Lessons from the Outdoors with Kate Proctor

What first drew you to photograph the outdoors — and what continues to inspire you to return to those spaces with your camera?

At first, it was the details: putting my point-and-shoot to use on the tiniest water droplets, blades of grass, and flowers (I was 10). My grandparents took photos; they had a passion for capturing moments, and they shared that with me and my siblings.

We were blessed to have travelled Australia as young kids, and that's where the camera really found its place. Red dirt, big lizards and sandstone outcrops became my muse.

My connection to this country started early, and it continues. Of course, it has gone through ebbs and flows - adolescence brought other hobbies, but somehow, just like the magnet that this beautiful land is, I always found my way back.

I became fascinated with the way humans interact and move through the landscape. The grit, the softness, the depth and the love. This led to a passion for capturing the rawness and ruggedness of the human experience, and the immense beauty of this planet.

Are there particular landscapes or environments you feel most connected to — places that continue to inspire or challenge you creatively?

If you had asked me a few years ago, I would’ve said the ocean. I spent some time years ago working as a guide, taking people swimming with dolphins and seals. The magic in that was just unfathomable. But as time has inevitably gone on and I have evolved, I’ve found myself surrounded by sandstone mountains. They have a particular way about them. Like a wise old friend, but one that will always be honest with you, wearing every emotion on their sleeve. The way they create their own weather, harbour so many different environments and life, and hold so many secrets. Capturing them is a journey, an unpredictable one that makes you check yourself. You have to be prepared for anything, as they’re powerful and you’re just a small boat at the mercy of the big sea. They bring out a rawness in humans that nothing else seems to do.

How has your time in nature influenced the way you see the world?

This is a hard one. There is so much depth and so much richness that it’s hard to put into words.

I’ve spent the last four months working as a park ranger, primarily taking a role in recovery from the recent bushfires in Gariwerd/The Grampians, Australia. I feel as though working with country in this way has cemented so many feelings and emotions I associate with being a human exploring this planet.

How when country hurts, you hurt, too. But when you work on healing country, it heals you in turn. How the intricacies of Mother Nature come together to make the interconnected web of existence, and gosh, how important those intricacies are.

From getting enough rain to allow the endangered brush-tailed rock wallabies to drink from the seeps in towering sandstone cliffs, to the land harbouring enough heat and smoke to allow eucalyptus buds to burst open and spread seed for future generations.

It’s shown me how special EVERYTHING is. How important it is to seek understanding and have empathy. It’s taught me to listen. To slow down. To share. To give. To have passion. We’re human, after all, and we’re doing our best with the space and knowledge we have. And of course, it's taught me how much Mother Nature walks a tightrope. We're held in that balance, so it’s our responsibility to take action and help.

When you’re out shooting, how do you balance preparation and spontaneity? Does your gear setup play a role in helping you stay present and flexible?

I really try to be intentional with my photography. I found having my camera on me at all times took away from the small moments, as I’d always have it at the ready. When I’m travelling, I usually have my camera inside my pack or attached to the outside for easy access. If the camera is in my bag, the moments are for my eyes and memories only. If something is incredibly special, I will get it out, but I find that having it in my pack is a big enough deterrent to not take it out.

What’s the most valuable lesson the outdoors has taught you — about creativity, connection, or even yourself?

Oh my goodness, so much and to put my finger on the most valuable lesson feels way too hard!

I think it has reinforced how differently we all see and experience the world. So many creators are capturing such beautiful work, and it’s all an extension of themselves, their thoughts and their feelings. It's so important to honour this individuality. I am continually learning that the only thing restricting me creatively is me, with the invisible boundaries and boxes I put myself in.

To have access to a camera, to be able to use it to fund my adventures is a massive privilege. There are so many places in the world where this type of job doesn’t exist. Hot damn, am I lucky.

So get out there, capture moments, but don’t forget to just witness them. Photos are special, but the essence of those moments can really only be deeply felt and witnessed with presence.