Chris Wright is a university professor and passionate amateur photographer who lives on the northern beaches of Sydney, Australia. In his day job he researches climate change and the environment and his photography reflects a strong interest in landscape and the natural world. He is regularly out shooting seascapes and waterfalls but also has a hankering to get back to travel and street photography.
Favourite photographer:
A tough choice as there are so many amazingly talented photographers out there across the different genres. I do admire those photographers who can weave a political angle into their imagery but also emphasise a strong aesthetic sensibility. One of the giants here for me is the amazing imagery of Sebastião Salgado. Like Edward Burtynsky, Salgado tackles the big issues by capturing images of people and environments in a world of extraction and exploitation. But they are also just incredibly beautiful photographs in terms of composition and tone, and they tell a story! It’s a type of photography that must require incredible commitment and something I’d love to move into!
Best tip for other photographers:
Focus on what you want to capture and do the research pre the shoot! I now spend a lot of time scouting new locations, whether its long afternoon walks along my local beaches and headlands, trekking into the bush to discover waterfalls, or even exploring the city looking for potential compositions. Then it’s a question of working out what light and time of day/night will work best for that location, do I need lots of rainfall in the day prior for a waterfall shoot, or what tide and swell will best feature that rockpool or leading line I’ve discovered on the beach. Sometimes you do all that research and then have to wait for the right conditions. But when it all comes together and you get the shot you visualised, it’s worth it!
My favourite photograph:
I do miss the joy of exploring new locations and travelling, but that said, I’ve gone with a shot I took at my local beach called “A Giant Reflected” which showcases the beautiful environment I’m lucky enough to live in and my focus on seascapes and sunsets! It’s also a shot that required some planning; an afternoon low tide, a promising high cloud forecast which delivered the colour in the sky, and the headland and reflection in the pool which I’d noted as a possible composition on a previous visit. A bit of a tricky spot to get to, given the long walk and only accessible on a low tide but worth the effort when it all comes together like this!
