Interview with Moses Aurelius

Could you tell us a bit about yourself?

Hi I’m Moses I’m a photographer based in Sydney, Australia. I’ve been doing photography for about 3 years now. I shoot a variety of genres including night, street and portraits.

What got you started with photography?

I started photography shortly before the COVID-19 pandemic. I found myself at a point in life where I didn’t have any real direction and wanted to find a purpose and something I could enjoy as a hobby. That eventually led me to trying photography, and the rest is history.

When you go out to shoot, do you have specific shots in mind or is it all freestyle?

For street photography, it’s mostly freestyle. I plan a rough route of where I’d like to shoot, but I’ve found the most success not having a specific plan and going with the flow at the time I’m shooting. For portraits and paid work, I do try and think of specific shots but I also mix it up if I think of some ideas at the time of the shoot.

What are your favourite shooting conditions (night, rain, sunlight, etc.)?

Definitely rainy nights. The atmosphere you can capture in this environment is one of a kind.

What gear do you use?

I use a Canon R5 with a bunch of RF lenses and some Sigma prime lenses. Currently, my favourite lens is my RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens

What is your favourite editing software and how much time do you spend editing?

Favourite editing software would be Adobe Lightroom Classic. Because of my specific editing style, I do spend a lot of time editing. One photo could take anywhere from 30 minutes to hours and hours depending on the complexity of the edit. But I love editing so it never feels like a drag.

What keeps you motivated?

Sharing my work to people who are passionate about photography, meeting like-minded people in the community and sharing my knowledge to beginners all keep me motivated and continue to make me want to do what I’m doing every day.

What do you try to transmit through your work?

I like to leave most of my work open to interpretation. As an example, a lot of my work revolves around a single subject in a moody, eerie or dystopian environment. How people interpret this theme is up to them. There are no wrong answers in art.

Who or what is your source of inspiration?

I’m inspired by photographers and filmmakers. I could name so many people! Recently, the likes of @henrifilm and @wrapped.nil have inspired me to be more experimental in my photography. As for filmmakers, I’m a huge fan of both Christopher Nolan and Dennis Villeneuve.

Any tips for beginners?