Page 17 - Capture Nov 21-Jan 22

a look back at 2021 editorial
producing some pretty unique results.” Most of her stills work has been published online, but she is inordinately proud of her short film, Your Time, which was shown at MONA FOMA, Mona’s summer festival in Tasmania, in January.
Schmidt faced challenges, of course, the greatest being attempting to shoot around lockdowns in Melbourne. “Often we would have spent a great deal of time and energy on pre- production only to have a shoot postponed or sometimes cancelled for a snap lockdown. It was necessary, but unfortunately it put a decent spanner in the works at times.” It also gave the young photographer some valuable business lessons. “I have had to be pretty flexible in terms of re-scheduling and deadlines, as well as keeping up fabbo communication with the team during these uncertain times,” she says.
Jesse Lizotte: A year of stillness and patience
2021 has challenged Jesse Lizotte’s versatility. He has been commissioned by publications that range in style and substance, from Vogue Australia, Russh, and 10 Magazine, to The Australian and the Telegraph Magazine UK. COVID’s restrictions, he feels, have caused a shift in editorial photography by making photographers turn their focus to what’s already in their own backyard. “That has really informed creative decisions involving the talent or the location. I know for me, coming home in 2020 pre-pandemic, I’ve had a chance to really explore Australia more and the beauty it has to offer.” His greatest challenge this year, he says, was unrelated to his work. It was, “not being able to travel and see friends and loved ones,” he says. But the year brought some gifts, the main one being a chance to slow down and take stock. “My wife and I have been lucky to spend more time with my family here in Australia,” he notes. Lizotte has not had to change his approach to business to manage a tough year, nor has he changed his work in significant ways. “Although I think I’ve had to get more creative when producing images. With restrictions in place the industry has had to adapt; for instance the use of Zoom on set to communicate with clients and collaborators locally or in different parts of the world has become commonplace now,” he notes.
COVID made life tough this year, but maintaining a sustainable editorial photography business had already become a challenge. Photographers and clients adapted readily to COVID’s safe shooting requirements. What neither has been able to conquer yet, is a shift in the media people are using. That battle is likely to dominate next year as well.
BOTTOM LEFT: Sofia Zambrano (18) and Isaiah Vankova (18) stand for a portrait on the bank of the Willamette River near the Sellwood River Front Park in Portland, Oregon, on 27 June, 2021. The Pacific Northwest experienced a heatwave, with the hottest temperatures ever recorded.
ABOVE: Portrait of Johnathan Thurston.
RIGHT: Tapioca Cheeks, shot for the Melbourne singer-songwriter and producer, Banoffee.
CONTACTS
Georges Antoni Adam Ferguson Jesse Lizotte Phebe Schmidt William Meppem
georgesantoni.com adamfergusonstudio.com www.jesselizotte.com phebeschmidt.com williammeppemphotography.com
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© PHEBE SCHMIDT © JESSE LIZOTTE