Anna Meares and Narelle Autio

- [Anna] We met over coffee, and I remember I was really nervous, because she sent an email beforehand saying, you know, think about how you might like to be portrayed, if you've got any ideas and all that sort of stuff. And the last thing I wanted was to have another picture of me in Lycra with helmets and bikes, to portray what I did as opposed to who I am. And so when I met Narelle, I remember the first thing she said is, "so what do you think? "What are your ideas?" And I was so happy that she asked me first, 'cause I was scared she was gonna say, how we're gonna put the bike here, and we're gonna put Lycra there. And then as I kind of explained to her how I felt about it and the ideas that I had, I could see I think she really resonated with it and she took it from there.

- [Narelle] When I got the commission and realised it was a pretty exciting thing, I'd never sort of done this sort of stuff before, I guess. And I had a bit of a google of you, and just to have a look and see what had been done. And you had been photographed so extensively, I started feeling a little bit challenged, you know. Thinking that, "how am I gonna make something different out of this?" And I sort of knew straight away I didn't want to have the bike in there. Or you in Lycra. But again, I was a bit worried concerned that you might want to do that, you know. So it was just such a relief to know that you were actually willing to try something a little bit different. And think outside the box a bit and taking it a different direction.

- [Anna] Yeah.

- [Narelle] So it was great.

- [Anna] Yeah. And I guess the idea for it came about you know in discussions that, me as a person, me as a woman, I wanted to finally have an image of myself that I could present that was a little bit softer, it was a little bit more feminine. But I come from the country, you know, and I love that connection from where I grew up, and so I kind of relied on Narelle around locations, given her experience of photography in South Australia. And I said I was looking for something that could convey some contrast, I guess, between the softness of how I want to be presented to the harshities that the country and land can portray. And maybe the landscape could speak for some of the traits that I'm known for as an athlete but also the person. It's a simple image, really, but it's quite complicated.

- [Narelle] Yeah, well there's a number of things happening in the photograph in the end, and we did think about where to take you and in the end I think it needed to be somewhere in the country and the landscape because that actually - you are a country girl at heart, and so that was a very basic need for the photograph, I think. And then just looking at, I mean I guess the idea of being feminine in the picture as well resonated with me. I think as a woman in a male industry as well, I think you dumb down your femininity a lot, just to be taken seriously. So it's a different kind of aspect you're talking about. But I think that, it touched into all of my ideas about how women should be portrayed. And so, you know even though I wanted to make you, embrace that softness and femininity, I didn't want to leave out the rest of your personality which is so strong and so powerful. And that's what people know you for, so using the symbols of the landscape, the toughness of the rocks, and the tree that's bent over. And there's a resilience

- [Anna] Yeah.

- [Narelle] in there. You know you can look at that photograph and just look at it and admire it, but if you want to look further, there is a story there about you.

- [Anna] Yeah. And it's interesting 'cause I only saw the chosen image not that long ago, and I got quite emotional in my response to it 'cause I did feel like it was a really beautiful image. Because when you're standing in front of the camera, you see the lens. And you're hoping and you're backing that the photographer, in this case Narelle, was capturing something special. And she did a really, really wonderful job.

- [Narelle] Yeah. We tried a few different things.

- [Anna] Yeah we did.

- [Narelle] And you had this beautiful dress that as soon as you put it on, it was the one, really. And it seems to have a little bit of mysterious history about it. It conjures up Picnic at Hanging Rock and stuff and country Australia. There was just something nice about that and it's very simple. And it glows, I think, in that light. It all came together really in that last kind of two or three minutes of light, I think. 'Cause we had different placements of you but in the end with you in front of the tree, it looks like you're part of the landscape, you're growing out of it with the trees and the rocks. So I really liked that about that part of the photograph.

- [Anna] Yeah. And I think that resonates really well, too, for where I'm at in my present point of time in life. Just because I'm in a transition period I'm going from a hugely successful sporting career and stepping into life without sport. And so I think again, there are so many correlations that come from that image.

- [Narelle] I mean I felt incredibly lucky that actually you wanted to go on a different journey

- [Anna] So excited, too.

- [Narelle] Like it was really nice and it's not a traditional portrait, you know, so it's um... You know but for me that was important because I think that I love traditional portrait but I also think for me, and the way I shoot it's about using the landscape as a bit of chance in there as well. Like the fact that we rolled up and we don't really know what we're gonna do.

- [Anna] Mmm hmm.

- [Narelle] And that we don't really know what the light's gonna do. And if it does come together, it will come together.

- [Anna] Yeah.

- [Narelle] It's about that moment in history and time and place.

- [Anna] Yeah.

- [Narelle] For you, for me. It's actually a specific time and place, I guess

- [Anna] Yeah.

- [Narelle] It can't be recreated.

- [Anna] Well, it all had to come together because we - months went by and we were looking at weather we were looking at schedules of both yours and mine, and we got one day where everything worked. And then for the weeks following that photo it rained.

- [Narelle] Yeah, it was crazy.

- [Anna] So we were very lucky.

- [Narelle] I can't believe I've looked at the weather forecasts for the month proceeding that it was driving me nuts, you know, trying to kind of second guess it.

- [Anna] You were getting nervous.

- [Narelle] And knowing that you were so busy, and like the cancellations would become quite stressful in the end. So yeah, it was great. We had this beautiful balmy day, really, in the middle of Winter, or the end of Winter. And this beautiful location which was a bit difficult to find, you know, like it was a strange sort of place, on the other side of the hills in Adelaide leading to Murray Bridge and it's quite barren, I guess. Rolling hills but then all of a sudden this crop of rocks sort of breaks out of the ground, really. And we were lucky enough to find Mick who let us onto his property.

- [Anna] Yes.

- [Narelle] For the last half hour. It was really fun because we were actually just chasing the light around, 'cause we were out behind a little bit of an edge of hills and so we were losing the light and we just basically, started down below and then walked up the hill and then found the sheoak, and you know had 10 minutes there and that was our picture.

- [Narelle] I guess I like using the landscape like a stage. You find something special and then you wait for the light. I love using natural light, I love seeing what the sun can do. And how it can illuminate things that you may not necessarily see. And actually points you into a direction to look at, and that's in the end you standing there and having the light shine on you. You are in this beautiful white dress, which kind of has a lovely soft glow and it brings a little bit of magic to it, I guess with the magic hour we shot it in. But all the parts of that picture tell a story. You know, like, there are about actually telling a bigger picture about you. You know, you have, you looking soft and feminine which is a big part of your personality which you've never really been able to project before, too much.

- [Anna] Well my profession doesn't allow for it, you know.

- [Narelle] No.

- [Anna] It's a very aggressive, intimidating environment where strength and power reign supreme. And I guess many people in my life see two different Annas. You know there's the athlete Anna, and there's the Anna at home. So it was nice to kind of tap into that a little bit.

- [Narelle] I think it's interesting how also, because you have been so tough and portrayed as that, is that's the only way they want to see you. You know, like the you about the steely-jawed, kind of, "get out of my way"

- Death stare. Which is kind of, you know, it is interesting how we can't, we can't separate that. We kind of either have to have girls looking girly, or we have to have 'em looking tough and kind of, almost masculine, you know. So it was kind of nice to be able to try and bring all that together and celebrate being a woman. That you actually don't have to be one or the other.

- [Anna] Yeah.

- [Narelle] You can be both.

- [Anna] There's great strength in femininity.

- [Narelle] Yeah, absolutely.

- [Anna] And softness as well. And I think you captured that really well. But the tree as well, you know, it's struggling to grow and has grown for a very long time and you can see the wear and the effect of what it's gone through, the struggles, the challenges that it's face. You know you see the dead log in front of it where parts of it has broken off but it's continued to grow. And I think that really symbolises the resilience and tough things that I've had to experience in my career as well.

- [Narelle] Yeah, absolutely. You know coming back from the accident you had, I mean, it's all there, you know, if you want to look at it The toughness of the rocks growing out of the landscape. That all builds the picture of, picture to me of you. And the little tiny tree in the background, I love that kind of aspect of, you know, you standing alone at the top of your career. Like you are an Australian household name and no one really has been able to be up there with you. So you're out there on your own. So I think there's all lots- and the rolling hills you know are very feminine as well. They're beautiful shapes and stuff, and there's a lot in there if you want to find it. You don't have to, but if you want to go looking, there's a story of you, you know.

- [Anna] Definitely.

- [Narelle] I felt really privileged to be able to photograph you, as well. Because you're everything that I love in a woman. Going after your dreams and being strong, and you're a household name in our family. My kids love watching you do the box jumps and stuff. It was a great gig to get. And I'm really glad you came along for the ride. You know, and we were able to be something a little bit different.

- [Anna] Yeah. Me, too.