Whether it's a beautiful sunrise or a crew working on a project on the roads, capturing the perfect photo of a scene is an enviable talent and one that Communications Advisor Lisa Townley and Arboriculture Inspector Jamie Thomas both have.
Both Lisa and Jamie discovered their love for photography at a young age, in the days before everyone had a camera in their pocket in the form of a smartphone.
They also both love the magic of film photography and what you can achieve.
Lisa says she started out in photography during her high school years and loved being in the darkroom and watching her images develop.
"I loved the challenge of getting it all just right," Lisa says.
It's so different to digital, mistakes matter! You spend more time setting up the shot and getting it just right.
Jamie says initially he thought he'd never convert to digital as he loved working with film.
"I considered whether I'd stick to film and kind of make that my thing," Jamie says. "But I admit now I appreciate what's possible with digital photography and the advances being made all the time."
Jamie has taken his conversion to digital a step further and become a drone pilot, following his passion for flying drones over the last several years.
"I got my license through Ventia late last year, although I'd been flying for a while," Jamie notes. "Being able to now do it commercially is great, and I've been learning the requirements involved in getting the necessary approvals from CASA for flights as we prepared for our first job here in Mornington Shire."
Pictured: Jamie Thomas is an Arboriculture Inspector with our Mornington Shire contract in Victoria.
More than arboriculture
Jamie's full-time role is as an Arboriculture Inspector with our Mornington Shire contract in Victoria and he's often putting his photography skills to good use, capturing imagery and videography to promote the work the team are doing.
Jamie has worked for the Shire for over 30 years and says he loves what he does.
"I like working outdoors, and I enjoy the customer service aspect of the role too," he says. "When you've worked a long time in an area, you get to know all the stakeholders and what they like or expect, and it really makes the job easier!"
I love that I get to make a positive difference in the community through the work I do.
Pictured: Lisa Townley is a Communications Advisor on our Road Asset Management Contract (RAMC) in South East Queensland.
Photography and communications - a perfect match
Lisa says that photography aligns well with her role in communications and community engagement on the Road Asset Management Contract (RAMC) in South East Queensland.
Photography is just visual storytelling.
"We have a great team up here on RAMC, and you can tell from the photos I take of the team that they get along well and enjoy the work they do."
"They also get a kick out of seeing photos of themselves when we share them in the team newsletter or in slideshows at some of the celebrations we hold."
Creative expression
Expressing their creativity through photography is clearly something Jamie and Lisa do well, and they've become known within their teams for their skills.
"Everyone knows I carry my camera around with me," Jamie says. "So, I often get asked if I can grab shots of some of the projects we're working on, to keep a record of what we've done or to showcase our work through videos or other presentations."
Lisa's images have featured in many stories showcasing the work of the RAMC, particularly of their project achievements and innovations. She also attended this year's Land Forces expo in Brisbane, capturing the event as our resident photographer.
"I really enjoy getting out to site and capturing the reality of the work we do on the roads, to share that with others," she says.
I just love how you can speak volumes in one single image - a page of a book can be conveyed in one candid shot.
Pictured: One of Lisa's project action shots.
Top image: One of Jaime's beautiful landscape images.
You can follow Jamie on Instagram at @jtimagesvic