Louise coghill
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How did you first get into shooting photos?
I borrowed my dad’s camera, took a load of terrible photos, put it away and thought ‘nah thats not for me’. I went and studied Film and TV, took a unit in photography and again I didn’t mind it, but it still didn’t have this massive hold on me. But then I moved to this little tropical town with NO film industry, decided to buy myself a camera to make my own movies and bit by bit switched into photography. It wasn’t until I went on a trip to India to make a short doco and took a few photos for fun, that I realised how much more I enjoyed taking portraits than I did making the film. Since then I haven’t really looked back. |
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Who's work are you hyped on at the moment?
Well Jarrad Seng is basically living my future life (fingers crossed) I get daily inspiration from that kid. Then basically every photographer I’m following on Instagram. Art wise I can’t get enough of Steve Browne, Hayley Welsh and Liam Dee (so pumped that he’s painting on my photos). All artists get inspiration for their work somehow, art blogs and Pinterest being a couple of popular sources in more recent times. Do you have any recommendations for people who are supposed to be studying but need a few hours of procrastination between essays? Instagram and tumblr are the reason I want to go take epic photos, but also the reason I have no time to go take epic photos. |
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What gear are you shooting with?
I’m a Canon girl, I use the 5D mkiii, her name is Mandy. My go to lens is the 24 - 70mm, obviously everyone loves a good 50mm, but the 24 - 70 is great for travel. I’m looking at getting some new lenses, but every time i save any money I end up going travelling, so i’ll stick to the old trusty for now. What do you think social media has done for artists over the last year or two? Social media has opened up so many doors over the last few years. One of my tumblr photos did the rounds, got a massive amount of love and I get loads of people all over the world sending me emails about it. It’s insane how connected we can all become with social media. And I definitely plan on utilising that when I go travelling next. Also I doubt I would even be a photographer if it hadn’t been for social media. Every paid gig I’ve had is because of Facebook and Instagram. |
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Tell us about the "Conceptual Portraits" album on your website, are you recreating images/scenes from a dream or something that you have experienced or are you leaving it up to the viewer to interpret the message however they like.
I would get a random idea, draw up some crude stick figure and then try and make it into a photo. It was after i’d come up with the idea that i’d realise it had some symbolic meaning. So i guess for me it’s my way of working out some of the random thoughts going on in my head. But I like to leave it open to the viewer to get there own reading from it. ‘The ropes that bind us’ was one where people were getting all sorts of different messages out of it. Someone even saw it as a political piece! It’s been awhile since i’ve taken a conceptual portrait though and it’s something i definitely have to get back into! 
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"...eventually had to get a bamboo raft across some flood water so my friend could make his flight"
There is a debate that Facebook is on the decline and Instagram is becoming more useful to get work out there, what are you thoughts and which platform do you find most effective?
Facebook is making it harder and harder for your photos to be seen without paying. I’m definitely a way bigger fan of instagram for that reason. I have triple the fans on facebook, but instagram gets triple the likes (just goes to show likes don’t actually matter hey haha). However Facebook is still a better tool for me if i’m looking for paid work.
Facebook is making it harder and harder for your photos to be seen without paying. I’m definitely a way bigger fan of instagram for that reason. I have triple the fans on facebook, but instagram gets triple the likes (just goes to show likes don’t actually matter hey haha). However Facebook is still a better tool for me if i’m looking for paid work.
Your images are mainly landscapes and documenting people in their environment in different countries, what is the best story you have from the road?
Oh god, i have so many crazy stories it’s hard to choose one. But one that springs to mind is how I managed to get that shot of the waterfalls in China. I’m going to give you the long version of this story, so be prepared.
I saw an image online years ago and thought those waterfalls are insane, and saved the photo, not knowing where they were and never actually expecting to go there. So when I was in Vietnam I met a photographer who showed me some pictures of this place and I realised it was the waterfalls I wanted to visit!
*2 weeks later* I arrived just as the sun was setting and the rain was starting. I explored, took a quick photo, but expecting to make it back the next day I didn’t stress too much. Little did I know a typhoon was making its way down from China. The rain set in and didn’t stop. When we went back to the waterfall the next morning in the pouring rain it was completely brown and flooded. My latest travel companion had a flight to catch so we had to head back to Hanoi and I didn’t get another photo op from the Vietnam side. (There is another epic story of how we got stuck on the side of the road for 10 hours and eventually had to get a bamboo raft across some flood water so my friend could make his flight)
So 6 weeks later I was in China and I decided to come back to these waterfalls, it took me 34 hours to get there, nobody spoke a word of english, i’d missed a bus, been scammed, seen about 3 kids peeing on the floor of train stations and by the time I made it to the waterfalls I was dead tired, it was almost sunset and I had to pay a daily entrance of about $10. I considered saving my money, sleeping, and just enjoying the falls the next day, but I remembered the last time I was there and I didn’t want to risk another Typhoon coming and ruining my picture, so I paid the fee, put off my sleep and went down. I found my spot, set up my tripod and was about take the photo, as I was getting my shot a girl came up and asked me if she could have a photo with me (there aren’t many foreigners in southern China), when I nodded she literally squealed with delight. When everyone noticed her getting a photo a line started forming. I had about 15 people line up to have a photo with me, a lot of them kept coming back for more, and an old lady kept hugging me. Eventually I realised if I didn’t ask them to stop I would miss the sunset completely. It turned out to be the nicest sunset of my trip and became one of my favourite photos. The next day there was hardly any clouds and the sunset was nowhere near as colourful. This is one of my favourite stories because so many things had to align for me to get that photo.
Where is the next destination you want to travel to photograph?
I have a few small trips in the works, but my next big travel goal is to go to Alaska, buy a van and travel all the way down to South America.
Oh god, i have so many crazy stories it’s hard to choose one. But one that springs to mind is how I managed to get that shot of the waterfalls in China. I’m going to give you the long version of this story, so be prepared.
I saw an image online years ago and thought those waterfalls are insane, and saved the photo, not knowing where they were and never actually expecting to go there. So when I was in Vietnam I met a photographer who showed me some pictures of this place and I realised it was the waterfalls I wanted to visit!
*2 weeks later* I arrived just as the sun was setting and the rain was starting. I explored, took a quick photo, but expecting to make it back the next day I didn’t stress too much. Little did I know a typhoon was making its way down from China. The rain set in and didn’t stop. When we went back to the waterfall the next morning in the pouring rain it was completely brown and flooded. My latest travel companion had a flight to catch so we had to head back to Hanoi and I didn’t get another photo op from the Vietnam side. (There is another epic story of how we got stuck on the side of the road for 10 hours and eventually had to get a bamboo raft across some flood water so my friend could make his flight)
So 6 weeks later I was in China and I decided to come back to these waterfalls, it took me 34 hours to get there, nobody spoke a word of english, i’d missed a bus, been scammed, seen about 3 kids peeing on the floor of train stations and by the time I made it to the waterfalls I was dead tired, it was almost sunset and I had to pay a daily entrance of about $10. I considered saving my money, sleeping, and just enjoying the falls the next day, but I remembered the last time I was there and I didn’t want to risk another Typhoon coming and ruining my picture, so I paid the fee, put off my sleep and went down. I found my spot, set up my tripod and was about take the photo, as I was getting my shot a girl came up and asked me if she could have a photo with me (there aren’t many foreigners in southern China), when I nodded she literally squealed with delight. When everyone noticed her getting a photo a line started forming. I had about 15 people line up to have a photo with me, a lot of them kept coming back for more, and an old lady kept hugging me. Eventually I realised if I didn’t ask them to stop I would miss the sunset completely. It turned out to be the nicest sunset of my trip and became one of my favourite photos. The next day there was hardly any clouds and the sunset was nowhere near as colourful. This is one of my favourite stories because so many things had to align for me to get that photo.
Where is the next destination you want to travel to photograph?
I have a few small trips in the works, but my next big travel goal is to go to Alaska, buy a van and travel all the way down to South America.
Any advice for young artists?
Oh man, can someone please give me some advice?
Nah, in the words of Shia LeBeouf just DO IT.
Oh man, can someone please give me some advice?
Nah, in the words of Shia LeBeouf just DO IT.