2016 Graduate Feature; Rachel Hickey

Hey Rachel, what got you started in photography?
I'm not sure if there was a particular moment that inspired me... But I realised photography was a part of me when I wore out my first camera, a point and shoot Olympus. I was obsessed with images, always trying to get a different perspective and do something different. Actually, I remember the first ever photography job I did was on that little camera; it was at our local racecourse, photographing the horse racing. I had no idea what I was doing, but running from place to place and meeting new people was incredibly exciting and at the end of the day, to have a story of the events and little details that so many people would have missed was really an honour.

When you first started at PSC, what kind of photographer did you imagine you would become? 

Ha! I was convinced that I would be a stills photographer for films. However I have never once been on a movie set.

What is the most beneficial thing you have learned?

The worst someone can ever say is no.

I have learned to accept that no one sees the same thing in the exact same way, I have also learned to not be pressured by "should". That is when people say "You should photograph like that" or "You should do that".

What was your most challenging moment at PSC?

 To be honest; going through a breakup three weeks before a folio was due when that was my subject matter, was possibly the most stressful.

What was your most rewarding moment at PSC?

Presenting my final folio and being genuinely proud of myself and the amount of dedication and persistence I put in to every single image. It was an overwhelming moment of emotion when I realised I had presented my last ever folio at PSC- huge accomplishment!

How has your style developed?

My style is always developing. It started with being very formally composed, but it's now more focused on details of something to add insight to the larger picture, without actually showing the larger picture. I like to think it's less biased in that sense.

What was your graduating folio about? How did you arrive at this idea?

My graduating folio 'Beyond Bikes' is looking deep into the community of cycling, specifically track racing. I grew up around cycling and after moving to Melbourne, I noticed whenever I was talking to non-cycling friends about the velodrome and the thrill of riding that they didn't have any idea of what I was going on about. I wanted to show that there is more to cycling than bikes.

What are you working on at the moment? 

I'm brainstorming ideas for new projects, but also taking some time away from the camera to broaden my eye. In saying that I am a part of the PSC Alumni in which we hope to have a group exhibition in the next couple of months. I'm also doing a bit of freelancing.

What advice would you give to current students?

Have a go! You are in the best environment to learn and make mistakes, don't be concerned that anyone will ever think less of you because you don't know everything about photography. Go ahead and make the mistakes.

What do you do when you’re not taking photos?

I love to ride my bike! Either on the velodrome or on the road.

Where do you find your motivation?

From being around like-minded people, that is something I loved about PSC.

Who/what inspires you?

Looking at other photographers' work and not limiting myself. Thinking about future possibilities is huge inspiration for me, it makes me look a little more internally to what I actually want to do.

What is your dream job/shoot?

I would love the opportunity to photograph a professional cycling race team for a season. I also dream of/plan on living in Europe or Canada and creating smaller bodies of work in my downtime.

To see more of Rachel's work, check out her website!