About
My name is Renée Van Kraanen and I am a professional photographer based in Sydney, Australia.
At the age of 8 years I was given a simple point and shoot 35mm compact film camera by my father and I have been obsessed with photography ever since. It is a special gift to know what it is you wish to do with your life from such an early age.
At the age of 8 years I was given a simple point and shoot 35mm compact film camera by my father and I have been obsessed with photography ever since. It is a special gift to know what it is you wish to do with your life from such an early age.
After studying the technical side of photography, I have worked on continuously improving my skill and style. Capturing loving moments during wedding and family photography to studio product and commercial events, there hasn’t been any opportunities to shoot that haven’t taken my interest. Since the beginning of the pandemic, I have spent some time looking to the past as many of us have and used nostalgia as a powerful tool to cope with the current global situation. Archiving old photographs and film has become a new skill along with restoration to damaged images during this time and I am always so excited to help someone bring an old and damaged photograph of their loved ones back to life.
In my free time I enjoy shooting 35mm film, joining other photographers on adventures near and far from home, and photographing the night sky.
My skills include studio and location based photography, photo processing and editing, video production and video editing. My attributes include punctuation, ability to cope under pressure, and attention to detail.
Detailed Breakdown:
- Studio Photography, both portrait and product
- Domestic Portraiture (weddings, maternity, infant, etc)
- Natural light and flash photography
- Event Photography
- Film, 35mm colour processing and scanning
- Film, 35mm black and white processing and scanning
- Film, 120 colour, black and white processing and scanning
- Film, slide/positive/reversal scanning
- Film camera troubleshooting
- Fujifilm Digital Crystal Archival Mini-Lab photo printing
- Fine Art Printing
- Video Production and Editing
- Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro)
- Studio Photography, both portrait and product
- Domestic Portraiture (weddings, maternity, infant, etc)
- Natural light and flash photography
- Event Photography
- Film, 35mm colour processing and scanning
- Film, 35mm black and white processing and scanning
- Film, 120 colour, black and white processing and scanning
- Film, slide/positive/reversal scanning
- Film camera troubleshooting
- Fujifilm Digital Crystal Archival Mini-Lab photo printing
- Fine Art Printing
- Video Production and Editing
- Adobe Creative Suite (Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere Pro)
I’ve worked for a number of camera retailers including Digital Camera Warehouse, Digidirect and Harvey Norman Photo Centre. During my time at these businesses, I also operated their respective film processing and print labs. In between working for these larger businesses, I also operated as a sole trader working on numerous freelance jobs from photographing weddings to red carpets.
Photography is my industry of choice as it is the only industry that feels like home to me. I couldn’t imagine working any other field. Discussing photography, both film and digital, with anyone will absolutely light the spark within me and is my driving power in this world. Not just the act of producing creative works but capturing moments in time. Cameras and photography are time machines; they are the main thing that makes me feel connected to the universe by manipulating the star stuff that we are made from to produce renditions that hopefully will outlive us. Preserving old photographs is just as important as producing new ones.
My interest and experience with both film and digital photography is especially relevant considering the resurgence of film, and the importance of understanding the craft from the origins. At the same time, understanding the place digital photography has within the industry and its importance for the future.
Written and Published 29th July 2022
