As a proud Arabana, Mudbura, Gurindji and Warlpiri woman whose family stretch from top to bottom of the continent, Colleen’s photography and digital art are mainstays on the pages and frames of print and screen. Her work is infused with a spirit of activism and acknowledgement, sparked by her relationship with courageous First Nation’s women and her trailblazing father. Under the umbrella of Nharla (“People”) Photography, Colleen’s portraiture ranges from the candid and familial, to the lush and spiritual. In 2021, she broke the storytelling mould by recreating the out-to-country experience through virtual reality. She has contributed work to an exhibit for the upcoming Ballarat International Foto Biennale. Check out Colleen’s website here, and her Instagram here.

I wish I could have come to Sydney from “sunny” Adelaide (it’s pretty windy and rainy and cold here, as you can see!) I wanted this recording to be outdoors because that’s what I do – take photos outdoors, of mob and I really wanted to use this place to have a yarn with you.

Now, we have NAIDOC coming up and I’ve partnered with Nikon to tell you about the theme, which is for our elders, and what it means to me.

As an aboriginal photographer, that holds a great significance for me as it serves as a reminder of the deep respect and gratitude we have for their knowledge, wisdom and their place in our lives. Their resilience, the skills they hand down to us, their natural storytelling – they are the pillars and centre of all our aboriginal people, no matter the job you’re in.

My job as a photographer is quite an important one because it’s about preserving, identifying, and taking care of culture through my lens. I aim to amplify their voices and their stories. And also to showcase our rich culture, through their eyes as my eyes.

I’ve been a photographer for many years now. When asked to partner up with Nikon I didn’t hesitate because this year’s theme for NAIDOC is for our elders. Our elders shape who we are. They are our pillars. They are our custodians of our law, knowledge, identity and cultural stories that are rich and diverse.

It’s so important for me as a photographer to celebrate that, to celebrate our connections and have that translated through my lens. What they do and continue to do for us and our society, and their legacy that’s continued to inspire and guide our future generations and ourselves – for me to be able to document that means that we’re preserving not only them, but our identity and our language and our culture.

To celebrate that rich diversity and the beauty of our culture through their eyes and my lens – that’s how important this year’s theme is to me.

I was so fed up of seeing images of my people that wasn’t in a strong or positive light. Always in despair. That’s why I got into photography. This has given me a chance to share who I am, my history, and my culture with the world. It is showing a greater appreciation for aboriginal culture and probably showcasing my culture in a way you don’t see – with that strength and that pride that shows we’re still here and we’re still practicing our culture today – even though we’re in the city. We’re still practicing who we are today.

Me and my boys go out with the family, on country, many times throughout the year – which is in Lake Eyre. We go out there and spend time sharing stories, preserving what we have, and passing that knowledge down to the next generations. It enables me to not only share but it also enables me to celebrate our traditions, our spirituality and our reality with you. It’s the untold stories of our community that I want to share with you. I’m hoping it will inspire change, inspire you guys to have emotions around some of the things I do, and foster conversations.

Photography has been such a powerful tool that has given me a voice, and a voice to my people. I’m able to capture the essence of my people and convey the narratives that are often overlooked. My photography allows me to reclaim our stories and to showcase our resilience, beauty and diversity here in this country. It empowers me to challenge the stereotypes that are out there, to convey the richness of our traditions, and our reality that is on country or in the cities, or whatever it may be.

I love sharing my culture, and I love sharing my history. Photography has given me a platform to evoke emotions and inspire change. It is a medium through which I can tell stories. I think we are all natural storytellers in the Aboriginal community. And photography allows us to foster those conversations that we do need to have sometimes. I’m hoping to help broaden that conversation around our rights and representation.

NAIDOC Week runs from 2-9 of July, with events taking place all across the nation. For a full guide, resources and tickets, visit the official website.