Name:
Aaron Browning

How long have you been a photographer for?

About 16 months now with human subjects (and my dog), although I’d been playing around with landscapes for more than a year beforehand so I knew my way around a camera.

If you weren’t a photographer what would you be?

A bored desk jockey! Photography’s what I do to unwind and create something interesting. Or maybe a lawyer, I can get tied up on details a fair bit. 🙂

How would you describe your photography style?

I tend towards a style that is natural and vibrant. I’m attracted to natural light and the outdoors, and occasionally mix things up with some flash and studio setups.

Favourite lens to photograph models with?

Olympus 12-40mm 2.8, a great all-rounder. That’s equivalent to a 24-80mm lens on a full frame camera.

Do you prefer studio or location shoots?

Location shoots by far. I like to learn to work with my environment and hopefully create something unexpected and inspiring.

What advice would you give to a model for their first photoshoot?

Simply enjoy yourself and don’t worry too much about the details; that’s the photographer’s job! There’s no need for strict fashion poses, just practice some comfortable positions in the mirror at home and cycle through them when you feel stuck. Try to get comfortable in your environment and feel free to smile!

How do you get a new model to relax on set?

I like to chat and get to know who I’m working with. When doing commercial portraiture you want to get those moments in between when someone’s laughing or moving, so talking to the model and distracting them a little is the perfect way to get that. I also show them some of the shots on the back of the camera as I go for encouragement and feedback so they know what I’m seeing.

One of your favourite jobs so far has been…

Shooting swimwear through to sunset at Palm Beach with a great team. Chasing light is my favourite activity and I love when everyone comes together to make it a huge success!

I’m obsessed with…

Sunrises. Yeah, sorry about that early shoot time…

Best advice you have received?

In the industry today, it’s very easy to compare yourself to some ultra-talented people in the world and perhaps feel disenchanted. The best advice I’ve received around this is to compare yourself to your past work, rather than others. It’s healthy to want to strive to be better and doing it this way means you can more accurately see how much you’re improving and use others’ work as inspiration to stimulate creativity.

Words to live by:

“Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference” – Churchill. One thing I’ve really noticed in my career, especially in creative industries, is that there is always going to be a challenge.. Everyone’s facing them in one way or another, and it’s your attitude when tackling these that will make you stand out and help you achieve. It also helps a lot when building relationships, which are crucial.

You can find me at @abrownin

Website: http://www.aaronbrowning.com.au