ROSE HARTLEY
Photography
What do you do? I shoot documentary photography on film, usually on my Canon A-1. My project framed depicts people from around India, framed by their structural and physical environments. When did you start with photography? I think I was 12 or 13 when I first picked up a film camera, and was simply in awe. What inspires you? Reading a really good book and travelling somewhere new (the best feeling is when those two beautiful things collide). What do you stand for? Empathy and compassion for our fellow human beings and the natural world. Greatest creative achievement so far? Being a frankie Good Stuff award winner, of course! And the biggest challenge? There have been a few difficult moments my cameras and I have shared while travelling: being robbed at gunpoint and having my beloved Olympus OM-1 stolen in Colombia; botched rolls of film after passing through super-intense X-ray machines in Chinese airports; breaking a camera after excitedly jumping out of a taxi in Iran. Although these were challenging moments, they also led me to appreciate the photos I did get so much more. What are you working on right now? A project to do with grandparents and old film cameras. It’s about nostalgia, memory and time. Best piece of advice you’ve received? “Don’t let your preconceptions about what a photo should look like interfere with what your instincts are telling you to do.” Who do you look up to? My 92-year-old nanna. She just lost my pop, her partner of 70 years, and she is the most stoic, capable and incredible person I know. What did your high school careers counsellor suggest you do? I think they told me I was either going to be a nurse or a lawyer, but my two sisters ended up taking those paths. Biggest lesson you’ve learnt? To not take pictures of people, but about people. What does winning a Good Stuff award mean to you? Growing up with frankie, and content that made it OK to focus on the curious and creative mind rather than dating advice or the hottest bikini body, has undoubtedly had a huge impact on me. So this award means more than you know! What’s your next goal? I’d love to get into a darkroom and really be part of each step of the film process that has an impact on the final image. The lifelong goal is to create social change through the power of visual storytelling. Where can we see your work? apertureadjustment.com or on Instagram at @apertureadjustment. Photography judge Luisa Brimble says: Rose’s series of images from her trip to India is very thoughtful and well-designed. It’s easy to just click away while travelling, but she shows an understanding of restraint in her chosen theme, and is able to find supporting elements to really make her intentions clear.