Stefanie Upchurch

In the podcast recorded on December 10, 2011, Stefanie Upchurch, a student from California studying photography at Mass University in Wellington, New Zealand, is interviewed by Gareth Watkins. Upchurch expresses a passion for documentary photography, particularly enjoying candid shots over studio photography. According to Upchurch, documentary photography is about documenting from one's perspective, implying that it is shaped by individual viewpoints.

The interview delves into a project assigned during Upchurch's course at Mass University, which required students to initiate a commercial-based project with a hypothetical client. Upchurch reached out to Pride NZ and other similar organizations for this purpose, seeking to engage more meaningfully with the queer community and to make a positive impact.

The interview reveals Upchurch's personal journey of becoming more open with their identity, highlighting a reflective self-portrait project which helped them gain confidence. The success and personal revelations stemming from this project spurred Upchurch to photograph queer individuals outside of the studio setting.

The 'Out Proud ' portrait series involved Upchurch asking participants to choose locations for their photographs that best represented them. The aim was to capture 12 portraits, and despite initial interest followed by some withdrawals, Upchurch succeeded. The portraits were selected based on comfort, confidence, and the sense of naturalness they conveyed, all central to the project's theme of being "out and proud."

Upchurch narrates the process of arranging the photoshoots, emphasizing the importance of making participants feel comfortable and at ease. They discussed having to adjust to the challenges of outdoor lighting and suggested the advantage of having an assistant in future projects.

During post-production, minimal edits were made to the images as Upchurch prefers to retain the authenticity of the subjects. Believing that heavy editing can detract from a person's true self, particularly for a project celebrating one's identity.

Reflecting on the project, Upchurch feels it still resonates strongly and plans to develop a major project in the following year that includes a wider demographic and contrasts studio settings with more comfortable environments.

Aside from this series, Upchurch participated in a march for legalising gay adoption and marriage equality, cherishing the energy and purpose it brought to their photography. A recent trip to New York provided a thrilling experience for taking street photography, capturing many images in a city full of life and vitality.

Looking forward, Upchurch aspires to make the final honours year at Mass University highly productive, culminating in an exhibition and hopefully leading to a job where they can continue to pursue photography with the openness and introspective quality that marked the Out Proud series.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

Stefanie Upchurch

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