Sally Paterson is a Melbourne based fine art photographer who enjoys capturing images of the natural and urban environment as well as creating abstract and vibrant imagery.
I balance my passion for photography with a busy corporate career. I am an active member of the Melbourne Camera Club (MCC), as well as volunteering as a Director on the MCC Board.
Growing up in New Zealand, I typically was the person in the family capturing moments with a point and shoot camera. Travelling further afield, I was naturally drawn to creating beautiful photographic travel memories from my travels.
I have always been fairly creative, trying my hand across a number of artistic endeavours including making and selling jewellery then handmade journals and diaries. My inspiration to take up photography more seriously, was motivated by my boss at the time – he had a collection of digital cameras along with some impressive images and photobooks from their travels that captivated me.
In 2017, I completed two introductory short courses at RMIT which covered technical and aesthetics of image making, including a taste of different photographic genres and an introduction to processing images.
Joining MCC in late 2017 was a turning point in my photography journey. I met like-minded people to learn from and share photography experiences with, becoming an active entrant in the monthly competition program.
Starting out in Novice grade in 2018 – I was totally surprised to have some wins in my first few competitions. This inspired me to continue to learn and persevere – leading to a promotion to B Grade in 2019, and A Grade in January 2020. I learn enormously from the judges’ comments on competition images and am constantly inspired by the creativity of MCC members, and guest speakers.
I regularly exhibit images in the MCC exhibition program, including both digital and analogue prints. Outside of MCC, I enjoy entering other competitions and group exhibitions in the photography community.