MELANIE JENKINS
ESCAPE ARTIST
The Escape artist is a dreamer, she is sassy and full of adventure, ready to make her next big move. She is going places. The escape artist also has a darker side to her. She is sometimes sad. She has suffered and is just trying to find her way in a complicated world. Dreams are free, dreams are big and dreams have the power to get you places and create ideas. This image represents the idea that anything is possible and encourages the viewer to keep dreaming, keep moving and finding their way forward.
ABOUT MELANIE
Melanie is an Auckland based photographer and established Flash Studios in 2000. Specialising in photographing food, interiors, products, fashion and jewellery, Melanie is living her dream. "Every day is an exciting challenge, and I absolutely love my work”.
Shooting on large and medium format cameras, she captures a remarkable level of depth and detail in all of her imagery. She works primarily in her studio, creating lighting to achieve the look and feel that perfectly suits each project. Melanie is not bound by her studio though, so when the photoshoot requires a specific location, she is able to incorporate an array of technical equipment and skills to accommodate the shoot needs.
“My photographic career has always been about photographing things I personally love and enjoy being around and involved with. Running a busy studio came to an abrupt halt for me when Covid caused full lockdown, and gave me some time to listen more to my children and hear what they have to say. I decided to collaborate with my daughter Bella, and highlight an issue that she based her school speech on. Our work is not only about raising the awareness of plastic in our oceans and the pollution of our planet, but also recognising the underlying stress and eco anxiety that is building in our children. It was a wonderful experience to include Bella in the whole process, from the planning stages of how to shoot in the water, her being the model and what we wanted to project in the images, to the editing of the final files to be submitted.”