Melbourne I Love You - The Book

I first came across Melbourne I Love You (MILY) via Instagram in 2016 and soon after got to meet the owner of this account down at his stall on Bourke street in the city. Chris Cincotta is a Melbourne based photographer and the founder of @melbourneiloveyou on Instagram and Humans In Melbourne on Facebook.

Now publishing his third book, Chris decided to pull together some of the photographers from around Melbourne to produce a coffee table book showcasing the beautiful state and city that we live in. For most photographers being published in a book is an absolute dream. Needless to say I was truly humbled when Chris invited me to contribute to the book, not only with photographs, but interview me about my life and photography. The following is the interview between Chris and myself in August 2019.

WHY IS PHOTOGRAPHY IMPORTANT TO YOU?
Wow, I might fill the entire book with my thoughts on the matter. For me photography comes down to a number of things, primarily for me it appeals to the curiosity that I have for life. Going on adventures, hiking, walking through the city, going to stand on the coast in the middle of a Melbourne winter night to get the right shot is something that is driven by my adventurous personality and curiosity for life.

Photography provides a view of the world that we would normally pass by. Not just for the fact that it stops time and captures a moment but it makes you really look at what is in front of you and become aware of the moment that you are in. Since I was a kid photography has always been a constant in my life and it has helped me make sense of the world around me. From the time when you see a long exposure pop up on the LCD screen, or when you pick up some prints and realise that you have created something tangible that is why I keep pursuing the ability to choreograph light, and learning from this wonderful art form.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CAMERA?
At the moment I am really happy with my Canon 6D but I would love to get my hands on a Canon 5DS R for some landscape photography. It has a massive megapixel count that would provide so much depth and detail to the scene.  For street and city, it has always been a dream to own a Leica camera. So maybe a Leica's M9 or M10. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE LENS?
I am fortunate enough to own a 16-35mm f/2.8 Canon L series lens that is pretty hard to top. It’s an amazing lens to shoot with at such a low aperture and wide angle. Whether it is dangling my feet out of a helicopter over New York or getting some astronomy shots down at Mornington, this lens has never let me down.

WHAT IS YOUR FIRST MEMORY OF PHOTOGRAPHY?
Back in primary school, my Dad gave me my grandfather’s film SLR camera. I spent hours playing with all the settings and pretending I was a photographer for National Geographic. Growing up in the country I loved spending hours trying to get shots of wildlife, birds landing in the backyard, lizards crawling from under rocks and kangaroos in the nearby scrub. Of course there was no film in the camera, but I had lots of fun creating images in my head.

WHEN DID YOU START SHOOTING SERIOUSLY?
During high school I always carried around a point and shoot camera just taking photos of my friends and our adventures, but it wasn’t until late into university that my hobby and obsession for photography really started. Getting into Instagram in 2015/16 only accelerated and opened up the online community for photographers. 

WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE STYLE OF PHOTOGRAPHY?
It changes so much and by what is influencing me at the time. When I first started looking at Instagram I really loved the dark and moody city and street photography. However, over the past year I have been favouring more landscape and astronomy style of photography. Who knows in a few years' time it may be portraits.

WHERE IS YOUR FAVOURITE PLACE IN VICTORIA TO SHOOT AND WHY?
Wilsons Prom without a doubt. I think it has to be one of the most naturally beautiful locations I have ever been in my life. The wonderful thing about Victoria is that if you head in any direction you’re bound to find a beautiful destination to explore for the day, week or even a month.

WHERE DO YOU HOPE TO TAKE YOUR PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE FUTURE? 
I am enjoying that photography is just a hobby at this stage. I especially enjoy going on adventures to new places that I have not been before, plus the creative outlet that editing allows me is fantastic. However I can not rule out in the future this may turn into a commercial venture!

FAVOURITE PHOTO YOU’VE EVER TAKEN AND WHY? 
Normally my favourite photograph is the last one I have taken. But I went to New York in 2017 and had the chance to catch a helicopter flight over the city at sunset.  With my camera strapped to my arm and harnessed into the helicopter with no doors or windows in front of you to obstruct the view, flying over Manhattan was one of my most memorable photography experiences.  The photo of my legs hanging out of the helicopter may not be the most technically perfect photograph, but the memory of the wind smashing against you as the rotors spun, and gaining a birds eye view of a city that 8 and a half million people call home, would have to be one of my favourite photographs. 

WHO IS YOUR BIGGEST INSPIRATION IN PHOTOGRAPHY?
Gregory Crewdson has always been one of my favourite photographers. Each piece that he creates leaves you with an open narrative that you can complete plus there is so much attention to detail. The cinematic style of lighting is something that I’m completely blown away by and become inspired each time I see his work.   

You can find more details about the book here - https://www.melbourneiloveyou.com/