She’s received international photography awards, has had an internship at the prestigious Magnum Photos in New York City, working as a studio manager for well-known photographer Elliott Erwitt. Her photography is sold in art galleries and is exhibited in a private gallery and she has a scholarship to the Platypus Workshop in Southern California. Not bad for a 23-year-old farm girl. With that kind of a torrid start to her photography career, it’s little wonder that Lucy Gardner has been described by one writer as one of the “hottest New Zealand photographers on the scene” and by another as “part of a new generation of photographers for the 21st century”.
The soft-spoken Gardner is seemingly taking it all in stride. “At the end of the day, I just like to take good pictures that I’m happy with,” she says.
The Human Touch
Her photos are an eclectic mix. While she tends to lean to a photojournalistic style to capture spontaneous images of people, Lucy doesn’t want to be pigeon-holed into just one type or style of photography. “Everyone always wants to put me into a thin category [of photography], but to be honest and very simple, I just like taking photos,” she insists. However, when pressed, she‘ll describe her style as ‘humanistic’.
“I enjoy taking pictures of people, pictures that have an element of people or an element of human presence in some way.”
A Chosen Career
Lucy began taking pictures when she was 14, encouraged by her grandfather Ken Kidd, a retired Waiau farmer who is a long-time photo hobbyist and a foundation member of the Amuri Camera Club. She quickly began taking photos of friends and schoolmates while growing up on a farm in Canterbury. It wasn’t long before she started to seriously consider photography as a career. “I remember I was out on the veranda at boarding school and was thinking about the future and a career path and what I would ultimately like to do,” she recalls. “I wanted it to be something that I genuinely loved and was passionate about… Photography was definitely the strongest option.”
Gardner went on to obtain dual diplomas – one in professional photography and one in sales management – from Christchurch Polytechnic. She also worked in an art gallery, meeting local artists and, she says, being influenced in her fledgling career by their work.
Magnum Connection
Her career got a big boost in 2003 when she received the Ronald Woolf Youth Award for the best print entered by a photographer under 25 years of age. Her winning photo, Bums, featured a group of Canterbury University students covered in mud showing off their naked backsides. That photo, along with one showing members of the Mongrel Mob (see page 29), snagged two honourable mention Lucie awards the following year in the coveted International Photography Awards competition. Both photos found their way into an art gallery. As part of the Woolf award, Lucy travelled to Wellington to attend the Photographic Society of New Zealand‘s national conference. It was here that she met New York-based Magnum photographer Elliott Erwitt, who encouraged her to apply for an internship at the co-operative photo agency. Among the notable photographers who are or were members of Magnum include: W. Eugene Smith, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, Cornell Capa, Steve McCurry, Eve Arnold and Philippe Halsman.
New York, New York
Based largely on Elliott’s recommendation, Lucy landed an internship at the agency’s New York City office (it has editorial offices in London, Paris and Tokyo as well), where she worked two days a week from April until the end of June. She also began filling in as studio manager for Elliott.
He says that when he first met Lucy in New Zealand he was “struck by her charm and vitality and the pictures that she showed me at the time, nearly two years ago, were really quite good and promising. I introduced her to my Magnum agency to be an intern as she seemed particularly interested in getting more insight into the sort of ‘real photography’ (i.e. journalistic) work that we do.”
Working at Magnum also gave Lucy the chance to network with some of the world’s leading photographers and to seek out their comments and advice about her own images. “I made sure I got a chance to talk with the photographers,” she says. “I would sort of position myself near where they came in. I just made myself known. “They looked at my work and, surprisingly, they’ve been very encouraging. I was ready for them to attack.”
Elliott, who joined Magnum in 1953 at the invitation of its founder Robert Capa and later went on to serve as president of the agency, was among those who offered Lucy words of encouragement. “In my view, she has the right sensibility and energy for her chosen profession,” he says. “So much has to do with drive and passion in our difficult and very crowded marketplace and Lucy has it in abundance.”
A Diverse Bunch
Lucy says that in an agency whose far-flung photographers serve clients worldwide, it was not unusual to hear four or five different languages being spoken at the same time in the Magnum office.
That same diversity applies to the question of whether to shoot film or digital.
“Each photographer has their own individual preference. There is no overall attitude at Magnum towards digital. It is currently very mixed. Some photographers are interested in digital, some are not.”
The same can be said for Lucy, who shoots both digitally with a Canon EOS-10D or on film with a Mamiya M7 6×7 camera. Her Canon gear includes 16-35mm, 35-70mm and 70-210mm zooms; Mamiya lenses include a 40mm, 80mm and 150mm. Lucy prefers shooting with available light, saying she will turn to other lighting sources “only if required”.
As for choosing between film or digital, she says it, “depends on what I’m shooting. I like the convenience of digital.
Having that instant feedback is a strong feature, but I’m also very fond of film.”
In the Archives Department at Magnum, where she was assigned, Lucy had the opportunity to handle and view prints by Henri Cartier-Bresson, and to study the contact sheets of Robert Capa. Like many of the images she worked with at the agency, Lucy also has a preference for black and white. “I just seem to be drawn to it,” she said. “There’s something classic or timeless to it.”
Time Out
While the internship has given her a first-hand look at how the agency operates, she admits that working in an office was a somewhat frustrating experience.
“It has been valuable getting a feel and understanding for that side of the business,” she says. “But I’m a photographer and I’d much rather be out shooting.”
In her free time, that’s exactly what she was doing, working on a personal project ‘A Visit to New York’ about cultural diversity in the city’s five boroughs ( see images on pages 31, 32 and 33).
Lucy shot the project digitally and in black and white, and hopes to have it published. “It was actually the director of Magnum for New York who suggested it might be a good idea to do an assignment. It sort of sparked the idea in my head. I was also inspired by looking at some work at Magnum and some of the different photographers who have photographed New York.”
During her time in the city, she has also had an opportunity to visit various photo exhibitions, including a display of platinum prints (which she is keen to get into), the World Press Photo awards at the United Nations, as well as exhibits at the International Centre of Photography. Lucy readily admits that life in the Big Apple, with its population of more than eight million, is a far cry from New Zealand. “It has been an eye-opener. I was excited about coming here, but it’s different. I’ve never seen such diversity in one city.”
Workshop Experience
However, she is no stranger to the United States. During the past few years, she has attended and assisted at several workshops at the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California. In 2005 she was the recipient of the Bob Tulloch Scholarship from the New Zealand Institute of Professional Photographers to attend a week-long workshop at Brooks. Earlier this year, she attended 2006 Platypus Workshop on another scholarship. The Platypus Workshop – held at the Brooks campus in Ventura, California – is a hands-on learning experience for those who want to create their own news stories and documentaries using digital video technology. Attendees got to use the latest Canon XL2 high-definition camcorder. Dirck Halstead, a former senior White House photographer for Time magazine, is the founder and director of the workshop. “It [digital video] definitely interests me,” says Lucy. “It’s a new way to present my work using a mixture of motion and still imagery, giving an added dimension to how still work is presented.”
It was while attending and assisting at a Brooks workshop that Lucy suddenly found herself in front of the camera, standing in as a model. “I must admit I’m definitely a photographer,” she says with a laugh. “I prefer to be behind the camera.” Even so, she admits, “It was a valuable experience. I think it’s good to be made to go through that every so often as a reminder. It gives you a better understanding of how your subjects feel.”
As for people viewing her work, Lucy hopes they come away saying that she has “shown them something in a different way”.
“I want to communicate the essence, the character and the environment of what I’m shooting. I want to create images that will stand the test of time.”
Turning Dreams Into Reality
Now that her internship at Magnum has been completed, Lucy has moved to California for about three months to visit friends and to possibly take additional workshops at Brooks. She plans to return to New Zealand in October.
“I’m looking forward to coming back to New Zealand and seeing friends and family. I love travelling, but I get a bit sick of living out of a bag after a while. It will be nice to come home and have some fresh water from the tap. And I’m looking forward to clean New Zealand air.”
However, Lucy isn’t sure how long she will stay in New Zealand, although she hasn’t yet picked out a destination for her next photo junket. “I do have a few places in mind, but I’m not sure which is first on the agenda. I’d like to have a base in New Zealand, but also be free to continue to travel and take photos.”
Asked about her future goals, she replies, “I don’t have goals. I have dreams.”
And what are those dreams? “I’ll let you know once I’ve achieved them,” she says. “At this stage, I just want to continue taking pictures and be able to support myself doing that.”
Image copyright: Lucy Gardner.
To view more of her photography, visit www.lucygardner.com Magnum Photos can be seen at www.magnumphotos.com.
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