Australian shutterbug Nick McKinlay may be relatively new to the photography game, but you sure couldn't tell by a flick through his snaps. Have a read of an interview with the photo-loving fella below, then stop by his website to check out more.



What is your name and how old are you? Nick McKinlay, 26.

Where were you born and where do you live now? Hornsby, but for now I live in the Blue Mountains, west of Sydney.

How does where you live affect your photography? I haven't been photographing 'properly' for long. Only in the last year on my exchange to Denmark did I really get into it. So it was there that influenced my work the most. I found Danish people to be super creative and open, so talking to them inspired me to just shoot anything – no fear, I guess. That, and their abundance of musical talent. Bands nice enough to let me plod along with them on their tours and document their running around.



What kind of subjects interest you the most? Absolutely those with a brain. Nature is cool, but there is something that happens to a photo when it features a real live, breathing element. Like a dog – what on earth is that dog thinking right there? Bones, balls, existentialism? That's fascinating to capture.

What do you shoot on (digital or analogue) and why do you choose to use that type? It's pretty awesome to use both. Digital is an instant flash in your face result, great for deadlines and right now. People want to look over your shoulder – "oh, how do I look!?" "Take it again, my leg looks all weird". Which is nice. But film, when people can't see the result straight away, it's easier to capture that fleeting candid moment and walk away. It is present. There's also something about winding film. It's a physical, tactile thing, you really can't be doing anything but 'photography' when you wind a roll. Plus film just looks mad. Grainy, beautiful thing that it is.

What kinds of ideas are you working on at the moment? More subversive photos, but funny ones too. "Contradictory Sports" is an idea I've been throwing around. Like a guy who is dripping wet, wearing a wetsuit and surfing down a skateboard half-pipe. Actually, may have to work on that idea.



Do you take the same care with personal photographs as you do with commercial/artistic work? There is certainly more pressure when you have to take a photograph, sort of leading to photos that are safe and generically pleasing. I'm lucky that most bands and people I shoot are happy with technically imperfect, yet cool moments that sometimes come about. They don't expect glossy studio style, so my personal and commissioned works seems to blend pretty well.

If you were to teach a photography appreciation class, what kind of lessons would you try to teach your students? That photography is a pretty amazing medium in terms of cementing memories, even altering them. Stories and recollections are super-important to me; I feel it shapes who we are and where we are going. So, going into photography knowing it is an artifact that shapes our future may create a basic respect for the medium. I find it cool to review a moment after you've experienced and photographed it. Maybe you didn't even feel the same vibe the photo is expressing when you were there! Someone may have photographed a different angle, something you didn't see. It sort of creates this multidimensional world, and doesn't accept one particular way of remembering things. Potentially teaching that makes me pretty darn excited.

What advice can you offer on finding your personal style or aesthetic? Maybe obvious, but take HEAPS of photos. Friends can be your models. They are going to be sick of you snapping them, but will most probably get used to it and relax. Copy styles, rework them, listen to everybody, talk to people about photography, about anything! Photography isn't limited, you might find inspiration from your bus station (trains, bikes... wherever things are). Start a project – it doesn't matter if you think it is not good, it probably is. And if you don't like it, was that not fun anyway?



What are some of the challenges that you are facing in modern times as a photographer? As with most artistic endeavours, there seems to be a pull between art for its own sake, and art for profit. This is my biggest challenge currently. It is almost like, if a photo doesn't either provide money or get credibility, it actually doesn't exist. I'm trying my best to reject that and gain pleasure from something I've created, and have some say in its worth personally.

What is the strangest thing or thought that has inspired a photo? My good friend Kell and I went about making these super cool skeleton masks for Halloween (Designed by Wintercroft). We were actually fortunate enough to be in Germany at the time, and ran about scaring poor German kids with these 3D full-faced skeleton masks. But after that, we thought it would be pretty neat/funny to make a photo series about a skeleton man, who just goes about living a very average, 9-5, single working life. So we created a day in the life of "Skele-man". It ended up being quite sad, Skele-man seemed to be the only one of his kind, living a lonely, cyclical life.

What do you enjoy doing when not taking photos? Heaps of things! Walking, playing with my dog Mallee, being the local manatee at some Sydney beach, drawing, trying to cook somewhat decently for friends. Reading a book about the Big Bang at the moment, it's pretty crazy.



Where can we see more of your work? nickmckinlayphotos.com is the best bet. I have a facebook page too.