During our discussion on The Camera Life, Alex shared with us his earliest memories of shooting with canisters of 8mm film only to be posted to Kodak in Rochester, New York, to have them developed and sent back months later. Those early days of shooting films inspired Alex to pursue creative possibilities and create short films at home with his family and friends. Alex studied filmmaking in university and explored filmmaking as a career.
Today, Alex’s works are held in countless galleries, and two images form part of the permanent collection at the National Portrait Gallery of Australia. However, portraiture isn’t Alex’s only defining genre, as he is a class-leading landscape photographer, too!
Alex has found that when shooting stills with medium-format film, you become more of a director to effectively manage the limitations of a 12-frame roll of 120 film. What’s also unique about Alex’s approach to his craft is that he develops and processes all of his images without the need for an external lab. Alex has found that when shooting 3-5 rolls a week, the savings are a significant benefit, but more importantly, he has absolute control over the outcome of each negative. Alex scans his own negatives and applies minimal edits other than finely tuning the exposure. However, even Alex’s digital images have a film-like appeal, given the style and gear used to capture each shot.
Alex shared his experiences and successes in publishing art books featuring his photographic works. Distance and Desire, Alex’s most recent book published with Wakefield Press, is a collection of his images. Rather than select the final photos to appear in the book, Alex worked with a designer who curates, culls and selects the best pictures and how they work together. Much like a cinematographer leaving the final product to an editor, Alex entrusts the final image selection to his book designer. Distance and Desire has recently been added to the National Library at the National Gallery in Canberra, Australia. Alex believes those new to photography should work towards a group exhibition well before moving to solo shows or creating an art book. Alex has four published books showcasing his motivations, interests, capabilities, and visual mastery.
“Alex Frayne has been involved in film and images from his earliest school days. Beginning with an 8mm camera, he has continued his love affair with visual media ever since. His stills photography work has earned acclaim, and his work is held in galleries including the National Portrait Gallery (two images in the Permanent Collection).”
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Find Alex's work here:
