NZPhotographer Issue 27, January 2020

Interview with Lynn Fothergill
of Serendipity Photography
Photo by Ruth Beale
LYNN, LET US KNOW A BIT ABOUT YOU!
I have worked in education my entire working life, and
have been Deputy Principal at a primary school in
Manurewa since moving to Auckland from the Bay of
Plenty in 2006. I love my role mainly because no day
is ever the same, and I get to be around kids. My goal
is to have a positive impact on their lives, however
small that may be. I live with my two Cavalier King
Charles Spaniel fur-babies Reilly and Halo, the most
photographed dogs in South Auckland!
WHEN DID YOU BECOME INTERESTED IN
PHOTOGRAPHY AND WHERE HAS THAT
JOURNEY LED YOU?
I have always had a keen interest in photography,
but my journey began in earnest about ten years ago
when I purchased my first DSLR. I am a voracious
learner, and with photography this was no different; I
enrolled in a night school course to learn how to drive
it, continuing my learning through trial and error and
YouTube clips in the early days. The greatest learning
however, which has continued over time, has come
from being a member of my local camera club,
Manukau Photographic Society, entering images, and
listening to the judges’ critiques of my own and others’
images, and forming my own opinions about what
works and what does not.
One judge encouraged me to enter my photo of
three monkeys in Bali into external competitions, and it
immediately won a round of Canon Online in 2013.
That was such a confidence booster, and since then I
have continued to push myself to enter competitions,
with most successes coming from candid portraits
- mainly children - and street/travel work.
To be honest, I never think my photography is good
enough! I am hypercritical of my work and am often
surprised when other people appreciate it.
I am a bit of a recidivist studier (see learning above!)
and in 2017, after gaining my post grad and Masters
of Education, I decided to do some study for myself,
and spent the next two years working towards my
Diploma of Digital Photography through the Southern
Institute of Technology, graduating in 2018. I also was
awarded my Licentiate with the PSNZ in 2017.
Earlier this year I decided to establish a small
boutique business in response to frequent requests to
photograph kids and families. It’s a bit of a juggle with
full time work, and definitely still a work in progress!
WHY IS PHOTOGRAPHY IMPORTANT TO YOU?
It spreads joy! Making photos makes me happy and
sharing them makes others happy! In particular, I get
immense pleasure from sharing with parents, photos of
their kids.
For me, photography provides not only a creative
outlet, but balance to my busy day-job life. I can get
lost at my local ponds for a couple of hours chasing the
perfect spoonbill shot, or following tui at the Botanic
Gardens. A typical way to unwind after work for me
is editing a photo or two (let’s face it, we are never
caught up on the editing!) I have also met some great
friends through photography, and it’s lead me to travel
to places I may not have otherwise ventured.
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NZPhotographer