When people say living in the Wheatbelt gives you the best of both worlds – nothing could be more true for photographer Angie Roe.
Angie chats about life as photographer in the WA Wheatbelt and the adventures and opportunities that come with life behind the camera…
Angie, you have grown up and then lived in the WA Wheatbelt most of your life. What is it that keeps you here and what do you enjoy most about living and working in rural Western Australia?
I love the space, and the tough, resilient, but laid back nature of the people I’m friends with and work with. I also love the subject matter I get to work with (the landscape, townscapes and people). And I love how you can pull up and park right where you need to be!
Being a photographer, I imagine your work would take you travelling far and wide? Where would you say some of your favourite or most memorable places are, that you have travelled to with your work?
Definitely anywhere in the Wheatbelt! It’s my favourite place to shoot. I especially love the soft pastel colours of Summer (the blues, golds and wheaty colours).
You recently completed a photoshoot with us, Roe Tourism Association, to assist us with sharing stories about our towns and communities within our region. What do you like most about this type of work, and were there any highlights from the project?
The thing I love about this type of project is the opportunity to fully immerse myself in my favourite place (the Wheatbelt!). Working on a tourism project opens the doors to everything a region has to offer, from the people and communities, to local events, tourist spots and the wider landscape – both public and private.
Who or what have been the most prominent artistic influences of your career?
My Dad is a great water colour artist, and was the first person to open my eyes to art as a means of personal exploration and fulfilment. He introduced me to the joy of heading out on your own and being creative – for him it was into the paddock to sit under a tree and paint the landscape.
For me it’s to roam our Wheatbelt towns and record the seemingly mundane, insignificant, dated and forgotten aspects of rural areas, because once they are gone, they’re gone.
What do you think is the most rewarding part of being a photographer, especially one who is based in the Western Australian Wheatbelt?
The reward lies in creating something that my clients will love and keep for possibly generations.
It’s also the opportunity to record things (stories, places, landscapes, buildingscapes etc) in a region which has traditionally been seen as having less to offer, or being less interesting than other regions (such as the South West or Great Southern).
My hope is that my imagery will contribute to changing this in some small way.
What would you say to your younger self today about a career in photography, especially in rural Western Australia?
Invest time in the business and marketing side of things, as they are just as important (if not more so) than being a good photographer.
And spend time getting to know the region that you’ll be working in. Regional Australia, particularly inland and remote rural areas have a unique dynamic, and it’s important that people feel you understand them when they engage your services.
Do you have a most favourite shoot, that you really enjoyed? What can you tell us about that?
Definitely the Roe Tourism project!! There is no greater opportunity to immerse yourself in a region than when you are working on a tourism project.
Angie Roe…
Angie Roe is an industry accredited photographer based in the Avon Valley, just east of Perth in WA, where she was raised on the family farm and worked as an Agronomist in the agricultural sector for many years. Angie is a natural light photographer, with a candid, documentary approach to shooting, and an editing style reminiscent of film. Her passion lies in regional WA, where she endeavours to paint a positive light on rural areas, through her emotive photography.
Angie has been shooting since the days of film, covering weddings, family, events and commercial photography for a wide range of clients, in both her immediate area and the wider regions of WA. She has a particular love of, and experience with agriculture, and as such, she specialises in agricultural photography.
Angie aims to capture the real stuff, the stories that unfold between people with an honest connection to both each other and their environment. She’s a lover of light and colour, and her images speak of a relaxed, natural, storytelling style.
To learn more about Angie and her photography, visit her website.
