Still images captivate artist

A simple click is all it can take to create an artistic masterpiece.

However photography as an art form is not as easy as it sounds and for visual artist Stephanie O’Connor the process has been ‘‘quite a thrill’’.

‘‘It’s a means to an end and it’s the one I enjoy the most,’’ she says.

O’Connor has been putting the final touches on her exhibition for the Auckland Photography Festival.

The city-wide festival showcases some photography from New Zealand and around the world.

O’Connor’s exhibition Release the Hounds opened at the Pah Homestead on May 21.

The process has taken 18 months to complete but ‘‘it’s great to finally see it in fruition’’, the Grey Lynn resident says.

Put thoughts of canines out of your mind – in fact the exhibition is full of human faces.

It showcases 14 portraits of women aimed at accentuating facial ‘‘flaws’’.

O’Connor wanted to challenge what people have come to expect from the photo retouching process.

‘‘I’m using [retouching] in a different capacity. Someone’s eyes might be enhanced so they look subtly different.’’

Photography is a way of life for the 29-year-old. Her parents run a successful visual media business.

‘‘My mum was

always visually engaged,’’ O’Connor says.

‘‘She was very inspiring because she found it so exciting.

‘‘It’s more the imagemaking I enjoy. For a long time I resisted calling myself a photographer.

‘‘I love still image more than anything. I feel like there’s so much more to explore,’’ she says.

The Auckland Photography Festival runs from May 28 to June 20.