Melbourne, Australia
What or who led you to
photography?
My
father - before he had my siblings and me, he undertook some photography
classes and would use my mum as his 'model' for his portraiture projects. It
was only when I started high school that I found some boxes filled with slides
and negatives from these shoots: photographs of my mother, the various
parks/streets in the area they lived in, etc. ... It made me sad to think what
could have happened had he pursued being a photographer. It’s a shame, because
I feel like he sort of had to give up on it once he started a family. In a
strange way, I want to keep his passion alive through my own photography.
With that said, I had always liked taking photos as a kid (with a electronic
compact camera) but it reached a point where I was annoyed with having prints
with the date burnt onto the image. So I asked my dad to teach me how to use
his Nikon EM SLR and I haven't looked back since. It was a combination of both that
cultivated my love for photography to this day: my dad’s influence and my love
for making artwork or film posters on Photoshop during high school.
A lot of your pictures were
taken on trips with friends. Does your photographic work simultaneously
function as a way to document these?
Nostalgia
- for better or worse - is one of the driving influences in my life and I feel
taking photographs has been an effective way for me to not only document what’s
going on in my life, but also to relive these moments in a strange way. I’ve
always felt more comfortable shooting when I was out and about and not
restricted to a confined space such as a studio. Cartier-Bresson’s concept of
the ‘decisive moment’ is something I’ve always strived to achieve in my work
and it’s the reason why I’ve always felt best when I was taking shots of my
friends with gorgeous scenery as the backdrop.
What are your trips about?
To be
honest, had you asked me this a few months back I wouldn’t have a clue on how
to answer this question. This might come as a shock to those who know how much
time I spend at a computer, but I’ve always enjoyed being outdoors and always
liked going on road trips to check out nice parks and what not. It was only when
we started going camping and more people started coming along that I realised
what a great way it was to reconnect with old friends and to do something
different from the messy drink-ups we usually have. Many of us had this feeling
that 2012 would be a big year and it truly amazes me how much I've experienced
and accomplished within the time-span of 9 months. Camping with friends, seeing
new sights - it's really about making new memories to cherish in the future, I
believe.
So nature is a big theme in
your work. What fascinates you about the outdoors?
I like
to think it's a combination of both elements that are everlasting and ephemeral
at the same time. There's a sense of wonder when you travel through a forest
with trees that are over 1000 years old, you begin to realise how much our
lives can be minuscule compared to what nature has gone through over all those
years. There's a Japanese term called 'mono no aware' which basically
describes an awareness of all things impermanent and a gentle sadness at their
passing. The changing colours of the autumn leaves, the beauty in seeing
the cherry blossoms in bloom before they disappear - it's the beauty in knowing
that not everything lasts forever. It's something that profoundly changed
the way I saw the world and what feeds into my own photographic works, as well.
Furthermore, one of the things I look forward to on our trips is seeing
the sun rise during the morning; sitting on top of a cliff with a cup of tea, music
playing in the background - depending on how excited we are - and just seeing
the colours of the sky change as the scenery around us becomes illuminated by
the sun. Words simply cannot describe the whole experience. Simple experiences
like watching the sun rise is something not many people get to experience or
truly appreciate, although it's an event that occurs everyday. Clichéd as it
may sound, sometimes you have to leave the comfort of your own home to truly
appreciate the beauty that surrounds us.
If you were to name a muse
or particular source of inspiration, who or what would it be?
In
terms of a muse(s), I’d say my friends. We're all camwhores at heart, well most
of us anyway, and it's a laugh when you see some people subconsciously start
posing when they know a camera is around. It definitely applies to my mate Neil
who has got to be one of the most photogenic guys I know, yet he also happens
to be one of the most funniest and clueless guys at the same time. Generally I
also like taking photos of my home life; my little brother used to be my model
when he was a kid, but nowadays it's either my mum or the kids she babysits.
Children in general are great photographic subjects; have a browse through
Instagram and you'll see that some of the most heartfelt images are the ones that
mother's have taken of their kids. Still, some of my favourite photographers
tend to have girlfriends as their muses and I feel sometimes these intimate
connections you have with others can result in some of the most emotive and
beautiful photographs. Maybe one day that'll apply for me, too, I'm hopeful!
Do you make music playlists
for your road trips? If so, who did you listen to on your latest adventure
I take
pride in creating playlists for the road trips we go on, because let’s face it,
driving can be a bore, so it’s good to have something to pump you up. One of
the greatest joys I’ve experienced is seeing the excitement when my friends
hear a song they haven’t heard in years and hearing the memories associated
with it. The music we listened to growing up plays a great deal in shaping who
we are and I can’t thank my parents enough for raising me on good old 80’s
classics during my younger years.
In terms of the last ‘planned’ road
trip, which was our stargazing trip down the Great Ocean Road, my friend made a
mix which had a combination of hip-hop, dance and 80’s power ballads. One songs
that I hadn’t heard in a long time was Leo Sayer’s ‘More Than I Can Say’ which
was a karaoke favourite of ours back when we were kids. But besides my mixes, I
usually just tune into Smooth FM 91.5, which has got to be one of the best
radio stations in Australia. Generally it plays everything that would appear on
the Raye's Outdoors Mix (which I'm currently working on). There’s nothing
better than singing along to cheesy love songs with your mate(s) whilst cruising
around late at night!
What do you enjoy most about
camping? Are there any downsides?
For
one, I think that the feeling of being disconnected from technology and being
able to reconnect with nature is something I feel very strongly about. A few
days in the wilderness and I feel great not surfing on the Internet, but then
again, if my Internet gets cut off for a day then I go crazy. It’s kind of sad
when you realise how dependent we are on technology. I believe that you sometimes have to escape it all in
order to really appreciate the finer things in life.
With that being said, there are many
downsides when it comes to camping. Sleeping on rocky ground has got to be the
worst, even if you have a mat underneath. The weather in Melbourne is pretty
ridiculous, so camping in the rain was not exactly the most pleasant of
experiences. Running out of water, overpriced groceries, the list goes on! But
the way I like to look at it is simple: it’s all a story to tell regardless of
whether it’s good or bad. Because sometimes the epic fails we experience during
our trips are some of the funniest stories to share with others afterwards.
You live in Melbourne. What
would you advice a visitor staying one day to see in the city?
First
off, avoid all touristy areas: Melbourne Central, Federation Square, etc. to
name a few. Explore the alleyways and backstreets. Melbourne is renowned for
having some great restaurants and stores but you have to go out and really look
for these places. My checklist: have a picnic at Carlton Gardens, buy a few
magazines from Magnation and have some 'after work' drinks at some fancy
bar/restaurant. And this is just the CBD, there are so many other awesome
places to check out in suburbs such as Brunswick, South Yarra and Yarraville, as
well.
Where do you see yourself in
5 years?
Hopefully
I’ll be doing something productive with my life! Honestly, I would like to see
myself growing as a photographer and maybe working in the print industry. To be
featured on Kinfolk magazine is a dream of mine, too.
Take a chance, make a trip, don't forget your camera. Take a look at his work!
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