Open Theme nominee

I was traveling to a boring real estate shoot one day and past this pine forest, where I instantly had a vision of a red dress against the neutral background and perspective lines of the plantation. This young lady had recently had her teeth braces removed, so I made a masquerade mask to suit the dress to signify, in the image, the teenager lifting off the mask, from the dreaded time of wearing braces. Her pose also represents the freedom she now feels without wearing braces.

Thomsens Photographic Gallery was established in Maryborough, Queensland, Australia by my parents Narelle and Wilson Thomsen, in 1970. They left the farming life to pursue their passion for photographing people and telling stories with images, created through the lens and brought to life in Dad’s darkroom. I grew up in the back of the studio before and after school, unknowlingly picking up the people skills it took to offer clients such a personalised experience as having a portrait taken. I learned classic posing and composition from my elegant and artistic Mum and available light and studio techniques from my talented Dad. Watching the paper go from the big enlarger, to the developer, then fixer tray was one of my favourite childhood memories.

After school, I worked at a professional lab, making prints on huge machines from medium format 120 & 35mm negatives and learning the chemical side. In 1995 I joined my parents business and was presented with my very first Hasselblad, an 80mm & 150 mm lens and a light meter.

My parents retired in 2007 after going digital in 2005 and I have continued this 47 year family business alone since then with pride.