French-born, Australian-based portrait photographer, Nadia Stone got her introduction to photography as a child. Her father, a keen hobbyist photographer carried a camera wherever he went. At age eight, she received a Minolta film camera. Later in life, while studying for a Bachelor of Performing Art, majoring in Film and Television, in France, Stone undertook studies in photography. Working initially as an editor for film and television, the role required her to focus carefully on image creation, composition, and light. Given this background, she was well placed for a move to focus more seriously on her photography. And this all started to take shape around the birth of her son, in 2008. But the loss of her parents in 2009 and 2013 also helped cement her resolve to put her energy into photography. “I was an only child, so memories of my childhood and my parents are all in pictures and film,” Stone says. “Memories fade in your head, but remain in pictures.”
In order to hone her photographic skills, Stone undertook a number of workshops, and relies on the assistance of two mentors: Kirsten Lewis and Irmina Walczak. Workshops that stand out in her mind as being most beneficial include those led by Emma Wood and Summer Murdock. Studying the work of master photographers, including those from Magnum. “Just checking one photographer at the time and studying how they composed and how the light is falling is really great way to learn,” she says. “I think I just like to learn everything about how to create memories that you can keep.” Asked about the most important thing she’s learnt to date, Stone says: “Practice, slow down, and take a step back before clicking.
Stone began shooting full-time in October 2018. With her children at school, she now has the time to focus on her business and her craft. “Before that, I think I was too scared, and maybe thinking I wasn’t good enough to make a living from my passion,” she admits. With her work skirting between fine art and documentary, her art is “a visual expression or a timestamp on the journey of my life”. And she does it for two main reasons: to create a memory of a moment and to spark a dream for the interpreter. “It’s also about trying to capture moments of normality inside a crazy life,” Stone says.
Stone’s recent awards include placing 1st at the Australian Photography Awards (Portrait category) and 1st place in the competition, Through a Mother’s eyes, at the International Festival of Photography Amsterdam.
www.nadiastonephotography.com
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