Interview with Tajette O'Halloran

In this interview with Australian photographic artist Tajette O’Halloran, we talk about the inspiration behind her projects like In Australia, The Quarry, and Regional Rituals. She talks about her difficult upbringing in the Northern Rivers area, and how that put her on a path to tell the stories of adolescence. We also talk about parenting, incorporating our kids into our art, and her practice of incorporating both film & digital into her work.Based in Lismore, New South Wales, Australia, Tajette’s photography ranges from documentary to portraiture to conceptual. The common thread is examining adolescence and identity; both her own and others’.Tajette’s projects include In Australia, where she revisits her hometown and creates scenes reminiscent of her youth, and the ongoing The Quarry, a series of portraits of young people at a local swimming spot. Her most recent project is Regional Rituals, commissioned by Powerhouse, a museum in Sydney, Australia.“Photography is nothing–it's life that interests me.” - Henri Cartier-Bresson Index0:00 - Introduction to photographer Tajette O’Halloran1:52 - Tajette’s photo series In Australia 10:35 - How In Australia started13:59 - Tajette’s narrative approach to In Australia17:08 - Growing up in Lismore, NSW, Australia17:55 - Regional Rituals, a new photo series22:36 - Tajette knew as a kid her childhood wasn’t typical26:02 - Processing difficulty though photography29:01 - Tajette’s photos remind Zach of Sally Mann34:18 - Mixing black & white and color in a series36:55 - How COVID affected photographers40:26 - Tajette’s Earth and Water photos feel like parenthood43:48 - Does Tajette feel like she’s rejecting mainstream society?46:48 - Growing up in a mix of cultures in Lismore, Australia48:40 - How Regional Rituals came to be54:54 - The Quarry is an ongoing series of portraitureFind TajetteWebsite: https://www.tajetteohalloran.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tajette.ohalloranFind ZachWebsite: https://zachdobson.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zachdobsonphoto/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zachdobsonphotoThreads: https://www.threads.com/@zachdobsonphotoFind CourtneyInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/courtneymccracken_/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@happy_life_lessonsThreads: https://www.threads.com/@courtneymccracken_About the PodcastPhotography is Nothing with Zach Dobson and Courtney McCracken is a weekly conversation about photography and all its impact. Each week Zach and Courtney discuss their latest adventures, life lessons, and anything else that sounds interesting. Photography is Nothing invites you into the conversations they were already having as a married couple running a photography and media company in the current world.Fair Use StatementThis document contains copyrighted material, the use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. I have determined this to be "fair use" of the copyrighted material as referenced and provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. If you wish to use any copyrighted material from this document for purposes of your own that go beyond fair use, you must obtain express permission from the copyright owner.