Photoshoot + Interview: 'Nikita' by Bella Julie Photography
Belinda Sheridan is the clever creative behind the lens at Bella Julie Photography.
The Perth based boutique portrait photographer specializes in everything from newborn, children, family, maternity,
We're honored to showcase one of her recent, beautiful photo shoots, along with an insightful interview with the photographer. Enjoy!
Q: How'd you get your start in photography?
A: My photography journey started whilst I was backpacking solo around the beautiful cities and towns of Europe in 2012. I had a bit of photographic experience as I had previously studied a tertiary Art & Design course which included photography, but it was during my travels that my passion for it really flared. When I came home my brother had just had a baby, so I was always taking photos of her and fell in love with portraits of newborns and children. My style is innocent, light and airy and so they reflect that well. This stemmed fairly quickly out into family portraits and eventually into general portraits where I am currently focusing my time. I basically just love taking photos of people!
Q: What was your experience like directing a horse for this photoshoot?
A: It certainly was a different experience with this shoot as it was not the first time that I have worked photographically with animals, but it was the first time that I had worked with a horse. As it turns out - horses are much harder to work with then dogs and cats lol! We did have some trouble with getting QT (the horse) to keep her head away from the grass and a few other small challenges, but overall she was a great horse to work with as she was very tame and was actually the model's own horse. She loves QT dearly so it was a very special shoot.
Q: How did you come to choose the stunning forest location for this shoot?
A: I chose the pines as the location to shoot in as I wanted a really natural, woodsy feel to the shoot to offset the femininity of the model's big OTT ruffles on her pink gown and to make the red gown really pop. As you can imagine, having a horse included in a shoot meant also that we were limited location-wise, so this being one of the locations I knew horses were permitted and ridden regularly was also a factor in my decision. I believe it really was the perfect spot, I was so happy with the way that the golden lighting fell through the trees, it gave the whole scene a very whimsical feel.
Q: What's the most rewarding part of your family portrait work? Is it nice to be able to take a break and plan your own shoot from scratch?
A: The most rewarding part of my family portrait work is in meeting so many different, lovely and unique families and really bringing out their true personalities in the resulting images. I love the feeling when the families see their completed images and are so overwhelmed with happiness at how I have captured their essence and a timeless memory. I've even had a few people cry they have been that joyous and that is very special to me. I lost my mother to breast cancer when i was 24 years old, and I barely had any images of us together since my childhood. I just know that I would give anything to have had that connection between my mother and I captured, but unfortunately I don't.
Q: Is Perth a good place to be for a photographer when it comes to scouting shoot locations?
A: Perth is a surprisingly great place for scouting locations. I didn't actually see the beauty in Perth until I became a photographer, I used to think it was a bit boring and drab... but it is actually full of so many diverse and breathtaking locations. I feel very lucky to have such a wealth of scenery at my fingertips. We have some stunning white sand beaches, woodland forests, floral fields galore in spring, an array of lush gardens and parks, along with some iconic Perth locations such as the Matilda Bay Boathouse and the historic style lanes and buildings of Fremantle, just to name a few. It also helps that we generally have very good and consistent weather here so I can plan my shoots and almost guarantee that I won't need to reschedule or find another location at the last second due to bad weather. I really do love Perth.
We want to thank Belinda for taking the time to answer our interview questions and we encourage you to check out more of her whimsical work by visiting her website and following along on Facebook and Instagram (@bella.julie.photography). Enjoy!
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Interview by Cecile - Cecile Blackmore is a writer from Brisbane, Australia. She writes and edits at The Creative Issue and hoards vintage clothing – follow her adventures on Instagram at @saintcecile.