When Harri Met Sally - A Photography Podcast

Today we warmly welcome John Platt into the pod suite, who made it all the way from Sydney! 
Leaving High School in the late 1970’s John worked as a still photographer’s assistant before discovering the film industry in the early 1980’s. Believing he’d left photography behind, he embraced the world of film and gravitated toward the camera department, becoming a Clapper-loader (2nd AC). In mid 1986 he was given the opportunity to pull focus on his first feature film, 'The Tale of Ruby Rose’. For the following twelve years John worked as a Focus Puller (1st AC). 
With the arrival of his first son in 1989, John rediscovered his love of photography and began what would eventually become a 40-year project. The recording of his crew mates on location. In 2014 after ten years as a Camera Operator, John moved into Unit Still Photography coming full circle and combining his two great passions, Still Photography and recording the crews he works with.
Today we talk with John about his career in moving image, his return to stills photography and his first book ‘Observations On Set 1983-2005’ which is available now and will be followed by volume two, ‘Observations On Set 2005-2024' in late 2025.
“The key to longevity in the industry is keep relative, keep your work to a high standard and keep connected”
Unit Stills website: https://johnplatt.com.au
Book Website: https://observationsonset.com
Instagram: @johnplattphotos
Thanks as always to our amazing sponsors Nikon Australia, Ted’s Cameras, Collarts and A&L Artistic Framers. We couldn't do this without your support so thank you so much once again.
Profile image by Mike Steel
 

This week we warmly welcome Aldona Kmieć to the podcast. 
Aldona is a photographic artist based in Melbourne, originally from Poland. After studying photography in London, she migrated to Australia in 2009 establishing a studio in Ballarat, where she worked on site-specific installations and paste-up projects. Her practice blends conceptual and documentary photography, about memory and belonging.
Aldona has been recognised as a finalist in photography prizes, as well as being widely exhibited across Australia and internationally, including at the Ballarat International Foto Biennale (2023). 'Hills Hoist', her latest solo exhibition, will show at City Library Gallery in November 2025, supported by City of Melbourne Arts Grant. 
“I think you learn to manage your life and prioritise what’s important and don’t focus on something that isn’t.” 
Tune in to listen to this fascinating and wonderful story that all started on a dairy farm in Poland. 
W: https://aldonakmiec.com 
IG: instagram.com/aldonakmiec   
Thanks as always to our amazing sponsors Nikon Australia, Ted’s Cameras, Collarts and A&L Artistic Framers. We couldn't do this without your support so thank you so much once again.

This week on the podcast we have an incredibly engaging conversation with the exceptional person that is Carly Earl. 
As the Picture Editor for The Guardian Australia, Carly works with the best photojournalists in the country. She is an award-winning photojournalist herself who has been working in the media for over twelve years. Carly's photography has accompanied some of The Guardian's biggest stories. Her passion is connecting an audience to the voiceless people of real news stories, while fostering a creative space for artists to showcase their best work to a global audience. 
“That was my mission when I started at The Guardian, I said I want this to be the place that photographers want to work with.” 
Tune in to this wonderful conversation to hear how Carly and her team advocate for not only the people whose stories they share, but for the photographers that work for The Guardian as well. 
@piceditor.theguardian.au/
The Guardian Australia 
Below are the links to some of the stories Carly mentions throughout the episode -
Droving story
Blacktown
Thanks as always to our amazing sponsors Nikon Australia, Ted’s Cameras, Collarts and A&L Artistic Framers. We couldn't do this without your support so thank you so much once again.

In this episode we have the honour of speaking with Sally McInerney, daughter of Olive Cotton. 
At the age of eight Sally was given an old Box Brownie camera by her great-aunt and learnt the elements of camera work from her mother. At aged 14, Sally bought a secondhand Yashicaflex and carried it around like a companion, observing beautiful, strange, sometimes quite unforeseen things. She has continued this practice of photography ever since, as a way of life.
“I think photography is a way of living in the here and now, living in the moment, there’s no other moment but the one you're in… and your camera can be like your companion, or doppelganger, who's always with you.” 
This is a truly special conversation. We hear not only about Sally’s journey through photography, but also some wonderful stories about growing up with her mother, Olive Cotton. 
sallymcinerneyphotogaraphy.com.au
@sallymcinerneyphotography
@tweedregionalgallery 
Profile picture credit - © Mohsen Soltani

Welcome back to When Harri met Sally! We’re so happy to be back in the pod suits again. 
In this episode the two of us have an open, honest, and lively chat as we share what we've learnt from starting the podcast last year. We discuss what has happened since season one, some thoughts on the photography industry on a whole and the exciting plans ahead for season two. This season we are asking all our guests one common question - What does the future of photography look like to you? In this episode we kick things off answering that question ourselves. 
Thanks for all the support you have shown us so far. We hope you love listening to Season 2 just just as much as we loved making it.
thebrownbilleffect.com/
photocollective.com.au/
 

Welcome back to Season Two of When Harri met Sally. We’re thrilled to bring you another twelve episodes of conversations with photographers working across Australia. New episodes every week.

Episode 12 wraps up our season with fresh perspectives from emerging photographers Gemma Raso, Lisa-Mary Abdulnour, and Matilda Baumann
Matilda is a student photographer specialising in portraiture, currently using photography as a tool for self-discovery. Through vibrant portraits and storytelling, her work explores identity, empowerment, and the beauty of stories often overlooked.
Lisa-Mary, creator behind Broke Stills, makes portfolios that intrigue her. From frying old photos to process grief, to seeking out abandoned chairs and connecting them to memories—who knows what she will create next?
Creating and sharing on the unceded lands of the Wurundjeri-willam people of the Kulin Nation in Australia, Gemma prioritises connection and collaboration in her practice. Her work explores a range of different themes to do with belonging including spirituality and land, lineage, textiles, and particularly the experiences of d/Disabled peoples within these contexts. 
These talented students share their creative journeys, inspirations and hopes for the future of photography. Their unique voices remind us of the beauty in starting out.
https://www.instagram.com/technicoloursuper888/
https://www.instagram.com/brokestills/
https://www.instagram.com/gemrasophotography/
https://www.collarts.edu.au/.  
   
   
 
 

Episode 11 brings us into the newsroom with Danie Sprague!
Danie has been the Photographic Editor at The Age and The Sunday Age from 2018 to present. With a team of Photographers and Picture Editors they cover all aspects of daily news reporting, photojournalism and long form feature work for cross platform news media mastheads. Danie has worked in various photo editing roles at Fairfax Media/The Age (now Nine) such as Features and The Sunday Age for almost 20 years and has previously worked for independent publishers of bespoke print periodicals in Australia and Europe (2003-2021).
Today on the podcast Danie discusses the evolution of visual storytelling in journalism, from print to digital and how photography shapes how we see the world through news media.
https://www.theage.com.au/

In Episode 10 we chat with Vanessa Gerrans, CEO and Artistic Director of the Ballarat International Foto Biennale.
Vanessa is leading the 11th Festival (open from 23rd August to 19th October 2025) and simultaneously transforming Ballarat's former Union Bank into the National Centre for Photography. Previously Gerrans served as Director of the Warrnambool Art Gallery from 2015-2022 and holds a Masters in Art Curatorship from the University of Melbourne. 
In this episode Vanessa shares her mission to elevate Australian photography, from leading festivals to establishing the National Centre for Photography with her passion for the arts shining through every endeavour.
https://ballaratfoto.org
https://www.instagram.com/vanessagerrans/
Photo by Alice Miles

Episode 9 is here spotlighting the raw power of photojournalism with Darrian Traynor.
Darrian is an Australian based award-winning photojournalist working as a staff photographer with Getty Images based in Sydney Australia. His editorial work appears in newspapers, magazines and online for publications all around the world. Prior to joining Getty Images as a staff photographer in 2024, Darrian worked in a freelance role for the company for over 10 years as well as work for Nine Media including mastheads such as The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald.
While having a strong background in sports photography Darrian’s reportage work has seen him cover global humanitarian issues particularly in the Middle East with an ongoing look at the issues surrounding refugees displaced by conflict.
Darrian’s award-winning work captures breaking news, humanitarian issues and global events with heart and precision. Tune in to hear his insights on documenting truth in a fast-paced world.
https://www.darriantraynor.com/
https://www.instagram.com/darriantraynor/