Image credit: Julian Kingma
We are thrilled to announce that award-winning portrait photographer Julian Kingma will present our third online session for 2022.
Join us on Wednesday, 6 April at 12.30pm (Sydney time), to hear unique perspectives and insights from one of Australia’s most revered photographic portraitists.
Julian Kingma has received Quill Awards for Best Portrait and Best Picture Story, Australian Nikon Photographer of the year, and was a finalist at Head On Photo Awards in 2021. Kingma was also awarded highly commended in the National Portrait Prize 2021 and has been a finalist for the last 3 years. He began his career in 1988 as a cadet photographer at Melbourne’s The Herald Newspaper. Eventually, Julian became the Head Features Photographer for The Sunday Age, producing striking images for the newpaper for over ten years. Since then, Kingma has worked with several world-renowned publishers, such as: Gourmet Traveller, Conde Nast Traveller, Harpers Bazaar, Rolling Stone and the best of Australia’s weekend magazines, The Australian Magazine and The GoodWeekend.
Julian’s unique style of portrait photography owes much to his time in these fast-paced publishing worlds. As he explains, “portrait photography is a very strange fish – for me at least. Rarely do I go into a photoshoot with any preconceived ideas. I’ve always been a very instinctual photographer; I think I owe that to my early years in the newspapers. I always had very little time – so I am always thinking on my feet, attempting to get the most arresting image quickly with what I have on hand.”
Image credit: Julian Kingma
His diverse and impressive history in photojournalism has led to lucrative partnerships with many arts organisations, such as the National Portrait Gallery which is a dedicated collector of his work. He has photographed some of Australia’s most beloved faces, such as Gotye, Waleed Ally, Missy Higgins, Shaun Micallef, Kathy Freeman, and many others. He has also produced striking performance imagery for the Australian Ballet and Sydney Symphony Orchestra.
Check out the complete list here.
Image credit: Julian Kingma
Julian takes a very personal approach to photographing his subjects. Despite his history of expeditious feature photography, Julian says that “these days I prefer to talk to the subject for a while before diving into making a photograph. It builds trust and can reduce anxiety (for both of us). I can glean mannerisms and find the humanistic side of someone to make a more honest image.”
For Julian, portraits are not a one-person job; they are collaborative by nature; “It’s like a little dance – getting to know and trust one another. Of course, I insert my own visual interpretation – but usually, it’s with their blessing. I like knowing they feel as involved and a part of bringing the best possible image to the front.”
Julian approaches portrait photography with equal parts honesty and imagination. He depicts people as who they are and who they wish to be. Julian is a master of creating compelling compositions that simultaneously highlight and obscure his subjects, creating a sense of tantalising mystery prompting us to ask who are they? And why do we want to know?
Join us for Perfecting the Portrait with Julian Kingma on Wednesday, 6 April at 12.30pm (Sydney time), and get the answers from the man himself.
