Interview: London-based, Australian Photographer Rebecca Scheinberg

London based, Australian photographer Rebecca Scheinberg has a distinct style. Some of her work is reminiscent of the German photographer Helmut Newton, particularly her portrayal of the women she photographs. Her strong, provocative images of semi nudes are redolent of his White Women period. Newton also photographed and placed great value on his female subject’s hands, most notably how they were placed. Newton also photographed and placed great value on his female subject’s hands, most notably how they were placed. “The hands are very important. It’s not that they’re always active, but they must have a certain strength,” noted Newton.

And much like Newton, Scheinberg is cognisant of the value of the energy inherent in hands. Her fluorescent, blue translucent pill pinched between two red fingernails, is testimony to the power and strength the hands convey.

Interested in the values of contemporary society, her high-end production technique captures the extraordinary in the ordinary. The hyper-real settings and composition reflect the shallowness and the glitter of society. A multi-disciplinary artist, her work in moving images mirror the strong aesthetic she shows in her stills. Scheinberg was tagged in the British Journal of Photography’s One to Watch in 2015. We’ve tagged her as one to continuing watching for 2017.

Portrait of Rebecca Scheinberg.

Flowers, TOHU VA BOHU. Giclee Print 119 x 79 cm

Glass Pill, TOHU VA BOHU. Digital C Type 21 x 14.8 cm

Red Nails, TOHU VA BOHU. Giclee Print 59.4 x 79 cm

+ Hello Rebecca, welcome to Yellowtrace and thank you for taking the time to e-chat. Could you please give us a quick introduction on yourself? When did you first decide you wanted to become a photographer and what path led you to where you are today?

I fell into photography really. I was in between things (what country I wanted to live in, what I wanted to do) and my boyfriend got accepted to a University in Holland and asked if I wanted to join. I always enjoyed photography but didn’t think I was good enough to get accepted to a University degree. I thought I would apply to a school in Holland and just see what happened. To my surprise I got accepted, and the more I learnt about photography through my studies the more I realised it suited my interests, and it became something I was really passionate about. It was a sort of love through practice.

Crash, TOHU VA BOHU. Digital C Type 21 x 29.7 cm

Portrait, RIINA in collaboration with Chloe Newman as part of NEWSHINE, 2014.

YSL, TOHU VA BOHU. Digital C Type 21 x 29.7 cm

+ What are you seeking to portray in your work? Is there something that is fundamental to your practice – your philosophy and your process?

I am always trying to reflect on the current climate – what it means to engage in contemporary society. However I also think that is a somewhat fruitless effort, and the only thing anyone has an authority to offer their opinion on is something more abstract, more personal. So I am currently working towards that.

+ Who or what are some of your influences? What other photographers, creative, peers and creatives in general do you admire?

I love Wolfgang Tillmans work, the way he places images in an exhibition and his compositions, I find them really beautiful. I also love Christopher Williams and also Mapplethorpe!

Blue Velvet, TOHU VA BOHU. Digital C Type 14.8 x 10.5 cm

+ As a solopreneur, how do you organise and manage the competing demands of modern business and life? Do you have any tip or tricks you could share with us that help you in your day to day?

I think it is quite personal, and everyone finds their own way of working, what works for me doesn’t work for someone else and vice versa. I need to be ordered and organised, otherwise I can’t think clearly. I love a good spreadsheet, and good file management can go a long way. I work quite digitally, so moodboards, quotes I like, references are all stored online.

+ What do you feel is the most challenging part of being a photographer today? If you could change one thing about your industry, what would it be?

I think it is quite fast paced, people are accustomed to a high turnover of imagery, however I think quality is often compromised, I wish people would consume less and value work more, but unfortunately we are at the point of no return!

Washing Tablet, TOHU VA BOHU. Digital C Type 21 x 26 cm

Mouth, TOHU VA BOHU. Digital C Type 14.8 x 10.5 cm

+ What advice would you give to emerging photographers who want to follow your path? What was one of your biggest lessons learned since starting your practice?

One of the really helpful things I learnt was that your work doesn’t have to make sense from the beginning. I used to struggle with that, I felt a need for the work to be resolved before it begun, but once I let go of that, it really freed me up to just make, and then figure out why afterwards.

+ What would be your dream creative project or a collaboration?

I would love to just sit down and have a conversation with writer Don Dellilo. Same goes for Wolfgang Tillmans.

Let’s Get Real:

+ If I was not a photographer, I would be…

I don’t think I would be much good at anything else!

+ Your most treasured belonging?

I have a few pieces of jewellery that have strong sentimental value – I wear them everyday and each piece has been given to me by people I love, so it’s a nice daily reminder.

+ What’s the best mistake you have ever made?

Probably dropping out of school at 16 to go study overseas. It wasn’t so much a mistake as much as in retrospect seemed like a careless choice, but it was a catalyst for all the things that followed.

+ What’s one thing other people may not know about you?