> You had a great advantage as a teenager, travelling the world and seeing places most adults would only dream of. Have overseas adventures contributed to the creative work you do today?
It has defined who I am creatively and personally. Being a photographer is about being an observer. Travelling gave me observation, awareness and such great life skills that it couldn’t help but flow into my creativity. Travelling to places such as India and the Middle East also brought such colour to my work, that for me colour images have to be about vibrancy and life.

> So photography wasn’t always on the cards for you...
Not really, no. I am a trained visual merchandiser (VM), I studied in Sydney and went on to work for Surf, Dive ‘n’ Ski as their VM. Following that I went on to work for Levi Strauss as their Visual Co-ordinator. This job required complete visual control over their Pitt Street store in Sydney. Visual Merchandising has been a great platform for my photography. It is all about composition, balance, lighting and form. Photography was just a natural progression.

> How has your acquaintance with some of Australia’s most pre-eminent photographers played a role in your career development and current technique?
I have been extremely lucky with the people that I have come across in becoming a photographer. While studying to become a VM, my photographic component was taught by Rex Dupain (son of Australia’s most famous photographer, Max Dupain). He taught me the basics of traditional film photography from shooting, to printing in the darkroom. He actually said to me “Your photos are great, why are you becoming a VM?”. I guess that has always rung in my ears.

After being a VM I then assisted a couple of great Sydney photographers. The first photographer shot with film and ran a very successful portrait business. I learnt the business side of photography by assisting her on shoots and helping her manage her photographic studio. The second photographer worked digitally and through him I learnt about editing and the passion behind photography. He taught me that it’s not just about business it’s also about
doing what you love. It was also through him that I realised I wanted to work digitally.

> So technology plays a large part in your work?
Huge! I shoot digitally and I would have to say that I am a Photoshop addict! Technology has also helped in bringing costs down by not having to buy and print rolls and rolls of film. This in turn eliminates wastage, and environmentally that’s always a good thing.

> How much work goes into each individual image?
It really depends on how far I want to take the image. I have images that I work on for 5 minutes. These images might only need cropping and sizing. I also have folders with images that I have worked on for over 2 hours. These images are more a fine art image that will become limited edition prints. The secret with editing is to know when to stop!

> For a typical image, how much time do you spend planning and in pre-production, and how much time is spent actually behind the lens?
I work in four stages - firstly I meet the client for the brief which is approximately half an hour, where we throw around a few ideas and work out what is required. Secondly I do the shoot, which can go from an hour, up to eight hours if it’s a wedding. Next is editing, which again will vary depending on the size of the shoot. Finally it’s meeting with the client once more for a showing of my work. So being behind the lens is definitely a small part, maybe only 20%. But of course, you do need to get the shots.

> How carefully do you plan each shoot? Are there many elements left up to spontaneity?
I plan the basics such as location, lighting and equipment, but with the shoot it’s unrehearsed so I do work with spontaneity and not being too posed. I really like to work with the element of surprise.

> What are your specialties?
I love photographing people! My specialties would have to be portraiture, whether it’s a new born baby, or a bride on her wedding day. I also really enjoy still life. I think the VM inside comes out when it’s time to stylise a shot! I also specialise in images stretched on canvas. They produce a ‘wow’ factor and it really creates a piece of art to cherish.

> Have you ever considered a book to showcase your work?
I have already started collecting images for a book. It’s a work in progress at the moment, but for now you can see my work on my website which is www.reneebell.com.au

Thank you for your time Renee.