Snap Happy

Photographer, artist and flower fan Helen Bankers finds inspiration in everything from centuries-old artwork and celebrity portraits to the delicate details of our natural world

- Sally Conor

Helen Bankers is part of the Your Home & Garden family – she’s one of our favourite photographers as well as an amazing artist. Over her 20-plus years in the business she’s photographed people, celebrities, artists and homes in locations all over the world, while also refining her skill as a botanical photographer. We spoke to Helen about the genesis of her career and why there was never any doubt she’d spend her working life behind the lens.

How did you become interested in photography?

As a kid I often had a Kodak Instamatic in my hand. Looking through the viewfinder seemed to be natural for me. I loved photography at high school and, in my teenage years, my sister’s boyfriend was assisting for advertising and commercial photographers. The ever-changing nature of this creative process was something I was drawn to. I definitely had romantic notions of film photography, the emerging image and the alchemy of it all. It was magic to me.

How did you get started as a professional photographer?

I did a pre-foundation art course and built up a portfolio – I even won a few awards. Then I went to study a Bachelor of Visual Arts at AIT (now AUT, Auckland University of Technology) with a major in photography and lithography.

I left early because I wanted to jump into the world of photography and see the reality of the business. So I started cold-calling Auckland’s advertising and commercial photographers, asking if they needed an assistant. I kept ringing and showing my work until someone gave me a break.