Now the Rain Has Gone

What pieces or projects have you been working on lately?
I’ve done some close-up (almost abstract) work of pinball machines using extension tubes, some macro work of sea shell fragments — average of about 4mm in size and printed out really big. Amazing.

I also recently purchased a tilt-shift lens, which is extremely challenging (but equally rewarding). It’s currently in my digital workflow for instant feedback, but it will be on a film camera hopefully soon.

What did you learn (or unlearn) while working on them?
I often wish I could unlearn everything I know about photography. Definitely some of the best work I did was when I was 16 and didn’t know (or care) which rules I might be breaking. I remember being totally motivated just by instinct and exploration. What I wouldn’t give to go back to that frame of mind.

Using the tilt-shift has definitely been a technical learning experience, but far too boring to go into for such an occasion as this!

What words, ideas or emotions were going through your head?
The underlying idea for me when I shoot is “more than one thing at once”. I always want there to be layers of meaning or layers of composition in what I shoot. It doesn’t really matter whether the “more than one thing” is easily identified, as long as I notice it and then commit to the shot, and hope that the viewer becomes aware of it as well.

Were there any conversations, movies, music, or books that made their way into that work?
When I come up with an idea for a project or series, I have this really bad habit of initiating a big, long conversation with my wife about “what this project could become” — maybe a book, or an exhibition, or a short film. I build things up so much in my head that I become too scared to start, for fear that it might all fall over, instead of just getting out and taking the shots for their own sake.

With the pinball project, it almost didn’t happen (and it’s still far from done) because, in my head, it needed to be a big coffee table book project with interviews and writing and photos and history, and it would have cost a lot of time and money to even get started. It was so huge and daunting that I sat on it for two years without taking a shot, all the while worrying that someone else would stumble upon the idea and beat me to it — total madness.

What's been the most difficult thing you've faced recently in your creative process?
I’m right in the process of trying to disentangle my creative output from the expectations of social media. I’ve been on Instagram since 2009 and that set of expectations has unfortunately become very much a part of the “why am I doing this?” question — especially with my return to film photography in 2016.

So the real challenge I’ve faced lately is in reminding myself that I’m doing this for myself, that I’m not doing this to create “content” and the goal is not “likes and shares”, and that it’s OK if there is no goal beyond just taking the photo.

What is your favorite restaurant and what do you recommend we order?
In Brisbane, where I’m from, you can’t go past Walter’s Steakhouse. We have hundreds of steak places in the city and some of the best food in the world, but there’s only one Walter’s.

You’d be having the broiled porterhouse (medium-rare) with Hot English mustard, a side of fries and the Caesar Salad. Sometimes simple is best.

If your life were a movie this month, what would it be called and who would write the soundtrack?
After some really positive developments in my personal life, the movie would be called something like I Can See Clearly (Now the Rain Has Gone), but to counteract any overt optimism, the soundtrack would be done by Nine Inch Nails.

Recommend one or more artists you follow who inspire you, and tell us what you like most about their work or their way of working.
As an art kid, I always loved the work of Caravaggio (for the lighting AND the drama). But I often go back to the first wave of the Photorealist movement, especially Robert Cottingham and Richard Estes. While they are remembered as great painters, it’s sometimes overlooked that their paintings are based on their own great photography. On the surface, their work is quite banal and pedestrian, but the eye for detail in composition and colour — and humor is quite compelling.

In terms of the artistic life, I am still amazed by Vivian Maier— her work is just breathtaking and all done within a total artistic vacuum. No intent or imperative beyond just the work. That’s what I strive for.

Recently I’ve also been enjoying the work of Michael Szpot. So great! You look at his work, and you don’t know whether to set your camera on fire, or DM him for some lessons!