An interview with top Australian commercial photographer, Sharyn Cairns
“Inspiration can come from so many places, for me travel was a huge one, seeing how different cultures live, eat and dress. Likewise, it can come from the simplest things, like a scene in a movie, an Instagram image, the way late afternoon light falls through the trees or shadow play on concrete walls.”
So happy to have Sharyn Cairns talking with us this week.
Sharyn is at the forefront of commercial photography in Australia, with a specialist portfolio spanning interiors, food, travel, and lifestyle. She is committed to creating beautiful images that capture a mood and an emotion, playing with light and shadows to create levels of depth and distinctive memorable scenes.
Her work is featured in notable international and local magazines: Gourmet Traveller, Vogue Living, Belle, Dwell, Kinfolk, Elle Decoration UK, House and Garden UK, Living Etc UK and many others.
Sharyn collaborates with architects, designers and creatives on unique projects and has photographed numerous cookbooks for well-known chefs such as Maggie Beer, Shane Delia, Guy Grossi, Tobie Puttock and Jacques Reymond.
Hi Sharyn, I hope all is safe and well with you and many thanks for taking the time to share with our community.
Can I congratulate you on a superb portfolio, I love the striking impact you achieve in your work, so rich, dark and sophisticated, I love it!.
Let's start with the here and now… How has 2020 been for you and what are your plans for 2021?
Hello Pete, thanks for reaching out and for your kind words on my work.
Although I am a little social media shy it’s a pleasure to have this opportunity to hopefully provide some insight and inspiration to your audience.
2020 was certainly an interesting year for everyone. After many years of shooting at a fairly high intensity it was quite a novelty to slow down and have a break To take more time to read, watch lots of movies, be in nature and get reinspired again.
I felt a greater appreciation for what I love to do when we did get back to shooting. As for this year, I’m not looking too far ahead since overseas travel is a little way off for us but rather enjoying the shooting opportunities I have in Australia.
I think of lot of us have had the time to take a step back, rest, readjust and focus on what is important, not just with work but in life.
Could you tell us a bit more about your past, your education and training?
When I left school I had hoped to study interior design or architecture but circumstances led me in a different direction and I first studied art & design before deciding that photography was where my real passion was.
I did a photography degree at RMIT in Melbourne, Australia before assisting a range of photographers. From there it unfolded fairly organically and I started shooting interior/architecture for magazines and then later directly for design clients. Today my work is more heavily focused on interiors.
Great work!
What is the interior and architectural scene like in your Australia? Is Melbourne where do you do most of your work?
Australia has some incredible designers and architects so there are great opportunities to shoot beautiful interiors within my own country. My overseas work is a mixture of hotel shoots within the context of a travel feature and commercial clients shooting my other love which is food photography.
I have to admit, I love the interior design scene in Australia right now, so many talents and some of my favourite photographers are working there….you included!
How important is natural light in your style of work?
I really love natural light, so it is important for me to establish that the location has the right light for what I’m trying to achieve. I like the challenge of its unpredictability, the chance to play with sun shafts and shadows. Other times I prefer the flatness of an overcast day for consistency and neutral colour tones.
I have to admit to embracing the strong harsh light recently. I’d normally love shooting on soft overcast days, definitely for the large Georgian houses I spend most of my time in, but now and again I like a change and a shake up.
As a photography community we love a bit of gear talk, could you tell us what equipment you have in your bag and enlighten those who aren't familiar a little bit more about your process
I’m a Canon user, I have a mixture of prime, zoom and shift lenses. I shoot tethered most of time to Capture One and photoshop for all post. As mentioned above I chase daylight so rarely would I use lighting on interiors. I use scrims and blacks to cut and soften light where necessary.
While it is lovely to have a lots of gear, more importantly it’s what your eye sees and your unique perspective that creates the shot.
I agree, less is more these days and I feel most of the time all the gear is for the client…but don’t tell them I told you that!
Do you feel that you're happy with the work you produce or do you suffer from 'Imposter Syndrome'? This is something I've been discussing with others recently....
Generally speaking I’m happy with what I produce, like a lot of creatives I would be my harshest critic. There are always limitations with any project, whether that be weather, time constraints, logistics or the nature of the project but I will push an image to ensure I get the best possible outcome.
Whether that means adjusting the composition to make it sit just right, altering the time of day to get better light or coming back to it with fresh eyes. Quite often the longer you’re in a space the more you experience it and come up with better image solutions.
I do however understand imposter syndrome and have felt that at times. As you get older you realise that everyone has their strengths within their own creativity and it’s best to ‘stay in your own lane’ and do what inherently feels right for you. It is helpful to use the feeling of imposter syndrome to inspire your work rather than paralyse it.
That is great advice coming from someone like yourself….
I’m learning to deal with it…I think many creatives are perfectionists and everyday you’re learning something new you didn’t the day before, so in a roundabout way you're never gonna to be completely happy.
As my own personal work progresses, I look around at others work and see so much incredible work! Do you have any advice for keeping motivated and pushing yourself forward?
Agreed there is so much incredible work out there it can be overwhelming. I would encourage people to continue learning their craft, to be open to making mistakes, these errors add to your problem solving tool kit and give you confidence that you’ll take into the next shoot.
Again, excellent advice.
Where do you draw your inspiration from and how do you go about creating your stylised look?
Inspiration can come from so many places, for me travel was a huge one, seeing how different cultures live, eat and dress. Likewise, it can come from the simplest things, like a scene in a movie, an Instagram image, the way late afternoon light falls through the trees or shadow play on concrete walls.
So poetic…
It’s always hard to judge your own style, over time is forms and evolves to something that is inherently you: a combination of all the influences and inspirations of your life. I love mood, texture, shadow play and images that evoke some emotion. These elements fall across all aspects of the shoot: lighting, composition, and post production.
I’m still discovering my style but am finding some peace within what I’m producing currently. It has taken many years but I feel my experience is starting to help with producing consistent results.
Do you have a favourite thing you like to shoot and why?
I love shooting a variety of subjects: interiors, architecture, food and travel. Collectively they keep me fresh, inspired and challenged. If I had a pick an absolute favourite it would be interiors, especially hotels where there is travel involved. Interiors rarely get impacted by bad weather, an overcast day is my favourite for soft consistent light.
The dream job…travel, shoot interiors, eat lovely food in new environments! I hear that….
What would say the highlight of your career would be to this point?
There have been so many to note and they are ever changing as the years go by. From the thrill of first being published, to overseas assignments, to collaborating with inspiring creatives, this life is a real privilege so I am ever grateful to call this passion my work.
Sharyn Cairns - 2021