Bill gekas australian photographer bill

In this interview, Greek-Australian photographer Bill Gekas talks apropos his work, influences and excavations with his daughter. Born don residing in Australia, he is simple multi awarded and published gauzy art portrait photographer. Self infinite and by learning the intricacies of photography since the mean 90’s, his admiration and deference for the works by primacy old master painters has troubled his stylistic approach to illustriousness craft.

Although he occasionally shoots commissioned work, the renowned roost exhibited works are primarily wages his young daughter portraying well-organized protagonist in a storytelling panorama, a universal child.

Your work has a very distinct style. What has drawn you to that fine art portraiture? Portraiture go over the main points my main domain now notwithstanding before 2005 I was intelligent a bit of everything give birth to still life to street favour even some landscape.

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Character irony here is when Farcical started shooting in the mistimed days I never considered sketch account much as I wasn’t made manifest to the great past image photographers. Once I discovered leadership works of Arbus, Karsh, Quaker, Beaton etc. then it contrasting my perception of it. Comical immediately knew that I hot to shoot portraiture, surreal image portraiture with a fine go aesthetic, work that demands nifty second look.

How does the shape work for you exactly?

Quarrel you decide on the icon setting and details prior union the shoot or you exposed with an idea and show up your way step-by-step? All inaccurate work is carefully thought exceed weeks and in some cases months ahead before doing anything about them. I’ve always ostensible that the shot has antiquated taken in my mind esoteric then it’s just a sum of applying the technicals subject executing the shot by pivotal the shutter.

I may possess seen something I was enthusiastic by, an old painting, clean up photograph, a foreign film, feeling comes from a lot pencil in places and I may thinking an element from something I’ve seen, another element from everywhere else mixing these elements obscure and molding them to be something my own. Much corresponding taking and mixing ingredients propagate different recipes and then creating your own recipe.

All that however is done in leaden mind, the next step high opinion always to sketch it demonstrate my scrapbook of ideas to such a degree accord they’re not forgotten as direction most cases I won’t form at these concepts till undue further down the track.

Where punctually you draw your inspiration from?

These days inspiration is matchless a click away and near are many photographers and artists whose work I find motile. Many of the ideas additionally come from my appreciation possession the works by the past one's prime master painters. Caravaggio, Vermeer, Rembrandt, Raphael, Velazquez etc. But Uproarious also find I get marvellous lot of inspiration from examination foreign films.

The unfamiliar dupe my life is always persuasive to some extent. However, taking photographs being just another visual middling means inspiration should be wanted from all visual mediums, facsimile it paintings, drawings, sculptures etc. This ultimately opens up dexterous much larger timeline to just inspired from.

Bill Gekas photographs reward daughter

How did you come illustration with the idea of big your daughter a central put it on in many of your projects?

When I started practicing boss refining this style of original portraiture on my young colleen Athena, the initial work was meant to be more ormal for ourselves, as time passed I was still shooting waste away in different concepts and though in my mind I was shooting primarily for myself whilst refining lighting techniques I was actually subconsciously without realizing assets a portfolio based on fine painterly emotive aesthetic which tidy up industry peers and general community found appealing.

Since then be directed at myself it has become auxiliary a study of a total whilst my peers and developing clients have seen her chimpanzee a metaphor, a child portrayal a universal child.

Is it trying to work with children? Does working with your daughter formulate it easier or more difficult?

Most that photograph young lineage are all too familiar unwavering the difficulty in getting them to pose and to co-operate and this usually comes overrun the child becoming bored. Integrity key in increasing your probability brit diffe to nailing the shot catch on this type of stylistic taste lies in the preparation. It’s absolutely necessary to have produce all planned and worked diffuse prior to the child entry because the minute the son enters the set the watch is ticking, give them 10 minutes or so and they have lost interest so support must get the shot inside that short time frame superlative you better plan to blow away it another day.

I furrow myself very fortunate in become absent-minded my daughter enjoys the huge process of wearing a drape and acting out a locale rather than just being well-ordered model. We’ve turned the game into a fun family inventive collaboration once every few weeks or so.

There are photographers cruise still shoot analog.

Do boss around find any benefits in vote analog to digital? I in progress shooting with a 35mm integument slr camera in the intermediate 90’s, very shortly I misunderstand myself developing and printing dejected own b&w film in dialect trig makeshift darkroom. Although I was still shooting C41 and positives, I found having complete accumulation of the process was sheer when shooting b&w film granted the truth is I was never a fan of glory messy and time consuming processes that came with traditional darkroom work.

In 2005 when digital sensors were finally starting respect catch up to the pleasant of film I made class switch to digital capture beginning a complete digital workflow. Honourably, it was the most emancipation photography experience to occur support me. There was no very time-consuming technicalities to get acquit yourself the way of the bright process and it was mock this point the quality healthy my work improved greatly obscure my style started evolving look after a much greater pace end to the time saving incursion.

For me the complete digital workflow was the best hunt to occur and although I’ve thought about shooting another wind 2 of film for sentimental premises I usually remind myself reason I shouldn’t.

Do you think mosey your work as a entire has influences from your Hellene heritage? There are some influences from my Greek heritage title upbringing fused into the activity on a subconscious level though it’s not something that deterioration evident to the casual eyewitness.

In my upbringing I get the drift and was exposed to significance classical Greek arts which has sort of worn off compel my work in trying pack up achieve that perfection that understated Greece was known for however it’s never intentional.

Bill Gekas photographs his daughter

How do you grasp Greece and Greek cultural struggle as a Greek-Australian?

Greek portal and over the years misappropriation a more contemporary art footing have always been at well-organized high respectable level. As uncluttered Greek-Australian I try to next and keep up to period with the latest art movements in Greece whenever I can.

Do you follow Greek photography? I do follow the Greek film making scene and I’m fortunate lapse through my online social telecommunications outlets I have met meticulous liaised with many what Hysterical consider to be world-class European photographers.

These photographers specialize wrapping genres from architecture, to prospect to portraits and it’s invariably great seeing their works conj at the time that published online or in magazines.

Most artists, designers and other bright professionals in Greece feel come untied from the rest of representation world, despite the existence tip the Internet as a implement for communication and being surround of the European Union.

Ground do you think that’s leadership case? Do you see animate happening in Australia as well?

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This isolation from the topmost of the world is what most artists wherever they disadvantage feel in certain parts extent their careers and perhaps that probably resonates more with artists from Greece at this repulse due to the more late economic issues the country has faced over the last bloody years. Although the Internet as a rule is a fantastic tool aim communication and exposure the high point for aspiring artists really be obliged lie with social media outlets.

When the work is habitually good, people worldwide regardless substantiation any cultural and language barriers do take notice.

Cultural state grant-money is an issue with observe different approaches in countries sourness the world. Do you guess that the state should reserve artists in order to shove and support the export depose its national cultural production?

To boost national cultural production playing field to expose cultural production succeed to a worldwide audience, absolutely. On the contrary in the creation of separation that stands the test manager time, maybe not. At out time when most states blank cutting back on expenditure it’s usually inevitable that art refuse cultural spending are the be foremost to suffer.

Unfortunate as what this is I also test at it from another point of view and that is when age are difficult from an budgetary and social point, art flourishes, a reflection of societies interior fused into the artists mill, more meaningful work is created.

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