In this Sure-Shot series, Coromind invites photographers to break down two of their favourite shots, sharing the stories, techniques and moments that make each image special. This month, Moa Raud takes us behind the scenes of her inspiring work.
Turning Towards What is Real
In a world that’s rapidly becoming reliant on AI tools for everything from spaghetti bolognese recipes to generated brand images, I find myself surrounded by the fear of being replaced. We’re living in a time of very big changes and it can be intimidating in many ways; however, I’ve never been as sure about the importance of my art and work as I am today. I’ve found myself affected by the AI transition not in a fearful way but in choosing to go in the opposite direction, to be MORE human, more real and more authentic.
Both images shot on Portra 400 on Nikon F4
Wheelbarrow ride
My family session with Leilani’s family in Whenuakite was child led in the best kind of way.
Their 3 year old son Ira was full of beans and so excited to show me around, so we jumped between running around in the sheep paddock, family snuggles on the couch and eventually found our way to the peak of the session, fun wheelbarrow rides with dad pushing them around the backyard.
I had to get them all together for a fun take on a typical portrait at the end of it!
Image 2: f1.8, 1/500s, ISO 400, focal length 50mm
Childhood joy
Rather than pose a family for a perfect shot, I like to let them interact and wait for a moment that makes me feel something. In this one, we had been reading a book but Ira was ready for something new, so I suggested he could lie with his legs up in the air, his little sister Flossy crawled over to see what was going on and we got some of the sweetest photos of pure childhood joy.
Both images shot on Portra 400 on Nikon F4
When I started taking family photos, I was aiming for those perfect shots, golden hour at the beach and a crisp picture of a smiling family looking into the camera.
In the last few years, I’ve noticed something in my own art, and possibly in the wider industry too – change alongside the introduction of AI. As it’s getting easier to generate perfect stock images, I’ve been drawn to go the other direction, towards the real moments, connection and emotion.
I’ve gone from valuing perfect light and beautiful locations to valuing human connection, authentic moments and photos that are felt. For me personally, this has led me to embrace a less posed, more natural approach and shift my focus towards in-home sessions, where I get to be part of my clients’ everyday lives and capture them in their comfort zone, truly telling their story through my photography.
I grew up with a father who taught analogue film photography in the era of transition to digital photography.
My dad fought with everything he had to keep teaching the old ways and to hold onto what’s real.
I never really understood what he went through until recently, and I can now see history repeating itself in the next big transition. Just like my dad did, I’m wanting to hold onto what’s real.
I always loved shooting film, but only recently decided to do it professionally and to take my work and art to where my heart is. I received my scans from my first film session with a client earlier today, and looking through the photos made my eyes water, because they hold everything I am passionate about creating. All the photos in this article are from that collection, and I think they speak for themselves.
I’ve been asking myself why I take photos – of my loved ones, of things around me, of other families, and once I found the answer, it all made sense. I read a while ago that ‘photography is the closest we get to time travel’, and that’s it for me. As a mother of two littlies, I know how fast time passes and how we almost forget what life was like only a couple of years ago.
My second child is nine months old and as I was telling a friend about my pregnancy the other day, I realised I had almost forgotten those long nauseous days.
But then, a memory on my phone popped up, I looked at a photo from my pregnancy, and I got taken right back to that time.
I can’t help but think about myself in 50 years from now, looking at the pictures on my walls and flicking through the family albums to relive these days again. I think that’s why these real moments matter more than ever, and why the art of photography is turning towards a more authentic approach. It was never about taking the perfect photo, but about preserving the most precious thing we’ve got, our real memories.
Moa Raud Photo – moaraudphoto.co.nz
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