Interview * Sharyn Cairns * Photographer

This wide, brown land we call home is pretty darn photogenic. But that doesn’t guarantee a great photo! For that very reason, today’s feature story is a particular treat for The Countryphiles. Sharyn Cairns is one of my all-time FAVOURITE photographers because she manages to capture the ESSENCE of country in a way that is so very pleasing & elusive. Be it a sparse understated landscape (such as those above) or the intimate details of a country home and country folk, Sharyn has got an AMAZING eye!

I set Sharyn the task to ‘curate’ some of her favourite photos that she has taken that depict country life and I’m very HONOURED to share Sharyn’s final collection with you in today’s post! From big blue skies to expansive oceans, from delicate blooms to boisterous beasts – her photos are FABULOUS! Thank you indeed Sharyn. I chose not to caption the images or reference the wonderful stylists so the focus can gently turn towards the photographer. Enjoy! x

Sharyn and I spoke at length about her ‘DREAM job’; being the photographer for Country Style magazine (amongst others). Born in Gippsland, Sharyn is a country girl at heart who was “drawn to the big city lights” and has since grown to love its vibrancy. “The credit line for my first-ever published photoshoot,” Sharyn recalls, “read: ‘Contributor Sharyn Cairns – a keen netballer from Gippsland’, I’ve moved on a little since those days but, like everyone else, I started at the beginning. I actually set off to pursue architecture and interior design at RMIT but while on that journey, amongst a myriad of art mediums, I discovered my love of photography. I spent six or so years assisting some of the best photographers in the industry who were generous in sharing what they each knew about the craft and they became my mentors.” Sharyn now has her own assistants who she is more than happy to mentor.

The job involves lots of travel both across Australia and internationally (for various clients). “Days are long and taxing. On most city shoots, I have the luxury of an assistant (someone to help me carry all my equipment and set up and pack up) but on country shoots it’s mostly just me and the unavoidable vagaries of dust, dirt, rain, mud and wind. My lenses are often strewn about on the ground because I don’t have enough hands to change a lens carefully when a surprise moment pops up that I want to capture. Having said that, some of the country shoots end up being the most rewarding.”

Light, shadows and highlights are important elements in Sharyn’s work. “A great photo story is visually attractive, which is different from visually perfect. Elements of light and shade and highlights allow unexpected beauty to reveal itself and evolve during a shoot. I’m drawn to emotion, texture, shadows, depth, dark & moody, dirty light, warmth and moments of celebration. Sometimes it’s the simplest of things that evokes the greatest impact and connection.”

I asked Sharyn how she manages to capture the intangible romance of country life beyond photographing objects; the warm summer air, barely audible but distinctively country sounds, the smell of spring. “I’m probably too close to really know the answer to that or to be able to clearly discern it. My photos are very much me on a page; what I love, what’s inherent. You can’t force a style on yourself – you are yourself and your photos show the world who that is. If a job’s not me; I don’t take it.”

“Even though I grew up in Gippsland, each photoshoot assignment in the country allows me to look at the landscape and country life with fresh eyes. It’s such a contrast to city life and city aesthetics. What strikes me most of all about the country is the vastness, the different light, being able to see the horizon when watching sunsets and sunrises, how clear the views are and how uninterrupted by human structures, the calmness and serenity, the sounds and smells of the ocean, the beauty of reflections in large bodies of water, the rush of a river; it’s mother nature on mass and at her finest. The country is a true retreat.”

What is it they say? Never work with animals and children! Sharyn explained that animal skills can come in very handy for country shoots. On one particular assignment for a wool issue, Sharyn was given the following brief : “We’d like a shot of a Ram looking straight at the camera. Oh, and ps. don’t get hurt!” Sharyn’s AMAZING photo is below. Horned-beast taming: tick! On another project, Sharyn was assigned to photograph 200 head of cattle. When she asked the farm manager about the cattle’s temperament she was told, “they’ll run away from you as soon as look at you”. Moments later, the farm manager looked on from the farmhouse kitchen window in amazement; there was Sharyn crouched down in the paddock, surrounded by the entire 200-head of cattle who were inching in closer and closer to find out what she was all about. Bovine whispering; tick! On still another occasion, Sharyn was taking photos at a goat farm when the goats (renowned for eating everything in sight) began to graze on her hair and her pants! Giving your all to the job; tick! On yet another assignment, Sharyn found herself horsing around with her subject. Ability to see the funny side; tick!

“Country people are incredibly lovely. Often they’ve been through incredible struggles and are inspired and have a special endurance. It’s often a big deal to them to be featured in a magazine (unlike the shoots I do for commercial products or companies where models are used to such exposure). I always feel honoured and privileged to share their homes and see a little of their lives and their loved-ones. It’s a very personal experience of place and people and I really appreciate and enjoy that part of my work enormously. Twenty years on, I still get a buzz from doing a good shoot that captures the unexpected pops of greatness found only in the country.”

Sharyn Cairns
Photographer
www.sharyncairns.com.au