Picture perfect
Pro tips on capturing unforgettable moments
WORDS KATE ROBERTSON
VIDEO & IMAGES JAMES FISHER
Picture perfect
Pro tips on capturing unforgettable moments
WORDS KATE ROBERTSON
VIDEO & IMAGES JAMES FISHER
It can take a trip overseas for Australians to realise the rich cultures and history of their own country.
Discover Aboriginal Experiences photographer James Fisher is well-placed to provide insights on how to get the best images of Australia’s diverse people and places.
Over the past 15 years, James has travelled the length and breadth of the country, photographing the premium collective of Indigenous-led tours for Tourism Australia.
James didn’t plan to take photos for a living, in fact he studied psychology at university, but it didn’t take long for the love of photography he’d inherited from his grandfather to evolve from a hobby to a career.
‘My grandfather had a dark room and I found that very intriguing as a kid. It's like a secret lab — there's a red light, there's magical things happening, you've got all this technology there with lenses and projectors. That was all very appealing to me.’
Like many Aussies, in his early 20s, James travelled overseas to broaden his horizons. It turned out to be the long way to discovering the incredible cultural heritage of his own country.
James Fisher says his camera prompts him to explore the world.
Travelling the breadth of Australia, James has seen some incredible places.
‘I had no idea that right here in Australia were some of the most ancient and interesting cultures on Earth. I had to go through India, Asia and then Europe and see all the great cities and then come back to Australia to realise we have something even more unique and older, and more interesting to explore.’
James took the opportunity to learn more about Aboriginal cultures when he landed a job in 2008 as the on-set photographer for Baz Luhrmann’s epic movie Australia, which was partly shot near Kununurra, in outback Western Australia.
‘As a photographer you want to be shooting at dawn and dusk; in Australia you get two magic hours, then the rest of the day is stuck on hard, high-contrast light. So, I slept on set so I wouldn’t miss the sunrise. I slept out under the stars at a secret campsite behind a hill where I had a little fireplace under a boab tree.’
"As a photographer you want to be shooting at dawn and dusk; in Australia you get two magic hours, then the rest of the day is stuck on hard, high-contrast light."
With the local Miriwoong tribe employed in its entirety as movie extras, James made the most of this unique opportunity to spend time with them.
It was his affinity with the Aboriginal cast that led to James securing the role of photographer for Discover Aboriginal Experiences, with the responsibility for documenting Indigenous-led tours in some of Australia’s most scenic places. His images are incredible, but it’s the experiences he values most.
‘Photography for me has been a reason to get up in the morning and explore the world and encounter things like culture, and nature in a more passionate way. The picture is not the point. The point is that you got up before dawn and you went out with an Indigenous person into the mangroves, and you watched the sunrise over the mud flats, and you learned about that place.’
Dusk and dawn are the best times to shoot Australia.
James’ highlights:
Yawuru man Bart Pigram shares the culture and history of Broome and the bay.
Broome
‘One of the most beautiful experiences I've had was in Broome. We walked through the mangroves, which is an incredibly photogenic environment. It’s like a primordial swamp with shafts of light coming through the canopy.
‘If the light's right, and the tide happens to be just at the right point during that dusk or dawn window of time, you'll get these incredible mirrors happening where the sky is reflected in the sand. And that's a fantastic thing for photographers to explore.’
Narlijia Experiences MANGROVE DISCOVERY EXPERIENCE
Broome's mangroves make for compelling photo opportunities.
Indigenous guide Bec Sampi at Echnida Chasm. Photo credit: Tourism Western Australia.
Purnululu National Park
The sight of the sun hitting the ancient beehive domes and the spectacular gorges of Purnululu National Park is a photographer’s dream, but for James, it was eclipsed by the opportunity to visit Echidna Chasm with two Aboriginal Elders and document the moment on film.
‘This was a peak moment in my career — I'm in this sacred place with these two ancient ladies who are the Traditional Owners of that place, and they were just really amazing personalities.’
Kingfisher Tours K1B+ BUNGLES DAY TREK EXTENDED (with Echidna Chasm)
The artists of Injalak Arts and Crafts Centre share their skills with tourists.
Kakadu and Arnhem Land
A rocky escarpment in Arnhem Land left a big impression on James.
‘You can do a tour that shows you all the cave paintings and the traditional tools for grinding seeds or cutting firewood, and the rock art with stories about the different birds and fish that they would hunt. You really get an idea of how it would have felt to be living up there, having a corroboree, cooking up a kangaroo or a goanna on the fire and looking out across this incredible landscape.’
Injalak Arts and Crafts Centre, within line of sight of the escarpment, is a hub for traditional and contemporary Aboriginal artists.
‘They're doing fascinating work. I did portraits of the artists and there's just a sense of beautiful calmness and creativity. They are just an amazing group of people that are producing amazing work and sharing that with the world.’
Lords Kakadu & Arnhemland Safaris 4-DAY KAKADU AND ARNHEMLAND TOUR (includes a visit to Injalak Arts and Crafts Centre)
James encourages amateur photographers to give underwater photography a go.
Great Barrier Reef
Unsurprisingly, James spent a lot of time in the water at the Great Barrier Reef, taking some amazing underwater photographs of the colourful coral reefs and underwater national parks that led to the region’s UNESCO heritage listing.
But the good news for amateur photographers is that whilst James used heavy and expensive specialist photography gear to capture his stunning photos, he says smartphones are now so advanced, anyone can take great underwater images — if they use a waterproof housing.
‘An “Otterbox” will let you go underwater with the iPhone to a depth of five metres, and that enables you to get really amazing shots.’
Dreamtime Dive & Snorkel DREAMTIME CRUISE
Exploring the Great Barrier Reef with an Indigenous guide adds to the experience.
Its unique combination of mountain, rainforest and river has made Mossman Gorge one of James' favourite places.
Mossman Gorge
‘Mossman Gorge is one of my favourite places in the whole world. It's essentially a crystal-clear mountain river surrounded by a jungle, which is full of wildlife and birds, and the river sort of cascades through these beautiful silvery boulders. You can just lie back on the boulders and meditate in the sun. There's all kinds of birdlife and animals there — even some ancient species that don't exist anywhere else in the world.’
Voyages Indigenous Tourism Australia NGADIKU DREAMTIME WALKS
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