NZPhotographer Issue 23, September 2019

WHAT CHALLENGES HAVE YOU OVERCOME
IN PHOTOGRAPHY AND HOW DID YOU DO
THAT?
I came from an amateur background with a foundation
study in photography and jumped straight into a fulltime
photography job where I was asked to take photos
of anything and everything at publication quality using
unfamiliar equipment. I didn’t sign up for a 365 project but
I most certainly did take photos every single day, learning
the equipment and techniques as I went.
I used online workshops and YouTube tutorials,
joined the Photographic Society of New Zealand
and went to my first photography convention,
joined a local camera club where I received image
critique, and practised, practised, practised.
A lot of my work involves taking portraits but I had
no experience in portraiture, so I put up a sign on
a notice board asking for students to model for
me in exchange for photos. Often they had never
modelled before and we learnt together from the
experience.
HOW DO YOU PUSH YOURSELF TO IMPROVE
AND WHAT DO YOU DO TO GET OUT OF A
CREATIVE SLUMP?
When I first started taking photos, I was of the firm
belief that post-processing was not necessary if you
got everything right in camera – I even thought it
was cheating!
I was introduced to editing during my photography
evening courses. The idea of using a complicated
software scared me but I was intrigued by the
creative possibilities, so I took an online course
thinking nothing much would come from it. Some
years on, I am now an Adobe certified expert in
Photoshop. My happy place is sat at my desktop
with a cuppa, listening to music and editing
images.
HOW HAVE YOU BENEFITED FROM BEING
PART OF LESLEY WHYTE’S WOMEN IN
PHOTOGRAPHY, WHY IS BEING PART OF AN
ALL-FEMALE GROUP IMPORTANT TO YOU?
There is an under representation of women in
photography, especially at a professional level.
Lesley is doing her part to encourage women
photographers and it’s important to me to be able
to support that by being a member of her group. It
also offers many opportunities, including attending
talks by female photographers who you would be
unlikely to otherwise meet. For instance, I attended
a recent talk by Marina de Wit who I had previously
read about in a British photography magazine and
had been inspired by her work – I had no idea she
was living in Auckland! I’m so pleased to have had
the chance to connect with her.
WHAT DO YOU THINK THE ADVANTAGES ARE
OF BEING A FEMALE PHOTOGRAPHER?
I think it’s easier to approach female models and
connect with them plus female models can feel
more at ease during a shoot.
ANYTHING ELSE YOU’D LIKE TO ADD?
I’m open to collaboration and am always on the
lookout to challenge myself. I am available for
Photoshop tutoring/workshops too.
WHERE CAN WE FIND YOU ONLINE?
albums.excio.io/profile/cejphoto
www.instagram.com/cej.photo
www.facebook.com/cej.pp
PROUDLY BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
I don’t get in creative slumps but I do get very
downhearted when my images don’t do well in
competitions. I’m so grateful to the people I have
in my life who help remind me that if what I’m
creating makes me happy, then that’s really all that
matters.
36 NZPhotographer