The Voxfrock Rookies are still firing on all cylinders at this pointy end of VAMFF; reviewing shows, clocking winter trends, shooting and writing for you, Dear Reader, on the joys and wonder of this vast frocky business from a fledgeling’s point of view. First up this hour, Ashley Flockhart, a Bachelor of Journalism student in his final year at Macleay College, observes the singular work of photographer Reannon Smith. Bon appetit and click back later for more…
WORDS: ASHLEY FLOCKHART PHOTOS: REANNON SMITH
Access the Instagram handle @reannonlea, and you will see photos free of extraneous clutter or colour. The lighting is efficient and each photo balances your expectation of beauty while reminding you that even a clean window will always have a subtle smudge somewhere on the glass.
I caught up with the curator of that Instagram page, Reannon Smith, at VAMFF. She arrived at 6 pm, an hour and a half before the first show, already glancing about, planning her next shot. “I like to stand outside for a little bit and capture some of the fashion outfits; kind of like a warm up,” she says. “I also get there early to get a good spot inside for photos.”
At 21, Reannon is completing her Honours degree in photography after finishing a Bachelor of Visual Arts at RMIT. Her first time shooting at VAMFF was in 2016. She was initially nervous, she recalls, but out of anticipation and awe at the opportunity to take photos for Voxfrock. “It’s the best kind of adrenaline rush!” she says, “I’d say the moment I became hooked was my first day at VAMFF; I loved the atmosphere, the fast pace and the photos that came out of it.”
Tonight, I sit with Reannon on the photographer’s riser at the far end of the runway, opposite where the models exit from backstage. It’s cramped, and terribly uncomfortable, but Reannon is still and poised. Silence. Then the sound of a bass guitar thumps through giant speakers the runaway glows, and the show is underway. I can hear Reannon’s fingernails scratching against the camera in her hands as she shoots, model after model.
Afterwards, I remark that her photos expose a poignant kind of beauty. “I’ve never considered how my images may be understood by those who they reach,” she answers, “I suppose what I try to do best is capture what I am seeing truthfully but approach it differently to all of the other photographers around me.”
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