Shooting Starr – Photographer with a Passion

This week we would want to share with our members an insight into one of our favourite people in Melbourne, Jacki Starr.

Melbourne Photographer and Designer Jacki Starr takes pride in her creative edge and excellent service.

Jacki’s work displays a fresh and distinctive flair. Her talent lies in capturing the essence of you, your family or your brand. She is dedicated to listening carefully to her clients’ needs, making you feel comfortable and completely at ease.

Jacki enjoys an excellent reputation for enduring, natural images backed by impeccable professionalism. Her ability to work across diverse media attracts a broad range of clients Australia-wide, who trust and value her personal dedication to the highest quality design and image making.

With a background in graphic design, Jacki has worked as an art director in an advertising agency for a number of years and always had a passion for photography. So after having children, she decided to bring photography into her work life.  Having a background in design has proved very useful as she has been able to combine both skills to become a freelance designer and photographer.

We asked Jacki to tell what she loves most about been a Photographer:

” I love photographing people. I love their stories, the connections we make and the trust people put in me to document who they really are.”

” I love the idea of collecting and preserving fragments of a life and providing a “return ticket” to visit those moments and memories.”

I believe a good photo comes from focusing on my subject first and my camera second; I want my subjects to feel like we’re old friends by the time we’ve finished shooting. One of the best compliments I get from clients is that they forget the camera’s there. In those moments I’m able to capture their most natural and honest selves.

Ultimately when clients look at their photos, I want them to feel something. I want them to hear the sounds, smell the scents, see the movement, and feel the human touch.

I LOVE books, especially coffee table books with rich images and beautiful design. You will always find my coffee table overflowing with big, beautiful books on so many different topics!

A number of years ago I was asked to design a family history book incorporating several treasured photos and stories. I loved getting to know the family’s fascinating narrative, bringing their past to life on a such personal level.

Since that first project I’ve worked with many families, capturing their stories and the lives of their loved ones in beautiful, large-format books. Sometimes I document their current lives with photos I have taken, other times we collect stories and images from the past.

Each book is personal and unique. I collaborate with skilled copywriters and editors who interview the family and their friends, helping the stories come to life. Their carefully crafted words accompany my photography and design to produce truly individual works of storytelling art.

Every family has a story and unless they’re preserved, memories and details get lost along the way.   It’s a privilege to chronicle these stories with my clients. Each book becomes a family heirloom that can be passed down to future generations.

I love my work and I love working in a wide range of areas. Whether I’m photographing families, special occasions or the corporate world, creating books or designing corporate identities…. Keeping my work varied prevents me from ever losing interest in what I do.