&

/ Q

Are there any undiscovered local creatives that you think we should know about?

/ A

I’m not really sure about the scale of discovery within the people I know. I feel like because I know them already, everyone must! But I know that’s probably not true. Still, I assume everyone knows Sophie because she is basically famous on the internet. I’m just going to list people that I feel are truly underrated though, and most of them are my friends because I choose to surround myself with beautiful talented people.

This is Ben, he’s one of my best friends and is a fabulous photographer. He has had a few photography blogs but this is the one I’ll link to - stalk if you’re interested further! He is also a film student at uni with me, and will make the most amazing cinematographer in the world.

These are the photographers Angus & McCaw. Tom, who is the McCaw in the duo, is Willy’s best friend and our housemate and friend also. This Tumblr is just general photographs of their exploits but they have a website as well. These two are actually really successful lately but I feel like there needs to be more appreciation of their aesthetic - one that I hope to mirror through my own design work. Tom and I have worked together on some projects recently that I am really excited to finally show off!

Some of my favourite musicians in the world are Kate & Max. I say that because I am their top fan on Last.fm. I feel like they are so incredibly underrated for the beauty of their voices and performances! I had the pleasure of doing their debut EP art, which is where you might have seen or heard from them. Through this they became dear friends of mine, but the two I don’t see enough of. I would love to see them become more successful (as I am already, but more rapidly, please) as they deserve more than any musician I have ever met.

Now Jacob and Chris are a duo I have to mention. These two are the most talented web designers I think I have ever seen! Jacob is some sort of prodigy with web script - I don’t know enough about it to speak properly of it, but Jacobs skill with scripting in flash is insane. His final art show consisted of many interactive works that kind of just blew my mind. He scripted his own Tumblr layout (it’s light in the day and dark at night) and also dabbles in photography and music a-plenty.

And Chris is a genius among men/women/designers. His work is amazing and he achieves final products that I can only dream of producing. I admire his work so much and am glad to refer him for work all the time knowing that he will aaace the hell out of it. Chris is also one of my closest ever friends, and I hope that the more I learn as a designer with him, the more I learn from him!

Wave is a photographer from Byron Bay in NSW. I don’t know her personally but have long admired her amazing photography. I think I’ve always had a thing for the teen witchiness in her work, just as I adore the ethereal qualities of Sophies. I’m always more impressed when I hear of people who are my age, doing things that I admire.

Kelsey Heinrichs and Jack Loel are two other designers that I really think are amazing. I’m not sure of links to their work (send it if you have it please!!) but these guys will always deserve a mention. Kelsey is part of the 5 girls who orchestrated Bats Magazine, a publication in Brisbane that no doubt every teenager has heard of. Jack is one of her good friends and also peers, and he created the logotype for Kate & Max’s debut EP. I have had some classes with him at uni and having gotten to know him more and more, have learnt so much more about how to be a designer.

Lor is a graphic designer who I’ve admired since before she even really did much graphic design. She’s done work for some pretty huge clients in Brisbane but is underrated still, even by them! Her work as an illustrator is pretty swell and at the moment she is working on a project creating post cards, all of which so far I think are so fantastic.

Alex Bowler is a close friend of mine who I don’t spend nearly enough time with anymore. He’s actually a big science nerd who was always teaching me knew things, but his skills as a photographer are undeniable. Ever since his first insane double exposures (?) I’ve thought he was the absolute man. I’ve also wanted to use his photos in my work many times as they inspire the Leif Podhajsky in me, and I think in Podhajsky would admire them the same way I do.

David Spry is another amazing photographer from Brisbane who also doubles as an incredible singer and musician. It is only appropriate that he is Sophie’s boyfriend and also partner in photography crime. The two of them shoot weddings together, mostly on film, and they are the most stunning things I have ever seen. Spry and Sophie’s styles compliment each other nicely, and it’s also awesome to see the people behind the lens finally captured on each others film.

This is all I could think of for now as it is almost 2am and I’m very tired. I hope this has offered some insight into how many amazing people live in Brisbane! There is this budding creative world of beauty here and I feel like all of the opportunities to improve Brisbane will slowly dwindle as these people and people like them fly away to other cities.