Kirsty Iltners is an Australian photographer and novelist, and it’s easy to see why her work attained the high status of finalist for the National Photographic Portrait Prize in 2021. Her evocative, rich images capture more than just the moment. She has taken that attention to detail to a different medium with her award-winning debut novel, “Depth of Field.”
Winner of the 2023 Dorothy Hewett Award, “Depth of Field” is a stunning novel that truly epitomizes what it means to immerse readers in the life of another person. I read “Depth of Field” on release last month and was blown away. I couldn’t wait to ask Kirsty more about her photography and writing practice. Let’s dive into it!
Let’s start at the beginning: What first drew you to photography?
I first got into photography as a child when my grandmother bought me a little camera. It was only cheap, but it ended up being quite expensive for my family as I went through so many rolls of film. I guess I’ve always been a bit sentimental. Photography was a way for me to make sure I had memories of what was going on at that time. Then, when I was a teenager, I ended up buying myself a Nikon off eBay and reignited my love for it. At that point, it was very much just for me — I wasn’t looking at it from a career perspective yet.
Your photography style is beautiful – so evocative. What resonates with you in front of the lens?
Thank you! It’s hard for me to describe my style because I find it difficult to evaluate my own work and style, and it feels quite instinctual in some ways. For me, photography tends to be broken into two parts — the shooting and then the editing — and I tend to approach them both differently.
When it comes to shooting, I prefer stepping back as much as possible to allow for candid moments. I am always attuned to the environment around me. What is in the background? Are there any interesting angles? Where is the light source? Is there something interesting to shoot through to create depth?
I enjoy the finality of shooting, in the sense that if you miss a moment, you’ve missed it, and you can’t recapture what is lost. With editing, however, it feels like the opposite. I usually have a vision in my head, but I am a bit of a perfectionist. Often I can sit there and tweak an image for hours and still never be happy. I try to remind myself that other people are unlikely to be as critical.
What is your go-to photography gear?
I know I said my first proper camera was a Nikon, but I use Canon these days. A few people close to me owned Canon gear, so I would sometimes borrow their equipment and I got used to shooting on both. Eventually, it made sense to change to Canon so we could all switch lenses.
The lenses I tend to use the most are very dependent on what I’m shooting. For venue shoots, I tend to rely on my 16-35mm and 24-70mm the most. If it’s more of an event, I also like to use the 70-200mm so I can sneak around and get some nice candid shots without people realising.
My favourite lenses are my primes, but I just don’t use them as often, unfortunately, due to their versatility (or lack of).
Tell us about your finalist photograph for the 2021 National Photographic Portrait Prize!
The image is a photo of my daughter and her horse, Obi. It wasn’t a planned shoot, so there was no inspiration per se, but she had asked to go riding, and I had taken my camera with me to get a few photos.
Once she had saddled him up a big storm started coming over, so she had to turn around. It was just that perfect moment, with the leading lines, and her and Obi still illuminated by the sun but being contrasted by these ferocious-looking storm clouds behind them. I feel like I got lucky with that image!
Your debut novel “Depth of Field” uses photography term as a framing device, that sees the narrative travel through shutter speeds, aperture and finally ISO. Why did you frame the novel in that way?
I thought it was an interesting way of breaking the book up. Instead of Part 1, 2, and 3, I use Shutter Speed, Aperture and ISO. In each part, I also use photography values to signal each chapter, so instead of Chapter 1, Chapter 2, it is 0″3s, 1/4s, etc.
As well as tying in with the photography themes of the book, the values also work on a metaphorical level. As the image becomes clearer/brighter so is the story. The word choices are also often linked to the section they are in. For instance, in the Shutter Speed, there are more references to time, motion blur, etc.
A lot of it won’t make much sense to most of the readers. But I hope it is a fun added element for people who understand photography.
One of your protagonists in “Depth of Field” is, himself, a photographer (and loved another photographer). The protagonist has lost the passion for what he does. Have you ever been through a rough patch with your artforms?
Yes, I’ve definitely experienced that. Not so much with writing (yet!) but with photography; my passion for it has fluctuated at different times. I think it is always difficult to maintain passion for something once it becomes a job. If you are lucky enough to be able to specialise in the type of photography you love, that struggle can be mitigated. If you end up taking jobs you don’t feel connected to or working with clients who don’t share your vision, it can make it hard to maintain that excitement.
My love for photography still isn’t quite back where it once was. By being selective about the kinds of jobs I take on and focusing more on just taking photos for me, it is improving.
As an author and a photographer, can you tell us what you love about these two methods of storytelling?
The storytelling aspect of both is what I love. They can both draw the reader/viewer into a moment or a life other than their own. And you can wield both art forms however you choose. You can use them to create beauty, to document, to challenge perceptions. Both allow such freedom of expression.
Kirsty Iltners tells a story woven with love for photography that’s not to be missed.
Kirsty’s evocative, storytelling photography style is a prelude to the detail and emotive moments that she captures in her writing. You can find more of Kirsty’s beautiful photography on Instagram and Facebook, and on her website. Her work can also be found around the internet under her previous trading names, Pandora Photography and Kirsty Sycz. Buy her award-winning debut novel “Depth of Field” online, here.
Kirsty Iltners is a writer and photographer living on Jagera and Turrbal Country, Meanjin (Brisbane). She has a degree in psychology and is currently studying law. Kirsty has worked as a photographer for Brisbane Times and Broadsheet, and runs her business, Pandora Photography. She’s had an image shortlisted for the National Portrait Prize in 2021, which was displayed in the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra. “Depth of Field” is her first novel, which won the 2023 Dorothy Hewett Award for an Unpublished Manuscript.
