WEBVTT 1 00:00:05.754 --> 00:00:07.022 Franky could you tell us a little bit 2 00:00:07.022 --> 00:00:09.295 about yourself and your photography? 3 00:00:09.295 --> 00:00:14.295 Okay, I first picked up my camera when I was 8 years old, 4 00:00:14.425 --> 00:00:18.721 and one of my uncle, he was a professional photographer. 5 00:00:18.721 --> 00:00:21.224 And in the old days, that was back in Hong Kong, 6 00:00:21.224 --> 00:00:22.057 in the old days, 7 00:00:22.057 --> 00:00:23.674 if you wanted to get a family portrait done, 8 00:00:23.674 --> 00:00:25.080 you have to go to the studio, 9 00:00:25.080 --> 00:00:26.331 everyone sit really tight, 10 00:00:26.331 --> 00:00:29.414 and he used a four-by-five big camera 11 00:00:31.036 --> 00:00:33.102 with a cloth covering his head 12 00:00:33.102 --> 00:00:34.752 and take a photo of us. 13 00:00:34.752 --> 00:00:37.000 So those were the old days. 14 00:00:37.000 --> 00:00:40.384 Of course he'd develop his own film and print his own print 15 00:00:40.384 --> 00:00:43.914 and I loved to sneak into his dark room 16 00:00:43.914 --> 00:00:46.595 and sniff all those fixer. 17 00:00:46.595 --> 00:00:47.428 (laughing) 18 00:00:47.428 --> 00:00:49.643 That particular smell is so distinct, 19 00:00:49.643 --> 00:00:51.643 and he always kicked me out of course. 20 00:00:51.643 --> 00:00:53.915 Yeah, so he taught me all the basic, 21 00:00:53.915 --> 00:00:58.077 he gave me my first little rangefinder when I was eight. 22 00:00:58.077 --> 00:01:01.003 And since then, I always loved taking a photo, 23 00:01:01.003 --> 00:01:02.503 particularly human 24 00:01:03.707 --> 00:01:06.952 'cause I thought human face is fascinating me. 25 00:01:06.952 --> 00:01:10.461 So that's how I start my photography. 26 00:01:10.461 --> 00:01:13.409 I still remember when I was like 17, 18 years old, 27 00:01:13.409 --> 00:01:16.741 it was a long time ago, I'm pretty old now, 28 00:01:16.741 --> 00:01:18.653 I use a little roller fax to take photo with the girls, 29 00:01:23.869 --> 00:01:26.869 and I had a very unique experiences. 30 00:01:28.931 --> 00:01:33.848 I took a photo of one of the girl, and then after 25 years, 31 00:01:35.564 --> 00:01:40.564 I never contact with that girl and bump into her at work. 32 00:01:40.966 --> 00:01:44.883 And I actually took that photo, show it to her, 33 00:01:47.464 --> 00:01:51.909 which is a square photo because it's a roller fax. 34 00:01:51.909 --> 00:01:56.177 And it was, that moment you can feel that photography 35 00:01:56.177 --> 00:01:57.908 is so powerful. 36 00:01:57.908 --> 00:01:59.406 And was that in Hong Kong? 37 00:01:59.406 --> 00:02:01.319 No, that was... 38 00:02:01.319 --> 00:02:04.736 Okay, the photo, oh, we met in Australia. 39 00:02:07.141 --> 00:02:09.769 The photo taken in Hong Kong, 40 00:02:09.769 --> 00:02:12.577 and then we bumped into each other back in Australia. 41 00:02:12.577 --> 00:02:15.069 He moved to Singapore, so it's a very complicated story, 42 00:02:15.069 --> 00:02:16.529 but it's just so, 43 00:02:16.529 --> 00:02:19.358 it just things that's happened very random. 44 00:02:19.358 --> 00:02:22.221 The power of photography sort of across the globe. 45 00:02:22.221 --> 00:02:24.808 When she look at that photo after 25 years, 46 00:02:24.808 --> 00:02:25.888 and she never seen it. 47 00:02:25.888 --> 00:02:30.019 And you can tell from her expression, her eye, 48 00:02:30.019 --> 00:02:32.436 and you can tell that she is, 49 00:02:33.478 --> 00:02:35.763 all the memory start coming back, 50 00:02:35.763 --> 00:02:37.689 and that is the power of it, yeah. 51 00:02:37.689 --> 00:02:39.228 It is, you're capturing that moment. 52 00:02:39.228 --> 00:02:42.112 And so you work as a professional photographer now? 53 00:02:42.112 --> 00:02:44.430 Yes, I am, I am, yeah. 54 00:02:44.430 --> 00:02:48.209 I've been doing design my whole life, moving from print, 55 00:02:48.209 --> 00:02:50.873 got my master multimedia design from USAID, 56 00:02:50.873 --> 00:02:53.908 moved into web, and work in the web industry, 57 00:02:53.908 --> 00:02:56.007 and I hated it to the max 58 00:02:56.007 --> 00:02:57.476 'cause web design is not about design 59 00:02:57.476 --> 00:02:58.756 it's all about programming. 60 00:02:58.756 --> 00:03:01.006 And so 2008 GFCI jumped out 61 00:03:04.087 --> 00:03:07.577 and start my own business doing portray family 62 00:03:07.577 --> 00:03:09.380 and major in wedding 63 00:03:09.380 --> 00:03:14.047 'cause wedding I got a lot of chance to capturing people 64 00:03:14.918 --> 00:03:17.596 and I'm a very people person, I talk a lot. 65 00:03:17.596 --> 00:03:19.322 Yeah, it's very, very intimate 66 00:03:19.322 --> 00:03:21.644 and trustworthy photographing people's weddings. 67 00:03:21.644 --> 00:03:25.057 And there is a wedding photo in Living Memory, 68 00:03:25.057 --> 00:03:27.097 you probably saw it, by John Benevento, 69 00:03:27.097 --> 00:03:28.375 a cross-cultural wedding, 70 00:03:28.375 --> 00:03:33.077 which is a lovely sort of McCubbin sort of style photo. 71 00:03:33.077 --> 00:03:36.993 And so that's sort of your path but you also take 72 00:03:36.993 --> 00:03:39.486 a lot of your own creative photography as well 73 00:03:39.486 --> 00:03:40.803 outside your work. 74 00:03:40.803 --> 00:03:42.655 Yes I do, I do. 75 00:03:42.655 --> 00:03:46.012 As I said, people faces fascinating me. 76 00:03:46.012 --> 00:03:50.135 I love to take portrait of different people. 77 00:03:50.135 --> 00:03:53.218 And I remember once Kennan campaigned 78 00:03:57.038 --> 00:03:59.892 asking five photographer or six photographers 79 00:03:59.892 --> 00:04:01.978 to photograph one person, 80 00:04:01.978 --> 00:04:05.174 and that person telling us different story. 81 00:04:05.174 --> 00:04:08.220 And so end up with the same guy 82 00:04:08.220 --> 00:04:10.908 with six different, very different portrait. 83 00:04:10.908 --> 00:04:12.873 Ah, yeah, I think I remember seeing that 84 00:04:12.873 --> 00:04:16.135 and then people sort of thinking who that person was 85 00:04:16.135 --> 00:04:18.377 from the way they presented and then... 86 00:04:18.377 --> 00:04:21.772 Yeah, that was very powerful even about photography, 87 00:04:21.772 --> 00:04:24.061 but perception of others as well. 88 00:04:24.061 --> 00:04:27.644 Yes, the concept behind it is really fun. 89 00:04:29.002 --> 00:04:32.107 So that guy is a professional actor, 90 00:04:32.107 --> 00:04:35.787 and he actually told us different story 91 00:04:35.787 --> 00:04:38.383 and make us believe that he's that person. 92 00:04:38.383 --> 00:04:43.383 And as a photographer, everyone have a point of view. 93 00:04:43.462 --> 00:04:46.514 Everyone have a perception of who you are. 94 00:04:46.514 --> 00:04:50.004 As a photographer, within like five, 10 minutes, 95 00:04:50.004 --> 00:04:53.421 we need to capture you, not only outside, 96 00:04:54.769 --> 00:04:58.135 but trying to get the soul out from it. 97 00:04:58.135 --> 00:04:59.819 So you were one of the photographers 98 00:04:59.819 --> 00:05:00.874 on that shoot? Yes I was. 99 00:05:00.874 --> 00:05:02.318 Oh, that's amazing. 100 00:05:02.318 --> 00:05:03.834 I was, yes I was. 101 00:05:03.834 --> 00:05:05.889 And within a few minutes, have a chat with him, 102 00:05:05.889 --> 00:05:09.889 and then we need to take that photo and capture, 103 00:05:11.812 --> 00:05:13.634 using a lot of different things, 104 00:05:13.634 --> 00:05:15.301 but to capture that, 105 00:05:17.447 --> 00:05:21.114 how we think he is based on what he told us. 106 00:05:23.401 --> 00:05:26.818 And I think that make a good portraiture 107 00:05:26.818 --> 00:05:29.046 very interesting to do, yeah. 108 00:05:29.046 --> 00:05:30.589 Yeah, there's certainly a trust there 109 00:05:30.589 --> 00:05:34.631 when you're photographing people that you have to develop. 110 00:05:34.631 --> 00:05:37.824 But I guess that leads us into your work in Living Memory. 111 00:05:37.824 --> 00:05:40.419 So that sunbath after lockdown, 112 00:05:40.419 --> 00:05:42.660 which is a very personal work for you. 113 00:05:42.660 --> 00:05:44.086 It's a very, very personal work. 114 00:05:44.086 --> 00:05:45.649 It's right outside our house. 115 00:05:45.649 --> 00:05:48.432 (laughing) 116 00:05:48.432 --> 00:05:50.925 So because we got lock down in all the beaches, 117 00:05:50.925 --> 00:05:55.435 and we can't go anyway, and that day was a sunny day, 118 00:05:55.435 --> 00:05:58.852 and I saw all the shadow from the laundry 119 00:06:02.157 --> 00:06:05.969 and my wife is feeding McKella, just sitting outside, 120 00:06:05.969 --> 00:06:08.174 and oh, this is a lovely frame. 121 00:06:08.174 --> 00:06:10.420 So I just took the frame. 122 00:06:10.420 --> 00:06:13.624 Yeah, it's like a scene from a painting to me, 123 00:06:13.624 --> 00:06:17.351 sort of like a Vermeer or sort of one of those Dutch masters 124 00:06:17.351 --> 00:06:19.018 sort of family life, 125 00:06:20.234 --> 00:06:24.317 it's very quiet, but the composition's beautiful. 126 00:06:25.543 --> 00:06:28.379 Even like a bit of a modern day Madonna and child 127 00:06:28.379 --> 00:06:30.027 with that softness and the connection 128 00:06:30.027 --> 00:06:32.702 between sort of Alice and McKella, and then you as well 129 00:06:32.702 --> 00:06:36.324 being allowed into that intimate moment. 130 00:06:36.324 --> 00:06:37.834 One of the interesting things about it 131 00:06:37.834 --> 00:06:41.584 is you don't really see their faces too much. 132 00:06:43.019 --> 00:06:46.063 It's a side profile of Alice looking down at McKella, 133 00:06:46.063 --> 00:06:48.467 but it's still so, so much. 134 00:06:48.467 --> 00:06:49.300 Yap. 135 00:06:51.335 --> 00:06:53.032 Sometimes it's not only the faces, 136 00:06:53.032 --> 00:06:55.949 but the whole environment, I guess. 137 00:06:57.023 --> 00:06:58.080 Yeah. 138 00:06:58.080 --> 00:07:00.661 And the light's beautiful in it too that afternoon, 139 00:07:00.661 --> 00:07:01.983 is it afternoon light? 140 00:07:01.983 --> 00:07:04.574 Yes, don't you love our Australian sun? 141 00:07:04.574 --> 00:07:05.768 With spiles. 142 00:07:05.768 --> 00:07:10.251 Australian sunsets and sunrises are just beautiful. 143 00:07:10.251 --> 00:07:12.211 Yeah, but that is actually in the middle of the day. 144 00:07:12.211 --> 00:07:15.262 (laughing) 145 00:07:15.262 --> 00:07:16.869 Very, very harsh light. 146 00:07:16.869 --> 00:07:20.961 Yeah, yeah, well then you get those lovely shadows. 147 00:07:20.961 --> 00:07:21.977 So, what do you think, 148 00:07:21.977 --> 00:07:24.266 what do you think being part of Living Memory 149 00:07:24.266 --> 00:07:27.502 and then being sort of welcomed into that NPPP family, 150 00:07:27.502 --> 00:07:29.822 which has got a long history of 151 00:07:29.822 --> 00:07:31.838 like successful photographers, 152 00:07:31.838 --> 00:07:34.281 what do you think that'll mean for your photography career 153 00:07:34.281 --> 00:07:36.619 or personally, what does that mean to you? 154 00:07:36.619 --> 00:07:38.442 NPPP, okay. 155 00:07:38.442 --> 00:07:41.086 I was in Head-On Festival before. 156 00:07:41.086 --> 00:07:45.736 I actually was, I got the People-Choice Award back in 2010. 157 00:07:45.736 --> 00:07:47.242 I remember the photo, yeah. 158 00:07:47.242 --> 00:07:48.838 The yoga teacher. 159 00:07:48.838 --> 00:07:52.275 Yoga teacher, yeah. Yeah, I remember. 160 00:07:52.275 --> 00:07:56.380 I was in Moran Portrait Report, a finalist, 161 00:07:56.380 --> 00:07:58.494 I was in Australian Life. 162 00:07:58.494 --> 00:08:02.912 I tried to enter NPPP for portrait, a decade. 163 00:08:02.912 --> 00:08:05.370 (laughing) A decade. 164 00:08:05.370 --> 00:08:07.870 Lindo, Lindo, I honest, she- 165 00:08:09.413 --> 00:08:10.936 Yes I know, yes. 166 00:08:10.936 --> 00:08:12.213 She's a very good friend of me. 167 00:08:12.213 --> 00:08:15.021 Yeah, she's been a finalist, yes, Lindo. 168 00:08:15.021 --> 00:08:17.192 And some other couple friend as well. 169 00:08:17.192 --> 00:08:18.692 They've been in the finalist. 170 00:08:18.692 --> 00:08:19.670 The community. When I look at them, 171 00:08:19.670 --> 00:08:22.978 they were in, my face turn really, really green. 172 00:08:22.978 --> 00:08:25.709 (both laughing) 173 00:08:25.709 --> 00:08:26.893 Persistent, yeah. 174 00:08:26.893 --> 00:08:28.379 So I keep enter every year, 175 00:08:28.379 --> 00:08:30.793 I keep enter every year, finally I'm in 176 00:08:30.793 --> 00:08:33.543 which is a big, big honour for me. 177 00:08:35.318 --> 00:08:37.477 I love to be part of it, 178 00:08:37.477 --> 00:08:39.383 and I will keep working hard and trying, 179 00:08:39.383 --> 00:08:41.300 keep trying every year. 180 00:08:43.007 --> 00:08:44.478 I don't know, to be honest to you 181 00:08:44.478 --> 00:08:47.478 because this year is really special. 182 00:08:48.430 --> 00:08:49.368 It is. 183 00:08:49.368 --> 00:08:50.471 (Franky laughing) 184 00:08:50.471 --> 00:08:52.804 We don't have the opening, 185 00:08:55.615 --> 00:08:57.893 we may or may not have the party, 186 00:08:57.893 --> 00:09:00.195 and I didn't even see my work there yet. 187 00:09:00.195 --> 00:09:01.362 I know. 188 00:09:01.362 --> 00:09:04.722 I know, so this year is really different. 189 00:09:04.722 --> 00:09:05.626 A lot of changes, 190 00:09:05.626 --> 00:09:09.341 but also like some of the crazy stuff with it 191 00:09:09.341 --> 00:09:10.913 is the calibre of the judges 192 00:09:10.913 --> 00:09:13.197 and the calibre of the other photographers 193 00:09:13.197 --> 00:09:14.735 that have been hung in it as well. 194 00:09:14.735 --> 00:09:17.173 Like it's incredibly high this year. 195 00:09:17.173 --> 00:09:18.103 Yep. 196 00:09:18.103 --> 00:09:20.436 Yeah, Nick was in this year. 197 00:09:21.332 --> 00:09:24.168 He is not, he don't photograph people that much, 198 00:09:24.168 --> 00:09:27.236 he photographs weather a lot. (laughing) 199 00:09:27.236 --> 00:09:28.631 I know this guy. 200 00:09:28.631 --> 00:09:30.631 So I'm dying to go there 201 00:09:32.565 --> 00:09:36.636 and meet all the other photographer at the Gallery. 202 00:09:36.636 --> 00:09:37.911 Well that was why 203 00:09:37.911 --> 00:09:41.605 when we did our online opening and stuff, 204 00:09:41.605 --> 00:09:43.175 I was actually getting choked up 205 00:09:43.175 --> 00:09:44.765 'cause that's my favourite part as well, 206 00:09:44.765 --> 00:09:47.632 of like meeting everyone and getting to see, 207 00:09:47.632 --> 00:09:50.316 like for you to see Alice and your daughter 208 00:09:50.316 --> 00:09:53.927 with the portrait and that photographic community, 209 00:09:53.927 --> 00:09:55.427 but we'll keep par 210 00:09:56.432 --> 00:09:58.735 working towards getting something happening. 211 00:09:58.735 --> 00:10:00.204 Yep. 212 00:10:00.204 --> 00:10:03.121 In terms of job-wise, it help a lot 213 00:10:05.438 --> 00:10:10.010 'cause when I'm talking to my bride and groom, 214 00:10:10.010 --> 00:10:14.343 I told them about NPPP, everyone is so happy for me. 215 00:10:15.479 --> 00:10:19.108 I mean the most prestige gallery in Australia. 216 00:10:19.108 --> 00:10:21.849 The portrait side is, yeah. 217 00:10:21.849 --> 00:10:23.123 We'll just go with the latter. 218 00:10:23.123 --> 00:10:23.956 Yeah. (laughing) 219 00:10:23.956 --> 00:10:25.454 Well done, you deserve it. 220 00:10:25.454 --> 00:10:28.939 It's so beautiful and it got a lot of, I mean, 221 00:10:28.939 --> 00:10:30.759 it's really lovely sometimes 222 00:10:30.759 --> 00:10:33.294 to go and just walk through the gallery 223 00:10:33.294 --> 00:10:35.584 without wearing your badge or anything 224 00:10:35.584 --> 00:10:39.501 and just listen to people talk about the works. 225 00:10:40.585 --> 00:10:42.202 Yeah, that's one of the favourite things as well. 226 00:10:42.202 --> 00:10:43.322 So hearing what people say. 227 00:10:43.322 --> 00:10:44.904 And even when we share them online 228 00:10:44.904 --> 00:10:46.640 all the comments of what people say 229 00:10:46.640 --> 00:10:50.557 or what it means to them or, it's very emotive. 230 00:10:52.009 --> 00:10:54.436 So, I guess one thing we did speak on a little bit 231 00:10:54.436 --> 00:10:57.405 was how have locked downs and all the changes in the world 232 00:10:57.405 --> 00:10:58.565 affected your practise 233 00:10:58.565 --> 00:11:00.234 and the way you approach photography, 234 00:11:00.234 --> 00:11:03.484 I guess, professionally and personally? 235 00:11:04.745 --> 00:11:09.593 Let's say personally first, I do a lot of portrait work, 236 00:11:09.593 --> 00:11:12.760 I do a lot of street work, and do you, 237 00:11:15.138 --> 00:11:16.525 you shoot as well, right? 238 00:11:16.525 --> 00:11:19.468 No, I haven't for a while, I just love photography. 239 00:11:19.468 --> 00:11:21.212 Okay, yeah, a lot of street photography, 240 00:11:21.212 --> 00:11:22.045 a lot of street guy, 241 00:11:22.045 --> 00:11:24.580 when you talk to them there's always stuff 242 00:11:24.580 --> 00:11:27.247 by their owned area or the city, 243 00:11:29.597 --> 00:11:32.498 and then they move to other city 244 00:11:32.498 --> 00:11:34.125 and go travelling and stuff like that 245 00:11:34.125 --> 00:11:36.978 and then they will say, "Oh, you don't..." 246 00:11:36.978 --> 00:11:38.784 For example, if we are Sidney, they will say, 247 00:11:38.784 --> 00:11:42.148 "Ah, we don't photograph in Sydney anymore because..." 248 00:11:42.148 --> 00:11:43.495 They always go outside. 249 00:11:43.495 --> 00:11:46.269 But now is a good time to come back. 250 00:11:46.269 --> 00:11:49.554 So I actually went back to Sydney and walk around there, 251 00:11:49.554 --> 00:11:50.634 and walk around the street, 252 00:11:50.634 --> 00:11:52.274 which I've been walking around so many times, 253 00:11:52.274 --> 00:11:55.857 but still you come back to where you start. 254 00:11:57.186 --> 00:11:59.180 And I guess this lockdown, 255 00:11:59.180 --> 00:12:01.847 it's a way that you can actually 256 00:12:04.238 --> 00:12:07.689 trying to slow down a little bit 257 00:12:07.689 --> 00:12:09.460 back to where you start 258 00:12:09.460 --> 00:12:12.627 and think about the whole thing again. 259 00:12:13.988 --> 00:12:16.632 Well, Sydney without the people and the hustle and bustle 260 00:12:16.632 --> 00:12:19.956 is a different place altogether, a different planet. 261 00:12:19.956 --> 00:12:21.206 Well, before, 262 00:12:23.794 --> 00:12:27.048 when this first start last year, 263 00:12:27.048 --> 00:12:28.718 beginning of last year, the first, 264 00:12:28.718 --> 00:12:29.975 the (indistinct) all start, 265 00:12:29.975 --> 00:12:32.360 all the Southern city was just so quiet. 266 00:12:32.360 --> 00:12:35.827 But slowly, it actually went back to kind of normal, 267 00:12:35.827 --> 00:12:40.327 not as busy, but still it's getting a lot more people. 268 00:12:41.312 --> 00:12:43.729 And up until this time, yeah. 269 00:12:44.581 --> 00:12:47.534 Now it's basically, it's that town. 270 00:12:47.534 --> 00:12:50.225 And obviously it's had an effect on you professionally 271 00:12:50.225 --> 00:12:51.735 because weddings 272 00:12:51.735 --> 00:12:54.084 and the things that as a professional photographer, 273 00:12:54.084 --> 00:12:57.627 you're making your income on have been seriously affected. 274 00:12:57.627 --> 00:13:01.391 Yes, luckily the government helped out quite a lot. 275 00:13:01.391 --> 00:13:05.202 Without their help, we'd be already all out of business. 276 00:13:05.202 --> 00:13:08.785 But then, people are still getting married. 277 00:13:10.086 --> 00:13:11.914 They just postponed. 278 00:13:11.914 --> 00:13:15.024 Yeah, so the job's still there. 279 00:13:15.024 --> 00:13:17.857 Luckily, after the whole pandemic, 280 00:13:20.434 --> 00:13:23.075 I only have like two or three cancelled. 281 00:13:23.075 --> 00:13:25.907 It's just three plus they might be in, 282 00:13:25.907 --> 00:13:30.506 they are interstate or oversee or all their family. 283 00:13:30.506 --> 00:13:32.019 I have one of the wedding 284 00:13:32.019 --> 00:13:35.562 is actually meant to be 150-people wedding. 285 00:13:35.562 --> 00:13:39.796 But because all the major people can't come from oversea, 286 00:13:39.796 --> 00:13:43.983 so they decided to go for a very, very simple one. 287 00:13:43.983 --> 00:13:48.100 So we got only the bride and groom, the celebrant, me, 288 00:13:48.100 --> 00:13:51.563 the makeup, and sunrise on the beach. 289 00:13:51.563 --> 00:13:52.562 Beautiful. 290 00:13:52.562 --> 00:13:55.054 Yes, and I was actually one of the witness. 291 00:13:55.054 --> 00:13:58.037 Oh, that's cool, doubling up. 292 00:13:58.037 --> 00:14:00.118 So I guess when lock down eases, 293 00:14:00.118 --> 00:14:01.738 you're gonna need a hell of a lot of coffee 294 00:14:01.738 --> 00:14:03.632 to get through all of these jobs. 295 00:14:03.632 --> 00:14:05.333 Yes, yes, yes. 296 00:14:05.333 --> 00:14:07.583 Our team is quite full now. 297 00:14:10.183 --> 00:14:12.878 Throughout these three, four months, 298 00:14:12.878 --> 00:14:14.248 it's a blessing because 299 00:14:14.248 --> 00:14:17.813 I can spend much more time Mckella. 300 00:14:17.813 --> 00:14:20.405 But then on the other hand is, 301 00:14:20.405 --> 00:14:23.334 she missed out on a lot of social life as well? 302 00:14:23.334 --> 00:14:25.830 Because she, even a toddler, they need a social life. 303 00:14:25.830 --> 00:14:27.320 How old is she now? 304 00:14:27.320 --> 00:14:29.047 She's nine months old now, 305 00:14:29.047 --> 00:14:30.960 she was born on last Christmas day. 306 00:14:30.960 --> 00:14:31.898 Oh, beautiful. 307 00:14:31.898 --> 00:14:34.800 How cute, so coming up to her first birthday nearly. 308 00:14:34.800 --> 00:14:36.633 Yes, coming, coming. 309 00:14:38.737 --> 00:14:41.404 But then when the lockdown open, 310 00:14:44.950 --> 00:14:46.283 I'll be so busy. 311 00:14:48.526 --> 00:14:49.559 I'll probably need to work 312 00:14:49.559 --> 00:14:51.607 at least one or two weddings a weekend. 313 00:14:51.607 --> 00:14:52.440 Yeah. 314 00:14:52.440 --> 00:14:54.924 Yeah, it will be very, very, very busy. 315 00:14:54.924 --> 00:14:56.559 But good busy. 316 00:14:56.559 --> 00:14:57.392 Yes. 317 00:14:57.392 --> 00:14:59.314 Getting back to what you love. 318 00:14:59.314 --> 00:15:03.044 But I think I need a few weeks to get myself into it. 319 00:15:03.044 --> 00:15:06.274 (laughing) Start doing your pushups now. 320 00:15:06.274 --> 00:15:11.274 Not only getting very lazy, but gaining a lot of weight. 321 00:15:11.645 --> 00:15:13.114 Everyone's the same. 322 00:15:13.114 --> 00:15:16.200 Yeah, I was talking to my yoga instructor 323 00:15:16.200 --> 00:15:18.232 and then she was saying, "Don't worry, Franky, 324 00:15:18.232 --> 00:15:19.941 we're all on the same boat." 325 00:15:19.941 --> 00:15:21.038 Everybody's the same, 326 00:15:21.038 --> 00:15:23.451 we're gonna emerge in the same way. 327 00:15:23.451 --> 00:15:24.459 Yes. 328 00:15:24.459 --> 00:15:27.731 So one of the things a lot of people ask about, 329 00:15:27.731 --> 00:15:29.653 the public and aspiring photographers 330 00:15:29.653 --> 00:15:31.821 are interested in when you become a finalist 331 00:15:31.821 --> 00:15:35.876 in Living Memory or NPPP as we know it is. 332 00:15:35.876 --> 00:15:37.525 What is your selected equipment, 333 00:15:37.525 --> 00:15:38.941 what equipment do you use, 334 00:15:38.941 --> 00:15:42.274 and the style of photography you prefer? 335 00:15:44.895 --> 00:15:49.000 I always think equipment is the last bit, 336 00:15:49.000 --> 00:15:49.891 it's always the last bit, 337 00:15:49.891 --> 00:15:53.474 the best camera is the camera in your head. 338 00:15:54.383 --> 00:15:55.493 Even the final, okay? 339 00:15:55.493 --> 00:15:56.487 Yeah. 340 00:15:56.487 --> 00:16:01.487 But then I think I'm moving into the mirror-less now. 341 00:16:01.838 --> 00:16:03.807 I always use rangefinder, 342 00:16:03.807 --> 00:16:08.724 but sometimes when you transfer it's too slow to work with. 343 00:16:10.975 --> 00:16:13.950 So when we work, we're always with SAR, 344 00:16:13.950 --> 00:16:18.092 but now I think I'm moving to mirror-less 345 00:16:18.092 --> 00:16:21.870 'cause the technology's there compared- 346 00:16:21.870 --> 00:16:24.663 And your personal style of photography, 347 00:16:24.663 --> 00:16:26.584 what would you think is your niche 348 00:16:26.584 --> 00:16:29.396 that you love to photograph personally? 349 00:16:29.396 --> 00:16:30.941 What do you mean? 350 00:16:30.941 --> 00:16:33.433 Like, I know you focus on portraiture, 351 00:16:33.433 --> 00:16:35.603 but would it be stuff like, 352 00:16:35.603 --> 00:16:36.887 well, you said street photography, 353 00:16:36.887 --> 00:16:39.590 is it going around and photographing people on the street 354 00:16:39.590 --> 00:16:42.590 or just what you'd see at that time. 355 00:16:45.786 --> 00:16:47.369 In terms of what? 356 00:16:48.689 --> 00:16:50.548 Your personal style of photography, 357 00:16:50.548 --> 00:16:52.657 how would you class yourself as a photographer? 358 00:16:52.657 --> 00:16:54.622 Like a street photography? 359 00:16:54.622 --> 00:16:56.512 I wouldn't say I'm a street photographer. 360 00:16:56.512 --> 00:17:01.214 I'm still thinking I'm a people person, I'm a portraiture. 361 00:17:01.214 --> 00:17:03.356 Yap, portrait artist. 362 00:17:03.356 --> 00:17:08.356 Even when I'm doing street, I remember years ago I was, 363 00:17:08.723 --> 00:17:13.076 do you ever heard of a guy named Richard Bellingham? 364 00:17:13.076 --> 00:17:15.623 I remember the name, yes. 365 00:17:15.623 --> 00:17:17.607 He was a YouTube photographer, 366 00:17:17.607 --> 00:17:19.041 he was famous a long time ago 367 00:17:19.041 --> 00:17:23.374 and he came to Australia teaching in ANU for a while 368 00:17:24.383 --> 00:17:26.281 and we've become friends, very good friend. 369 00:17:26.281 --> 00:17:27.611 He's a very funny guy. 370 00:17:27.611 --> 00:17:31.494 So we actually drove a car to Broken Hill, 371 00:17:31.494 --> 00:17:32.890 right in the middle of, 372 00:17:32.890 --> 00:17:35.179 at the heart of New South Wales. 373 00:17:35.179 --> 00:17:36.948 So we stayed there for two days. 374 00:17:36.948 --> 00:17:40.186 We actually set up a four by five on the street, 375 00:17:40.186 --> 00:17:42.406 tracking people from the street, 376 00:17:42.406 --> 00:17:43.670 (Tara laughter drowns out speaker) 377 00:17:43.670 --> 00:17:45.420 take a photo of them. 378 00:17:46.438 --> 00:17:48.271 Adventures of youth. 379 00:17:49.161 --> 00:17:50.978 Just have fun. 380 00:17:50.978 --> 00:17:53.339 Even on the street, we try to get portrait. 381 00:17:53.339 --> 00:17:54.839 Yeah, I guess... 382 00:17:55.800 --> 00:17:56.797 You go. 383 00:17:56.797 --> 00:17:59.523 Yeah, so I guess I will call myself a portraiture 384 00:17:59.523 --> 00:18:01.200 rather than a street photographer. 385 00:18:01.200 --> 00:18:02.033 Yeah. 386 00:18:03.088 --> 00:18:05.487 And do you have any tips for aspiring photographers? 387 00:18:05.487 --> 00:18:06.345 Like it was interesting 388 00:18:06.345 --> 00:18:11.320 you said you continue to enter the prize over and over, 389 00:18:11.320 --> 00:18:15.357 so perseverance. No, just got a little tough. 390 00:18:15.357 --> 00:18:16.647 Be yourself, don't think about the end result too much, 391 00:18:21.896 --> 00:18:23.396 enjoy the process. 392 00:18:24.275 --> 00:18:25.554 That's the most important bit 393 00:18:25.554 --> 00:18:27.869 because the end result we never can control. 394 00:18:27.869 --> 00:18:29.092 You suddenly learn every time 395 00:18:29.092 --> 00:18:30.784 even you put an entry in a prize, right? 396 00:18:30.784 --> 00:18:32.201 You're writing your artist's statement 397 00:18:32.201 --> 00:18:35.325 and picking your best work, and... 398 00:18:35.325 --> 00:18:36.331 Hundred percent. 399 00:18:36.331 --> 00:18:37.793 That's yeah. Hundred percent. 400 00:18:37.793 --> 00:18:42.337 Just be yourself, do whatever you love the most, 401 00:18:42.337 --> 00:18:46.163 then you will do it better and better. 402 00:18:46.163 --> 00:18:47.312 Good advice. 403 00:18:47.312 --> 00:18:48.333 Yes. 404 00:18:48.333 --> 00:18:50.436 So what about photographers or artists 405 00:18:50.436 --> 00:18:53.769 that inspire you or that you look up to? 406 00:18:55.603 --> 00:18:57.547 I have a few. 407 00:18:57.547 --> 00:18:58.915 That's all right, go for it. 408 00:18:58.915 --> 00:19:00.332 Richard Avedon. 409 00:19:01.613 --> 00:19:03.320 I love his work. 410 00:19:03.320 --> 00:19:05.572 He is, probably one of the old master 411 00:19:05.572 --> 00:19:09.572 that can sew around the fine art in a commercial 412 00:19:11.264 --> 00:19:13.613 and both very successful. 413 00:19:13.613 --> 00:19:16.566 He's one of great master, I love the- 414 00:19:16.566 --> 00:19:19.249 We did have an Avedon exhibition here a few years ago 415 00:19:19.249 --> 00:19:20.331 at the Portrait Gallery, 416 00:19:20.331 --> 00:19:21.817 so I was lucky enough to work 417 00:19:21.817 --> 00:19:25.223 with one of the agents that runs his gallery. 418 00:19:25.223 --> 00:19:26.743 I've actually got one of his photos 419 00:19:26.743 --> 00:19:29.069 hanging above my desk of the basketballers, 420 00:19:29.069 --> 00:19:30.260 which is just beautiful. 421 00:19:30.260 --> 00:19:32.385 Like it's just a print out, it's not a real one, 422 00:19:32.385 --> 00:19:35.015 but I also I love Avedon. 423 00:19:35.015 --> 00:19:37.958 Yeah, his work is just amazing. 424 00:19:37.958 --> 00:19:40.481 His work, it's, even his fashion work, 425 00:19:40.481 --> 00:19:42.731 it's so simple, so minimal. 426 00:19:43.673 --> 00:19:47.420 And I always say simpler it is, longer it lasts. 427 00:19:47.420 --> 00:19:52.420 And when you look at it, the photograph taken in 1950 old, 428 00:19:52.706 --> 00:19:55.342 it just still look so fashioned right now. 429 00:19:55.342 --> 00:19:56.633 Yeah, timeless. 430 00:19:56.633 --> 00:19:58.027 It's timeless, yeah. 431 00:19:58.027 --> 00:20:01.944 This is how, good artwork can be just timeless. 432 00:20:04.153 --> 00:20:05.070 Who else? 433 00:20:06.622 --> 00:20:09.959 One of the wedding photographer I love, 434 00:20:09.959 --> 00:20:13.695 and he's also kind of my mentor as well, Rocco. 435 00:20:13.695 --> 00:20:14.528 Rocco- 436 00:20:14.528 --> 00:20:16.461 Is it Rocco Ancora? 437 00:20:16.461 --> 00:20:18.580 Oh, Rocco Ancora yeah. 438 00:20:18.580 --> 00:20:20.497 He influenced me a lot. 439 00:20:22.869 --> 00:20:25.153 The way how I shoot, and the way how I tell a story. 440 00:20:29.746 --> 00:20:32.413 He actually influenced me a lot. 441 00:20:33.848 --> 00:20:35.275 And what about any artists? 442 00:20:35.275 --> 00:20:38.099 Do you only look at photographers, 443 00:20:38.099 --> 00:20:39.524 or are you often inspired by art 444 00:20:39.524 --> 00:20:42.374 'cause with your photo in Living Memory, 445 00:20:42.374 --> 00:20:44.610 it's almost like a painterly quality 446 00:20:44.610 --> 00:20:46.717 the way it's set out and the composition. 447 00:20:46.717 --> 00:20:47.717 Yes, I do. 448 00:20:49.349 --> 00:20:53.969 I come from art school, so I studied quite a lot art. 449 00:20:53.969 --> 00:20:56.052 I love a lot of painting. 450 00:20:57.554 --> 00:21:02.151 But then come down to name again, (laughing) 451 00:21:02.151 --> 00:21:05.621 name is the worst thing (laughter drowns out speaker) 452 00:21:05.621 --> 00:21:07.118 and numbers. 453 00:21:07.118 --> 00:21:09.368 So I do read a lot of books 454 00:21:10.618 --> 00:21:13.315 around painting and stuff like that. 455 00:21:13.315 --> 00:21:15.779 One other guy that I really like, 456 00:21:15.779 --> 00:21:18.029 it's Kermit, the guy who paint gold painting. 457 00:21:23.328 --> 00:21:24.776 Is it Kermit Oliver? 458 00:21:24.776 --> 00:21:26.609 Kermit Oliver, yeah. 459 00:21:27.682 --> 00:21:30.515 The way he, because if you ask me, 460 00:21:34.766 --> 00:21:38.099 a lot of people saying, how do I put it? 461 00:21:39.091 --> 00:21:44.091 Okay, a lot of people, I've been asked this question a lot. 462 00:21:44.345 --> 00:21:45.671 What is a good photograph? 463 00:21:45.671 --> 00:21:48.370 What is a good photograph? 464 00:21:48.370 --> 00:21:51.695 Photos is coming from painting, all right? 465 00:21:51.695 --> 00:21:52.624 So the same thing. 466 00:21:52.624 --> 00:21:56.256 So what's a good painting, what's a good photo? 467 00:21:56.256 --> 00:21:57.626 A lot of people say it in different, 468 00:21:57.626 --> 00:21:59.158 different people give you different answer. 469 00:21:59.158 --> 00:22:02.658 Light, composition, gesture, storytelling, 470 00:22:03.965 --> 00:22:04.798 and stuff like that. 471 00:22:04.798 --> 00:22:06.906 But I think a good photo 472 00:22:06.906 --> 00:22:10.968 is a photo that you've never seen before. 473 00:22:10.968 --> 00:22:13.245 So if you're an astronaut and you went up, 474 00:22:13.245 --> 00:22:15.142 you just take a photo of the earth, 475 00:22:15.142 --> 00:22:18.522 no one's seen that before, great photo. 476 00:22:18.522 --> 00:22:21.915 So we're always trying to find new element 477 00:22:21.915 --> 00:22:24.322 or different thing to photograph, 478 00:22:24.322 --> 00:22:27.264 or a different view, or different light 479 00:22:27.264 --> 00:22:29.476 or using different things 480 00:22:29.476 --> 00:22:32.643 to make the viewer to see differently. 481 00:22:34.104 --> 00:22:38.453 And Kermit, he used one of the very good technique, 482 00:22:38.453 --> 00:22:40.234 which is putting gold into his, 483 00:22:40.234 --> 00:22:42.287 a real gold into his painting 484 00:22:42.287 --> 00:22:44.624 and this make things very differently. 485 00:22:44.624 --> 00:22:46.745 Yeah, the light, obviously. 486 00:22:46.745 --> 00:22:48.493 Yeah, it's just different. 487 00:22:48.493 --> 00:22:50.951 Rather than just a paint, 488 00:22:50.951 --> 00:22:54.716 just using paint to put it on the canvas, 489 00:22:54.716 --> 00:22:57.320 he actually used something different. 490 00:22:57.320 --> 00:22:59.320 So it just, when I work, 491 00:23:02.192 --> 00:23:04.242 I always try to find something different 492 00:23:04.242 --> 00:23:08.742 to put into my work, to make it little bit different. 493 00:23:11.030 --> 00:23:14.243 That's one of the reasons why I love his work. 494 00:23:14.243 --> 00:23:17.019 So one of the things, and one of the questions I have, 495 00:23:17.019 --> 00:23:19.529 and we sort of actually started, 496 00:23:19.529 --> 00:23:22.603 we started with this one was, 497 00:23:22.603 --> 00:23:25.069 can you remember the first photo you ever took, 498 00:23:25.069 --> 00:23:28.190 like the first phot you have a conscious of taking. 499 00:23:28.190 --> 00:23:29.190 Conscious? 500 00:23:36.906 --> 00:23:37.739 I think... 501 00:23:39.624 --> 00:23:42.923 Consciously I remember, all right? 502 00:23:42.923 --> 00:23:45.923 I think it's when I was quite young, 503 00:23:47.649 --> 00:23:49.982 I took my father's ash stray 504 00:23:53.765 --> 00:23:56.334 and it's a different shape, 505 00:23:56.334 --> 00:24:00.908 not only just an empty plate but they got things inside, 506 00:24:00.908 --> 00:24:04.075 and I use a torch to go different side 507 00:24:08.046 --> 00:24:09.293 to light up the ash tray, 508 00:24:09.293 --> 00:24:11.823 and then use a very small point-and-shoot 509 00:24:11.823 --> 00:24:13.865 and take photo of it. 510 00:24:13.865 --> 00:24:15.441 And I still got that photo. 511 00:24:15.441 --> 00:24:16.996 That's amazing. 512 00:24:16.996 --> 00:24:18.819 Yeah, I was really young, 513 00:24:18.819 --> 00:24:22.394 probably about 12, 13, something like that. 514 00:24:22.394 --> 00:24:23.522 And just with the family 515 00:24:23.522 --> 00:24:25.767 sort of snap-and-shoot camera that you had, or- 516 00:24:25.767 --> 00:24:27.450 (overlapping chatter) 517 00:24:27.450 --> 00:24:28.346 Yeah, that's the one. 518 00:24:28.346 --> 00:24:32.679 It just a very small (indistinct) 519 00:24:33.967 --> 00:24:37.878 And this is not only you just go out and boom, 520 00:24:37.878 --> 00:24:40.602 just point and shoot a photo, but really- 521 00:24:40.602 --> 00:24:42.149 You're setting it up. Explore it. 522 00:24:42.149 --> 00:24:43.918 Yeah, and trying to explore it. 523 00:24:43.918 --> 00:24:46.374 How light affecting that thing. 524 00:24:46.374 --> 00:24:48.050 And I still got those photo. 525 00:24:48.050 --> 00:24:49.821 And seeing it as an object. 526 00:24:49.821 --> 00:24:53.570 Yeah, yeah, yeah, that was a long time ago. 527 00:24:53.570 --> 00:24:54.978 So what about dream subjects? 528 00:24:54.978 --> 00:24:57.138 If you could get anyone in the world 529 00:24:57.138 --> 00:25:00.963 in front of your camera, who do you think you'd go for? 530 00:25:00.963 --> 00:25:03.463 Oh, I never thought of that. 531 00:25:05.104 --> 00:25:06.687 What would I shoot? 532 00:25:12.466 --> 00:25:14.338 Remember there's a photographer, 533 00:25:14.338 --> 00:25:18.956 he photographed nude people in a massive scale. 534 00:25:18.956 --> 00:25:21.206 (laughing) 535 00:25:22.287 --> 00:25:26.053 If I could get people nude and lie there, 536 00:25:26.053 --> 00:25:30.778 I want to try that. (both laughing) 537 00:25:30.778 --> 00:25:33.431 I know the guy where everyone goes to like a scene 538 00:25:33.431 --> 00:25:34.941 and yeah. 539 00:25:34.941 --> 00:25:37.318 Yeah, you know who am I talking about. 540 00:25:37.318 --> 00:25:40.350 I can't remember the name. Me too. 541 00:25:40.350 --> 00:25:41.662 It's unique. 542 00:25:41.662 --> 00:25:46.058 I probably want to try nude in a massive scale. 543 00:25:46.058 --> 00:25:48.310 Nude flashmob by Franky. 544 00:25:48.310 --> 00:25:49.819 (Franky laughing) 545 00:25:49.819 --> 00:25:50.928 Flashmob nude. 546 00:25:50.928 --> 00:25:53.608 (both laughing) 547 00:25:53.608 --> 00:25:54.586 That'll be fun. 548 00:25:54.586 --> 00:25:55.669 Check boom. 549 00:25:57.545 --> 00:26:01.192 Everyone right outside Oprah House. 550 00:26:01.192 --> 00:26:03.066 It'd be cool. 551 00:26:03.066 --> 00:26:05.879 Well, I mean, lockdown is ending, people are gonna go crazy. 552 00:26:05.879 --> 00:26:09.096 I'm just saying now might be the time. 553 00:26:09.096 --> 00:26:10.314 Shoot your shot. 554 00:26:10.314 --> 00:26:11.310 Yeah, I want to try some big scale in nude, yeah. 555 00:26:16.645 --> 00:26:20.702 Yeah, so, it's just some crazy thought. 556 00:26:20.702 --> 00:26:23.724 All right, what about any shout outs or thank yous, 557 00:26:23.724 --> 00:26:27.188 that you wanna pass on in the interviewing? 558 00:26:27.188 --> 00:26:31.271 I really want to thank you, you guys hard work. 559 00:26:32.463 --> 00:26:36.388 And I really want to thank you NP, National Project Gallery 560 00:26:36.388 --> 00:26:40.319 'cause without you guys, I mean, we won't, 561 00:26:40.319 --> 00:26:43.266 although we still didn't able to get together yet, 562 00:26:43.266 --> 00:26:45.768 but I'm looking forward to it, yeah. 563 00:26:45.768 --> 00:26:48.287 Yeah, well, thank you. 564 00:26:48.287 --> 00:26:50.313 Everyone thanks us, but as well, it's you guys 565 00:26:50.313 --> 00:26:52.639 that make up the show, 566 00:26:52.639 --> 00:26:54.726 you're the bricks and we're just the mortar really 567 00:26:54.726 --> 00:26:56.621 that's holding the wall together. 568 00:26:56.621 --> 00:26:57.787 No, you're the land. 569 00:26:57.787 --> 00:27:01.050 Without the land, even the brick and motor 570 00:27:01.050 --> 00:27:03.679 they got nowhere to go. 571 00:27:03.679 --> 00:27:07.012 So this is the most basic, you guys are, 572 00:27:08.253 --> 00:27:10.686 as long as you guys there, we always come to you. 573 00:27:10.686 --> 00:27:12.258 Thank you so much. 574 00:27:12.258 --> 00:27:14.527 Well, now you're part of the family, really? 575 00:27:14.527 --> 00:27:16.437 Yeah, well, I'll keep working hard. 576 00:27:16.437 --> 00:27:18.597 Hopefully next year, my hard work is gonna hang there 577 00:27:18.597 --> 00:27:19.603 with the opening. 578 00:27:19.603 --> 00:27:23.032 You've broken (indistinct), we're going. 579 00:27:23.032 --> 00:27:25.506 What about Franky's parting words of wisdom, 580 00:27:25.506 --> 00:27:26.546 so this is the last one. 581 00:27:26.546 --> 00:27:28.801 So this can just be advice on any scale: 582 00:27:28.801 --> 00:27:32.544 photography, life, your words of wisdom. 583 00:27:32.544 --> 00:27:35.889 Well, I guess forget about the end result, 584 00:27:35.889 --> 00:27:37.867 enjoy the process. 585 00:27:37.867 --> 00:27:42.093 Enjoy every time you click on that shutter 586 00:27:42.093 --> 00:27:42.926 Yeah.