Jarrod Vero

- We'll start off pretty easily. Did you just wanna tell us a little bit about yourself and your photography journey?

- Yeah, sure. So, Up until recently I've been more of a, um, more of a hobby than a profession. But I'm slowly changing that into a full-time career. So, I've always been into photography. Been shooting for, since my teens. I'm 41 now. So, I've really been getting stuck into it. Pretty much shooting every day for the last three or four years. And, you know, I'm right into surf photography and environmental portraits. But, yeah, mostly photograph anything. But they're my two main passions in photography, I suppose.

- And you're in Newcastle, are you? You are in Newcastle based?

- [Jarrod Vero] Yeah, Yeah, yeah.

- [Tara James] Yes. So, you're shooting what's around you as well?

- Yeah, yeah, that's wherever work has been pretty spectacular. You know coastline in Newcastle, and surfing's a huge part of our kind of lifestyle, so, yeah.

- And you are one of the lucky finalists that actually made it down to the gallery and we got to meet you and your lovely wife on the opening weekend. What was it like coming in and seeing your work on there?

- Oh, super exciting. It was so, firstly, to be picked, like, didn't think I had any chance. And then we got lucky with the COVID situation, we were able to get down to Canberra and it was super exciting to see that hung in the gallery. And then seeing people, you know, like it and talk about it. And yeah, that was fantastic.

- Well, you had a nice. What I mean, we can go into that but tell us a little bit about your work, that is in Living Memory called Task at Hand.

- Yep. Just behind me. So that was shot at Merewether Ocean Baths. So that was in July last year and, we had a major east coast low, so a huge big weather system hitting the coast and the surf was absolutely enormous. Pretty wild sort of condition. So we'd been in the bridge most of the day, and, you know, while the waves were spectacular, there was nothing really get a sense of scale or, really interesting. We sort of walked into Burwood beach, which is the next beach around. And got sort of stuck in there, and we couldn't get back to Merewether where I had my bike parked. Later checked on the bike. It had grind and wind and stuff. But so I had to walk up this big hill and then you come down, through the residential area of Merewether and there was a guy who had amazing, on his front deck, and his fishing gear. And he was heading down towards the beach. I though well I have all this gear. So I am going. So followed him down. And he went in front of the pump house and I though uh, you know, what a great opportunity. And fortunately, because of the weather, I was the only person around and the photographer anyway. So I just started firing of some shots and I was sort of spent 15 minutes in front of him. And I took the shoot that we can see there. And I was looking through the lens of the camera and thought geez it is wide I got to be close. We got absolutely swamped by the wave it came up to the top. It caught me absolutely drenched. The Cannon 5D mark 4 and a 7,200 lens held up. So what the camera often kept going and yeah, so we were pretty lucky.

- [Tara James] Yeah. It's an amazing part. I mean, there's, there's things I want to talk about with you, but for me like seeing that one, that was. Yeah, it reminded me of like a, still from the movie. I don't know if he'd seen the movie, The Lighthouse? Which is very dark movie

- Oh yeah! Yeah.

- And like extremely dark up close like Jarin Blaschke. It reminded me of, of a still from that with Logan Hawkes.

- [Jarrod Vero] Yeah.

- [Tara James] Very cinematic.

- [Jarrod Vero] Yeah. So I, so really enjoy black and white, particularly that type of setting. So I think it really makes sense the sort of drama and that emotive feeling and more photographic heroes, David Yarrow, who does so a lot of wildlife photography, but it's all of the stage sort of stuff with models and animals. And he does stuff as good as, described one with a wolf, walking down a bar with them all the bar staff around. And so I take inspiration from him with sort of the times and the black and whites and try to sort of replicate, well, not replicate, but take inspiration from his style.

- Beautiful.

- [Jarrod Vero] So that was always gonna be a black. When I was taking a them, this is gonna be black and white.

- [Tara James] Very dramatic.

- Well, you had an interesting thing when you came to the opening weekend, which wasn't really an opening, but we've had the panel with Mike Bowers and Christine Morgan discussing the work, which was really great thing. But I think you also got told that Mike Bowers had sort of paused and admired your work and had a few lovely things to say about the work. With a big smile on his face.

- Yeah, yeah, definitely a local man. He's obviously a very well regarded, respected, talented photographer. And by all reports, he, you know, He is not backward in coming forward. If he doesn't, you know, like something. So it was, yeah, it was great to get some feedback and very positive.

- [Tara James] And gave you a little shout out. Didn't he?

- Yeah. Gave a little shout. In the, in the talk. And it was very exciting. It was great.

- One of the cool things with your work, and I think with Joel Pratley's work, as well, the drought story is they challenge people's perceptions of what is a portrait. You can't really see your subjects face.

- Mm, Yeah.

- It's covered. He's immersed in the landscape. Do you have any thoughts on that?

- Yeah, so like my style is like a, like environmental portraits, like capturing people in their, you know, environment doing what they do. Either the fishermen or, you know, in Joel's case a farmer and I enjoy shooting on farms as well. My wife's family's in New Zealand apart from his sister and they're all farmers. Dairy farmers and sheep farmers. So, you know, a lot of it is like my work, and what Joel did, isn't necessarily a classical portrait, you know, where you're constrained on the subject's face or it's quite tight. So, you know, to capture them in their environment. So yeah.

- There is a little bit similarities with those works, but it's just almost man versus nature, you know, vibes at the, you know, at the hands of nature doing what it does.

- Yeah, yeah, absolutely. Cause I was at Sun Studios when Joel was getting his print printed. That was Wednesday just went in to get mine done and Selena boarded out and stuck up in a warm up. That's good. And we got introduced and it's like, you two are competing against each other. Joel's for sure in. I went for sure that I wasn't the only one that

- [Tara James] Yeah

- was in the exhibition. But yeah, They are quite similar obviously vastly different landscapes, but similar in, in what's the word concept, nature?

- Yeah, exactly. All of those things.

- Yeah. Yeah.

- So you sort of starting to make photography, your career now we're going down that path. So I think being part of Living Memory and being part of that sort of In Triple P Photographic family now mean for your photographic career?

- Oh, well it's been a huge boost. Like it's certainly getting recognition from other people. Like when you say though I'm currently been exhibited you know, hung in the National Portrait Gallery of Australia, you know. It's not a little back street gallery in suburban Newcastle, which I have been in those galleries and that's fantastic, but this is on a national stage and you know, it's with some magnificent other photographers. So I mean you're in exceptional exceptional, exceptional group. So yeah, that's really helped. And, when the National Portrait Gallery, re-posts your photo on Instagram or Facebook, that gets a lot of followers on Instagram, whatnot. So yeah, just put more people in touch with more photography is really, helping a lot.

- Awesome.

- Its great for my confidence as well because a photographer you're always your harshest critic.

- Artists in general.

- Yeah, yeah. That's right. So to have that recognition, you think, well, yeah, you know, I am doing something right.

- Yeah, well done.

- There's a bit of ability there I suppose.

- So another thing is, I guess, and you do a lot of outdoor shooting, so how has locked down and all the changes going on in the world affected your practise and the way you approach photography.

- Yeah. It's been tricky. I do a lot of surf photography. So that's been, hasn't really changed too much, fortunately, reasonably close to the beach. So I've been going in most days and still plenty of guys here surfing so and girls. So that's been good, but other stuff I've had other projects and, you know, say a family shoots, portraits, et cetera, that we haven't been able to do. So just thinking differently outside of the square and you know, shooting along the backyard there. When running in the neighbourhood, turned my camera on when walking the dog and you come up with something. You see different things. I mean in photography, you're always looking for, when you say the world would be differently than, you know, a non photographer. So you're always looking for different things to photograph, but it has been tricky with not being able to go into people's homes or businesses or get groups or go into a studio or anything like that. So yeah. But you know, fingers crossed and you said, well, we are coming out of lockdown

- Yeah.

- [Jarred] On Monday. Yeah. We'll yeah.

- Do you think you'll come back down again and visit the gallery.

- Oh, 100%. Yeah yeah.

- Hopefully we see more.

- Definitely.

- Gotta say one of the questions we often get asked about people that, you know, make it into the prize and be it from a people in the general public or aspiring photographer is this, the selected equipment you use. What's your equipment. Your go tos. You go to obviously waterproof.

- Yeah. Well, I can vouch for Cannons water sailing or weather sailing suit. Really is an outstanding suit. Well my main camera is a 5D Mark IV. You know, they are very resilient. Smashed them on rocks and you know, going into the puddles of the beach and the sand and wind and rain and all sorts of stuff. So, and I mean it hasn't missed a beat. And I use all L Series lenses apart from the 70 to 200. And I've got a two times converter as well, all my other lenses are prime. Some, I'm a prime guy. I think it takes the, it makes it easy. Cause you don't have to worry about zooming or getting the right focal length, you know. It's what it is and, you know, use your, use your legs, I suppose. So. Yeah. And I use a Cannon I as well. So I tend to carry that around, you know, that's great for straight photography or yeah, just having a round for impromptu portrait shoots or whatever. So yeah. So pretty much the 70-200 and 2X Extender stays in the five day. And so there are 50 or an 85 on the Canon I. I feel upgrade to a five shortly.

- Canon if you are listening

- Yeah. That's right.

- So do you have any tips to help or any yeah, for aspiring photographers out there, any tips from you?

- Yeah. Well I think like anything you get, well you should try to shoot enough. I think the more you shoot the better you gonna get. So shoot every day, if you can. Er, and look for something that's a little bit different. There's going to be a point of difference, I think, because there's no point, we can all take, everyone can take a decent photo I bet. If you probably seen it a hundred times, a thousand times before, well, you know, it's not really that much point. Also know your gear. Your camera, you should be able to use your camera with your shot. And yeah know what it's capable of. Oh, I tend to, push my gear to the limits and tend to shoot, you know, a bit extreme sort of, you know. I'm currently studying photography at Billy Butte, Billy blue college in Ultimo in Sydney. And my lectures sort of cringe when they hear or look at me in dismay with my settings, and high ISO and shutter speeds and stuff that uh, and I am like that works, you know. So don't be too influenced by what technically what other people tell you, but be influenced by what other people do. What they produce and just keep on experiment. Find what works for you. That's what I've done. I find it works for me and just keep on honing that and you know, have fun. If you don't enjoy it while it's no point doing it. Like I can photograph all day. Think photography. Talk photography. Read photography. Watch photography documentaries 24/7, if I was allowed to drive my wife crazy. But yeah. So just immerse yourself in it and really love it. And you'll be surprised what you can, what you can produce.

- Awesome. Good advice. So we touched on this one a little bit before, but photographers or artists that inspire you or that you look up.

- Yeah. Yeah. So an Australian guy from Bondi, Eugene Tan. So he's the founder of Aquabumps. Which is, he's got a magnificent gallery in Bondi. And he's got a, he's got about 40 odd thousand subscribers to which he sends out an email each day with these photos from Bondi. So he captures the sunrise and the action down in Bondi beach and in Bondi pretty much every day of the year. Or from when he's travelling elsewhere. And he photographs that. So he's absolutely brilliant. So I take my sort of surf beach photography inspiration from him. And then we touched on David Yarrow. Scottish photographer. Fine Art. Does a lot with wildlife models. Absolutely incredible like amazing work. Raises a hell of a lot of money for charities, particularly animal conservation. So he's brilliant. And another guy that I really enjoyed is Phil Penman. UK born, but a New York based. Street photographer. Really interesting, brilliant stuff. Sounds like he'd be a really fun guy to hang out with, I think.

- Perfect.

- Yeah.

- So, what about, do you remember the first photo you ever took?

- Oh. I remember the first photo that I took, that I thought it's pretty good, was actually in Melbourne down on the Yarra river. It was like a beautiful late afternoon. The light would have come in along the, through the trees onto the bank. And there was some boats and maybe a rowboat going down the Yarra. And it was just a quite a nice photo. Probably look at it now and it's it, how hum. But actually photo that's, you know, pretty good. And then actually a few people sort of commented and started buying a few prints off me. Probably worked at the time and it was probably 21 years ago, and then sort of been hooked ever since. And I'm slowly honing my craft plus post.

- Awesome. Do you remember taking any photos as a kid? Like getting, you know, like the old Canon family camera and headless family shots or?

- Yeah, I don't think we had any sort of fancy camera's or anything growing up. We had the little pocket point and shoot.

- Yeah. Yeah. I can't remember being too sort of, it's probably wasn't until I was in my late teens, I suppose I really started getting into it. I'm not really sure how I got into it. I don't know. I think, maybe someone I knew, or a family friend, or someone sort of was into photography and sort of, yeah, just got a camera and started shooting and yeah.

- On it goes.

- Yeah.

- The path found you by the sound.

- Yeah.

- So what about dream subjects? If you could get anyone in the world in front of your camera and doing whatever you wanted. Who would you reckon it can be?

- Hmm. Jeez. That's a cool one. Well, in the surf photography, I love to have a session with Kelly Slider. That'd be pretty great. But, but hopefully it'll say this actually the, the not before or sorry, the day I found out I was going to be in the National, in the National Portrait Gallery, Living memory exhibition, I was actually in hospital. I was gonna have a major open heart surgery. Well, I had an open heart surgery the following day.

- Yeah, I remember.

- Yeah. So I wanted to photograph my surgeon, er Nicholson, and get a photo of him operating. So logistically might be a bit tough, but I reckon we can work something out.

- Yeah.

- So I think that'd be, yeah. I've got a few ideas, so yeah.

- And you are along the mend now?

- Yeah. Yeah. I am good as gold now. I'm feeling great. Yeah.

- Awesome.

- Yeah.

- What about any shout outs or thank you. Do you have any shout outs you want to put out there?

- Well my wife first, for putting up with me and you know. And photographing them, but I like to thank, well actually shot a wedding a few years ago and that was a really big break, and I wanna thank, Nick and Lucy for letting me to shoot their wedding. That's really sort of kick things along. So I'd never shot a wedding before. Wasn't really, never thought I wanna shoot a wedding before. I would want to shoot a wedding. They asked me, I did it. It was on farm in New Zealand, dairy farm. And half an hour before the wedding panicking. And I was walking across the plain, like I can't do this. Well I did. And it turned out absolutely brilliant I had the time of my life. Absolutely loved it. So that was great. Also like to thank more everyone who's been a subject for me. All the surfers in Newcastle for putting on such a great show. Mickey here who's the fishermen there, for being, well, equally as mad as I am for being in that bad weather. I have always shot Canon. So big shout out at Canon. Their gear is, you know, absolutely outstanding. And obviously, all you guys at the National Portrait Gallery of Australia for such a unbelievable opportunity. I still can't believe that my photos are in the gallery and it's been incredible.

- Awesome. So do you have any, this is a last little bit. And it's gonna be photography or general life. Jared's parting words of wisdom.

- I was starting to think what you'd asked me. Well, I think you've got to find with, with, with anything, whether you want to be a photographer. Whether you want to be a carpenter or a doctor, whatever, you've got to find something that you can completely immerse yourself in and, and time stands still. There's no sense of time when you're doing that. When I go to the camera up to my eye, you know, I'm never bored. I never think of the time. I probably should think of the time sometimes, because I think when you finished photographing and think jeez, I was meant to be home. I'm running desperately late for work. So find something that you absolutely love doing and then really work at it. And don't be afraid, to put yourself outside your comfort zone, you know. Do some things that sometimes are a bit hard, cause yeah, you will, you know, good will come from that. So yeah, work hard. Enjoy it. That's my words of wisdom.