Game changer

Finding my light

It’s been 10 years since I made the decision, I wanted to learn to do something really well and photography became my focus…actually, my obsession. I said to my husband, if I was young and free again, I would love to sign up for a week’s photography workshop in Puglia, Italy with photographer Carla Coulson. I had read her books and been so inspired by her photography journey, and she sparked a dream. My husband just said one word, “GO”. And so, I did. Of course, the minute I committed I was instantly terrified. I had never used my camera in Manual mode before. I felt I had to have it all perfected by the time I got to the workshop, so I watched countless YouTube videos, attempted to read the instruction manual and basically spent a lot of time stressing.
 
In hindsight it is easy to see that that week in Puglia was a major turning point in my whole life, not just my photographic life. But at the time, I sat in class each day feeling like a total imposter. Fortunately, I was surrounded by so much optimism, people hungry for knowledge and a desire to improve, and the most amazing teacher on the planet. Hands down, Carla runs the best workshops I’ve ever attended, and I attended a few after this one. I was inspired, motivated, and determined to keep going down this path.
 
One thing that I will always remember Carla saying was to give us permission to take time on the learning journey. It may take 10 years before you start reaping the rewards.
 
So I returned home from Italy and I just kept at it. I tried to take a small step each day. It might be taking photos, editing, posting on Instagram, going to an exhibition, watching a movie, or looking at a photography book. Most noticeably I was always watching the light. I have found that looking for the light doesn’t just improve my photography, but it meant I was always seeing beauty wherever I went. It lifted my mood, and it has been a great gift.
 
I am very grateful that I didn’t have to wait 10 years before reaping the rewards. I have been included in group exhibitions, selected in competitions, published in magazines, published a photography book, and sold hundreds of prints. Most of all I am proud that I have stuck with it.
 
Perhaps the biggest thing that changed for me has been my mindset. I have gone from total imposter syndrome to believing that photography is something I can do. I thought about selling prints for a long time and it is something that has become my reality, and gives me great joy. Everyone needs to start with an idea and then keep taking those steps to make it happen. To see more of my work follow the link.

One way to publish a photography book...

Aura, my first book, was published by Love Books in November 2023, and is entirely made in Australia. I had the idea to publish a photography book for a long time, but never quite knew how to go about it. I have always enjoyed the process of putting together personal photobooks when I travel, but I wanted to produce something that I could share with a wider audience. I’d look at all the books in bookshops and frequently thought to myself, if they can do it, so can I. In fact, it was a book by photographer Carla Coulson which first ignited my passion for photography so I knew the power of a book.

I have been taking photos of ocean pools for the past 7 years. I have thousands of photos. It always felt right that I should put a collection of them together in print. The pools are iconic structures along the Australian coastline where people come to swim and socialise. The are a focal point for many communities.

My first step was to go through the process of selecting images and printing a Blurb book just to see if I felt confident that there was potential to approach a publisher. I felt this would help develop my idea and make it easier for publishers to understand when I did my pitch. I was happy with the result but still was unsure how to pitch it to a publisher so that it would stand out from all the other submissions they receive.

Then one day Victoria Alexander, who I had initially met through Instagram, announced that she had set up a publishing company called Love Books. She wanted to offer something different to authors and I wanted a book that would stand out from the crowd. I have always loved Victoria’s own photography and felt that we had a similar aesthetic. We met and discussed my thoughts on a book. She asked a lot of questions, some of which I couldn’t answer, but I did get a message from her afterwards saying “your images are worthy” . I went away and worked on producing more images and thinking of the story which connected them. I had started my journey on a massive learning curve to publish a book.

Six months later I reconnected with Victoria at a presentation of her latest book, Home. We caught up for a chat and two hours later it was confirmed that she would be my publisher. After I left she made a call to Vince Frost, from Frost Collective, and by the time I got home he was on-board as my designer. I loved every minute of the design process and cried (happy tears) the first time Vince unveiled his options for the front cover. He understood where I was coming from and just elevated it beyond my dreams.

Given the subject matter was so Australian, and so am I, I felt a strong desire to have the book produced and printed in Australia. This was not the cheapest option but there were so many other benefits. I was able to meet face to face with the Printers (Peachy Print) and discuss any issues that arose; I could actually see the book being printed which was a thrill and check colours were accurate; and it saved on shipping and reduced anxiety of not knowing when it would arrive from overseas. Splitting Image prepared the photos for printing. Their work was essential for ensuring the high quality of the images when printing and calibrating the colours for the chosen paper. The fluro for the cover was screen printed by Horizon. Ball & Doggett provided valuable advice on paper stock.

While the financial side is a major consideration in the whole process, I have learnt that there are many ways to finance a book, outside of the more traditional publishing framework. I can confirm that having a financial interest in a books production definitely motivates you on many levels, and I believe that has a positive impact on the finished product.

Love Books brought together an amazing team who were so supportive throughout the process, and after.  Aura is the result of all their efforts. I have had so much wonderful feedback about the book since its release. Readers connect to the joyfulness, the reminder of childhood, the “Australianness” of the images. The also love the brightness of the graphics, the feel of the paper, and the size of the book.

People will tell you that you do not publish a book to make money. It’s true (with some exceptions), and I think that is unfortunate. I now look at a book and have a much greater understanding of all the effort, thought, energy, resources, time, passion and hope that has gone into each and every one of them. But if you enter the process wanting something more than money, you are likely to receive much greater rewards. I have the satisfaction of achieved a long term goal, in fact I have produced a book which exceeds the goal I had originally set. I enjoyed the process more than I ever could have imagined and I pushed myself way beyond my comfort zone on many levels. Was it all worth it? Definitely.

Aura is available on my website or in most good bookshops (always wanted to say that!).