Readers will know that I appreciate both sides of photography - the capture and presentation of reality, and creation and production of our imagination.
Professional photographer Kris Anderson also needs to handle both types of photography. Generally his clients are asking for straight shots representing a reality, but when it comes to his personal work, it's all about expressing his imagination.
Explains Kris in the current issue of Better Photography, “My personal work tends to be illustrative, exploring stories, feelings and insecurities – sometimes other people’s, sometimes mine.
“I really enjoy the challenge of trying to communicate a complex message or feeling with an image.” And Kris has been
very successful too, winning the 2019 AIPP Queensland Epson Professional Photographer of the Year and 2017 AIPP Australian Professional Illustrative Photographer of the Year.
“Using composites allows me to tell stories that would be difficult to produce in a straight capture. In most of my composites, there’s always something that’s not quite right, perhaps a person who is repeated multiple times, or something you’d not see in reality. We would never look at these photos and think they were real – that’s not their intent.”
But Kris isn’t wedded to the idea of using composites – it’s just a tool he uses. And interestingly, another tool is asking people for feedback before he finishes his work.
"This is a part of my workflow, asking for feedback from people who are not photographers and without providing any clues. I ask them to tell me what they think it means and they explain the story to me in their own words.
“Of course, their stories can be hugely different to what I see, but as the creator, it is helpful to know if I am driving people towards the intended conclusion."
In the magazine, Kris presents three photographs and discusses how he produces his work, the stories behind them and how he hopes to connect with the viewer.
What do you think the story in the photo above is all about? Subscribe now and read all about it in Better Photography Issue 103. You can subscribe on our sister website, www.betterphotographyeducation.com.