property
281
00:13:23.912 --> 00:13:27.592
which was his parents property at the time.
282
00:13:27.592 --> 00:13:29.746
And we had a good sort of five hours with him
283
00:13:29.746 --> 00:13:31.336
where we just went around
284
00:13:31.336 --> 00:13:35.087
into what had happened and the destruction.
285
00:13:35.087 --> 00:13:37.861
And as it turns out you know
286
00:13:37.861 --> 00:13:41.501
all these cars that were littered around the landscape
287
00:13:41.501 --> 00:13:44.270
actually originally sat on top of this hill
288
00:13:44.270 --> 00:13:47.474
which is where the parents lived.
289
00:13:47.474 --> 00:13:48.973
And so it was kind of crazy
290
00:13:48.973 --> 00:13:51.879
to think that the fires could've done that
291
00:13:51.879 --> 00:13:54.909
and could've flung like you know tonnes of metal
292
00:13:54.909 --> 00:13:58.742
across a landscape was really kind of surreal.
293
00:14:00.640 --> 00:14:02.223
And once again Jade
294
00:14:03.261 --> 00:14:04.178
was so open
295
00:14:05.936 --> 00:14:10.936
and obviously similar to Aaron was in that sort of state of
296
00:14:11.504 --> 00:14:13.171
I guess just sort of
297
00:14:14.878 --> 00:14:16.111
that state of just working.
298
00:14:16.111 --> 00:14:18.272
You know you gotta work, you can't grieve,
299
00:14:18.272 --> 00:14:22.154
you have to work and you have to push through it.
300
00:14:22.154 --> 00:14:25.628
And Jade you know he's a multi generational farmer
301
00:14:25.628 --> 00:14:27.816
and basically told us
302
00:14:27.816 --> 00:14:30.934
that basically all the family properties
303
00:14:30.934 --> 00:14:32.333
had been pretty much wiped out.
304
00:14:32.333 --> 00:14:36.333
I think there was one that was lucky to survive.
305
00:14:38.657 --> 00:14:39.878
But.
306
00:14:39.878 --> 00:14:41.460
Yeah he just walked us through.
307
00:14:41.460 --> 00:14:44.961
And you know he described sort of the events
308
00:14:44.961 --> 00:14:46.438
that happened before the fire.
309
00:14:46.438 --> 00:14:48.883
And I remember him saying
310
00:14:48.883 --> 00:14:51.321
you know the family was sitting there atop of the property
311
00:14:51.321 --> 00:14:54.433
and you know he could feel that you know
312
00:14:54.433 --> 00:14:55.858
this was definitely different.
313
00:14:55.858 --> 00:14:58.020
You know the air was different
314
00:14:58.020 --> 00:15:02.582
and he was describing sort of the jet engine roar
315
00:15:02.582 --> 00:15:03.574
of the fire.
316
00:15:03.574 --> 00:15:07.300
And I think that is something I did experience that
317
00:15:07.300 --> 00:15:10.233
sort of in another area near Braidwood
318
00:15:10.233 --> 00:15:14.492
but there is this you know when the fire is so intense
319
00:15:14.492 --> 00:15:15.857
it does sound like a jet engine
320
00:15:15.857 --> 00:15:19.599
and just roars across the landscape.
321
00:15:19.599 --> 00:15:21.828
And he sort of was describing that roar in the distance
322
00:15:21.828 --> 00:15:22.673
and he could see.
323
00:15:22.673 --> 00:15:25.614
And from his, especially in that photo
324
00:15:25.614 --> 00:15:28.844
you can see behind him is that sort of ridge line
325
00:15:28.844 --> 00:15:31.286
and that sort of looks on into the horizon.
326
00:15:31.286 --> 00:15:32.247
And he was sort of describing
327
00:15:32.247 --> 00:15:35.188
you know that ridge line in that horizon.
328
00:15:35.188 --> 00:15:36.776
You could see that you know bright
329
00:15:36.776 --> 00:15:38.894
you know blood red sort of sky coming through.
330
00:15:38.894 --> 00:15:42.870
And once you know he saw that I think that's immediately
331
00:15:42.870 --> 00:15:43.861
where he got his family
332
00:15:43.861 --> 00:15:45.997
and sort of decided to ditch his effort
333
00:15:45.997 --> 00:15:47.132
to protect the property.
334
00:15:47.132 --> 00:15:50.449
As hard as it is for these rural farmers
335
00:15:50.449 --> 00:15:52.951
to leave their land unprotected
336
00:15:52.951 --> 00:15:56.061
and to not want to protect it I think he felt
337
00:15:56.061 --> 00:15:59.729
that it was obviously too dangerous to do that.
338
00:15:59.729 --> 00:16:02.279
And there he is sort of pictured,
339
00:16:02.279 --> 00:16:05.652
sort of basically in the remains
340
00:16:05.652 --> 00:16:08.909
of the yard at his parents property.
341
00:16:08.909 --> 00:16:10.071
And basically there was nothing left,
342
00:16:10.071 --> 00:16:13.321
everything had been pretty much charred
343
00:16:14.407 --> 00:16:15.387
at the time there.
Yeah it's incredible
344
00:16:15.387 --> 00:16:17.453
down there you know I have family
345
00:16:17.453 --> 00:16:19.929
down at Coolagolite like so just in between
346
00:16:19.929 --> 00:16:22.724
Kabago and Bermagui and it's you know
347
00:16:22.724 --> 00:16:25.036
certainly a tight knit community.
348
00:16:25.036 --> 00:16:27.633
And what you said the stoicism of you know
349
00:16:27.633 --> 00:16:31.785
helping each other and just getting on with it every day
350
00:16:31.785 --> 00:16:33.298
and they're still getting on with it now.
351
00:16:33.298 --> 00:16:34.769
You know it's still ongoing.
352
00:16:34.769 --> 00:16:37.602
Rebuilding and repairing and yeah.
353
00:16:38.503 --> 00:16:40.142
I guess the generosity of people
354
00:16:40.142 --> 00:16:42.881
as well to share that with you is amazing
355
00:16:42.881 --> 00:16:46.278
and for to agree for it to be in a prize as well.
356
00:16:46.278 --> 00:16:48.710
And to their stories their personal stories
357
00:16:48.710 --> 00:16:51.694
to be displayed is amazing.
358
00:16:51.694 --> 00:16:53.777
It's definitely I think
359
00:16:54.660 --> 00:16:58.865
yeah I think definitely they were just so open with us
360
00:16:58.865 --> 00:17:00.588
and willing for us to sort of come in
361
00:17:00.588 --> 00:17:03.481
and you know document that story.
362
00:17:03.481 --> 00:17:08.348
As hard as it is to do that soon after such a tragic event.
363
00:17:08.348 --> 00:17:09.181
And Jade.
364
00:17:11.140 --> 00:17:13.525
You know actually turned out you know
365
00:17:13.525 --> 00:17:15.188
and he was actually best friends with Aaron.
366
00:17:15.188 --> 00:17:18.443
So they you know they're these two
367
00:17:18.443 --> 00:17:21.466
you know farmers that are best friends
368
00:17:21.466 --> 00:17:24.155
that had both you know,
369
00:17:24.155 --> 00:17:26.694
and I think it's very I'm really glad
370
00:17:26.694 --> 00:17:29.432
that Jade's photo was also to make it in along with Aaron
371
00:17:29.432 --> 00:17:31.011
because you know both of them
372
00:17:31.011 --> 00:17:34.331
hold such a strong connection with each other.
373
00:17:34.331 --> 00:17:35.831
And they both hold
374
00:17:37.196 --> 00:17:40.555
you know stories about sort of just the really
375
00:17:40.555 --> 00:17:41.931
you know catastrophic event
376
00:17:41.931 --> 00:17:44.677
that happened to them personally.
377
00:17:44.677 --> 00:17:48.564
And obviously everyone else who had been impacted
378
00:17:48.564 --> 00:17:50.643
has been hit really hard.
379
00:17:50.643 --> 00:17:52.922
And but it was really nice to be fortunate enough
380
00:17:52.922 --> 00:17:57.422
to actually go back and do a follow up story with Jade
381
00:17:58.575 --> 00:18:00.358
and to see how life had changed.
382
00:18:00.358 --> 00:18:02.760
It was pretty remarkable to go back.
383
00:18:02.760 --> 00:18:05.369
I think several months after the fires
384
00:18:05.369 --> 00:18:06.980
just to see the landscape shift
385
00:18:06.980 --> 00:18:09.923
from this you know you can see in the photo of Jade Corby
386
00:18:09.923 --> 00:18:13.756
it's just got a black stark landscape, no sun.
387
00:18:16.083 --> 00:18:19.624
And you go back there and it's suddenly these green pastures
388
00:18:19.624 --> 00:18:21.038
because it had rained
389
00:18:21.038 --> 00:18:23.391
a lot over that time.
Incredible.
390
00:18:23.391 --> 00:18:27.349
And the green growing on the black trees and.
391
00:18:27.349 --> 00:18:30.067
Yeah it was just this incredible like landscape shift
392
00:18:30.067 --> 00:18:31.984
even over a few months.
393
00:18:33.840 --> 00:18:35.007
And obviously.
394
00:18:36.637 --> 00:18:39.325
Jade had during that time
395
00:18:39.325 --> 00:18:41.149
you know told us that he you know
396
00:18:41.149 --> 00:18:42.190
had gone through he was able
397
00:18:42.190 --> 00:18:43.221
to go through that grieving process
398
00:18:43.221 --> 00:18:46.349
and able to express his emotions
399
00:18:46.349 --> 00:18:49.397
you know throughout that you know sort of that time
400
00:18:49.397 --> 00:18:51.917
and I think that's so important.
401
00:18:51.917 --> 00:18:54.136
And especially difficult for people like them
402
00:18:54.136 --> 00:18:55.886
because I'm sure they
403
00:18:57.096 --> 00:19:00.165
you know they're sort of the rough blokes that go out there
404
00:19:00.165 --> 00:19:01.929
and probably find it a bit more challenging
405
00:19:01.929 --> 00:19:03.762
to express themselves.
406
00:19:05.389 --> 00:19:06.317
But I'm just so glad
407
00:19:06.317 --> 00:19:08.426
that they find the importance of doing that
408
00:19:08.426 --> 00:19:11.509
and of grieving and of I think that's
409
00:19:12.563 --> 00:19:14.917
especially psychologically to do that
410
00:19:14.917 --> 00:19:17.250
is really really beneficial.
411
00:19:18.931 --> 00:19:20.848
And but it was interesting that he mentioned
412
00:19:20.848 --> 00:19:23.907
because his son was actually a little bit older I believe
413
00:19:23.907 --> 00:19:26.781
when the fires had happened.
414
00:19:26.781 --> 00:19:30.325
And I remember him mentioning that you know
415
00:19:30.325 --> 00:19:31.929
it turns out that I think his son
416
00:19:31.929 --> 00:19:35.072
probably dealt with a bit of trauma over that
417
00:19:35.072 --> 00:19:36.453
during that time as well.
418
00:19:36.453 --> 00:19:40.376
Something that I remember he mentioning
419
00:19:40.376 --> 00:19:42.339
he didn't feel like you know
420
00:19:42.339 --> 00:19:45.722
the son had felt very you know impacted
421
00:19:45.722 --> 00:19:47.511
because he was still so young.
422
00:19:47.511 --> 00:19:50.920
But months after the son would be like you know
423
00:19:50.920 --> 00:19:52.533
mentioning the fires and mentioning
424
00:19:52.533 --> 00:19:55.043
you know he might be scared and things like that.
425
00:19:55.043 --> 00:19:58.293
And you know he was mentioning you know
426
00:19:59.167 --> 00:20:00.689
him talking to his son about it.
427
00:20:00.689 --> 00:20:04.189
And sort of letting the son express his own emotions
428
00:20:04.189 --> 00:20:05.343
about what had happened.
429
00:20:05.343 --> 00:20:09.088
And I think that's something that we might not think about.
430
00:20:09.088 --> 00:20:11.875
You know the kids just as well getting impacted
431
00:20:11.875 --> 00:20:15.444
just the same even if they are very young.
432
00:20:15.444 --> 00:20:17.498
Yeah and even just through
433
00:20:17.498 --> 00:20:20.899
you know even if they're not physically there
434
00:20:20.899 --> 00:20:22.120
you absorb all of this.
435
00:20:22.120 --> 00:20:25.927
You absorb the emotions and see the pictures and yeah,
436
00:20:25.927 --> 00:20:27.787
but thank you so much for telling their stories
437
00:20:27.787 --> 00:20:28.971
they're such characters,
438
00:20:28.971 --> 00:20:32.816
they're such important stories to tell I think.
439
00:20:32.816 --> 00:20:36.819
So what do you think being part of N triple P
440
00:20:36.819 --> 00:20:41.569
and Living Memory your mean for your photographic career?
441
00:20:42.992 --> 00:20:46.024
Well I think for myself personally
442
00:20:46.024 --> 00:20:48.345
I remember especially through college
443
00:20:48.345 --> 00:20:49.936
definitely the National Portrait Prize
444
00:20:49.936 --> 00:20:52.353
is always something on my bucket list
445
00:20:52.353 --> 00:20:54.112
as to one day be able to enter
446
00:20:54.112 --> 00:20:56.695
and you know be able to exhibit
447
00:20:59.199 --> 00:21:00.907
for the prize.
448
00:21:00.907 --> 00:21:04.777
You know being a finalist is really you know
449
00:21:04.777 --> 00:21:07.355
is really chaffed when I heard that I'd been selected.
450
00:21:07.355 --> 00:21:08.188
And.
451
00:21:09.806 --> 00:21:11.286
You know I was obviously very proud
452
00:21:11.286 --> 00:21:12.454
to have my work shown.
453
00:21:12.454 --> 00:21:16.003
And most of all just to have some really important stories,
454
00:21:16.003 --> 00:21:19.198
be present for other people to see.
455
00:21:19.198 --> 00:21:20.448
Because I think
456
00:21:21.673 --> 00:21:24.093
you know it's weird that you know the black summer
457
00:21:24.093 --> 00:21:25.817
sort of rolled through
458
00:21:25.817 --> 00:21:27.489
and it felt like it rolled through so fast.
459
00:21:27.489 --> 00:21:31.625
And then suddenly you know the COVID pandemic hit
460
00:21:31.625 --> 00:21:33.625
shortly after the fires.
461
00:21:34.547 --> 00:21:37.960
And I remember even just you know
462
00:21:37.960 --> 00:21:40.742
a few months after the fires had hit,
463
00:21:40.742 --> 00:21:43.171
and after sort of one of my last assignments
464
00:21:43.171 --> 00:21:45.750
you know my memory is you know is fading.
465
00:21:45.750 --> 00:21:47.240
You know there was so much COVID news
466
00:21:47.240 --> 00:21:51.531
and I think a bit of that sort of black summer
467
00:21:51.531 --> 00:21:55.961
call to action had been sort of stopped a little bit.
468
00:21:55.961 --> 00:21:58.188
And it was really great that I think this prize
469
00:21:58.188 --> 00:22:00.715
sort of brought it back into people's minds
470
00:22:00.715 --> 00:22:02.619
that this is something that has happened.
471
00:22:02.619 --> 00:22:06.590
And it's something that we need to remember
472
00:22:06.590 --> 00:22:08.282
because you know it's such an important
473
00:22:08.282 --> 00:22:10.953
part of Australian history now.
474
00:22:10.953 --> 00:22:11.786
And it.
475
00:22:13.114 --> 00:22:15.409
I think yeah I was just yeah
476
00:22:15.409 --> 00:22:17.945
just to be able to share the story of the fires again
477
00:22:17.945 --> 00:22:21.427
I think is sort of the most important part
478
00:22:21.427 --> 00:22:22.927
sort of on my end.
479
00:22:24.189 --> 00:22:28.427
And I think I guess there's for a career opportunity
480
00:22:28.427 --> 00:22:33.413
you know I think my colleagues at work are very proud
481
00:22:33.413 --> 00:22:34.974
and they're very happy.
482
00:22:34.974 --> 00:22:36.422
You know very proud to say that you know
483
00:22:36.422 --> 00:22:38.947
we have a photographer who's now another photographer
484
00:22:38.947 --> 00:22:40.593
who's finalist in the portrait prize.
485
00:22:40.593 --> 00:22:44.126
It's obviously you know something that I look up to
486
00:22:44.126 --> 00:22:46.238
as a photographer you know it's one of those things
487
00:22:46.238 --> 00:22:49.325
I look up to to get my work into.
488
00:22:49.325 --> 00:22:50.992
Because it is such a
489
00:22:52.477 --> 00:22:53.667
important prize I think.
490
00:22:53.667 --> 00:22:56.488
And I'm sure many other photojournalists and photographers
491
00:22:56.488 --> 00:23:00.929
around Australia probably share similar thoughts as well.
492
00:23:00.929 --> 00:23:01.762
So.
493
00:23:01.762 --> 00:23:02.643
Yeah.
For sure.
494
00:23:02.643 --> 00:23:04.887
So you can do a double tick on your bucket list now.
495
00:23:04.887 --> 00:23:05.763
That's true double tick
496
00:23:05.763 --> 00:23:07.334
yeah.
Tick tick done.
497
00:23:07.334 --> 00:23:08.575
(Interviewer laughs)
498
00:23:08.575 --> 00:23:09.910
Exactly I don't need to enter the next year
499
00:23:09.910 --> 00:23:12.071
'cause I already got certain one covered.
500
00:23:12.071 --> 00:23:12.988
Mic drop.
501
00:23:14.610 --> 00:23:15.945
So how do you think,
502
00:23:15.945 --> 00:23:18.830
how was lockdowns and all the changes in the world
503
00:23:18.830 --> 00:23:21.750
affected like your personal photographic practise
504
00:23:21.750 --> 00:23:26.361
and the way you approach it professionally and personally?
505
00:23:26.361 --> 00:23:29.401
I think fortunately for me
506
00:23:29.401 --> 00:23:32.558
it hasn't impacted me that much because
507
00:23:32.558 --> 00:23:36.513
as a photographer I already worked remotely
508
00:23:36.513 --> 00:23:38.680
within The Canberra Times.
509
00:23:40.626 --> 00:23:44.209
And so I'm very fortunate to keep working.
510
00:23:44.209 --> 00:23:45.875
If I was someone who was freelancing
511
00:23:45.875 --> 00:23:47.745
I think it'd be a very different story.
512
00:23:47.745 --> 00:23:50.017
I think you know definitely the amount of stories
513
00:23:50.017 --> 00:23:52.776
that we do has lessened a lot.
514
00:23:52.776 --> 00:23:54.881
You know obviously events don't happen anymore,
515
00:23:54.881 --> 00:23:57.233
sport doesn't happen anymore.
516
00:23:57.233 --> 00:24:00.609
You know there are so many things
517
00:24:00.609 --> 00:24:03.947
that the pandemic has sort of stopped for photography.
518
00:24:03.947 --> 00:24:07.609
And of course access is a lot more challenging
519
00:24:07.609 --> 00:24:09.985
because you know suddenly
520
00:24:09.985 --> 00:24:12.417
you're photographing people through windows.
521
00:24:12.417 --> 00:24:14.394
Suddenly you have to keep a distance.
522
00:24:14.394 --> 00:24:16.177
Suddenly maybe you can't be as intimate
523
00:24:16.177 --> 00:24:18.594
with the you know the subject
524
00:24:20.374 --> 00:24:22.541
that you could previously.
525
00:24:23.723 --> 00:24:28.206
So I would say definitely I'm very lucky to keep working
526
00:24:28.206 --> 00:24:29.847
and that my work hasn't changed too much.
527
00:24:29.847 --> 00:24:32.363
But I think it definitely offers its own
528
00:24:32.363 --> 00:24:33.331
you know photographic challenges
529
00:24:33.331 --> 00:24:35.427
and you know having to navigate
530
00:24:35.427 --> 00:24:39.190
through sort of a social distancing landscape
531
00:24:39.190 --> 00:24:42.690
with masks and whatnot I think is very odd
532
00:24:44.125 --> 00:24:46.662
but it's also really important to capture these things
533
00:24:46.662 --> 00:24:50.041
'cause this is sort of that once in 100 year event
534
00:24:50.041 --> 00:24:52.206
that's sort of coming through
535
00:24:52.206 --> 00:24:55.647
that you know as photographers we need to capture that.
536
00:24:55.647 --> 00:24:58.192
And you know you see the photos
537
00:24:58.192 --> 00:25:00.902
that are captured around the world and within Australia
538
00:25:00.902 --> 00:25:04.516
and it's a totally different sort of a landscape to look at
539
00:25:04.516 --> 00:25:06.040
and it's a very odd.
540
00:25:06.040 --> 00:25:10.281
You know humans are so touchy and you wanna
541
00:25:10.281 --> 00:25:12.281
you know hug each other.
542
00:25:13.642 --> 00:25:15.564
It's really interesting to see people covered in plastic
543
00:25:15.564 --> 00:25:18.147
now hugging each other instead.
544
00:25:20.132 --> 00:25:23.164
But hopefully I imagine I know I'm very hopeful.
545
00:25:23.164 --> 00:25:25.676
I think over the next year I think things
546
00:25:25.676 --> 00:25:27.521
will slowly start getting back to normal
547
00:25:27.521 --> 00:25:30.716
as you know I guess people become more vaccinated
548
00:25:30.716 --> 00:25:32.204
and things like that.
549
00:25:32.204 --> 00:25:35.684
And I think for photographers and freelancers
550
00:25:35.684 --> 00:25:37.253
you know the world will open up a little bit more
551
00:25:37.253 --> 00:25:39.486
for them to capture those events once again.
552
00:25:39.486 --> 00:25:40.319
I think.
553
00:25:41.233 --> 00:25:42.285
Yeah.
554
00:25:42.285 --> 00:25:43.375
Perfect.
555
00:25:43.375 --> 00:25:45.605
So something we do always get asked
556
00:25:45.605 --> 00:25:48.533
by people entering the prize or the interested public
557
00:25:48.533 --> 00:25:50.992
is your selected equipment
558
00:25:50.992 --> 00:25:53.373
and the style of photography you prefer.
559
00:25:53.373 --> 00:25:54.818
So we've already really touched
560
00:25:54.818 --> 00:25:57.429
on your style of photography.
561
00:25:57.429 --> 00:26:01.483
What's your favourite equipment and cameras and?
562
00:26:01.483 --> 00:26:02.614
Yeah yeah.
563
00:26:02.614 --> 00:26:05.151
Well that's interesting I actually use
564
00:26:05.151 --> 00:26:06.475
basically all three brands.
565
00:26:06.475 --> 00:26:09.411
I use like Canon, (interviewer laughs) Sony, and Nikon.
566
00:26:09.411 --> 00:26:11.108
So not really set
567
00:26:11.108 --> 00:26:13.058
on any one camera.
Covering all bases.
568
00:26:13.058 --> 00:26:15.332
You know the work camera's are great
569
00:26:15.332 --> 00:26:17.369
'cause they're like these old Nikon D 3's
570
00:26:17.369 --> 00:26:19.741
that I can just like
571
00:26:19.741 --> 00:26:21.611
you know rough around and like you know
572
00:26:21.611 --> 00:26:22.969
go to the most extreme places
573
00:26:22.969 --> 00:26:26.166
and I won't be too fussed if they get broken.
574
00:26:26.166 --> 00:26:28.785
And then there's my per, well I guess,
575
00:26:28.785 --> 00:26:31.369
so there's the sort of the breaking news cameras
576
00:26:31.369 --> 00:26:34.526
I guess you would call them or the work cameras that I use.
577
00:26:34.526 --> 00:26:35.359
And then.
578
00:26:36.479 --> 00:26:38.479
Which is what I used for
579
00:26:39.316 --> 00:26:42.942
most of the coverage of the bush fires.
580
00:26:42.942 --> 00:26:45.630
But for the portraits I used my Sony
581
00:26:45.630 --> 00:26:50.547
which is my personal camera, which is a Sony A7 mark three.
582
00:26:52.630 --> 00:26:54.454
And I use that generally with you know 20
583
00:26:54.454 --> 00:26:58.435
and I have a 24 mil 55 mil and an 85 mil lens.
584
00:26:58.435 --> 00:27:01.694
And generally I pretty much stick around
585
00:27:01.694 --> 00:27:05.190
basically 70%, 80% of the time using my 24 mil
586
00:27:05.190 --> 00:27:07.081
which is the wide angle.
587
00:27:07.081 --> 00:27:09.743
One point four and then there's the 55 one point eight
588
00:27:09.743 --> 00:27:13.581
which I use for portraiture as well a lot of the time.
589
00:27:13.581 --> 00:27:15.085
Awesome.
And then there's the Canon
590
00:27:15.085 --> 00:27:17.872
which it's actually my old Canon I got from college
591
00:27:17.872 --> 00:27:21.569
the Canon 5D mark three that was my first
592
00:27:21.569 --> 00:27:23.473
sort of big camera that my dad gave me
593
00:27:23.473 --> 00:27:25.086
as a present I remember.
594
00:27:25.086 --> 00:27:26.515
Awesome.
595
00:27:26.515 --> 00:27:28.822
And I'm now actually taking that back up again
596
00:27:28.822 --> 00:27:30.989
and using it again because
597
00:27:31.897 --> 00:27:36.227
you know I sort of went from this 24 to 70 focal length
598
00:27:36.227 --> 00:27:39.405
and I only had that for several years.
599
00:27:39.405 --> 00:27:40.611
And then I sort of ditched that
600
00:27:40.611 --> 00:27:42.811
and went to sort of prime lenses.
601
00:27:42.811 --> 00:27:44.763
And now I'm actually coming back to 24 to 70
602
00:27:44.763 --> 00:27:48.043
I think I'm really liking that.
603
00:27:48.043 --> 00:27:49.533
You know so
604
00:27:49.533 --> 00:27:51.211
especially for breaking news and things like that
605
00:27:51.211 --> 00:27:53.132
it's very important to have that versatility
606
00:27:53.132 --> 00:27:55.787
'cause of obviously switching our prime lenses all the time
607
00:27:55.787 --> 00:27:58.363
isn't very realistic sometimes.
608
00:27:58.363 --> 00:28:00.145
So and then--
So you're open
609
00:28:00.145 --> 00:28:01.914
to sponsorship by all three.
610
00:28:01.914 --> 00:28:03.749
All three, I can be sponsored by all three
611
00:28:03.749 --> 00:28:06.155
(interviewer laughs) if all three need a sponsor.
612
00:28:06.155 --> 00:28:07.905
To one brand I think.
613
00:28:08.753 --> 00:28:11.243
Really what I think really the key
614
00:28:11.243 --> 00:28:14.227
is kind of I guess whatever camera does the job
615
00:28:14.227 --> 00:28:16.310
for your particular need.
616
00:28:17.971 --> 00:28:22.306
Because I think you know Sony I remember at the time
617
00:28:22.306 --> 00:28:24.091
you know often I auto focus
618
00:28:24.091 --> 00:28:25.857
and sort of these other features that were really good
619
00:28:25.857 --> 00:28:27.399
so I thought I'd pick that up.
620
00:28:27.399 --> 00:28:31.054
And then but nowadays really any camera is good enough
621
00:28:31.054 --> 00:28:32.640
to do everything.
622
00:28:32.640 --> 00:28:33.651
I think technology's gotten.
We have iPhone
623
00:28:33.651 --> 00:28:34.848
entries you know?
624
00:28:34.848 --> 00:28:37.848
We have pros on an iPhone.
I agree.
625
00:28:38.747 --> 00:28:41.338
Really all cameras nowadays are actually
626
00:28:41.338 --> 00:28:44.073
perfect for capturing images, it's really.
627
00:28:44.073 --> 00:28:47.827
I think up to now that everything's so good
628
00:28:47.827 --> 00:28:48.855
the photo quality really comes
629
00:28:48.855 --> 00:28:50.786
out at sort of the individual photographers eye
630
00:28:50.786 --> 00:28:54.136
and them to capture those compositions and things like that.
631
00:28:54.136 --> 00:28:54.969
And.
Well that leads
632
00:28:54.969 --> 00:28:57.859
into the next part of the question is do you have any tips
633
00:28:57.859 --> 00:29:01.035
for aspiring photographers out there?
634
00:29:01.035 --> 00:29:02.497
Because it sounds like you knew
635
00:29:02.497 --> 00:29:03.601
you wanted to be a photographer
636
00:29:03.601 --> 00:29:05.033
and moved into it through college.
637
00:29:05.033 --> 00:29:07.316
And you're doing it now.
638
00:29:07.316 --> 00:29:08.761
So do you have any tips for people
639
00:29:08.761 --> 00:29:11.263
that are sort of aspiring for that career path?
640
00:29:11.263 --> 00:29:14.166
Or you know, not necessarily even just young people
641
00:29:14.166 --> 00:29:17.333
but aspiring photographers in general?
642
00:29:18.287 --> 00:29:19.819
Yeah yeah.
643
00:29:19.819 --> 00:29:20.700
Sort of a tough one.
644
00:29:20.700 --> 00:29:23.529
I feel like I sort of lucked out
645
00:29:23.529 --> 00:29:27.041
in sort of where I you know finished my degree
646
00:29:27.041 --> 00:29:28.444
and at the same time,
647
00:29:28.444 --> 00:29:29.929
you know a part-time job at The Canberra Times opened up
648
00:29:29.929 --> 00:29:31.452
and then I managed to get it
649
00:29:31.452 --> 00:29:34.703
and it sort of was like fate and destiny almost.
650
00:29:34.703 --> 00:29:39.068
But definitely the photography landscape nowadays
651
00:29:39.068 --> 00:29:42.901
and how I see it, I'm really a strong believer
652
00:29:44.053 --> 00:29:46.617
that photography is incredibly
653
00:29:46.617 --> 00:29:50.450
but nowadays if you do wanna be a photographer
654
00:29:51.868 --> 00:29:54.108
and if you do wanna work in the industry of news
655
00:29:54.108 --> 00:29:56.608
or just any photography really
656
00:29:57.932 --> 00:30:00.544
I think it's so important that people nowadays
657
00:30:00.544 --> 00:30:03.438
have to be multi skilled and multi talented
658
00:30:03.438 --> 00:30:05.586
in those different areas.
659
00:30:05.586 --> 00:30:06.858
You know when I was growing up through college
660
00:30:06.858 --> 00:30:09.155
I was very set on just being a photographer,
661
00:30:09.155 --> 00:30:11.054
I'm so keen just to do stills.
662
00:30:11.054 --> 00:30:15.506
I wasn't interested in video or anything like that.
663
00:30:15.506 --> 00:30:19.170
But as someone who's signed to you know
664
00:30:19.170 --> 00:30:20.512
trying to get into like more of that video side of things
665
00:30:20.512 --> 00:30:22.589
and learning how to do video, learning how to write,
666
00:30:22.589 --> 00:30:24.080
and learning how to do video editing.
667
00:30:24.080 --> 00:30:26.737
Learning how you know learning the digital landscape,
668
00:30:26.737 --> 00:30:28.474
learning social media.
669
00:30:28.474 --> 00:30:31.256
You know photographers aren't just photographer,
670
00:30:31.256 --> 00:30:33.065
becoming multimedia specialists.
671
00:30:33.065 --> 00:30:34.200
And I think they have to be
672
00:30:34.200 --> 00:30:37.421
to sort of adapt to you know all the different platforms
673
00:30:37.421 --> 00:30:40.380
that we have to present on and all the different mediums
674
00:30:40.380 --> 00:30:42.384
that we have to present on.
675
00:30:42.384 --> 00:30:43.755
You know you can use GIFS, you can use images,
676
00:30:43.755 --> 00:30:46.210
you can use video, short video, photos,
677
00:30:46.210 --> 00:30:49.698
I think there's so many styles that nowadays.
678
00:30:49.698 --> 00:30:52.208
And I think if you are just sticking to one style
679
00:30:52.208 --> 00:30:54.214
I think you're sort of selling yourself short.
680
00:30:54.214 --> 00:30:57.808
And you will definitely become less employable
681
00:30:57.808 --> 00:31:00.456
if you aren't branching out into other areas
682
00:31:00.456 --> 00:31:03.050
and exploring those other avenues.
683
00:31:03.050 --> 00:31:04.814
Because if you're multi skilled and multi talented
684
00:31:04.814 --> 00:31:09.086
you are valued a lot more and you can do a lot more things.
685
00:31:09.086 --> 00:31:13.804
And if means if you can do a lot more of those things
686
00:31:13.804 --> 00:31:16.345
if you do wanna do just that photography
687
00:31:16.345 --> 00:31:18.742
that your heart's so set on
688
00:31:18.742 --> 00:31:20.446
it's a lot easier to earn the bread
689
00:31:20.446 --> 00:31:22.806
through those other things and then you can go back
690
00:31:22.806 --> 00:31:23.862
and do sort of that personal work
691
00:31:23.862 --> 00:31:27.019
that really sort of feeds the soul.
692
00:31:27.019 --> 00:31:28.527
You know.
693
00:31:28.527 --> 00:31:29.619
I think that's my piece of advice
694
00:31:29.619 --> 00:31:31.211
is sort of adaptability I think.
695
00:31:31.211 --> 00:31:33.589
Yeah and being not afraid to experiment
696
00:31:33.589 --> 00:31:35.667
and you know always to remember have fun as well.
697
00:31:35.667 --> 00:31:39.291
Sometimes I think to play and try different things
698
00:31:39.291 --> 00:31:40.894
is always important.
699
00:31:40.894 --> 00:31:43.023
Definitely yeah yeah.
So.
700
00:31:43.023 --> 00:31:46.029
Do you have any photographers or artists in general
701
00:31:46.029 --> 00:31:49.362
that inspire you or that you look up to?
702
00:31:50.971 --> 00:31:52.451
Definitely.
703
00:31:52.451 --> 00:31:55.675
I would think, I remember when I was growing up
704
00:31:55.675 --> 00:31:58.342
I really sort of James Nachtwey,
705
00:32:01.182 --> 00:32:04.228
he was really sort of inspirational photographer.
706
00:32:04.228 --> 00:32:06.699
And you know the classic Steve McCurry.
707
00:32:06.699 --> 00:32:08.778
He you know both of these guys
708
00:32:08.778 --> 00:32:10.642
are sort of like these brilliant photojournalists
709
00:32:10.642 --> 00:32:12.662
in their prime.
710
00:32:12.662 --> 00:32:15.072
And I think James is you know he's still doing stuff.
711
00:32:15.072 --> 00:32:17.700
And he's a brilliant photographer.
712
00:32:17.700 --> 00:32:22.283
And I just loved you know those are the kind of I guess
713
00:32:23.603 --> 00:32:25.771
I feel like in the photojournalists space
714
00:32:25.771 --> 00:32:27.013
and then you have like
715
00:32:27.013 --> 00:32:30.430
they're like my idols I guess originally.
716
00:32:37.054 --> 00:32:40.970
But I think you know initially I think they really
717
00:32:40.970 --> 00:32:42.248
taught me about storytelling
718
00:32:42.248 --> 00:32:44.094
and the importance of photography.
719
00:32:44.094 --> 00:32:47.149
And capturing those stories and capturing
720
00:32:47.149 --> 00:32:49.760
and documenting I think really just documenting
721
00:32:49.760 --> 00:32:50.914
I guess life and history.
722
00:32:50.914 --> 00:32:54.997
I think photography is such a weird thing because
723
00:32:56.684 --> 00:33:00.806
especially in sort of the photojournalism space
724
00:33:00.806 --> 00:33:03.056
because we as photographers
725
00:33:05.205 --> 00:33:08.435
if you're in a very traumatic situation for example
726
00:33:08.435 --> 00:33:11.275
or a very catastrophic event
727
00:33:11.275 --> 00:33:12.960
we're there to capture it through photos
728
00:33:12.960 --> 00:33:15.303
but we're not actually you know
729
00:33:15.303 --> 00:33:17.946
physically there helping out within a situation
730
00:33:17.946 --> 00:33:22.112
that might be you know someone's in a car accident,
731
00:33:22.112 --> 00:33:23.101
I need to take the photo,
732
00:33:23.101 --> 00:33:26.024
I can't be the one helping that individual.
733
00:33:26.024 --> 00:33:28.088
And I think it's a very weird moral dilemma
734
00:33:28.088 --> 00:33:32.168
that I think photojournalists must go through.
735
00:33:32.168 --> 00:33:34.065
And I know these photographers especially
736
00:33:34.065 --> 00:33:35.069
sort of taught me,
737
00:33:35.069 --> 00:33:38.584
I mean there's so many others like Robert Caburn,
738
00:33:38.584 --> 00:33:40.643
all the magnificent photographers.
739
00:33:40.643 --> 00:33:43.080
And you know Henri Cartier-Bresson
740
00:33:43.080 --> 00:33:46.497
I was really into street photography but.
741
00:33:47.453 --> 00:33:48.981
You know they sort of teach you the importance
742
00:33:48.981 --> 00:33:52.814
of documentation in that capturing that moment
743
00:33:53.653 --> 00:33:56.281
and you're archiving that moment.
744
00:33:56.281 --> 00:33:59.198
And obviously there are times where
745
00:34:00.333 --> 00:34:01.718
you know throughout the bush fires
746
00:34:01.718 --> 00:34:05.563
where I might think you know people might look down on you
747
00:34:05.563 --> 00:34:06.813
because you're not doing that much
748
00:34:06.813 --> 00:34:08.181
you're just sitting there taking photos.
749
00:34:08.181 --> 00:34:09.014
And.
750
00:34:10.606 --> 00:34:11.827
But.
751
00:34:11.827 --> 00:34:14.157
It's so important to have that awareness
752
00:34:14.157 --> 00:34:17.102
and to show people what is going on in the world.
753
00:34:17.102 --> 00:34:21.269
And I think it's an interesting moral dilemma that
754
00:34:24.019 --> 00:34:26.413
you know I'm definitely about
755
00:34:26.413 --> 00:34:29.656
for taking that you know it's a hard thing,
756
00:34:29.656 --> 00:34:30.699
sometimes it's a fine line.
757
00:34:30.699 --> 00:34:32.769
But you have to document
758
00:34:32.769 --> 00:34:36.765
and you have to you know archive what's going on around you
759
00:34:36.765 --> 00:34:40.564
and that's what we do as photographers.
760
00:34:40.564 --> 00:34:42.277
And if you're not doing that
761
00:34:42.277 --> 00:34:44.224
and if you suddenly put your camera down
762
00:34:44.224 --> 00:34:46.985
because you don't feel comfortable
763
00:34:46.985 --> 00:34:49.640
you know you're not telling that story.
764
00:34:49.640 --> 00:34:52.557
So you really have to push yourself
765
00:34:54.142 --> 00:34:56.203
and to have your camera and if someone yells at you
766
00:34:56.203 --> 00:34:58.733
then that's fine you just have to deal with it
767
00:34:58.733 --> 00:34:59.684
and you have to keep going
768
00:34:59.684 --> 00:35:01.451
and you have to keep taking those photos
769
00:35:01.451 --> 00:35:05.185
even though it might be so hard to do that.
770
00:35:05.185 --> 00:35:10.009
You know I think don't feel awkward or uncomfortable
771
00:35:10.009 --> 00:35:11.825
if you have to take those photos sometimes.
772
00:35:11.825 --> 00:35:12.801
They need to be taken.
773
00:35:12.801 --> 00:35:16.185
And you'll find that you can take the image
774
00:35:16.185 --> 00:35:18.852
and then you come back later and
775
00:35:20.643 --> 00:35:23.682
you know people are so happy that that moment was captured
776
00:35:23.682 --> 00:35:26.880
or they're so grateful that they can remember that
777
00:35:26.880 --> 00:35:31.097
and memorialise that and that can be shared with others.
778
00:35:31.097 --> 00:35:33.761
And you know it becomes a part of history.
779
00:35:33.761 --> 00:35:37.326
Cool so do you remember the first photo you ever took?
780
00:35:37.326 --> 00:35:38.899
Like do you have a conscious memory
781
00:35:38.899 --> 00:35:40.610
of the first photo you ever took?
782
00:35:40.610 --> 00:35:41.737
Oh that's very challenging.
783
00:35:41.737 --> 00:35:43.223
(Dion and interviewer laughing)
784
00:35:43.223 --> 00:35:47.764
Well I mean I guess oh I can't probably can't remember
785
00:35:47.764 --> 00:35:49.742
the very first image I've ever taken.
786
00:35:49.742 --> 00:35:50.783
But.
787
00:35:50.783 --> 00:35:52.336
Or a conscious memory--
Probably.
788
00:35:52.336 --> 00:35:54.594
Of like oh I've taken this photo.
789
00:35:54.594 --> 00:35:57.427
Probably when I got I remember I
790
00:35:59.380 --> 00:36:02.055
my dad had this old sort of like film camera.
791
00:36:02.055 --> 00:36:02.888
I never really used that
792
00:36:02.888 --> 00:36:05.863
but I remember there was this like competition at school
793
00:36:05.863 --> 00:36:09.551
where you could you just had to make a poster
794
00:36:09.551 --> 00:36:14.551
an environmental poster about you know saving the planet.
795
00:36:14.833 --> 00:36:15.799
And I remember I submitted my poster
796
00:36:15.799 --> 00:36:18.320
and the prize was you won like a little digital camera
797
00:36:18.320 --> 00:36:21.600
really like at the time these digital cameras
798
00:36:21.600 --> 00:36:22.754
were like big potatoes
799
00:36:22.754 --> 00:36:26.612
and it would just be like one giant pixel on the screen.
800
00:36:26.612 --> 00:36:29.595
And I remember I was fortunate to win that competition,
801
00:36:29.595 --> 00:36:30.819
and got this little camera.
802
00:36:30.819 --> 00:36:31.657
And I remember just going around
803
00:36:31.657 --> 00:36:34.448
and just taking photos of like the back yard
804
00:36:34.448 --> 00:36:36.604
like flowers and things like that and random things.
805
00:36:36.604 --> 00:36:40.097
And but probably the most significant
806
00:36:40.097 --> 00:36:42.264
maybe first images I guess
807
00:36:43.161 --> 00:36:46.505
my grandfather gave me his little like Nikon camera,
808
00:36:46.505 --> 00:36:49.169
and I just went around the reserve
809
00:36:49.169 --> 00:36:50.899
and took photos of like the kangaroos back there.
810
00:36:50.899 --> 00:36:52.503
And I remember there was like this one shot
811
00:36:52.503 --> 00:36:53.953
of like a portrait of this kangaroo
812
00:36:53.953 --> 00:36:55.921
and like sunlit by the sun
813
00:36:55.921 --> 00:36:58.594
it was just like I remember at the time
814
00:36:58.594 --> 00:37:00.715
I was very proud of myself to get that photo
815
00:37:00.715 --> 00:37:03.541
'cause it was I thought it was a very beautiful photo.
816
00:37:03.541 --> 00:37:07.848
And the way the sun was hitting the kangaroo and yeah
817
00:37:07.848 --> 00:37:08.948
it was just something different
818
00:37:08.948 --> 00:37:12.623
so that was sort of my best first image
819
00:37:12.623 --> 00:37:14.618
would be a photo of a kangaroo.
820
00:37:14.618 --> 00:37:16.631
Awesome so a portrait of sorts.
821
00:37:16.631 --> 00:37:19.522
A portrait yeah pretty much a portrait.
822
00:37:19.522 --> 00:37:21.951
Cool so do you have a dream subject?
823
00:37:21.951 --> 00:37:23.732
Someone that if you could get anyone in the world
824
00:37:23.732 --> 00:37:27.065
in front of your camera who would it be?
825
00:37:28.099 --> 00:37:28.932
Okay.
826
00:37:30.687 --> 00:37:31.520
These are meant to be the
827
00:37:31.520 --> 00:37:33.252
easy light questions.
It's another tough one
828
00:37:33.252 --> 00:37:34.942
I feel like these are the tough ones here.
829
00:37:34.942 --> 00:37:37.516
(interviewer laughs)
830
00:37:37.516 --> 00:37:38.552
Oh.
831
00:37:38.552 --> 00:37:39.719
Forget anyone.
832
00:37:41.917 --> 00:37:44.408
I feel like Trump would be a really cool person
833
00:37:44.408 --> 00:37:46.113
to take a photo of.
834
00:37:46.113 --> 00:37:50.759
He's such a character and I think as a photographer
835
00:37:50.759 --> 00:37:53.349
we sort of strive to take photos of characters
836
00:37:53.349 --> 00:37:55.182
and of people who have
837
00:37:56.802 --> 00:37:59.648
sort of you know they're unique in their own way.
838
00:37:59.648 --> 00:38:03.152
And I think and I remember Trump is such an outspoken person
839
00:38:03.152 --> 00:38:07.070
and I think that'd be such a wild portrait shoot to do
840
00:38:07.070 --> 00:38:12.070
with a person like him, it would just be so crazy I think.
841
00:38:12.139 --> 00:38:17.139
So I think really I mean it could be (Dion sighs)
842
00:38:17.219 --> 00:38:20.411
I mean he's just he's an interesting character
843
00:38:20.411 --> 00:38:23.660
and I think I like him as a character.
844
00:38:23.660 --> 00:38:25.283
And.
845
00:38:25.283 --> 00:38:30.283
As a subject of a portrait I think would be interesting.
846
00:38:30.536 --> 00:38:32.915
And I guess maybe Elon Musk would be really cool as well
847
00:38:32.915 --> 00:38:36.272
I feel like he has he would give a really interesting
848
00:38:36.272 --> 00:38:40.189
technical face probably for the portrait shoot.
849
00:38:41.344 --> 00:38:42.557
I think both of those shoots
850
00:38:42.557 --> 00:38:44.368
would be quite the circus.
I feel like both
851
00:38:44.368 --> 00:38:45.280
would be interesting,
852
00:38:45.280 --> 00:38:48.780
I'm sure both would be really interesting.
853
00:38:50.301 --> 00:38:51.134
Yeah.
854
00:38:52.032 --> 00:38:53.865
Yeah it's hard I mean.
855
00:38:57.990 --> 00:39:01.726
Yeah probably just someone who sort of embodies their own
856
00:39:01.726 --> 00:39:05.208
you know is just so unique and I guess
857
00:39:05.208 --> 00:39:07.401
and can has that unique personality
858
00:39:07.401 --> 00:39:11.847
and that can offer something different to a portrait shoot.
859
00:39:11.847 --> 00:39:14.352
Because it's obviously very difficult sometimes
860
00:39:14.352 --> 00:39:15.936
to take photos of people
861
00:39:15.936 --> 00:39:18.811
who aren't used to having their photo taken.
862
00:39:18.811 --> 00:39:20.247
I'm not someone who takes photos of people
863
00:39:20.247 --> 00:39:22.733
who are used to having their photo taken very often.
864
00:39:22.733 --> 00:39:23.832
Normally I'm taking photos of people
865
00:39:23.832 --> 00:39:27.499
who don't have their photo taken very often.
866
00:39:30.197 --> 00:39:34.924
But I wanna it's sort of a balancing act you know I think
867
00:39:34.924 --> 00:39:37.210
it's hard to think I mean Trump would be so interesting
868
00:39:37.210 --> 00:39:41.318
to take a photo of and like Elon Musk or like
869
00:39:41.318 --> 00:39:43.097
any of those people.
870
00:39:43.097 --> 00:39:45.168
Larger than life characters.
871
00:39:45.168 --> 00:39:47.079
Kinda like these yeah larger than life characters,
872
00:39:47.079 --> 00:39:48.967
you know ones could be controversial,
873
00:39:48.967 --> 00:39:53.550
the other one's you know breaking technological ground.
874
00:39:54.985 --> 00:39:59.612
So yeah I guess that would be something for me you know
875
00:39:59.612 --> 00:40:00.958
that'd be something I would be interested
876
00:40:00.958 --> 00:40:04.521
in taking a portrait of I think would be someone like that.
877
00:40:04.521 --> 00:40:06.972
Just to see what it's like.
878
00:40:06.972 --> 00:40:09.071
Because I haven't really done that before so.
879
00:40:09.071 --> 00:40:09.904
We're far reaching
880
00:40:09.904 --> 00:40:12.265
but maybe not to the Elon Musk realm so.
881
00:40:12.265 --> 00:40:13.236
(interviewer laughs)
882
00:40:13.236 --> 00:40:15.412
Yeah maybe not to his realm.
883
00:40:15.412 --> 00:40:16.647
Not quite yet.
Who knows, maybe.
884
00:40:16.647 --> 00:40:20.618
He could be looking at Living Memory right now who knows.
885
00:40:20.618 --> 00:40:23.010
He could be, he could be.
886
00:40:23.010 --> 00:40:24.811
All right so any do you have any shout outs
887
00:40:24.811 --> 00:40:28.728
or thank yous that you wanna get out to people?
888
00:40:32.343 --> 00:40:34.319
Oh probably just
889
00:40:34.319 --> 00:40:37.703
I think a big shout out probably just to
890
00:40:37.703 --> 00:40:39.838
I guess firstly to the people
891
00:40:39.838 --> 00:40:43.444
you know Aaron and Jade for being so open
892
00:40:43.444 --> 00:40:46.255
when we're out there to capture their story.
893
00:40:46.255 --> 00:40:50.759
And I guess to especially to sort of the team
894
00:40:50.759 --> 00:40:53.908
at The Canberra Times for letting me go out
895
00:40:53.908 --> 00:40:57.560
and being open for me to do the you know
896
00:40:57.560 --> 00:40:59.129
this type of assignment.
897
00:40:59.129 --> 00:40:59.962
Because.
898
00:41:01.148 --> 00:41:04.444
You know we had some more senior photographers
899
00:41:04.444 --> 00:41:05.857
and they were happy for me
900
00:41:05.857 --> 00:41:06.868
as one of the younger photographers
901
00:41:06.868 --> 00:41:10.443
to go out and to capture some of this breaking news.
902
00:41:10.443 --> 00:41:12.811
And I was really fortunate
903
00:41:12.811 --> 00:41:15.521
that they were open to letting me do that.
904
00:41:15.521 --> 00:41:17.943
Especially going out to one of these events
905
00:41:17.943 --> 00:41:21.943
like this for a first time can be very daunting.
906
00:41:24.484 --> 00:41:26.272
But I think mentally I was definitely very ready
907
00:41:26.272 --> 00:41:28.272
to do this type of work.
908
00:41:30.348 --> 00:41:34.944
So I would love to thank them for letting me do that
909
00:41:34.944 --> 00:41:37.929
and obviously mom and dad also, very very proud of me.
910
00:41:37.929 --> 00:41:41.041
So they definitely deserve a shout out
911
00:41:41.041 --> 00:41:43.561
and my family they're incredibly supportive.
912
00:41:43.561 --> 00:41:46.276
You know they're nonstop,
913
00:41:46.276 --> 00:41:48.272
you know my dad saw I took an interest in photography
914
00:41:48.272 --> 00:41:50.783
so he started you know going out of his way
915
00:41:50.783 --> 00:41:52.617
to you know help me out
916
00:41:52.617 --> 00:41:56.023
to be the one to buy my first sort of real camera I guess.
917
00:41:56.023 --> 00:41:59.055
And just to support me in that area.
918
00:41:59.055 --> 00:42:03.805
Even at times where there might've been some questionable
919
00:42:04.735 --> 00:42:08.244
you know times during university where oh
920
00:42:08.244 --> 00:42:10.923
you know you sort of question yourself and you doubt.
921
00:42:10.923 --> 00:42:11.756
Is this what I wanna do?
922
00:42:11.756 --> 00:42:14.506
Is this the direction I wanna go?
923
00:42:15.765 --> 00:42:17.700
But yeah I think
924
00:42:17.700 --> 00:42:21.913
they've been the ones the people that have pushed me
925
00:42:21.913 --> 00:42:24.080
and enabled me to do this.
926
00:42:25.886 --> 00:42:26.719
So yeah.
927
00:42:26.719 --> 00:42:27.677
Awesome.
That's who I thank.
928
00:42:27.677 --> 00:42:29.124
Perfect.
929
00:42:29.124 --> 00:42:31.043
So do you have any parting, that's nearly it,
930
00:42:31.043 --> 00:42:34.844
but do you have any beyond parting words of wisdom
931
00:42:34.844 --> 00:42:37.093
to finish the interview?
932
00:42:37.093 --> 00:42:38.265
It can be anything.
Parting words of wisdom.
933
00:42:38.265 --> 00:42:39.265
I think okay
934
00:42:42.225 --> 00:42:44.794
I reckon to give you some wisdom
935
00:42:44.794 --> 00:42:47.597
I think what has really helped
936
00:42:47.597 --> 00:42:49.658
as a photographer doing portraiture
937
00:42:49.658 --> 00:42:53.664
this is sort of a tip a tip a photography tip.
938
00:42:53.664 --> 00:42:54.497
And it's something I learnt
939
00:42:54.497 --> 00:42:57.792
from a portrait photographer Peter Hurley.
940
00:42:57.792 --> 00:43:00.709
He had this great tip where he said
941
00:43:02.202 --> 00:43:03.251
you know during a portrait session
942
00:43:03.251 --> 00:43:05.259
don't tell people to smile.
943
00:43:05.259 --> 00:43:08.402
It's like the forbidden S word.
944
00:43:08.402 --> 00:43:09.349
And I remember pretty early on
945
00:43:09.349 --> 00:43:11.939
I started to took that sort of roll on
946
00:43:11.939 --> 00:43:14.272
to not tell people to smile.
947
00:43:16.149 --> 00:43:17.612
And I can't tell you
948
00:43:17.612 --> 00:43:21.112
how impactful this very tiny rule has been
949
00:43:22.262 --> 00:43:24.996
I think for my photography.
950
00:43:24.996 --> 00:43:27.660
And just being a better conversationalist.
951
00:43:27.660 --> 00:43:30.226
Because as photographers,
952
00:43:30.226 --> 00:43:32.541
as much as you are a photographer
953
00:43:32.541 --> 00:43:36.528
you have to be someone who can create conversation,
954
00:43:36.528 --> 00:43:40.120
someone who can create relationships in very short notice,
955
00:43:40.120 --> 00:43:41.066
someone that can be relatable,
956
00:43:41.066 --> 00:43:46.066
someone who you know who can be warm and approachable
957
00:43:46.172 --> 00:43:47.258
is really important.
958
00:43:47.258 --> 00:43:49.008
And you know just the
959
00:43:50.213 --> 00:43:53.654
you know and people are so you know tuned in
960
00:43:53.654 --> 00:43:54.487
to the word smile.
961
00:43:54.487 --> 00:43:56.477
You know you're taking a photo of someone
962
00:43:56.477 --> 00:43:57.759
and they're like they're sitting there
963
00:43:57.759 --> 00:43:58.924
and they're saying you know should I smile,
964
00:43:58.924 --> 00:44:00.098
what should I do?
965
00:44:00.098 --> 00:44:02.356
And that's where you as the photographer
966
00:44:02.356 --> 00:44:05.474
could say okay yeah yes give me a big smile,
967
00:44:05.474 --> 00:44:06.539
that's all right.
968
00:44:06.539 --> 00:44:10.255
But instead of saying that you talk to them
969
00:44:10.255 --> 00:44:13.530
and you just talk about it could be anything
970
00:44:13.530 --> 00:44:16.581
from their children to you know a funny moment
971
00:44:16.581 --> 00:44:18.970
that you experienced.
972
00:44:18.970 --> 00:44:23.365
But being a conversationalist in those situations
973
00:44:23.365 --> 00:44:24.671
makes you a far better photographer
974
00:44:24.671 --> 00:44:27.142
because you sort of break down those barriers
975
00:44:27.142 --> 00:44:28.642
of the individual.
976
00:44:30.237 --> 00:44:33.925
And you can just have fun with it you know.
977
00:44:33.925 --> 00:44:38.028
You sort of the most successful photos I find that I have
978
00:44:38.028 --> 00:44:41.445
are ones where the person after the shoot
979
00:44:42.506 --> 00:44:44.524
you know I say "okay we're all done"
980
00:44:44.524 --> 00:44:48.393
and they say something along the lines
981
00:44:48.393 --> 00:44:50.346
of like "what do mean we're done?
982
00:44:50.346 --> 00:44:51.523
"Did you even take any photos?"
983
00:44:51.523 --> 00:44:53.429
Like they weren't even present
984
00:44:53.429 --> 00:44:57.532
or aware that you know I guess photos were happening.
985
00:44:57.532 --> 00:45:02.308
And I'm a big proponent of talking during a portrait shoot.
986
00:45:02.308 --> 00:45:05.468
And obviously if it's a more positive story
987
00:45:05.468 --> 00:45:06.871
I wanna keep that dialogue going.
988
00:45:06.871 --> 00:45:09.706
And you can find those sort of micro moments,
989
00:45:09.706 --> 00:45:13.276
micro expressions and that's why you wanna take those images
990
00:45:13.276 --> 00:45:15.562
where you get those unique sort of I guess
991
00:45:15.562 --> 00:45:18.470
unguarded moments as photographers would say.
992
00:45:18.470 --> 00:45:19.834
Where you have a genuine smile
993
00:45:19.834 --> 00:45:23.319
or a genuine emotion out of someone
994
00:45:23.319 --> 00:45:27.614
you know is really key to getting those strong portraits.
995
00:45:27.614 --> 00:45:30.255
And when it's those moments that are a bit more sombre
996
00:45:30.255 --> 00:45:31.908
maybe you don't need to talk as much.
997
00:45:31.908 --> 00:45:36.119
Or maybe they can reflect on their experiences
998
00:45:36.119 --> 00:45:39.094
that they've been going through and they can just talk.
999
00:45:39.094 --> 00:45:40.308
You don't even need to say a word,
1000
00:45:40.308 --> 00:45:42.705
you can just sit and listen.
1001
00:45:42.705 --> 00:45:47.538
So that's probably one of my golden nuggets of wisdom so.