The Other Side of The SUN | Lyndal Irons

SUNSTUDIOS is very proud to introduce our staff, Lyndal Irons, who has been recognised as one of the top emerging photographers under 30 in Australia by Qantas Spirit of Youth Awards (SOYA) and Capture magazine. 

Check out her local reportage imagery and stories capturing behind the scenes slices of our lives.

Hi, I am Lyndal Irons.

If you have been in SUNSTUDIOS Sydney, we have probably crossed paths in our atrium or rental room. I have been working here at SUN since 2011 as a studio assistant and an equipment assistant. My roles in SUNSTUDIOS have been really diverse. From delivering equipment to locations to coordinating studio hire and helping photographers secure the best space for their shot.

I am also a freelance journalist and a documentary photographer.

My career started as a journalist/subeditor in a communications consultancy. As my interest in photography grew, I became in-house photographer as well. I knew I was a writer from a young age, so I was surprised to discover I was actually more of an obsessive photographer in my mid twenties. Now I have reached a sort of middle ground.

I began attempting documentary photography because I loved the work of other photographers, because it was challenging and because I wanted to see if I could do it myself.

After all the hard, anxious and expensive work putting a book or an exhibition together it still ends up being worthwhile when you see the images actually connecting with people on the wall. Most of all I love it when my work is valued by the people I have photographed because I often feel they've been generous with me.

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Photography has definitely changed the way I live because it changed the way I see. I love the synchronicity that occurs: the things that just happen to appear in your frame at the right moment, the characters that come out of the woodwork and appear right there. Photographs are constantly happening and when you learn to see them it doesn’t matter if you have a camera or not – the world is more interesting. While everyone is looking down at devices now: photographers look up. That attitude really does have an impact. You also become a bit more zen about the future. Almost anything life may throw at you has some sort of photographic potential so you can make use of it somehow. It has also led to a great variety of friends of all ages and professions who probably wouldn't be in my social circle if I hadn't photographed them.

If I could give any advice about photography I would say: You have to make substantial time for your personal work. Shoot often, think about what you've shot and whether it worked and why. Show your work to other photographers you respect. Then keep shooting. It can take a long time to feel like you've gotten anywhere but those simple habits go a surprisingly long way.

Physie

I loved being part of the physie universe while shooting the Bjelke Peterson School of Physical Culture. I was adopted by 20 new mothers per day and became really excited about who was going to win that year at the Opera House finale. It’s such an old tradition unique to Australia and so many girls train in it but not many people understand exactly what it is. I love mysteries like that. A lot of my work is about shedding light on things that are somehow hidden in plain sight.

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Goodbye Oxford Tavern

I'll always remember the two final days shooting Goodbye Oxford Tavern before it shut down and changed hands. I felt very lucky to be present and accepted by a tight knit, long standing community there. It was fun and moving and devastating all at the same time. It was an excellent party and the perfect photography project. I'll never forget that crew. You can read their story in my first book Goodbye Oxford Tavern

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On Parramatta Road

At the moment I am working on a long-term series and book about Parramatta Road. It’s a road trip taken close to home through around 20 suburbs in Sydney’s west. On days off you can often find me out there with a camera catching up with car salesmen, drinking coffee at the Olympia Milkbar, haunting Maccas car parks after midnight or just looking for a place I have not yet been.

I like photographing places I've never had a reason to visit. Roads you've driven past but never down, houses that aren't yours, businesses I don't need to buy things from or use. There is so much accessible in daily life that you don't actually experience. Photography creates a reason to do things. I walk into a car yard and think, "Wow, this is amazing. It's like a time portal and this guy hasn't left since the '50s and it is just down the road. I've never met anyone like him before". And the car salesman looks at me and thinks, "Who is this girl who spends her weekend walking up and down Parramatta Road? Why would you do that?" I've never quite been able to explain it properly. I'm just curious.

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You can see my work at lyndalirons.com.au

All images (c) Lyndal Irons