Welcome to our Photography and Creative site
I first got interested in photography when my Dad gave me his old Zenith film camera when I was about 7yrs old. He taught me how to control the different settings and what their effects were, and then sent me off to practice in our garden. I ended up taking that camera apart, piece by piece, in order to fix a broken spring. I then put it back together. The amount of little bits and pieces, all working together to capture a memory, is something I found fascinating.
Fast forward about 20 years. I am now working in the film industry and my interest for all things visual prevails. Feeling a bit uneasy about the lack of consistent work or job security, I decided to purchase my own gear. The plan was to increase my chances of getting work in between film productions. I compared every camera I came across, read innumerable articles and reviews, and took up every opportunity I had to test one. Once I was satisfied, I made my decision and invested on some good equipment.
Almost as by coincidence then came the quiet months. I’d spent all this money on a top-of-the-line camera, lenses, tripod, cases, software… and all of a sudden I found myself feeling more than uneasy. I was now nervous because I had a big loan to repay and not enough funds coming in to keep me afloat.
One night I decided I’d go for a walk to clear my mind. I took my camera. I’ve always been a keen observer of the night sky, wether on the roof of our old house, walking around our ranch at night, or while camping. Knowing my camera was well rated in low-light situations, I thought this would be a good field test.
I drove out onto the peninsula and parked my car at the entrance to Shakespear Park. I made my way through the bush path and up this big hill in the middle of the night. Populated only by some sheep and looking out to the sea, the park has very little light pollution. I got to the summit, set up my tripod, and started shooting away. I was very excited by what I could see on my screen but I couldn’t tell for sure how good the images were until I got home some hours later and started reviewing them.
Experiencing these situations by oneself can be very comforting, exciting, and peaceful all at once. If you enjoy it enough, It’s probable you’ll want to share it with someone else.
I finished reviewing the images around 3 o’clock in the morning, and I was very happy. I wanted show my family and friends what an amazing show the night sky had put on for me, and I could.
That moment was the trigger that re-ignited an ever-growing fascination for photography. I’ve seen many beautiful pictures of the milky way over mountains or rock formations, but as amazing as they are, that’s not necessarily what I’m trying to do here.
So what is it I am trying to do?
Good question. Put simply, creatively use the relationship of light and lack thereof to showcase other, more subtle, subjects. I like how much you can hide inside a particular image when you shoot at night. It is a game for your viewers to find those easter eggs, and to notice new details every time they look back. There is nothing formulaic about this and the rules I apply on one may be conversely applied on the next. It is, however, not random.
Creativity and expression through composition is our currency, and for these purposes, we stole the night. You can have it back when we’re done with it.
I hope you enjoy watching as much as I enjoy making.
A.
