31 May Interview: Heather Smith
NIPA 2026 Interview
Heather Smith
Photographer
Yeah, I always loved taking photos when I was a kid – back in the days when you had to wait a week to get your photos processed! I didn’t do much for a long time, then my husband and I (and three small children) moved towns and it was a struggle. I started…
NIPA Featured Artist
Photography gives artists a voice through the shared language of images.
About the Artist
A conversation with Heather Smith.
Yeah, I always loved taking photos when I was a kid – back in the days when you had to wait a week to get your photos processed! I didn’t do much for a long time, then my husband and I (and three small children) moved towns and it was a struggle. I started…
The Interview
This NIPA feature brings together the artist’s reflections, selected works, and visual material in a long-form interview format.
Can you tell us a little about yourself and how your journey into photography began?
Yeah, I always loved taking photos when I was a kid – back in the days when you had to wait a week to get your photos processed! I didn’t do much for a long time, then my husband and I (and three small children) moved towns and it was a struggle. I started just using my phone to take photos – mostly of sunsets because being out in them and capturing those moments brought me joy in an otherwise tricky time. My hubby then bought me a camera, and the rest… as they say… is history…
How would you describe your photographic style, and how has it evolved over time?
My photographic style is dark, moody, and authentic. In my earlier days it was very much about capturing and sharing images that made people happy, and while I still love sharing images that encourage joy, I am more inclined to share images that make me think, and that I hope give others pause to ponder as well. 5- What is your relationship with your camera and equipment? We’re bonded. I don’t like going anywhere without my camera, and I hate missing opportunities, which is kind of funny that my Bronze winning photo is exactly that – a possible missed opportunity!
What’s the story behind your winning photograph?
We travel once every two years with family friends, exploring Australia while our children are young enough to still want to/have to spend time with us. We were on a trip along the Great Ocean Road in Victoria, and it happened to be the same time as the famous ‘Bells Beach Pro’ Surf competition was on. None of us are surfing people, but we were intrigued by the location (high cliffs above some of the best breaks in the world) and wanted to look. I opted not to take my camera, as we had a significant walk to where we could see anything, and I was rather non-plussed by the whole thing if I’m honest. There was a landing about half way down the stairs overlooking the beach, and our group had gathered for a typical “we were there’ photo. I (as usual) was behind my phone taking the snap, and once I’d finished a polite young man in his wetsuit carrying his board asked me if I’d finished so he could go through. I said yes, and he walked down the remaining stairs to the beach. I went down to the landing, had a couple of selfies with our friends, and then turned around to look down at the beach. This image is exactly what I saw – and I was kicking myself for not having my camera to be able to capture this as the crisp perfect image I could see in front of me. I then got my phone and took a few photos trying to save this image somewhere else other than my head. 7- What was the most important decision you made when creating this image? The best camera you have is the one that’s in your hand. I could have bemoaned not having my Canon with me, but it wouldn’t have helped me. 9- What do you hope people feel or think when they see this photo? I hope they just observe it – let it sink into them and have their own feelings, create their own story about it, see what it represents to them… 10- What does photography mean to you on a personal level? Photography is my escape. With a history of depression and being susceptible to stress and overwhelm, photography gives me a chance to inhibit a single world outside my own for whatever time I’m doing it. 12- What was your first reaction when you found out you won a NIPA award? I was shocked if I’m honest… I love the photo; I just wasn’t sure it was good enough quality – particularly given the downsides of Phone photography. 13- What are your upcoming projects or dreams for the future? My current project is creating a website where people can buy prints of my work – it’s taken a while to get to this point, and to be honest, I’m hoping it’s finished soon because admin takes away from photography time! My dreams for the future are to continue being able to capture things in my unique and authentic way, and to explore both Australia and the world further.
What are your thoughts on NIPA, and is there any suggestion or idea you’d like to share to help us make it even better in the future?
It’s been a great competition to be part of, really simple to participate in. If anything, I would love to have a financial scale that decreases for the number of images you submit. I narrowed mine down to only a couple, but it’s like choosing your favourite child – impossible when you have a few more images that you’d like to enter, but you have to draw a financial line somewhere.
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Photography gives artists a voice through the shared language of images.
Images from the Photographer
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