Spotlight: Wade Edwards

In photography there are various ways to approach lighting a subject. It can be a daunting task to decide which way you want to light when you start out photography. How did your aesthetic approach to lighting come about?

I guess my lighting appreciation stared back in 2000 when I was processing film & printing B&W hard prints in some of Sydney’s top labs. I was then lucky enough to transition into the world of assisting & digi operating for 10+ years so I got to see a lot of different approaches over the years! Also being present in that time when things moved from the darkroom to computers was really interesting, there was a few years where no one really knew where the boundaries were on digital and yet film was this stable constant it was really intriguing watching super experienced international photographers grapple with it & how it influenced their lighting.

What is your favourite type of lighting and why?

I tend to shoot a lot of natural light these days, even when im in studio I like to try and use it. I think one main reason for this is I love the freedom it gives the models to move & the rhythm that photographer & model can get into.

When you approach lighting an image on a job where do you start?

I guess when thinking about lighting for a job I start with the inspo for the collection and how I’d like to represent that feeling. I draw a lot of inspo from those photographers that shoot with a raw feeling (Purienne, Jason Lee Parry, Peter Lindberg, Cameron Hammond etc) so bouncing off what I’ve been loving & inspiring me at the time gets the ball rolling & finding my way of combining these is always fun!

You have assisted some of Australia’s best fashion photographers in the past, what are a few important things you have learned?

One major thing I feel like I’ve tried to inherit from my years working with Nicole Bentley is to always be nice on set! No matter who you might be (designer/photographer/stylist/H&M/assistant) your all part of that unique team for the day and everyone is there to do their best :) The other thing would be planning! I feel like having a solid plan for the day can be a real life saver, everyone knows whats happening; what, when & where so there is no nasty surprises, well other than what the weather can bring! Lol

Name two photographers you look to for lighting inspiration

Two photographers that create images that I’m always drawn too are Lachlan Bailey & Peter Lindberg.