Carlotta Moye on personal work

This Time It’s Personal exhibitor Carlotta Moye is one of Australia’s leading fashion photographers.
Having participated in the annual TTIP exhibition from its very inception nine years ago, Carlotta shares her thoughts on the importance of personal work.
Opening Thursday 29 November, This Time It’s Personal showcases Australia’s best photographers with proceeds from print sales going to Chris O’Brien Lifehouse.
Tell me about your image submitted to This Time It’s Personal?
This image of Ondria Hardin was taken as a series for an editorial. The magazine gave us complete creative control, which is unheard of these days. The smoking was not part of the creative plan. Ondria smokes... a lot ...and to save time (we only had her for a few hours) I let her smoke on set. I don’t encourage smoking but I do encourage honesty in my images and I wanted to capture her as I saw her. This is Ondria. Sexy, naughty and confident in who she is.
What was involved in bringing together this image from conception to bringing it to print in this show?
This image was a moment. Once I shot it I knew it was special. It was on my Fuji XT2 with only the on-camera flash. Not a technical image but an emotional one. I love those moments when I make pictures... the ones you can’t plan or control.
“Once I shot it I knew it was special… Not a technical image but an emotional one.I love those moments when I make pictures... the ones you can’t plan or control."
Do you believe it is important for working professional photographers to have a personal photography practice? If so, why?
Yes! No more than ever. As the industry changes and everything we do is so immediate it’s important to stop and remind ourselves of what bought us here. My passion for taking pictures and connecting with my subject on a personal level can get lost in a commercial world where selling the product comes before anything now. Before the image. The connection is what keeps me going and striving to capture THAT moment. Snap!
You’ve been involved in the annual exhibition for a few years now. What do you get out of participating?
I get to show my edit. As photographers and creators we need to remember the picture... the photograph... the creativeness of who we are.
This Time It’s Personal opens at SUNSTUDIOS Sydney 29 November.