What keeps you motivated, creatively?

I’m currently saving to go overseas, so as we speak I am sitting in a fluorescent lit cubicle, so that helps, in some sort of back to front way!

Otherwise other photography inspires me, both good and bad – the good gives me something to aspire to and the bad motivates me and reassures me of my knowledge and skills.

What does your typical day entail?

At the moment I’m saving to go overseas, which means working full time, so I’m not shooting as much as I’d like to be. I’m entering lots of competitions and grants and shooting on the side. When I get back from overseas hopefully this will change, and it will be busy assisting, showing my folio to agencies and getting paid to shoot.

Did you go to art school/study arts?

I went to RMIT and studied a Bachelor of Photography, majoring in the commercial stream.

What difficulties did you face upon graduation?

It’s been tough coming to terms with wanting to immediately pursue a career in photography, but having the need for an instant reliable income.

Unfortunately nothing happens overnight, and if you want to make a living from the arts there are so many avenues you can take, you have to work out what you want and work backwards on how you’ll get there.

Did you ever consider dropping out?

It crossed my mind a couple of times, it’s a pretty full on course that requires a lot of time and dedication. When you’re constantly thinking about something it’s easy to get stuck and wonder whether your work’s any good, or where you’ll find the next idea, and some advice that many of us were told was ‘to shoot your way out of it’ and usually it worked.

*And finally, what is your advice to young students/graduates who are
anxious about their future in the arts?*

Do lots of visual research, read books, magazines, look at websites, watch films and make the most of uni facilities/gear and experiment as much as possible - it becomes a lot more expensive once you leave.

Go for it, it’s going to be tough and it may take time to get where you want, but persist. Show your book to photographers that you admire and respect, approach agencies and get as much feedback as possible. Enter competitions and apply for grants and always make sure you are shooting personal work on the side.

If you’re passionate and dedicated it’ll happen and boy will it’ll be worth it when you’re there (I hope!).