✦ Checkout Sheppo Pics
For the past 30 years, local Port Macquarie artist Mick Sheppo has been capturing worldly images of nature, people, bands, and everything in between through the lens of his camera. His body of work flows in and out of time. We were fortunate to be be able to pose him a few questions about his life and work.
Where did your love of photography come from?
Maybe my “love” of photography kinda developed mostly in the last 10-15 years, I reckon. I've taken pics on and off throughout life since I was five (cheers to my most amazing parents for the introduction!) but ...
in the last few years learning how to see the world as it should and must be seen is very much how I've approached the capturing of all these wonderful moments in time.
Also this passion for making photos comes from capturing artistes doing what they do. Port and surrounds has such a wide and amazing demographic of talented artistes! Live art is hands down the most important medium for the sanity and well being of our minds and bodies and the sooner that connection can be re-established the better for us all! How much do we want the music back, right!??
And Birds! I really love birds! If you get the chance to befriend the birds then you must!, for the feathered friends will teach you stuff about them that you need to know.
What are your artistic influences?
Not sure how to string the words together for this question, hey... hadn't really thought about it till you asked but in terms of photographic influence I guess the main one would be my dad. The best photographer I know!
Other influences...? Ok... Our Actual Mother... Earth!
She is the embodiment of all we can see and hear, taste, touch and feel, The original influencer and still the best by a long shot! There's some musos and painty peeps too yes!
Ok.. the artist Mel Casey! Kinda love her brain for birds. A photographer by the name of William Mustafa, he does a lot of street work and really knows how to capture a story within a scene, and of course music - way too many to list here that's for sure but where would we be without it?
We hear that you’ve photographed some local music events - can you tell us a bit about that?
Right here is where my heart is! The level of awesomeness brought to the people through music in our region is top shelf and a wonder to behold. There have been so many amazing local music events, shows and festivals over the past years and I've been lucky enough to get the chance to be there with a camera which helps me cement all that through pictures in a wildwood, a livelane, lots of howling at the moon, some Red earth, The Artwalks yes! a magic castle, music at the Black duck!, Riding the Wave, Butterfactory Blues and even an Electric Stew.
There have been many more events, all giving us exactly what we need at the time... COVID can go away now as we really need the music back!
“He has an amazing ability to capture the moment” - Travis Fredericks, Dark Alley Collectables
We hear that you use a variety of vintage cameras. What’s your favourite?
To clarify, there is a bunch of vintage cameras I have acquired but my motivation is for the glass so I can adapt it to digital. Would love to say I'm shooting film but I'm not... it's a time thing, hey. One of my favourite lenses though is an 85mm Canon Rangefinder from the 1960s, currently in need of repair but beautiful in every way none the less.
From your viewpoint, what makes a great picture?
I was gonna just say composure but I think there's way more to it than that. There needs to be a connection between subject, photographer and viewer. It's not just the picture itself but how the image makes you feel when you see it. Yes, a lot of my photos are of remembrance value as my memory is not what it used to be but I guess the bonus is I can share the scenes that make me happy or sad or whatever with everyone, then they too can feel an emotional connection to that moment in time. After all, if there's no feeling then what's the point?
What projects do you have coming up?
All of the events that were 'coming up' for 2021 have been cancelled due to COVID... weddings, festivals, all art related goodness! Sadness ensues although the footy still happened... grumble, grumble!
Recently, Mick Sheppo photographed the Bobcat Formation, a group of six pilots who fly across Port Macquarie, Lake Cathie and Bonny Hills in formation every Saturday morning.
“He’s a pure artist, gentle soul and a pleasure to work with” - Lisa Willows, Howling Moon Blues Festival
Contact Mick Sheppo, Photographer, Port Macquarie:
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