Double Exposure
Text by John Lampard
German fashion photographer Helmut Newton has more than just a passing influence on the work of Kelly Mitchell. So much so that had Kelly, a Sydney photographer, not seen one of his images while at high school, it is possible she may not even have pursued a career in photography at all.
Kelly describes the moment as a turning point.
“I couldn’t get the image out of my head; I was obsessed with it. So I photocopied it and stuck it on my bedroom wall, and before I knew it I had a collection of photographs I couldn’t stop thinking about, all stuck together near my bed, and they all had a running theme. High end fashion photography. I knew I wanted create these types of images,” she says.
Her first steps into photography came by way of a Nikon FM10, a sixteenth birthday gift from her parents, although today she now favours digital cameras, preferring the more immediate results digital photography offers.
Kelly went on to study photography after leaving high school, and in 2004 graduated from the Sydney Institute of Technology in Ultimo with a Diploma in Photography. Currently working for commercial photographers in North Sydney, Kelly continues to develop her own style, and has a particular interest in portrait and fashion work.
“People have told me that my work has very strong feminine themes. I would have to agree. I have an amazing team of people I work solely with on shoots and whom are basically all female. In a male dominated field, it’s fantastic to work with such amazing and inspiring girls.”
Usually working solo on portrait photography, she teams up with Sydney hair stylist Annalisa Sgambati, for fashion work. Working in partnership under the name Mitchell & Sgambati, they art direct fashion shoots together.
“There are main themes that are apparent in our work such as confidence, strength, beauty and fantasy. The models are always very dominant and I would describe the images as ‘not of this world’, like how a dream or fantasy might look. I want the viewer to get a sense of this immediately, as the models are sometimes in unrealistic situations.”
While producing work is one thing, gaining exposure and building profile, particularly for emerging photographers, is another matter. Exhibition space is expensive and usually only reserved for those well established in the industry.
There are a number of independent galleries however, such as China Heights in Surry Hills, Sydney, that support newer artists, and in August 2006 Kelly held her first exhibition there.
“There is definitely a need for more support for young artists, as most young people cannot afford to exhibit, and lets face it; photography is a really expensive career choice. It was difficult for me to gain sponsors, especially since it was my first exhibition, but I persisted and eventually got the support I needed,” she says.
Kelly says competitions are also another way for fledgling creatives to seek exposure. She was recently selected as a finalist in the Sydney Life Photographic competition, which is part of the annual Art & About event. During October her entry will be enlarged to the size of a bedsheet, and displayed in Sydney’s Hyde Park, as a banner.
“Photographic competitions are a great way to get your work seen by large amounts of people especially if you are just starting out and can’t really afford to finance your own exhibition,” she says.
