Before we get into Andrew’s story and the creation of Rocketgirl and her Chronicles, let’s get a little perspective. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the Victorian state government imposed some of the world's harshest and most extended lockdowns to protect against the deadly virus and limit its spread. The first lockdown began in March 2020, with the final lockdown ending in October 2021.
In total, those living in Melbourne and its surroundings experienced 263 days in lockdown. Lockdowns varied throughout the course of the pandemic, with some resulting in travel limits and nighttime curfews, while others lasted what seemed like an eternity. Homeschooling was hell! While the plan was to stop the spread and keep citizens safe, the impacts and trauma are still felt today.
Andrew Rovenko was born and raised in Ukraine and vividly recalls his grandfather was the only person he knew with a film camera. He loved his grandfather's visits and the opportunity to see the camera in action while documenting family gatherings. As a young adult, Andrew became a freelance photographer working in various genres and for various publications. Andrew and his wife packed up, left Ukraine, and moved to Australia over 20 years ago to work in computer science. Throughout our conversation, it became clear that while Andrew achieved such rare success, accolades, and acclaim, he is an incredibly humble individual. For me, Andrew’s story and journey spoke of a love of family and the importance of spending quiet time with those we love the most. The Rocketgirl Chronicles represents how family becomes your most precious focus in the face of a global crisis. Spending time, in whatever form necessary, with those we love the most often sparks the magic that leads to creativity.
During the sixth government-enforced home-based lockdown, Andrew and his wife fashioned Rocketgirl her first flight suit, complete with astronaut helmet. At the time, the little adventurer was obsessed with space and indulged in exploring her curiosity with both her parents working from home. Putting aside the home-baked sourdough bread that so many attempted, Andrew began taking Rocketgirl on walks within the 5km imposed travel zone from their family home. Andrew and Rocketgirl (and often Andrew’s wife) explored every nook, cranny, and abandoned building within a 5km radius. Andrew, carrying a Mamiya 67 medium format film camera at all times, began documenting Rocketgirl as she explored the silent and empty world. Her curiosity and wonder led the way.
Andrew and Rocketgirl continued their daily walks at dusk while capturing natural moments of delight and whimsy. Andrew processed his own film stock and, once scanned, began sharing Rocketgirl via social media. Unbeknownst to Andrew or his little star, Rocketgirl was about to take off. Andrew’s compelling and at times revealing images touched a nerve, and his work began to catch the eye of more and more people. Before long, Andrew was contacted by media outlets to conduct print and television interviews and share the good news and positivity that Rocketgirl represented. At a time when the world was closed and we grew tired of lockdowns, Rocketgirl was a beacon of joy.
The Rocketgirl Chronicles' popularity and acclaim continued to blossom, and in 2021, Andrew was named Australian Photographer of the Year. His medium format images captivated audiences at home and abroad, with his work attracting international recognition, awards, publications, and multiple exhibitions. What’s most amazing is that at the time of our Camera Life interview, the Rocketgirl Chronicles images were on display at an exhibition in South America. With the success and accolades still fresh, Andrew designed and created a photo book of Rocketgirl. The Rocketgirl Chronicles fine art photography book proved to be just as popular as the images themselves, winning multiple awards. These awards included: 2024 Prix de la Photographie Paris – Photobook of the Year, 2024 International Photography Awards – Best Fine Art publication, and 2023 Tokyo International Foto Awards – Gold Winner for Fine Art. Not bad for someone who doesn’t like to call themselves a photographer.
“An unintended photography project, born out of the intended family time in Melbourne’s 6th lockdown. With no more rainbows on the pavements, stuffed animals away from the windows and once vibrant spoonvilles turned sad ghost towns – everyone needed to figure out their own way to keep going. Small things. Small wins. Like making a space helmet for your child fascinated by the night sky. And a suit. Too bad that the novelty of a costume doesn’t last. Stories however, seem to have worked since forever. So we took the costume and went looking for stories. The good thing is that stories can be found anywhere, be it 5km travel limit or your bedroom. The bus stop or a laundry. These photographs are the memories from the stories we found. The lockdown has now ended. We’ll outgrow the costume. But the time spent together exploring and imagining is one special gift to keep.” - Andrew Rovenko
Andrew’s story (and Rocketgirl’s, of course!) is one of being in the right place at the wrong time. While the pandemic and lockdowns have passed, Andrew’s story is an enduring one that speaks of family connection and the birth of creativity through circumstance. It’s a story that’s stuck with me ever since. If you’re unfamiliar with The Camera Life Podcast, be sure to take a look at our YouTube channel for the latest episodes and, of course, our back catalogue of weekly shows. Our shows are also available on popular audio podcast platforms. If you like what you see, please give us a thumbs up, subscribe to The Camera Life, and click on the bell icon to receive notifications of upcoming shows. We host two shows weekly, the first being every Thursday at 9am AEDT (Australia), where we interview amazing guests. The second show, The Random Photography Show, airs every Monday at 7:30 pm AEDT. The Random Photography show is a little random, a little loose, and a lot of fun! Be sure to check them out.
Find Andrew
- Website: https://rovenko.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rovenko
