Personal one - bonnie coumbe interview
COULD YOU INTRODUCE YOURSELF AND TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR JOURNEY AS A PHOTOGRAPHER? My name is Bonnie Coumbe, and I’m a food and still-life photographer from Sydney. I first picked up a camera at fourteen when my parents gave me a Minolta with a 50mm lens, and I quickly fell in love with experimenting - both at home and in the school darkroom. That early curiosity stayed with me and eventually led me back to photography after a decade working in design.
HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOUR STYLE OR APPROACH TO PHOTOGRAPHY? My style is rooted in design, both from my formal background and from growing up in a household of artists. My mum is a fine artist and design lecturer, and my dad was an industrial designer, so conversations about art history and form were pretty normal around our kitchen table.
I’m drawn to beauty in nature and simplicity - whether that’s through light, colour, texture, or form. With food photography, I like to look beyond the traditional approach and treat the subject with a more contemporary sensibility.
“ I’m more interested in embracing imperfection and letting things breathe
WHEN DID YOU FIRST HEAR ABOUT THIS EXHIBITION? I first heard about it years ago, and I was genuinely delighted when Lunar brought it back to life. This exhibition creates a space for working photographers to come together, something we don’t get nearly enough opportunities for in our industry. IS THIS YOUR FIRST TIME PARTICIPATING, OR HAVE YOU BEEN PART OF IT BEFORE?I’ve had the pleasure of exhibiting before, and I’m grateful to be included again this year.
WHAT’S YOUR STRONGEST MEMORY OF THE EXHIBITION? I always gravitate toward seeing other photographers’ personal work, what inspires them, what drives them outside the commercial world, and the huge spectrum of subjects that feed their creativity. I also have a Steven Chee print I purchased a few years ago hanging at home that I absolutely love.
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO YOU PERSONALLY TO BE PART OF THIS COLLECTIVE EXHIBITION? It’s a real honour to be part of this exhibition and to have my work on the wall alongside such talented photographers and peers. I also love that it supports a charity I care about. As a food photographer, OzHarvest feels especially meaningful, I’ve often dropped leftover produce from shoots to them.
“ I’m drawn to beauty in nature and simplicity - whether that’s through light, colour, texture, or form
WHAT DO YOU HOPE AUDIENCES WILL TAKE AWAY FROM EXPERIENCING YOUR WORK HERE? This piece is part of a series that sits quite differently from my usual style. It was a joy to step outside my commercial lighting approach and focus purely on beauty and simplicity. I hope the image gives viewers a moment to pause, to sit with something pared back and enjoy the stillness of it.
WHAT PROJECTS HAVE YOU BEEN WORKING ON RECENTLY (IF YOU CAN TELL)? It’s been a really enjoyable year creatively. I’ve worked on some beautiful commercial briefs that lean into form and refined detail, very much in my wheelhouse. I recently photographed the new McCafé Matcha range, which I’m incredibly proud of. And in a completely different tone, I shot the new OPA! cookbook for authors Helena and Vikki Moursellas.
IS THERE A FUTURE PROJECT YOU’RE PARTICULARLY EXCITED ABOUT AND WOULD LIKE TO SHARE?
I’m currently working on a series of test shoots to feed my creative soul and give myself space to explore.
LOOKING BACK, IS THERE A PAST PROJECT YOU CONSIDER A MILESTONE OR TURNING POINT IN YOUR CAREER?
There have been a few. Recently, having one of my cookbook images acknowledged by Nigella Lawson was a real moment.
From a commercial perspective, my first big OOH job was a milestone. I still remember sitting at a red light, looking up and seeing my work on a billboard, then watching a bus drive past with another one. It was surreal, and I felt genuinely grateful tome doing a job I enjoy.
HOW HAS YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY EVOLVED FROM WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED UNTIL TODAY? My work has evolved to feel more honest to who I am. In my personal projects, I’m more interested in embracing imperfection and letting things breathe. Commercially, the work demands precision, so my personal images are where I get to loosen the grip a little. I continue to circle back to core design principles and classic art influences, and I enjoy looking far beyond the usual boundaries of food photography for inspiration.
WHAT INSPIRES YOU RIGHT NOW-WHETHER IN PHOTOGRAPHY OR BEYOND? Lately I’ve been inspired by stripping things back, focusing on simplicity, unusual angles, and forms taken out of context. Earlier this year I shot a series combining beauty products with food, and I loved how the shapes began to blur and cross over. Nature is always a constant source of inspiration. Its colours, structures, and textures are endlessly surprising.
WHAT EQUIPMENT ARE YOU CURRENTLY USING, AND WHY? I work with Fuji and Canon, and use Broncolor for lighting.
HOW DOES YOUR GEAR SHAPE YOUR PROCESS OR THE KIND OF RESULTS YOU AIM FOR? The brief always leads the way. I’m a studio-based photographer, and because food relies so much on appetite appeal, lighting is my first and biggest consideration. Gear is simply the tool that helps me achieve the mood or direction a project calls for.
IS THERE A PHOTOGRAPHER, WORK, OR EXPERIENCE THAT HAS BEEN ESPECIALLY INFLUENTIAL IN YOUR PATH?
I’m influenced by a blend of art, design, and photography: Art Deco for its form,
20th-century surrealists like Man Ray and Miró, and contemporary photographers such as Hoda Afshar and Ricki Ward.I went back to Hoda Afshar’s exhibition at the Art Gallery of NSW three times in 2024, it was incredibly powerful.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO AMATEUR PHOTOGRAPHERS VISITING THE EXHIBITION? Immerse yourself. Enjoy it. Let yourself be inspired. And always keep shooting personal work, that’s the work that feeds you. ANYTHING YOU WANT TO ADD? A big thank you to Selena the printer master, and to Luke and the Lunar team for bringing us together to celebrate this industry and for putting on such a generous exhibition.
Check Bonnie's website here.
