The Nitty Gritty - with Shirley Bliss

I first met Shirley when she attended the Style | Shoot workshop that I ran, along with Dearna from To Her Core.

I have a clear memory, amid the stress and chaos, of watching Shirley slowly pick and choose her way through the props that we had on hand and then lay out a gorgeous scene to shoot.

Her natural eye for colours and tones was obvious, even then.

It has been pure pleasure to watch her grow and change over the past year, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I feel like a proud Mama.

Give her a follow, you won't regret it.

Tell us a little about yourself.

I am a Malaysian-born-Tasmanian-based Personal Branding Photographer & Stylist. I have been working mostly with food clients in the last 3 months. We split our life between North and South of Tassie a lot. When I am not shooting, I work alongside with my Husband’s Design and Marketing business. We have 3 children and 2 British Shorthair Cats that follow our commands like a dog. Our life is VERY FULL!

How did you get started?

Food is a HUGE element in my culture. Being in the kitchen to help/to cook was never an option. Learning how to cook at the age of 7 and allowing our tastebuds to explode was just a way of life. My appreciation for food was developed further when I completed my Diploma in Catering and Hotel Management. During my internship I learnt to work with the best Chefs in top 5 stars Hotel in Kuala Lumpur. I understand the hows and the whys more. My life took a lot of different routes through the years, but the food element had always stuck with me. I was the” annoying friend” that makes sure my phone “camera eats first” when dining out (I lost that habit since photography became a paid job!) Naturally, food became the subject of my shoots when I decided to pursue photography properly and started my Lifestyle blog www.oktoberwildflower.com

What equipment do you shoot with?

I started with the Olympus Mirrorless system (E-M10 Mark II) then progressed to the EM-1 Mark II which I absolutely loved until a mentor-friend loaned me his Nikon D750 to be his second shooter for a wedding. I then took the D750 to Jakarta for my first international shoot and the Nikon outperformed my Olympus and I offered to buy the camera since. I interchanged between the 35 mm f1.8 and the 50 mm f1.4 lens

Do you prefer studio work or location shoots?

The short answer would be “Studio Work” for obvious reasons (better management of lighting, props and interval of teas and naps!)

However, in the last few months, my work has mostly been on location shoots. I have been challenged both personally and professionally in order to step up and the ability to shoot in various situation. I also love connecting with the Owners, Makers, Chefs and listening to their challenges and goals when I am on location.

Describe your style.

I am a minimalist at heart and a lover of White. I love Light and Bright feels and if I can invoke emotions and to do my storytelling with a “less is more approach” – I consider that as a win.

Who do you admire?

Any self-made “rags to riches” success stories. There is a sense of sacredness to learn of another human’s journey rising from ashes to glory.

What's your dream food shoot?

To shoot for a Recipe Book from start to finish To shoot for a haute cuisine restaurant in Paris with an amazing view

What's your "can't live without" prop, tool or piece of equipment?

Funny you asked that. Apart from a good lighting location, it has got to be this wooden wedge thing that Naomi Sherman gave to us when we attended her Food Photography Workshop with Dearna Bond. It helps to elevate the main dish to pop just a little more without viewers knowing the how and why. (But now you know!)

Do you have one piece of advice for anyone just starting out?

In a lot of way, I feel like I am just starting out myself because there is never ending of lessons to learn. But because I am a people-person, I would say “networking”. Never see another photographer as a competitor but someone whom you can learn from. Respect is huge in my culture, so I have so much respect to those who have started this journey long before I picked up an actual camera. So go out there, introduce yourself in person or digitally, those who are insecure would see you as a threat but to those who are not, you will both realised the gains when creatives band together

Sweet or Savoury?

Savoury. Because you can’t just have a sweet and considered that a meal. (or can you?)

Chocolate or Vanilla?

Chocolate

Four favourite instagram accounts?

@tohercore (because she opened my eyes to next level food photography)

@naomisherman_foodcreative (exquisite imageries and her Instastories crack me up!)

[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]@anisasabet (you’ll understand when you see it)

@thefitfoodieblog (Light & Bright done in perfection) [endif]

Three songs to listen to while working?

Daytime: Easy 80s Playlist by Spotify Evening: The National or anything more mellow like 80s Ballads Hits and Provence Work Music Playlist by insta @AnneStreetStudio (can you tell my age by now?!)

What was the last cookbook you bought?

Healthy Baking by Teresa Cutter

If you were arrested with no explanation, what would your friends and family think you'd done?

Getting involved in a fight for stopping a fight? Or having a lame Playlist because most of my friends are a decade younger than me?!

Can you show us one of your early photos, along with a recent shot that you're really proud of?

These two seafood shots show so clearly how far Shirley has come in such a short time.