Although she’s always enjoyed taking happy snaps, Kath Salier says that the turning point for her came after she attended a workshop in Tasmania with Christian Fletcher and Nick Rains in 2012. “I remember thinking, this is more than photography. It’s art!” And it was from that point that photography went from simply being a hobby to her, to a really important part of her life.
Salier has worked in the veterinary industry for the last 25 years and says that she still enjoys it. “One day I’ll retire, but for now it pays for my trips and camera gear!” Her love of the natural environment led her to do a Bachelor of Applied Science and photography of wild landscapes combines these two passions.
Currently, Salier’s artistic interests lie in taking a photograph and transforming it into a piece of art. A project she’s now working on involves taking photographs of the Australian outback and rural settings and modifying them in such a way as to look like an early Romantic painting. Another creative outlet for Salier is creating surreal images, mostly black and white, that contain a narrative which is both engaging and moving.
In September, Salier’s work will be exhibited along with three other photographers at Sydney’s Gaffa Gallery. The exhibition, Wanderlust Imagery, will feature images that are examples of their shared approach to travel photography. The aim being to create engaging and memorable images that go beyond being documentary and capture something of the mood and character of the location.
In 2015, an image of hers was named Photograph of the Year with Better Photography, while in 2016 she placed second in the International Landscape Photographer of the Year competition and received a Gold at the Epson Pano Awards.
Of the future, Salier says that she’s always up for a challenge, both physically and mentally, so trying new things and going to new places is always on the cards. “My plans for the future include travelling to more locations to take beautiful pictures and refine the artistic side of my photography.”
www.kathsalierphotography.com
