Geological studies at the University of Adelaide introduced me to field trips and I developed an interest in photography as a form of documentation, for both my studies and frequent bushwalking expeditions. After completing my degree, I chose to pursue a career in photography.

My early contact with the Jam Factory and the Crafts Council of SA in 1974 established a long-standing association with photographing art, which remains to the present. During this time there were periods when my work was dominated by such areas as the performing arts and advertising campaigns for clients such as Mitsubishi Motors, Australia National Rail, Berrivale Foods and Orlando Wyndham Wines. With today’s need for professional presentation for artists and craft practitioners, I find the major proportion of my business is photography for individual artists, the Jam Factory Art and Craft Centre, wine producers, IT commerce, product manufacturers and the major state public galleries.

Armband by Juliet Mitchell (photograph by Grant Hancock)

Currently my work is centred on photographing people for business, glass artworks, wine bottles and jewellery. However, ceramics, furniture and room interiors form a significant component of my business. Through my close association with the artists, I attempt to present their work in a dramatic light, but without the ‘photography’ becoming too dominant. Finely controlled lighting is essential in portraying the reflective, transmissive and textural qualities of the work. The degree to which the image dramatises and sells versus the documentary approach is driven by the primary final use of the image. I research and assess these criteria before photography.

Lighting the work can make or break the success of the image. It need not necessarily be overly complex, however, the light needs careful control in quality, direction and shape.

I provide transparencies from 35mm to 8”x10” and all formats in between. The last eight years or so has seen the growth of digital image requirements to the point where all images going to print end up in this form. Presentation material for exhibition assessment and grant applications is also progressing along this path. Over this period I have embraced extensive education and research into digital acquisition, colour correction, file print preparation and manipulation. I currently have three high-end image workstations and a high-end digital camera capable of capturing professional quality files from 18Mb to 144Mb suitable for presentation to pre-press. To maintain an edge there is a need for us all to move with the requirements of the times.