Marion Abada was drawn to photography in her mid-twenties during her travels around Europe and the Middle East. Abada says that she has always loved the creative path, although her path to photography has been a circuitous one.

From a young age, Melissa Cowan loved shooting pictures. “I was always the one at parties with disposable cameras, running around making sure to capture snaps of all my friends,” she says. “I think it just started from there.”

For over ten years, Jay Hynes was an art director at various advertising agencies in Melbourne. Wanting to learn more about photography to art direct on photo shoots, he studied at night for 18 months, and shot in his spare time.

Mieke Boynton, a landscape photographer from Broome, Western Australia has loved art her whole life.

“For a photographer, being able to connect with your subjects plays a big role in shooting and is just as important as knowing how to light,” says Melbourne-based photographer, Al Habjan.

For thirty years, Chris Rainier has worked to preserve languages, indigenous cultures and the knowledge held by elders in traditional societies.

Documentary photographer Ken Light is both an observer and a storyteller. He enters the worlds of his subjects and documents their realities to give us a momentary glimpse into their lives.

A graphic artist for almost 10 years, a few years back, frustrated at the countless hours spent trawling through stock libraries looking for a perfect image to use in his design work, Marcelo Canizares decided that he could do better.

Before becoming a professional photographer, Katie Fiorillo was a qualified hairdresser and makeup artist. Since 2012, Fiorillo has run Sugar Images, in Geelong, where she specialises in maternity, newborn, and family portraits.

Fine-art photographer, Tamara Dean is an explorer of the informal rites of passage and rituals of our youth. Here, we trace her amazing career, and transition from photojournalist to artist.

Jem Cresswell grew up with the ocean captured by his eyes; eventually, he would capture the ocean through a lens. His love of the ocean, and water, is evident in the powerful work he produces.

Katie Kolenberg was born into a family of artists, but it wasn’t until the birth of her son eight years ago that she realised photography was her path to follow. “...and three years later I took a huge leap of faith..."

Fred Zhang discovered that his passion lay in photography rather than business while he was completing a Bachelor of Commerce degree six years ago.

From full-time manufacturing production manager to full-time wedding photographer, Tyler Brown credits his success to endless hours of online research and a priceless, informal mentorship with local Perth photographer, James Simmons

“I have a very strong urge that I need to be creating something all the time,” says Hobart photographer, Kelly Gerdes.

Michelle Dupont’s interest in photography started with her children, inspired by a ‘365 project’ she came across on Flickr.