A couple of years ago I met Nicole Boenig McGrade in Paris for a coffee. I love meeting other photographers especially women ,to hear their stories and passion for photography and how they make it happen. Nicole had just done a portrait shoot at the Ritz hotel and we pored over her gorgeous contact sheets. I have long been a fan of her images, strong black and whites with wonderful composition and subjects. Nicole will be showing Picturing People next month in Western Australia and to check out more of her work go to http://www.nicoleboenigmcgrade.com/ and her blog fotocaffe. Here's a little of Nicole's story. Hope you enjoy it. Carla xHow long have you been a photographer? And what kind of photography do you prefer? I've always enjoyed photographing, but didn't begin photography as a professional until 2004. I've always been drawn to photographing people.
How did you get started? I can't recall the day photography began.
Do you work as a commercial or art photographer? I work as a fine art and portraiture photographer and my medium is black and white film.
What is a dream job for you? I'm living it. I can't imagine being anything but an artist, but who knows what tomorrow brings, so I'm making the most of today.
Who are some of your favourite photographers and what do you like about their work? I have an extensive collection of photography books by many of my favourite photographers. It's difficult to choose as my choice changes daily, depending on what mood I'm in or what I'm focusing on at the time. My constant favourite for many years though has been Sally Mann. Her portraiture and large format work is very seductive. She was my inspiration to work with large format cameras.
What and who inspires you? A good question, which I find difficult to narrow down. I'm very passionate about black and white photography created in the old darkroom. I love visiting galleries and become inspired by many artforms, mediums, not just still photography. I'm inspired by Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci. I enjoy very low light artworks with the Chiaroscuro effect for dramatic lighting. Other artists include Rachel Coad and Lucy Rose, creating beautiful, high quality paintings. In feature film, Rachel Ward recently created a wonderfully "gothic" forbidden love story with her debut feature film "Beautiful Kate". In still-photography I've always been inspired by Margaret Bourke White and Dorothea Lange - and more recently Carla Coulson (for the vibrance and full-of-life magical energy in her work), Suzanne Revy (for her recent "Frog and Toad" exhibition) and Susan Burnstine (for her "Waking Dreams" exhibition).
When you are editing your images what in a photo makes you select one image over another when you look through your proof sheets. As a professional photographer what are you looking for? Emotion, composition, originality, light etc? Or is indescribable? Over the years I've realised as a fine art and portrait photographer, I'm drawn to the images that demand the most of my emotional attention. It's not a conscious choice, often it's impossible to ignore. Technical perfection, although important, is third on the list to the emotional connection: 1. emotion, 2. lighting, 3. the rest.
Describe a typical shoot (do you travel to shoot or carry your camera with your everyday etc) ? I often have a camera with me when I'm not working. When going to a shoot, my gear depends on who and where I'm photographing, but generally I like to keep it to a minimum. I find too much photography gear distracting.
Is it difficult to make a connection with your subject when you have a limited amount of time? Do you have a special ‘way’ to connect with people quickly? I don't believe one can fake a connection, that would undermine the intelligence of the sitter - no matter what age he or she is. Being honest, open and yourself often works best.
I notice you photograph a lot of people is that a challenge when you are in a foreign country and you can’t speak the language? Not really. Having a healthy respect for different cultures, sensitivity and a good sense of humour is a good start.
Do you have a favourite camera and film? Can you tell us why you like working with them? My favourite cameras are the 4x5, the 8x10 (on it's way), the Hasselblad 501cm and the Diana toy camera. My favourite film used to be Agfa APX400 (until they closed down) and TriX400, developed in Xtol. I love the versatility and the tones.
Where do you live? What's your favourite thing about living there? I currently live in Perth, Australia. It's a very beautiful city with (some of) the most beautiful beaches in the world.
I love your images, the light, the composition and the subjects are beautiful and I notice that you are exhibiting in August in WA. What advice would you give to a young photographer who is just starting out? Thank you very much Carla. I'd like to encourage young photographers to have lots of patience, photography is a journey that evolves over time. Have the courage to do it your own way. Stay true to yourself and your own vision, it's what will make your work distinctive. All you need is an undying passion, sensitivity, respect and an endless determination to succeed. Enjoy the journey.
How did you get started? I can't recall the day photography began.
Do you work as a commercial or art photographer? I work as a fine art and portraiture photographer and my medium is black and white film.
What is a dream job for you? I'm living it. I can't imagine being anything but an artist, but who knows what tomorrow brings, so I'm making the most of today.
Who are some of your favourite photographers and what do you like about their work? I have an extensive collection of photography books by many of my favourite photographers. It's difficult to choose as my choice changes daily, depending on what mood I'm in or what I'm focusing on at the time. My constant favourite for many years though has been Sally Mann. Her portraiture and large format work is very seductive. She was my inspiration to work with large format cameras.
What and who inspires you? A good question, which I find difficult to narrow down. I'm very passionate about black and white photography created in the old darkroom. I love visiting galleries and become inspired by many artforms, mediums, not just still photography. I'm inspired by Rembrandt, Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci. I enjoy very low light artworks with the Chiaroscuro effect for dramatic lighting. Other artists include Rachel Coad and Lucy Rose, creating beautiful, high quality paintings. In feature film, Rachel Ward recently created a wonderfully "gothic" forbidden love story with her debut feature film "Beautiful Kate". In still-photography I've always been inspired by Margaret Bourke White and Dorothea Lange - and more recently Carla Coulson (for the vibrance and full-of-life magical energy in her work), Suzanne Revy (for her recent "Frog and Toad" exhibition) and Susan Burnstine (for her "Waking Dreams" exhibition).
When you are editing your images what in a photo makes you select one image over another when you look through your proof sheets. As a professional photographer what are you looking for? Emotion, composition, originality, light etc? Or is indescribable? Over the years I've realised as a fine art and portrait photographer, I'm drawn to the images that demand the most of my emotional attention. It's not a conscious choice, often it's impossible to ignore. Technical perfection, although important, is third on the list to the emotional connection: 1. emotion, 2. lighting, 3. the rest.
Describe a typical shoot (do you travel to shoot or carry your camera with your everyday etc) ? I often have a camera with me when I'm not working. When going to a shoot, my gear depends on who and where I'm photographing, but generally I like to keep it to a minimum. I find too much photography gear distracting.
Is it difficult to make a connection with your subject when you have a limited amount of time? Do you have a special ‘way’ to connect with people quickly? I don't believe one can fake a connection, that would undermine the intelligence of the sitter - no matter what age he or she is. Being honest, open and yourself often works best.
I notice you photograph a lot of people is that a challenge when you are in a foreign country and you can’t speak the language? Not really. Having a healthy respect for different cultures, sensitivity and a good sense of humour is a good start.
Do you have a favourite camera and film? Can you tell us why you like working with them? My favourite cameras are the 4x5, the 8x10 (on it's way), the Hasselblad 501cm and the Diana toy camera. My favourite film used to be Agfa APX400 (until they closed down) and TriX400, developed in Xtol. I love the versatility and the tones.
Where do you live? What's your favourite thing about living there? I currently live in Perth, Australia. It's a very beautiful city with (some of) the most beautiful beaches in the world.
I love your images, the light, the composition and the subjects are beautiful and I notice that you are exhibiting in August in WA. What advice would you give to a young photographer who is just starting out? Thank you very much Carla. I'd like to encourage young photographers to have lots of patience, photography is a journey that evolves over time. Have the courage to do it your own way. Stay true to yourself and your own vision, it's what will make your work distinctive. All you need is an undying passion, sensitivity, respect and an endless determination to succeed. Enjoy the journey.
