The Star: August 03, 2017

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20 Thursday August 3 2017 Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi Our People The Star Sarah Webber Family photographer explores Christchurch photographer Sarah Webber made world headlines with her photo-shopped images of orca, dolphins and the Loch Ness monster frolicking in a flooded Heathcote River. She talks to Sarla Donovan What was it like to have your photographs go all around the world? It’s incredible. I never imagined that I’d even get a response from the Beckenham community Facebook page. So to have all these people contact me – it was quite surreal. I don’t know how I felt – overwhelmed. How did it come about? I photograph everything – if it’s raining, if it’s flooding, if it’s snowing, I’ll be out there with my camera. When I came home and looked at my photos, I thought they were boring so, just for fun, I put the Loch Ness monster in one of them and posted it to the Beckenham neighbourhood Facebook page. They all just started laughing, and liking, and commenting, and requesting more, more, more. They wanted whales and dolphins so I so did it, purely just to make them smile and laugh. And I was rushing through them, too, it’s not even good photo-shopping, I’m just quickly getting them out. It was just all a bit of fun. Were you surprised that some people thought they were real? Yes, very surprised. I barely took 5min on each photo. If I’d known they were going to go worldwide, I would have taken more time. The BBC did a story on them and the Fox Live Morning Show in Denver, Colorado, did a piece on it and showed my images, so that was VIRAL PICS: Sarah Webber hit world headlines after her photo-shopped images of orcas, elephants, bears and dolphins in the flooded Heathcote River went viral on social media. PHOTO: MARTIN HUNTER pretty amazing. How long have you been a photographer? I started getting into photography when my eldest daughter was born in 2010 and then turned professional around 2013. I’d always wanted to do photography at high school (Avonside Girls’ High) but I didn’t want to do seventh form art. I didn’t pursue a degree or qualification because I just wanted to do photography. So that turned me towards other things. What did you do instead? After high school, I went to teachers college and did a degree in primary school teaching and learning. After some relief teaching, I moved to Brisbane and worked in early childhood over there. I was young, wanted warmer weather and just to do something before I settled down. We were there for four years, then I came home with my partner, now my husband, and started a family. And, of course, with a newborn baby, you just want to take photos of them every second of the day. It was about that time I got a decent SLR camera and I just self-taught from there. I didn’t go to any schools, just practice, practice, practice every day. A friend suggested I take it professional, so I did. With my teaching and childcare background, I got along with children and babies so that’s naturally where I started: Photographing babies, children, families and I just love it. Not so much the studio stuff, I love meeting families in their homes, in the gardens or at the beach. My real passion is the storytelling, the journalistic type of image. People in show business say never work with children or animals . . . you do both. What’s the secret? Haha, I consider myself to be a big kid really. And, with the teaching background, I find it easy to quickly build a rapport with children. I get down at their level and just play before I even start a session. As for the animals, well most of them are just so cute who wouldn’t want to work with them. Have you ever had a total nightmare on a photoshoot? I haven’t had any nightmare shoots yet. The worst it’s been would be when a ‘cake smash’ session gets out of control, you know, a crying toddler running onto my carpet with bright pink icing all over their body. Luckily, I don’t offer cake smash sessions anymore. What other hobbies/interests do you have? Spending time with my family is a high priority for me. We like to get out and about and explore new parks and beaches, usually with our golden retriever, Perry, in tow. Perry had a field day digging huge muddy holes all over our yard during the floods unfortunately. He wasn’t popular, though it did provide some funny photo opportunities ORCA: A killer whale leaps through the Heathcote River. PHOTOS: SARAH WEBBER PHOTOGRAPHY for me. I also have to admit that I do enjoy a good sauvignon blanc in the evenings after a long day. Drinking wine can be a hobby right? Are the rest of your family still here in Christchurch? Yes, I am very lucky to have all of my family on both sides living here in Christchurch. Mum and Dad have always been keen photographers so I guess that may have been where my passion for photography stemmed from. Mum takes gorgeous wildlife shots wherever she travels, and lives adjacent to a reserve packed with oodles of native flora and fauna. Where do you head away for family holidays? Family holidays don’t come too often with work commitments. However, we do love a good beach getaway. Our favourite local spot is Okains Bay, which is an old childhood regular. We love the Coromandel and the warmth that the North Island provides, but my ultimate holiday is somewhere tropical with cocktails and nothing much to do other than swim and lounge in the sun. Taster of some gorgeous looks we can help you create Pop in store today Late Night every Thursday - Open until 6.30pm Saturdays 9am to 3pm 55 Nottingham Avenue, Halswell. Phone: 322 6126
The Star Latest Christchurch news at www.star.kiwi Thursday August 3 2017 21 the surreal How did you and your husband meet? We met here in Christchurch, quite embarrassingly at a bar. He was doing part-time bar work while studying and I was a teachers college student. Sam’s now a network engineer. How long have you been in your current house? We’ve been here for nearly two years now. When we were looking at this particular house we fell in love with the area but, ultimately, what sold it to us was the gorgeous, large, established backyard. Perfect for the kids and photo opportunities of course. We have no plans to move any time soon. How did you manage during the quakes, was it quite disruptive? The quakes were an awful and an unsettled time for everyone in Christchurch. Our ‘then home’ was right next to the forests and beach and was actually the ultimate portrait photographers back yard. However, there was much devastation to the area, including our street, so we decided to move on. Luckily to another photographers dream area – Beckenham – with hills, rivers and reserves. I am primarily an ‘on location’ photographer so I didn’t have to worry about a damaged studio. However, the recent floods flooded our garage where I store my studio equipment –backdrops, lights and flooring for when I do any commercial work or mini studio sessions – so that aspect of my work might have to be put on hold for a little while. Has this experience sparked any new ideas for you – any new projects or plans? I’ve half-jokingly thought about doing those fantasy scenes where there’ll be an elephant and the child is superimposed on the back of the elephant so it looks like it’s going on a safari. I’m not really serious, it’s not personally something I’d add to my portfolio – but if the demand was there. And I’m just going to carry on doing my family portraits. I’ve been selling digitals only but I’ve been wanting to offer heirloom products like albums and folio boxes, so that’s next on the agenda. If you want to win a double movie pass – get clicking. Each week The Star will give away a double movie pass to the best photo sent in by a reader. Send your photos to martin.hunter@starmedia.kiwi. Put ‘photo competition’ in the subject line and include your name, address and phone number REFLECTION: Mel Coira, Beckenham WINNER: Julia Egan, Strowan. MYTHICAL: A stampeding elephant moves through the muddy waters near the Heathcote River. COVE: Allan Macala, Linwood. LEAN: Dao Trieu, Redwood. No Need for a loNg flight to tokyo or PariS Simply see us for delicious Japanese & European breads, pastries, cakes, filled donuts, gourmet sandwiches and Kiwi Style Meat pies. Plus Melon-pan (Cookie Bun) Curry-pan (Curry Puff) Shu Cream (Japanese Cream Puff) and some of the best coffee in town. South City Shopping Mall (Next the The Warehouse) Monday-Saturday 9am-6pm Sunday 10am-5pm Phone 03-943-4066 All Sewing Needs Tailoring for 40 years Alterations, repairs & garment makeovers. All fabric including leather wear. Made to order. All enquiries welcome 474 Barrington St Corner Lincoln Road (near Z Station) Phone: 339 2464 www.streetwize.co.nz Vortex Flush T025 Now $399 T008 Now $289 NEW shoWroom 13b Parkhouse rd, Christchurch All Plywood Vanity range 20% off Open 7 Days Mon-Fri 9am - 5.30pm | Sat 9.30am - 4pm | Sun 10am-3pm 0800 MILLEN | www.millen.co.nz | 03 348 8678
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