Interview with Julianne Rose | An Australian Photographer with 30 Years of Capturing Moments in Paris

Hi! I'm Julianne Rose, an Australian photographer, based mostly in Paris for the last 30 years. As a teenager, I aspired to become a photographer but I grew up in a small town in north Australia where there were no opportunities to study photography.

Turning 18, I won Australia’s Face of the 80s; a beauty quest that gave me the chance to travel to Europe initially as a model before pursuing my dream to be a photographer a few years later.

In the school of Hard Knocks! My modeling experience allowed me to work with some of the most awesome photographers of the era, talents such as Guy Bourdin, Peter Lindeburg, Dominique Issermann, Steve Hiett, and Sarah Moon just to name a few.

I devoured all I could about lighting, different cameras & formats, and the secrets of production & direction. I no doubt drove everyone crazy at the time but it was definitely the greatest photography school I could have hoped for.

There is so much advantage in learning on the field. I then became a professional photographer in the mid-90s, initially in fashion and advertising and later in fine art.

The very first photo I remember taking when I was a young child was a Polaroid of my black cat Gourmet but my first professional photo was of my 3-year-old daughter running through the Jardin des Tuileries in Paris.

This shot won me my first-ever photography award and is still amongst my favorites 30 years later.

Starting photography in the 90’s I was introduced to different cameras and formats. When shooting in the studio I adopted either Hasselblad or Pentax medium format cameras and when on location Canon became my favorite brand, especially for their amazing long focal lenses like the 200mm f/1.4 which I still treasure and use whenever I can.

When Canon revolutionised the photo industry in 2001 with the release of the EOS1, I divided my work between analog and digital, integrating video into my work when the EOS 5D was released in 2005.

I still use Canon equipment and I’ve also recently adopted the Sony Alpha 7 collection to which I can also adapt my favorite Canon and Nikon lenses.

The Sony Alpha 7 is a great lightweight and non-intrusive camera, ideal for location shooting. I also like the possibility of being able to work with high ASA when necessary, without too much noise.

My work is mainly compiled of personal artistic projects with some sort of message or element of social engagement. I’d like to be able to exchange my views with as many people as possible, to help sensibilise others to some of the important issues relevant in contemporary society.

I believe this is part of an artist’s role. Photography can be a powerful tool, allowing the viewer to open certain doors of perception, doors that may not be so easily accessed alone.

A compliment that comes to mind, which particularly touched me was from a collector I saw several years after she’d bought some of my work:

"Your photos have become part of my everyday life. It’s an honour to be able to look at the world through your lens"

This compliment particularly affected me because when I part with a photograph, I secretly hope it may be able to evoke in others, some of the emotions I experience during the whole creative process.

Much of my storytelling inspiration comes from my own personal observations and experiences in the fashion and art industries.

My positions as a woman and a mother have also driven many of my reflections and photography ideas over the years.

I’ve also become preoccupied with the complicated relationship between humanity and the rest of the natural environment and I'm finding new inspiration in this area for present and future photographic projects.

Narrative, Evocative, and Surreal.

After having to pause my artistic photography for a period, I’ve recently picked up again. The London Photography Awards is the first competition I’ve entered for years and winning 2 golds in the fine arts section was both a tremendous surprise and an honour.

Having my new work recognised by some of the top professionals in today’s photography industry is both encouraging and reassuring. This immediate recognition helps me to feel like I’m where I should be.

The series I entered entitled "The Nature of all Things" is an exploration of mankind’s relationship with fellow living beings, in this series in particular, the forest.

Humans tend to see themselves as separate entities to nature rather than an integral element of nature itself. This perception of identity interests me. Exploring the singular question of form, blurring the frontiers between humans and their natural environment, the project questions the notion of this separation.

Confronting us with both our power over nature and our responsibility towards it, "The Nature of all Things" aims to encourage urgent reconsideration of our relationship with the natural environment and to recognize and protect the beauty in our shared existence.

If nature were to take on human forms, would we continue to treat it with such indifference?

Winning this LPA award is great exposure and recognition for my new work, generating enthusiasm both for myself and my public.

Even though it’s imperative to have a strong personal vision, never underestimate the importance of the purely technical aspects of photography. Simply having a "feeling" won‘t fill that white page!

I would probably give that very same advice but perhaps add on the necessity for at least minimal business-commercial skills. Like everything in contemporary society, photography is also a business.

Knowing how to show and sell your photos has become an important aspect of our art. Though this is often the hardest step for so many artists, it has definitely become a major element in success with the emergence of social media and extreme competition in the photography world.

It’s not much use having great talent if nobody knows you exist!

Shoot what you see and not what you think others want to see. Believe and trust in your personal vision and when life gets blurry, find a way to adjust your focus!