Hi Annie, tell us a little about yourself
HELLO. OK!
Let’s the start with your gear, what do you shoot on?
Canon 5d mark iii in an Aquatech housing for digital. Film I shoot on a Canon AE1.
Tell us about your love for the ocean.
I grew up in the city in Melbourne so ocean time was limited to holidays for me. But ever since I can remember, I was obsessed. Mum always told me she’d be dragging me out of the water after dark, time and time again. So when I was 13 and moved to Perth, sandwiched between the swan river and Sandies, that’s when it really all began.
Some of your images feature illustrations, where does the inspiration come from?
Lots of the time it’s just little things I scribble on a piece of paper. I’ve always loved painting but for a while there I never considered myself good at it. I’ve realised now that it doesn’t have to be anything detailed or polished, it can simply just be an expression of how I feel. So I started combining my images and drawings and turned them into a series that’s basically my interpretation of how it feels to by the ocean.
With the latest and greatest technology so readily available to almost everyone, what steps do you take to standout?
I guess I’m just trying to mix it up a bit and do something different.
What inspires you?
I’m inspired by happiness. Real, innocent happiness. Thats why I love shooting surf and all things that come along with the lifestyle. I see the ocean as a giant playground and for a hot second, everyone gets to be kids again. Being able to capture someone coming down the line, with a grin on their face and nothing else filling their brain except what is happening at that very second is simply unreal.
What do you love most about shooting film?
Shooting on film taught me how to take a photo. It was a frustrating, long and very expensive process but I think I got there haha. When I was 14 I would carry around a little piece of paper in my camera case with ‘what settings I should use in what light’ kinda thing. I guess what I love most about it is that there is no easy way out, no auto button (for me anyway). Every shot is thought about for a second longer as I pull the manual focus, it makes each one a little more special.
