dn photography (website)

What got you into photography?

It was quite random, I borrowed my dads school camera, and took it down to take some photos at my cricket match, I got really into it from then. I was finding it hard to get a permanent job in Events Management (what I studied prior) so I decided to study photography & journalism at ECU.

And how did you afford the first camera? I mean those things are so expensive, I’m always curious to know if you had to front the cash of your own and take a big risk if you didn’t like it!

Yeh they are pretty expensive, a tax return bought my first camera, I then down the track, sold it and saved some cash up and bought a new one, the one I haven’t at the moment, it’s a beauty. The most expensive part about photography is the lenses though, they burn a hole in the pocket.

What have you been working on recently?

I just completed my first wedding last weekend, that was a great experience and a hard one, I have a few more booked over the next few months. Im just building my portfolio at the moment, doing a lot of fashion shoots and working with Rock-A-Frock, an online boutique.

Is it competitive finding work in the photography industry?

Hype and false economy. Everyone is doing it (blogging, photography, graphic design) but quality isn’t there most the time. Do it yourself culture has been so permeated that pro’s will find it difficult to find clients who are willing to fork out big bucks for quality work”. I don’t class myself a fulltime professional, as yet. But I still think I give a good service and quality work, You have a lot of semi-professionals who charge ridiculously cheap prices, and in times like now, customers want cheap, but don’t always get quality.

And other than being talented, how do you make sure you stand out?

I have a website (www.dnphotography.com.au) I have a facebook group and a blog. I guess its hard to stand out in a creative field, especially being young in a predominantly older field. But hopefully in years to come, I will stand out for my work I have done.

A couple of shots under the ‘dn photography’ section on your site are black and white except for the main focus of the picture. If you took away the ability to use Photoshop, how much would it impact on your creativity?

Yeh it would impact a bit, but for a photo to be successful, it has to be done correctly behind the viewfinder, interesting and catch the viewers attention. Photoshop is a great piece of software, but isn’t the be all & end all in photography, there are many great photographs before Photoshop. I think without photoshop, it would make me strive to make the picture better without post production.

And for someone like me who doesn’t know anything about photography, is Photoshop making a hard job easier, so less talented people can do it well?

I’m no expert in photoshop, and im learning new things everyday, but as I said earlier, a photo has to be perfected behind the camera before you can make adjustments on a computer. Everyone can take a good photo, and most people know the minimal needs of Photoshop, so I guess it is becoming easier to take photos & edit them. When I take photos, especially fashion, I spend anywhere from 1-4 hours on an individual photo.

To end, four related questions…

What’s the best shoot you’ve done?

In terms of outcome, the shoot I just completed recently with Sheridan Savage, was some of the best work I have produced

What’s the worst shoot you’ve done?

My first portrait shoot I had with a family, we arrived at Hyde Park, and it wasn’t the best weather, I got all set up and my camera would just not work, we had to reschedule for the week after, quite embarrassing, especially when I got home & it was something so minor.

What’s the most enjoyable part of any job?

You have to love what you do, I am always thinking of new things to take photos of, new ideas, writing them down and just taking random photos of anything & everything. If you don’t love your job, then you will be miserable. You gotta do it for the love, not for the money.

And what’s the worst part of any job?

In terms of photography, I guess the long hours in front of a computer screen, is the worst part of this job. But besides that, I
enjoy everything I do when im holding a camera, its fun and captures moments, people cherish forever.

Thanks for doing the interview and we’ll keep an eye on your site for more great photos!