William Debois
I’m a French Australian photographer born in 1971. My interest for photography developed from the age of 12 and I’ve been making a living as a professional photographer wince the mid 90s.
Over the last 6 to 7 years, I have developed an artistic practice in parallel to my commercial career. The series of images on show at Benevolent Living is quite at-typical of the artistic projects I’ve worked on recently. I certainly don’t consider myself to be a landscape photographer. In fact, most of my work involves people, even if they don’t always appear in the photos. However, human activity is central to these landscapes, so I guess they are still in line with my usual work…
This series of images, taken around Central Queensland at a time when photographing people had become quite complicated due to the global pandemic, depict landscapes that have been shaped by agriculture, trade and tourism. Rather than photographing pristine landscapes, I aimed to suggest experiences that are central to life in this part of Australia. These views will feel familiar to anyone who has spent time driving around Rockhampton’s diverse region.
In addition to a regular digital camera, I occasionally use a drone, which allows me to capture images that somehow amplify the experience of the landscape. We see the car amongst the hills, the lonely fishing shack on the mud flat and suddenly, we are there, on the ground, driving or laying crab pots. That is what I love the most about photography, this capacity to suggest emotions and experiences that call upon all senses, and this, with images captured in a fraction of a second.
