Karen Moffatt-McLeod

Born and raised in Wellington New Zealand, from a young age I was interested in art and creating. I attended Onslow College where one of my art teachers sparked an interest in photography I set out with my grandfather’s old Pentax camera. Before long I had set up a darkroom in my parents’ house so I could develop my own film and prints.
In 2009 I shifted to Whitianga where photography and art became a greater part of my life again and I decided to pursue photography more seriously.

After years of avoiding photographing people I decided to challenge myself and did my first portrait shoot in 2017. That portrait "The Pipe Connoisseur" gained an Honors in my first ever competition & then later at an exhibition I noticed that people stopped at this image and had conversations about it, who he was, what his story was etc. This was when I had the ‘lightbulb’ moment when I realised this is what I wanted to pursue and I have been photographing people and passionate about creative portraiture since. “I want people to stop and think about the image and feel the need to look closer at it rather than just think, oh that’s a nice photograph and walk on by.

Much of my portraiture work is monochrome, I like contrast and shadows & images that tell a story.

Artists, songs, cinema photography in movies & series have a strong influence on my work.

I tend to story board my ideas so I have a basic plan for what I am shooting, where the light is, the pose, props & costuming.

The twins were a photographers dream to work with. They needed minimal instruction and just did what they were asked so naturally. I think younger people are less self conscious and as we get older we worry more about how we look. I did a series with these boys as I wanted to show the unspoken bond between twins and have an image with a timeless look.

When I use colour I try to ensure it has meaning, as in this image "The Deer Hunter" the red lipstick & dress represent the blood shed. Also the costuming brings the contrast between a girl who hunts and a girl looking glamorous. Composition was important here to have her framed by the antlers. The look away from the camera may make you wonder is she dreaming about being out there hunting or is she dreaming of the party she is attending.

It is always rewarding to receive recognition from your peers. Often you think (or know) an image is good, but wonder if others will see it the same way. For me, it reinforces what I am doing.

As always I am trying to improve my work more, keep creativity alive and look for interesting people for my images. I am currently commissioned for a commercial project, organising my 2027 portraiture workshops, and filling my calendar with paid work - weddings, family portraits, events and creative shoots.