English-born, Melbourne-based photographer Arrayah Loynd hasn’t always been passionate about photography. She came to the discipline after working in massage therapy and teaching meditation, as well as dabbling with drawing, painting and ceramics. “I love the immediacy of digital photography, but so too the opportunity to manipulate and expand upon the shot,” she says. Some of the greatest inspirations for her work come from Gregory Crewdson and Australian photographer Samantha Everton.
Since graduating from NMIT in 2009, she has focused exclusively on portraiture. “I think that it helps, especially with portraiture, that I can collaborate closely with my subjects and their stories, and this makes the process as much about others, as myself.”
Her approach to photography is one of painstaking attention to detail, from concept development, character research, styling, post production and even set design and creation. But for Loynd, it is not to impose order but to give her viewers a surprising and deeper insight into her subjects.
For now, Loynd’s focus remains on the telling of stories, while she works towards having her own solo exhibition. But continuous education is always on her mind. “Photography, like any art form, is always about change and movement. I always want to be open to learning from others and this includes the interaction with those I photograph,” she says.