Jury 2010

Lyn Walker

PHOTO-EDITOR, ALPHA MAGAZINE (AUSTRALIA)

Lyn Walker is the photo editor at Alpha Magazine, the biggest-selling monthly sports magazine in Australia.

Although she developed a passion for photography when she was young, she lost the photography-bug until she changed careers and eventually found her way back. "After University I had a five-year corporate hiatus but I missed the creative world. Instead of being behind the camera, I thought I’d like to produce photo shoots and spend my days browsing beautiful imagery. I went to London to pursue a career in photo research via the London School of Publishing. I worked at Dorling Kindersley's image department for a year until the weather there got the better of me and I came home to sunny Sydney to join News Ltd, firstly in the image library, then as a Photo Editor for Alpha."

What’s it like working for a magazine for such a sport-mad public? "I have to do lots and lots of sports photo research. A big part of my day involves selecting images for written features - from a specific tackle in a rugby match to a scantily clad sports WAG (sport stars' wives and girlfriends). I also browse thousands of sports images a day to create picture-lead spreads. Mondays can be brutal after a weekend of sport. However, my favorite days are when I’m out of the office producing photo shoots for some of Australia’s top athletes and sports stars.“ Her job responsibilities have also included Lyn representing the magazine at various adventure races – including a 6km mud run!

What kind of photos does she enjoy working with most? "I don’t take photos myself anymore - although I often wish I had a inbuilt camera in my mind's eye. Researching adventure sports photography is my favorite subject as well as images of remote and hazardous locations where photographers are not only artists but explorers.“

As she gave up a corporate career for photography, what makes her so passionate about it? "In sport especially, moments are so fast and fleeting, photography captures them and can show you a particular and unexpected viewpoint. I love seeing a specific moment in time from an individual and personal perspective."

What developments has she seen in the industry since she started? "In picture research, online access connects the researcher directly with the image which gives more choice, access and faster service. Digital photography means I can have the images on my desktop twenty minutes after a photo shoot. As technology advances, image capture and handling will change and improve with the Internet playing a key role. Some online news services now use handheld video cameras for immediate footage and high resolution grabs are extracted for newspaper use. Although I don’t think this trend will cause a decline in the photography - there will always be a skill and art involved in capturing a specific moment."

Lyn is looking forward to Red Bull Illume because "it promotes and celebrates adventure and extreme sports photography around the world."

www.alphamagazine.com.au