What first drew you into photography, and how did it turn into your career?

I actually started out as a painter but eventually realised I’m too impatient to watch paint dry. Impulsively, I bought a camera and begged Ash Muir (NZ’s favorite wedding photographer) to let me tag along during wedding season. I learned so much from her, she’s absolutely brilliant, and got me completely hooked on photography. From there, I started roping my friends into monthly shoots to practice and build a portfolio… and now I get booked! Wild.

Weddings and fashion shoots can feel like opposite worlds. What’s something you’ve learned from each that influences the other?

 Weddings are extremely fast-paced. Lighting, weather and emotions are unpredictable, so it trains you to think on your feet, be resourceful and flexible which is great for fashion shoots.

When shooting fashion, I’ve learned to be more intentional with composition, light, styling and posing which gives me the ability to bring a more cinematic eye to wedding photography.

Looking through your portfolio, your use of light feels intentional and varied, Why is that?

Lighting heavily dictates the mood. No matter what I’m shooting for – a client or a test shoot I’m directing – deciding how it’ll be lit is first priority when dissecting the brief. It’s also so fun to experiment with. I currently love a moodier shot in studio but that’s my flavour of the month. It’ll change once I get the itch to start a new project. 

What’s been one of your favourite shoots so far, and why?

 It’s a recent shoot I did with two good friends — all three of us creative and wanting to collaborate on a project together. We spent the day at Dailies Studio in Hamilton, which has an amazing setup and some seriously sick gear to play with. I’d previously been to one of their studio lighting workshops, but this was my first time arranging a studio setup on my own and directing a shoot while manipulating all of the gear. Being hands-on made the process much less intimidating, and I got the chance to fall in love with yet another facet of photography.

Do you have a dream client or project you’d love to photograph one day?

This is so tough. I would love to follow an artist around on tour and shoot all of their shows and the backstage vibes. 

Olivia Dean HIT MY LINE 🙂

Be honest how many half-edited photo sets are still sitting on your hard drive?

I have a few unedited collections kicking around in the archives, but I actually adore the editing process! Sitting on my laptop playing with colours in a photo gives me the same adrenaline rush as if I were on-site shooting. It makes the project come alive and I get really excited to share them.

What’s your favourite format of photography? (35mm film, digital, digicam, medium format)

Ohhhh I love digital because I get to push and pull so much in edit, but I’ve also fallen in love with 35mm film. I try to use my film camera for a personal project once a month – when ImageLand send my scans through it’s like Christmas every time.

 How do you price your work without undervaluing yourself?

This is so hard! I still struggle, but my best motivation is remembering that I’m part of a creative community – if I undervalue my work, I’m also undervaluing theirs. Imposter syndrome is so real, but at some point you’ve got to back yourself and protect the standard that other photographers in your circle have built.

What’s the one thing you wish you knew before you started photography?

I wish I knew how to do my taxes.

Where can people follow your work and get in touch with you?

For biz enquiries and to follow the photo journey: @gabeontools on insta

For biz enquiries: gabe[email protected]

For personal projects: @maybgabriel on insta