Photography was supposed to be just a bit of creative fun in a journey towards academia, but for Christine Pobke, it eventually became her life. She bought a DSLR in 2009, the first year of her PhD in International Relations at the Australian National University, and started photographing anything and everything. But it wasn’t until she was photographing some friends and their children that she realised her passion: capturing the fun and raw energy of kids and families.
After 15 months labouring on a thesis that was going nowhere, she abandoned the PhD and made the leap to full-time photography in September 2010. According to her, this was “one of the best decisions of my life.” She was a finalist in the Moran Prize, runner-up for ACT AIPP Emerging Photographer of the Year and has been published in national and international magazines including The Knot Magazine, Country Style, Mollie Makes, Cosmo Bride, 100 Layer Cake, Green Wedding Shoes, Style Me Pretty, and Real Weddings.
As for inspiration, she looks to photographers who shoot with bravery and passion, such as Stephen Dupont and Lee Grant. She says she is fortunate to call the latter a mentor and a good friend. “Whether she’s shooting people or architecture, there’s always a very solemn sentiment that echoes in all her work, plus she’s gracious, says it like it is, and has more drive and motivation than anyone I know.”
Having now shot for six years professionally, two years ago, Pobke began to focus on her passion to inspire children to take up the art of photography. With assistance from Fujifilm as the major supporter, she runs “day camps” at her studio in Canberra – a first step towards creating a school “to teach photography in a hands-on, approachable and fun way.” She's also a proud member of the National Association of Professional Child Photographers (NAPCP) and serve as both a NAPCP Ambassador as well as an Image Competition Judge.
www.pobkephotography.com
