Leigh Henningham

Where have you worked and over what time period?

I finished high school in 1977 and in January 1978, at the age of seventeen I started work as a copy boy at the Herald and Weekly Times. From there, I progressed to a cadetship, which I started at the Herald in 1979. I worked at the Herald as photographer and then Picture Editor until 1990. I had a stint on the Sunday Age as picture editor and then took on that role at the Age in 1997. I have been there ever since.

How did you get into press photography - what was your big break?

My first big break Involved a lot of time spent as a copy boy working on weekends, taking photos and submitting them for publication. I often got scoops from local sport and news, simply because I was there, working. The first picture I had published was a middle page spread in the Sun, which was followed up the next week by a page three picture in the Sun of a protest in the city that turned nasty.

What is your favourite photograph of all those you have taken and why?

One of my favourite pictures is of the world’s first IVF gorilla, Mzuri, who was born at the Melbourne Zoo. Mzuri was the zoo’s star attraction and in the days before strict Occupational Health and Safety regulations, the setting up of photos was a lot more relaxed than it is now. I asked if I could take the gorilla out of its cage and into the zoo’s gardens to take a picture of him holding the flowers in a very human pose. This pic was taken in the mid 1980's, well before the internet, but it went viral because it was turned into a postcard. For many years after, friends who were travelling would send it to me from far flung places around the world!

What is the biggest change you've seen in press photography over your career?

The biggest change for me has been the change from film to digital technology, and then the boom in internet and online publications in news media. While print circulation may be falling, the audience for our photos has never been larger with some picture galleries getting a million hits a day. Our photos no longer just get published in the next day’s paper but get shown online, on the iPad, on smart phones, and social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook.

Change has never been more constant or quick; not just with cameras and equipment but also in how we publish or broadcast our work. Photographers are expected not just to shoot pictures but also to provide video. Sometimes, they even write or narrate the story.

Whilst there may now be fewer full time staff positions in the media for photographers, the photographer who has a job has never been more skilled, or had their work seen by so many.

What was the first camera you used and what camera do you use now?

The first camera I used was a Nikon FM2 film camera with 50ml lens and a Tamron telephoto.