CHRIS PARKER | PHOTOGRAPHER
Photography at its core has always been an attempt to make the ephemeral immortal. Fleeting moments, frozen and instantly timeless.
Having trained as a ballet dancer for most of his upbringing Chris' photos often contain movement, or use the body as the catalyst for a particular mood or expression. Being a theatre director as well, Chris has a wealth of experience using light and spacial relationships within a frame to tell a story.
Over the last 15yrs, Chris has taken thousands of actors headshots and promotional images, becoming one of Melbourne's most in-demand headshot photographers. Chris enjoys using natural light to achieve an authentic and vibrant portrait. From the moment you arrive at the studio, you feel instantly at ease, as Chris explains his process and diffuses any pressure or stress you may have around having a photo taken. Taking headshots should be easy, and people carry a varying degree of insecurity around this process because of the sheer courage it takes to stand in front of a camera and allow yourself to be seen. Chris has a unique approach to this, helping to eliminate any of the physical cues that show nerves - like a tight jaw, or compressed neck position, and leaning back onto the heels. And once your body is standing proud, generally your mind will follow.
Chris has worked for The Production Company, Michael Cassel Group, Love Never Dies, and most recently Moulin Rouge. Production photography for Chris feels extremely natural, having trained as an actor and theatre director he has an instinctual understanding of where the staging is going to move next. The ‘In The Wings’ series for Moulin Rouge is something Chris is very keen to champion. Seeing the production lighting from the wings, allowed Chris to capture incredibly evocative images of the actors, and ensemble numbers, and these images when combined with the traditional front of house production photography creates a beautiful story for any production. Whether it is from the auditorium or the side of stage Chris feels right at home inside a theatre, and you won't even notice he's there as he is capturing your production from a perspective that you may not have ever seen before.
“Chris Parker’s work is innovative and intensely evocative, straddling the complicated line between the theatrical and the cinematic. In every photograph, his love of the electricity of live performance is immediately felt by the viewer and, through his innovative lensing and choices of angle, he gives the audience a new perspective on the action, bordering on the sublime.”
