Table of contents for July-August 2018 in Capture

It’s a question that every photographer asks themselves at one stage or another in their career, and, typically, more often at the outset: Should I work for free? Sadly, the situation is such that clients (although are they technically clients?), think that it’s somehow OK, and even normal, to both ask, and expect photographers to produce new work for zero fee. It’s quite absurd really. Often it’s with the promise of future work or some magical exposure. Don’t get me wrong, there are numerous reasons why photographers do work for free, and gladly. If you are ever shooting for free, you need to ensure that it’s done on your terms as well, and not simply something dictated entirely by the client. In our feature on page 36, we confront the…

It’s one thing to know how to work with natural light, but those who have truly mastered the craft are also experts with flash – in studio and location. For this feature, we look at work by leading photographers to gain insights into how they go about lighting their images and what lighting solutions they rely on. We also explore how photographers’ experimentation with light not only separates them from the norm, but pushes boundaries through merging art and photography. Gregory Heisler With over 70 TIME covers under his belt, portrait specialist Gregory Heisler is no stranger to innovation and artistry. Renowned for his evocative images of politicians, actors, and sporting stars, the award-winning photographer and educator (he was recently appointed Distinguished Professor at the Newhouse School, Syracuse University, in…

It’s about looking at the world and making unexpected connections…Erik Johansson Where does creativity come from? In his well-known TED talk on education and creativity, Sir Ken Robinson proclaimed that “we don’t grow into creativity, we grow out of it”. Indeed, science reveals that children are highly creative, but often lose this ability over time. Is Robinson right? Are we educated out of creativity? Swedish-born surrealist photographer, Erik Johansson believes his creativity has always been there. “To keep creativity, we have to try to remain playful and curious … It’s about looking at the world and making unexpected connections … about creating by combining things,” he says. For him, it’s a matter of quite radical self-responsibility. “It’s not so much about the environment you’re in, it’s about what you do…

Australia seems to have some kind of gift producing brilliant photographers from small communities. From the blue-collar suburbs of Newcastle came the messiah himself, Trent Parke, from the banana capital and [then] sleepy, coastal town of Coffs Harbour came whiz kid, Adam Ferguson, and from somewhere in outback Queensland, the late Warren Clarke. No exception to this pattern is Daniel Berehulak. Hailing from a hobby farm in Camden, west of Sydney, the 43-year-old has cleaned up in recent years with an impressive number of Pulitzer Prizes and World Press Photo awards for his coverage of the Pakistan floods, the Japan tsunami, Ebola, and violence in the Philippines. But Berehulak’s road to success was just as rocky as the next photographer’s. Following the death of his sister early in his career,…

Why would you work for free? It’s very common to be urged to work for free “for the exposure”. There are two parts to this. There’s goodwill – exposure within a business. I have a very long-term client who has asked me twice in a decade to do a major job for free “as a favour”. She pays me exceptionally well, tells people far and wide how great I am, refers me to people who need writers, and we put up with each other – no one is always wonderful to work with. Being asked sent a prickle up my spine both times, but I was more or less happy to oblige. She had earned it, and I knew she would “pay me back”. If she was client who didn’t…

See Australians by Paul Blackmore, The Fox Darkroom & Gallery, Kensington, VIC, until 8 July. This exhibition expands on Blackmore’s acclaimed work, Australians: Responses to the Land, which was published in 1999. It looked at how the tough Australian environment animates and influences Australian culture. The more recent works revisit the themes of the landscape and belonging, but focus mainly on the Australian coast, and a dynamic culture laid bare amidst the waters and beaches of the east coast, beneath an ever-hotter sun. www.thefoxdarkroom.com.au Exposed: Human Rights & The Environment by Glenn Lockitch, ACP Project Space Gallery, Paddington, NSW, until 14 July. Covering twenty five years of one of Australia’s leading photojournalists, Exposed examines the role of photojournalism in shifting the consciousness of contemporary, globalised society. Showcasing key historical events,…