EP 11 Conversation Behind The Scenes with Gillian Chan

In this episode of Lensbaby Presents, host Liz Willson talks with photographer and Lensbaby ambassador Gillian Chan about dreamy flower photography, creating in-camera effects, and using art to give back. Based in Sydney, Australia, Gillian shares how Lensbaby helped her discover a more expressive approach to photography and find comfort in nature during the pandemic.

From soft floral portraits to creative community event photography, Gillian explains how she uses Velvet lenses, OMNI crystals, and colorful films to capture images with feeling. She also shares how printed photographs, greeting cards, and calendars have become opportunities to support wildlife conservation, artists with disabilities, and people in need.

For anyone looking to develop a personal style or give their photography a greater sense of purpose, this conversation explores slowing down, trusting your instincts, and creating work that reflects what matters to you.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn

• How Gillian’s photography journey evolved from childhood film cameras to volunteering at community events
• How an Anne Belmont presentation inspired her to explore the emotional possibilities of flower photography
• Why she favors selective focus, soft glow, and dreamy backgrounds in her floral images
• How she looks for afternoon light and filtered backlight to shape the mood of a photograph
• Why she spends time exploring one flower rather than rushing to photograph every bloom
• How she uses OMNI crystals, rainbow films, and the Sweet 22 to bring a different perspective to event photography
• Why creating effects in camera is central to her enjoyment of the photographic process
• How she created a favorite poppy image using a Velvet lens, afternoon light, and an OMNI wand
• How she experiments with OMNI quilted films to add warm rays of light around flower petals
• How donating prints and creating photographic products allows her to support meaningful causes
• Why developing her own style matters more to her than meeting competition judges’ expectations.

Gillian also shares why the Velvet 56 appears in so many of her favorite printed images and describes her ideal creative outing: photographing Australian native flowers and paper daisies at Mount Annan with a Velvet 56 and an OMNI wand. Along the way, she reflects on the excitement of knowing that her next favorite photograph is still waiting to be made.

Connect With Gillian Chan

• Website: GillianChanPhotography.com.au
• Instagram: @onearthasinheaven

Chapters

0:00 Intro: Using Your Art to Give Back

5:01 Welcoming Gillian Chan

6:02 Gillian's Photography Journey: From Instamatic to Digital

9:01 Discovering Lensbaby and the Omni System

10:53 Pandemic Lockdowns and the Lensbaby Webinar Spark

13:17 Adding Emotion and Depth of Feeling to Flowers

19:48 Conservation and Giving Back with Art

22:19 Incognito Art Show and Charity Calendars

26:23 Shooting Community Events with Lensbaby

31:59 Staying True to In-Camera Photography (vs. AI)

35:11 Keeping It Real: Authenticity and Therapy in Nature

39:05 Image Walkthrough: The Poppy

42:46 Omni Quilted Gel Techniques

44:42 Becoming a Lensbaby Ambassador

46:10 Hypothetical: One Lens, One Subject, 24 Hours

49:08 What Shooting Extraordinary Means

51:13 Where to Find Gillian

52:26 Closing Thoughts

Connect with Elizabeth (Liz) Willson: 

Website: elizabethwillsonphotography.com

Instagram: @Elizabethwillsonphotography

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@elizabethwillsonphotography

Subscribe to Lensbaby Presents for more conversations with photographers and artists exploring creative techniques, finding their own style, and using their gifts to make a difference.

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