One of the wonderful things about the Internet is how it connects people. Now I know that sounds like a can of worms to talk about, but in this instance the Internet has connected us with a very unique photographer in South Australia. Her name is Sharon Wills, and she is a mother of two who shares a very special relationship with one of her sons Jarod, who has a rare disability called Dravet Syndrome (June 23rd was in fact international Dravey Syndrome Awareness Day, so this is a timely feature). This makes each snap that Sharon takes especially unique, as her time for photography is rare and balanced between caring for Jarod and her main job as a Website Designer. None the less, when she can find time she is passionately taking photo’s of the South Australian landscape, building a tranquil narrative of the coast and locations that offer a sense of peace, as well as place.
Sharon’s interest in photography developed when she received her first digital point and shoot camera from my husband as a present. It was small and easy to carry around and I found myself documenting everything. Every celebration, every group gathering, but it was primarily to capture the moment, point and shoot. It was some ten years later that she started to try and capture the beauty I was seeing around me that didn’t involve people, just nature.
“If I’m capturing images of nature it means I’m out of the house, I’m unrestrained by the usual rigors of life and free to do as I wish, within reason,” says Sharon. “My shots are spontaneous and opportunistic. Can I get out at sunset? How far can I drive before that time arrives? Where am I? I can’t be too picky about what time of the day it is, it may not have the best light, it might even be miserable weather, but I’ll try my best and maybe one or two will be worth the effort. Sometimes bad light gives interesting effects too. It’s not uncommon for me to come away with 300 images at a sunset shoot because I’m trying lots of different angles, lots of different settings, capturing the different colours that are present at different times during that magic hour. So you can chart the changing placement of the sun, get a sun burst or a particularly cool wave.”
Victor Harbour
O’Sullivans Beach
Port Willunga
Farmland Near The Fleurieu Peninsula
Stones on Rapid Bay
Glenelg Jetty at Sunset
Between Burra and Adelaide
Normanville Jetty
Port Willunga
Onkaparinga River Near Southport
Like so many South Australian’s Sharon is humble for the praise of her work and aims to keep it as a hobby. “I’m hoping that one day with lots of practice I will get to a point when I’m truly proud of my own work, that making a great image will become second nature. I love the little successes, or just having a friend share an image I created. It all feels wonderful, it’s great to be appreciated for what you do.”
It just goes to show how the Internet can connect us. Follow Sharon Wills work via her Instagram or Facebook.
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