Laura Reid
insta: @laurareidphoto em: laura@laurareidphotography.com www.laurareidphotography.com
CCP asks Laura Reid 11 questions about her craft.
1.What gets you out of bed every day?
The need to get my daughter to school and coffee.
2. Who is the photographer that has inspired you the most?
Max Dupain
3. What current camera are you shooting with?
Canon 5D and Leica Q2
4. When you are on a shoot do you play music? What other essential items do you have with you for a successful session?
No music, I want to be aware of the sounds around me when I’m out shooting. I am often at the beach shooting so in my swimming costume and with a hat are two essential items. It lets me blend in better and it isn’t so obvious I am taking photos.
5. In the digital world how important is the print?
A printed photo is hands down so much better than looking at a screen. I like to see my work printed large so I can see all the details. The texture and colour of the paper is also very important.
6. B/W - Colour - Analogue - Digital.
Put these words in your order of preference and tell us why.
Colour – to me colour brings joy and lifts the spirits. As my photos are usually of people along the coastline there are such a mix of colours which I love.
B/W – sometimes there are moody times or quiet moments in my images which I think look better in B/W. B/W also has the advantage of making and image seem timeless, which I also like.
Digital – I grew up with film but digital has just become my way of life. When I am out shooting I take a lot of photos to capture changing light and people’s movements. If I had to stop and change film I wouldn’t be able to capture as much.
Analogue – I still have my analogue camera so when I have more time I would like to revisit that format.
7. Have you exhibited your work, and other than the print, how important was the framing process to you?
Last year I had an image hanging at the National Portrait Gallery as part of the National Portrait Prize. Framing is just as important as the print. It can totally distract the eye if the print and the frame do not work together. I used to always use matt board around my prints but now I just have the image printed with a white border and then frames. I think it gives a cleaner finish. My clients who buy my prints also seem to agree.
8. What defines a great image?
One that holds my eye and stays in my memory. Sometimes I will look at a photographer’s work and wish I had the same eye. There is so much great work out there and it inspires me to keep creating.
9. What is your favourite photo that you have taken? Why?
That is like picking a favourite child. I have a print called “Handstand” which might not be a standout for technique, but it puts a smile on my face each time I see it. I feel like the girl doing the handstand in the ocean pool at Coogee is me, and I don’t have a care in the world. I can totally escape into that image.
10. What is the best photography advice you have been given? Tell us by who if you can or want to?
“Always look for the light”. That small bit of advice changed everything for me and I now can’t go anywhere without looking at the light (whether I’m photographing or just walking to the supermarket).
“Go out and shoot in any conditions”. This one follows on from the piece of advice above. There is light even on a cloudy, dark, rainy day, it’s just different light which can make beautiful images.
11. When you are not taking photos, what are you doing?
Swimming, walking, travelling, dining out, going to art galleries and watching Netflix.
Laura Reid - June 2022
