Living off the land

I wanted to know if anyone in Australia specialised in farming photography, so I Googled it and came across you.

There’s actually quite a few of us who love to capture this lifestyle.

I thought your work was especially professional, with a strong documentary feel for rural and outback Australia.

I do run this as a full-time business, and I’m very fortunate to live the lifestyle I photograph. I’m one of those lucky people who has created a job I love and it never feels like work.

My husband and I have a 9,300-hectare sheep and cattle property 90km south-west of Blackall, in Central Queensland, where we mostly run merino sheep. [Blackall claims to have been the site of the original black stump that led to the phrase ‘beyond the black stump’, an imaginary line defining the eastern beginnings of the untamed outback.]

 Early morning drafting of merinos at ‘Warringah’ Blackall, CW QLD.

When did you first get interested in photography?

Growing up at Blackall, I was always interested in the visual format of photography, and my mum had a darkroom set up in our laundry. I shot for a long time on ‘auto’, having absolutely no idea what I was doing. I’ve travelled extensively in Australia and overseas, including working on a ranch in Canada with my cousin for six months in the mid-1990s. Even then, I always had an SLR camera in the saddlebag.

When did you turn professional?

About 10 years ago, at the same time I was teaching my daughter at home via distance education, I committed to teaching myself how to use a camera properly and invested in some second-hand lenses. Photographing my lifestyle and what we do became my passion. Seven or eight years ago I started charging for shoots, but with little confidence in my ability, and limited knowledge of how to run a photography business.
By this time I had invested quite extensively in camera gear, so I had to make a choice to either sell some of it and keep my photography as a hobby, or jump in and have a go at running a business. Three years ago, I invested in an online course with [Sydney-based photography business mentor] Clare Stephens, and I started considering myself a full-time professional, and priced accordingly.

Rosie Alexander mustering cattle at ‘Clonagh’, Cloncurry, QLD.

Living where you do, how do you run your business and market yourself?

Social media marketing is a big part of my business. Many of my clients come via Facebook and Instagram – utilising a scheduling app is a lifesaver for me – and I can’t place a value on the impact of word of mouth.

Last year I was marketing myself as a portrait and family photographer. This year the business has evolved into also attracting commercial clients in the rural industry. For example, I’ve shot the North Queensland component for an Elders national rebrand, images as needed for the Queensland Department of Agriculture and Fisheries Sheep and Goat Paddock to Plate strategy, tourism images for the Carpentaria Shire Council, plus numerous local events, festivals and families. Just last weekend, I shot the Outback Paddle Regatta on the Thomson River at Longreach. Tomorrow I’ll be heading two hours’ drive south for a two-day campdraft competition [horse, rider and cattle] for employees of the Hughes Pastoral Group. The weekend after that, I have a family shoot booked for the Friday, and on the Saturday I’m co-hosting a photography workshop with Stephen Mowbray, one of Australia’s top equine event photographers.

Egelabra stud merino ewes at ‘Eenaweena’, Warren, NSW.

It sounds like you don’t have much time to feel isolated or lonely. Is it rare for you to have contact with other photographers?

I’m well used to isolation and very comfortable with my own company. But contact with other like-minded photographers is always welcome. I’m part of the Beauty in the Bush Collective, a group of 10 professional photographers from around Australia. Our aim is basically to showcase rural and regional Australia, and to support each other. It came about last year during the COVID lockdown when one photographer contacted other photographers she liked and admired, and asked if we wanted to do a weekly Instagram loop. We have lots of plans for the group as it keeps evolving. This year we’ve produced the first issue of a quarterly print publication, called Bush Journal, and a calendar.

‘Clonagh’, Cloncurry, QLD.

I think your photography, including the portrait and family work, has a fresh, positive contemporary look to it. Is that a style you aim for?

Honestly, I just shoot what I see and try to showcase as authentically as possible the people who live on the land. I don’t like to ask anyone to pose or stand a certain way. If they’re not comfortable in themselves, or comfortable with me, it shows in the image.
The Queensland light may also have something to do with my style. While I love early morning and late afternoon light as much as any photographer, I’m probably one of the few that embraces harsh midday light. Stockwork is an all-day job.

Having said all that, every commercial assignment has a different brief and I have a different plan in mind to fulfill that. It can be quite specific. For example, they may want shots with negative space to accommodate text. More generally, you must thoroughly understand what the client wants to use the shots for, be it for a printed brochure, social media or tourism promotion, and shoot accordingly. Occasionally I’ll find myself shooting something I think looks amazing, but I need to check myself and question whether it fits the brief. On the other hand, on occasions I’m engaged to shoot a job because the client trusts my style and creative eye, and the brief is very minimal.

‘Clonagh’, Cloncurry, QLD.

How time-consuming is the admin part of the business?

I have a virtual assistant who works for me four hours a day, five days a week. She does my sales funnels [the process by which leads are converted into customers], tech and newsletters among many other jobs for my main business. She also does the graphics and content creation for my free private Facebook group, Moments That Matter. I started this group to help people in their journey in photography by sharing some of the things I’ve learnt, and perhaps boost their confidence when using a camera. The group has been going for about two months and it already has more than 250 members from all over Australia and overseas.

Yarding up for lambmarking at ‘Warringah’, Blackall, CW QLD.

What gear do you usually have in your kit bag?

I’ve just upgraded to two mirrorless Canon R6 camera bodies. My main lenses are 24-70mm f/2.8 and 70-200mm f/2.8 telephotos. I also love my 35mm and 85mm prime lenses. My old 5D Mark III and 7D Mark II Canons are now my back-up cameras. If I’m going out mustering or the like, I’ll take one of them, and a 70-300mm f/4-5.6 lens, in case it falls off the motorbike or gets bumped.

Do you do much editing in post-production?

I shoot in RAW [file format] so I can better adjust contrast, exposure, highlights – especially in challenging light situations. I rarely crop a shot from what I got in-camera. Again, that comes down to just shooting what I see. I love my images to tell a story and my aim is to create a connection with the viewer. In all respects, I try to keep the integrity of an image as true as I can to what I saw when I shot it.

Ilfracombe Sunset & Sculpture Trail.

To view more of Lisa Alexander’s work, visit her website, Instagram, Facebook

Article by Steve Packer

Excerpt from Photo Review Issue 90

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