Jess LaFrankie: Instagram

Jess LaFrankie: Website

Jess: I moved from the Gold Coast to Melbourne when I was 18 to study and work as a photographer. While I constantly miss the sunshine of the Gold Coast, I enjoy the atmosphere of Melbourne and the creative environment it offers.

FIV: Do you remember the first picture you ever took? Have your creative talent been noticeable since you were a child?

Jess: I was more interested in other creative outlets as child. I didn’t connect with photography until I was 15. I transferred high schools and was accidentally put into a photography class instead of business. The class quickly became my favourite and sparked an interest in pursuing photography after school.

FIV: For our readers is interesting to get you known as person a little bit. How would your friends describe you?

Jess: I’m not too sure to be honest, they sometimes refer to me as the grandma of the group because I like to garden, read and can’t go past a cute cardigan.

FIV: What other parts of photography have you tried? Why did you decide to specialise on the fashion photography?

Jess: I was originally a portrait photographer and experimented in most of the other photography genres when I first started. I love specialising in fashion photography because it allows me to dream up concepts and then execute them, giving me the chance to distort reality on a regular basis.

FIV: With the number of pictures you post on instagram you get the feeling you have a new shooting every day. How does a normal day in your life look like?

Jess: Everyday is different, the amount of times I shoot a month always changes, no two months are really the same. I usually post less than half of the work that I do online.

FIV: You have got a great passion for photographie. Are there other passions in your life?

Jess: I’m a huge green thumb, I have about 350 plants in my home which I love taking care of and I’m also passionate about ancient history and travelling.

FIV: You also host retouching and photography workshops. What led you to this decision and what kind of teacher are you?

Jess: I was drawn to creating fashion photography workshops because there’s not a lot of opportunity for young photographers to have access to top models and luxury locations so I found myself wanting to create these opportunities for them.

I think overall I’m really open about my industry experience and happy to share as much information as I can to those who attend my workshops.

FIV: Where do you get your inspiration for your different projects?

Jess: Mostly I’ll find a location and build a concept or idea around that. You can find inspiration anywhere though, in books, art, conversation and reflection.

FIV: Do you recognize a bigger change process in this fast changing industry over the past years? How do you stay up to date?

Jess: You’ve just gotta do your own thing, this industry relies on changes and trends so as long as you’re focusing on your own style and interests you’ll find a way to create images that are relevant and personal.

FIV: You spend many hours taking photos. Tell us a little story that happened within the shootings and which firstly comes you in mind.

Jess: There was a time we were shooting on a busy bridge in Brisbane and the model was throwing her dress into the wind and a very expensive bracelet flew off her wrist and into the 4 lanes of oncoming traffic. It was stressful at the time but pretty funny looking back at it.

FIV: What are your plans and goals for the future? Where do you wanna be in your life in 5 years?

Jess: Hopefully doing what I’m doing today, I honestly love what I do and I’m so grateful for the incredible lifestyle this job affords me.

Jess LaFrankie: Instagram

Jess LaFrankie: Website