One of the most inspirational stories we’ve covered here on The Camera Life is that of Australian photographer Andrew Chapman. Andrew has photographed and documented everything from portraits and politics to the death of coal-fired power plants and life-giving organ transplants. He himself is the recipient of life-saving liver and kidney transplants.
While the recovery process was extensive, it didn’t take long for Andrew to get back out and chase the light. You can even check out Yellow - A Film By Chris Franklin documenting Andrew’s health battles and organ transplant surgery. The documentary won numerous awards and mentions for its “in-the-room” telling of a life-or-death situation. Andrew continues to document the many facets of life and celebrates over 50 years of accolades, publications, exhibitions, achievements, collaborations, projects, and image-making. Andrew previously appeared on The Camera Life in Episode 95 and recently returned to give us an update and more amazing stories in Episode 121. In fact, with yet another book on the cusp of launch, Andrew shows no sign of slowing down.
Andrew’s photographic journey began in the 1970s, when he studied documentary, photojournalism, and landscape photography. All these years later, you can still see just how heavily those core genres influence much of his life’s work. In the late 1970s, Andrew secured his first photojournalism job working for The Melbourne Times and later for Syme Community Newspapers—a collective of local, suburban, and rural newspapers. Andrew’s images reflect his love of Australia and, in particular, his dedication to documenting rural life. As a freelance photojournalist, Andrew’s images have been featured in Australian print publications, including Business Review Weekly (BRW) and The Bulletin. On the international stage, Andrew’s images have graced the cover of Time Magazine more than a dozen times.
To Andrew, documenting breaking news is just as important as documenting everyday life - regardless of how gritty it is! In our recent interview on The Camera Life podcast, Andrew spoke of his experience photographing heroin addicts. His images tell the story of life on the streets with heroin users (photographing addicts injecting into their necks) and heroin dealers (photographing dealers driving around Melbourne, scoring and selling heroin). Conversely, Andrew has also photographed countless Australian politicians at varying stages of their climb to the top spot as Prime Minister. Regardless of the subjects or their perceived social standing, Andrew’s images (and his recounting of the moments) paint the picture of Australia’s rich, yet diverse culture. He takes nothing for granted and seemingly never puts his camera down.
“I want to leave a visual record that people can rely on.”
Unfortunately, in 2011, Andrew had to put his creative life on hold for a life-saving organ transplant. His liver was failing, and with only days to live plus a range of complications, he received a liver from a registered organ donor. His surgery granted Andrew a life that would otherwise have been cut short. The process, journey, and amazing people involved with Andrew’s transplant inspired filmmaker Chris Franklin to create a documentary about Andrew’s transplant. Yellow went on to win the international Lift-Off Global Network Best Short Documentary in 2019. Through gratitude and determination, Andrew turned his experience into a new body of photographic work. In conjunction with Donate Life Victoria (Australia), Andrew has documented the experiences, including the surgical procedures, of others awaiting and receiving critical organ donations. A decade later, and Andrew was back in hospital, this time for a kidney transplant with the healthy kidney donated by none other than Andrew’s eldest child, Sarah. That’s pure family magic if you ask me!
“Fourteen years on, I have been lucky enough to have experienced a whole lot of life, a life that I was not destined to travel through. Life is a wonderful experience, and I am forever grateful to all those who made this possible, especially the donor and his family.”
Given Andrew’s tenure, achievements, and uncanny eye for the sublime, it’s no surprise that he has exhibited his works extensively. Beyond that, Andrew has published countless photography books both as a solo artist and as part of a collective. His published works (via his publisher of choice - Ten Bag Press) include The Shearers, Political Vision, and The Farm. Andrew’s most recent book, Fill The Frame, is a masterclass in photography and a celebration of Andrew’s life behind the lens. Fill The Frame is set to launch on 10 October 2025 at the Ballarat International Foto Biennale. The book will also be available from Ten Bag Press from launch.
“Rural Australia, its human and animal inhabitants, European and indigenous, the harshness and beauty of the Australian bush landscape, its vernacular architecture, and lively Australian Federal politics are Chapman's main photographic subjects.”
One of the most impressive and amazing things about Andrew is his determination, grit, and sense of adventure. I follow Andrew on his social media channels, and it’s clear that he is constantly working on a project or, at the very least, is out and about with a camera in hand. Speaking to Andrew on The Camera Life Podcast was an immense honour. He has survived some truly harrowing times and has gotten back up every time he has been knocked down. He does so for family and friends and to continue his life’s work by documenting the times and people we come across. If you’re an Australian, please take a moment to check out the organ and tissue donor registry, Donate Life. It only takes a minute to sign up and register as a donor. A single organ donor could save up to seven lives! You can also check out Andrew’s short YouTube video - Daisy Chain.
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 Online:
