Brisbane fashion photographer, Shaelah Ariotti...

Gloss Posse Feature//

1. Shaelah, can you share with Gloss Posse who you are and what it is you do?

I'm currently a photographer focusing in the areas of fashion, beauty & portraiture, but at the end of this year I hope to also add visual communication designer, illustrator & artist to that list! 

2. What is it about fashion that you want to portray as a photographer? What makes your work unique? 

I aim to never shoot without narrative - my work always needs to have a story behind it or I am not satisfied. I want to make work that speaks to people. I aim to always approach clients and projects with the utmost integrity, regardless of whether it will lose me a job or money; I will not do anything ethically wrong, and I do my best to look after those I work with. 

What I am to achieve is to have enough influence - to be sufficiently well known - that I can use the medium of fashion to change paradigms, to change minds... for change of all kinds. The battle is one of the mind - the people behind the media are the ones that drive what we want, we think, we desire, we dislike.... I think fashion is really an untapped resource in that nobody really expects anything other than the superficial; so when fashion has something to say it really has great impact! 

3. Your photography is very artistic and really tells a story. How do you go about creating these stories and scenes? 

Well I always map out at the very least what I want to say/what the client wants to say, but more often we map out a specific story we want to tell. Sometimes it's as in depth as, 'There's this character who lives in this house and she does this,' and we find locations for each scene or we make up scenes for each location; sometimes it's as simple as, 'The character is this, this and this.' Having said that, I let the shoot evolve on the day to be what it will be. Rather than over directing my models, I prefer to let them/help them fall into character, really feel what's going on with who they are in that moment and adjust as necessary, which is I think why my work feels largely less forced and more natural. 

Also I did minors in Art photography and in nude/experimental/portrait photography while I was studying, which brings a slightly different perspective into my work. 

4. Who/what is inspiring you at the moment?

I am always inspired. To begin with, Georges Antoni (always,) Baldovino Barani, Steven Chee, Richard Bailey, Bec Parsons, Benny Horne, Greg Kadel... The list is endless, I could go into those inspiring me for illustration (to start with Kat MacLeod & Ortolan studio, Catherine Campbell) and design, specifically type but I'd be writing forever. Mostly I just link them down the side of my blog you'll see what I mean when you see how many are there.

I do think it's important to make sure that you find the balance between immersing yourself in the wealth of visual culture we have access to, but retaining your own voice and vision. And remember that whether we realise it or not, we all learn by imitation to some degree!

5. What advice would you give to women pursuing fashion photography as a career?

Be prepared to do a lot of work for free, but know when you can afford to do that no longer & stand your ground. Keep testing & doing free work throughout your career but be really selective about it. 

Be prepared for a long hard road to get to where you can function professionally and not be living on 2 minute noodles just to survive. Long days and sore eyes will be your constant companions. 

Remember that (this sounds corny but it's so true) that in taking the long road to get where you want to be, you learn things that people who take the short route just don't have the opportunity to learn, so you're actually more likely to last the distance!

Take every opportunity you get that will actually assist your career, don't do stuff that's just a waste of time. Get out there and make contacts; expose your work to as many people as possible - make a blog, get a website, use sites like carbon made, behance, deviantart, the loop... 

Remember why you do what you do, and LOVE it.

Thanks for sharing your experiences with Gloss Posse Shaelah! We look forward to seeing more of your work and keep us up to date with where your art work takes you. You can contact Shaelah by email, read her blog and see her website.

Checkout Shaelah's online portfolios at:

http://goldenhair.deviantart.com
www.theloop.com.au/shaelah_ariotti
www.shaelahariotti.carbonmade.com
www.behance.net/shaelahariotti

Arielle

Melbourne artist & photographer Hilary Sloane...

Gloss Posse Feature

   

 

1. I've noticed you work across a range of mediums - what is your preferred medium?

This is a tough question. I would say I'm most at ease with photography, but there's nothing quite like painting or drawing in that you can create something completely original that did not exist anywhere other than in your mind. Drawing doesn't have the restraints that photography does.

2. What concerns you most in an artwork or photograph: colour, composition or subject matter?

All of those elements are very important, but colour is something I particularly pay a lot of attention to. I tend to have an inclination to subdued, natural and organic colour palettes.

 

3. How important is art in your life, and what would you say you gain from it?
Art is everything to me. Absorbing others, attempting to create my own. But I confess I create art for mostly hedonistic reasons. There is nothing quite like the high from creating something from scratch and the feeling you get afterward when you gaze at it, surprised at what you can execute and the subsequent infinite possibilities thereafter.

4. a. Do you have to be in a certain mood or mindset to sit down and compose a painting?

Most definitely. Unfortunately most of the time I'm usually pretty lazy and deterred by the process of having to set everything up and clean up the mess afterwards. This is where having a studio or specific painting space - with no distractions, would make all the difference. Hopefully one day I can acquire such a thing. Then I will have no excuse!

b. Is there much preparation involved, or is it whatever spills from the pen or paintbrush?

Sometimes yes, sometimes no. If I have specific subject matter in mind, I will usually go to a bit of preparation such as sketches, drafts, then onto the final surface. I wasn't blessed with a photographic memory or natural drawing ability, so I may also need to source imagery to remind myself how something looks.

5. If you could exhibit anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

This will sound incredibly cliché - but it definitely has to be Paris. Because:

a. Paris is internationally and historically the hub of all the great artists - you can safely say you've made it if you have exhibited in Paris

b. To say I have exhibited in Paris

6. What do you hope will happen with your art / and what are your long term creative goals?

My long term creative goals are to expand my use of different mediums (perhaps give animation or film a go) and continue to build my skills. At the moment I guess I feel like a jack of all trades and a master of none. I am still locating my niche and finding what medium is truly for me.

Hopefully one day I will have a strong body of work that I can look back at and smile when I see what I have achieved. And that others have enjoyed seeing it too. And of course (hopefully) make enough money from it to have a roof over my head.

 

Thanks Hilary and we look forward to seeing more of your fantastic artwork and photography. Definitely keep Gloss updated with what you have been up to in the future.

Feel free to contact Hilary via email if you're interested in showcasing or purchasing her artwork.

Interview by Meg Bauer