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1. Who would your ideal person to shoot a portrait of be?
Bjork, I have always loved her collaborations with her photographers. Each session always says so much about her and the relationship she builds with each photographer. To work in such an intuitive and creative way with a woman as inspiring as that would be amazing.
2. What artist would you most like to collaborate with?
Funnily enough, It would be Bjork’s husband Matthew Barney. He would have to be one of the most visually stimulated contemporary artists alive. To collaborate with him would be an incredible experience.
3. What is the most magic part of looking at the world through a camera?
I have always thought film making would be an amazing way to view the world but there is something even more mysterious about being able to select and frame just a still tableau of the world in an instant. You can say so much in such a small amount of space, taking imagery out of the context of time and almost creating a 2D moment from what was actually 3D… it’s definitely a little bit magical!
4. What are the disadvantages and advantages of the digital era?
Gone are those lazy, and sometimes laborious, days and nights in the darkroom. I do miss the alchemy of the old fashioned process, from picking up developed film and finding surprises much later after the shoot, to watching an image develop before your eyes… Since embracing digital I work in a more instantaneous way now, mostly editing on the shoot day and collaborating more intensely with my creative teams. It is lovely that we can all monitor our work as we go, and there is still a bit of a surprise when a marvellous image pops up on screen.
5. Where do your ideas for photo shoots and advertisements stem from?
Inspiration usually comes from old movies, music, theatre, and of course looking through books and magazines of photography. I am particularly obsessed with youth and sub cultural movements… canons in thought and fashion from the past and present.
6. What other photographers have inspired you in your life and career?
I am always knocked out by the work of Diane Arbus, She lived a very interesting yet sad life. Her own withdrawn personality managed to extract something so mysterious and awkward out of each person she photographed. I can only imagine how terrifying yet intriguing it may have been for her to pursue her subjects…She was absolutely compelled to shoot. I also love Ellen Von Unwerth’s cheeky narratives and how her work is so unmistakeable whether it be a personal series, or a huge campaign. It was probably the work of Corrine Day that actually led me to feel as though fashion photography was an avenue I could pursue after working almost exclusively in Documentary photography. She managed to capture something very immediate and raw working with friends and models that I felt I could relate to at that time.
7. What other things in fashion and art inspire you?
I love reading art magazines and keeping an eye on what contemporary artists are doing, discovering old movies and music that was before my time or passed me by is always fun as well. The internet is an amazing reference tool as well, I can lose so many hours just jumping from one tangent to another finding new imagery and ideas. I love looking at fashion and photography blogs and reading everyone’s crazy ideas about the world.
8. What is your dream location?
My dream locations are so many and so varied! I am always on the lookout for incredible mad houses with lots of character; if I could build such a thing myself I would be in heaven. As far as places and spaces go I would love to do a shoot in the Kimberley, it looks like another planet, and transforms so much from dawn to dusk.
9. When you don’t have a camera in your hands what other things make you happy?
Being with family and friends, great food, babies, animals, sunshine … simple pleasures!
10. If you were given a pin board and asked to pin five of the greatest photos ever onto them what photos would they be?
‘Untitled 1983/84’ by Bill Henson – A haunting grainy portrait of a girl glancing sideways, this image inspired me to start taking pictures when I was 14. ‘A Flower Girl at a Wedding, Conn. 1964’ by Diane Arbus – The pretty little girl is standing in the most beautiful misty landscape with a look of such intensity and terror in her eyes, it is such an amazing study in contrasts! ‘Vale Street, 1975’ by Carol Jerrems an amazing Doco style portrait of a topless beautiful woman and her two male friends standing outside their house. It’s a really quiet and classical image but says a lot about 1970’s Australia. ‘Indian Summer 1990’ by Corrine Day - The iconic Face magazine cover of Kate Moss laughing in the Indian headdress, this image led to my obsessive collecting of Face magazines and a love of fashion photography. ‘Fireworks 2002’ by Ryan McGinley – This image of a laughing running girl layered with fireworks is an amazing joyous image and speaks of the recklessness of youth. I love how McGinley manages to make very contemporary yet nostalgic and timeless imagery.
Find out more about Liz- http://www.yenmag.net/ywya/finalists_profile.php?name_id=18
Interview by Rhiannon Bulley
