ADAM BRYCE PHOTOGRAPHER

Describe yourself and your creative work to us?

I’m a photographer and Creative Director based in Auckland, New Zealand. I work primarily within fashion within both roles. I studied fashion, became a stylist then a Creative Director. Becoming a photographer came originally out of necessity while I was a Creative Director of a big brand here in New Zealand. I had always been a big fan of photography and it was very much my love of fashion imagery that set me down the path I took.

I was a pretty ordinary kid, into sports and all that, but I also started reading Vogue when I was about 10 years old. I guess I’ve never really cared about which part of the process I play, I just enjoy making fashion images. In some ways, I think becoming a photographer having spent so much time as Creative Director was a weird move, but I enjoy it. I get a lot out of it mentally, and the ability to do both roles is helpful.

Looking back, what is a stand out moment in your career?

It’s hard to say, I’m not very good at celebrating my own achievements. I am very hard on myself and always wanting something bigger. I’ve also had some really big moments in the last 12- 18 months that almost happened but in the end didn’t result. This has been incredibly disappointing but I’m choosing to take it as a sign of big things to yet to come.

To answer your question…while I’ve been lucky enough to shoot for some really great magazines in Australia and New Zealand, and some great brands like David Jones, Paris Georgia, Georgia Alice, Kate Sylvester and many others, I feel that I have so much more in me. Now I’m ready and I really want to push myself to make things happen.

As a Creative Director, I feel the same way in some respects, but it is only in the last year that I have returned to taking this work. I feel it is the right time to once again focus on my work as a Creative Director and push myself and prove myself again with new work.

WHAT DO YOU LOVE MOST ABOUT BEING A PHOTOGRAPHER & CREATIVE DIRECTOR?

I love being on set. I am naturally a very shy person and experienced depression a lot throughout my life. Being on set and working with good people forces me out of my shell. I am aware that a major part of my job is to communicate with people and to create a good vibe on set, you can’t be shy or depressed to do that. So my work pushes my personal boundaries which is good for me.

What creative work has you excited right now? Tell us about your project ‘Body Image’, WHAT IT REPRESENTS and your recent exhibition?

I feel as though my career as a photographer went through a period where good things just kept happening week in week out, every week it was something bigger and better. I think this caused me to overthink things and push things too hard. I had a very distinguishable creative style and it worked, but I pushed my work harder and faster and started to mess with my style of work in hope that magic would happen. Looking back now, I realise it caused me to do some really bad shoots and ruin my confidence. I’m now back to shooting well again - being myself and working true to my style - and this has me really excited because I love seeing the results of work and I love being on set. I’m less focused on trying to make it ‘big’ and just trying to create the work I love and enjoy and that truly represents my style.

I have just finished exhibiting ‘Body Image’ - a project that is very personal to me. I wanted to do this project for a very long time and this last year felt like the right time to do it. I myself had anorexia when I was young and obviously working in fashion makes you think about the way people treat body image every day. I wanted to create a series of images that were abstract enough to force people to (at least for a few seconds) decipher what they were looking at, rather than make judgements of the person’s weight or body type. It’s an idea I’d like to continue to explore in my work in general.

What's ahead FOR YOU?

I had an exhibition ‘Manurewa’ a year or so back, which is still touring galleries around New Zealand. Next year it will show again in the home town of Manurewa and it will be the first time I have created new work for exhibition. Manurewa is a suburb in South Auckland, known for its low socioeconomic profile, violent crime and gang life. I grew up there and it’s been a very special project to be a part of - I’m really looking forward to taking those photos.

I’m also a true creative constantly looking for new projects, so who knows where that will take me next year!

What do you love to do most to relax?

Everyone who knows me will tell you this is not my strongest attribute. I’m not good at taking time away from work, I would always rather work because I enjoy it so much. But I love spending time with my son (who is five years old so heaps of fun) and I love watching football.

What do you find most challenging about your industry?

Locally the hardest thing is the politics, it’s a small industry and everyone has a small piece of a small pie, the result of which is people can act incredibly childish. This is a shame, the NZ fashion industry has a lot of potential, but is often held back by this type of work culture. For me personally, not getting a job that I really wanted is still very hard and personal. That is the creative life. I am fortunate that I have shot campaigns and editorials for almost every brand and magazine in New Zealand - this is very rewarding - but I still think about the ones I didn’t work on!

HOW DO YOU SEE THE INDUSTRY CHANGING?

I think the industry is making progress with critical issues now at the forefront of people’s minds and getting the attention that is needed for change to happen. We have a long way to go, but we can’t deny there is movement. Inclusivity around the issue of race is one issue that stands out to me, the success of the likes of Virgil Abloh, Tyler Mitchell, Carlos Nazario and others puts the issue at the forefront of being addressed which is great. All issues, whether it be race, gender equality, or sustainability are in a similar position where they have people and brands standing at the front and not being shy to speak up. I think and hope it’s only time before we start to see real movement in numbers.

What advice do you have for emerging artists?

I think the biggest lesson I’ve learnt is to just be true to yourself, and while that may sound cliche or obvious - it’s important. Don’t try to rush things, don’t compare yourself to others, and don’t compete, because art isn’t a sport. I used to get upset when I would compare myself to people like Harley Weir or Tyler Mitchell who had done so well so early, but I’ve learnt that it’s simply not something you can compare, and you shouldn’t.

I can only speak from my own experience, but I am obsessed with consuming as much fashion imagery as possible and trying to dissect it, not from a technical standpoint but from a creative one. I collect books and magazines, I watch any interview, video I can…I really believe you have to be aware of what's happening around you to make the best decisions you can about your own work.