Interview with photographer Marie Walter

So far, Marie’s three biggest projects this year have been The Nightmare Before Christmas, Alice in Wonderland and Snow White. For each of these, many months of planning have gone into each big day. She sources the costumes, makes and hunts down the necessary props, searches for locations, and plans “the look” of each character with their makeup, hair and accessories.

Marie has an amazing wardrobe of wigs, costumes, hair and makeup accessories and now a growing collection of props. Her website alone is an amazing mish-mash of her modelling, experimenting, photographing and styling.

Follow Marie’s latest adventures on her blog and website. And visit her YouTube channel for make up tutorials and behind-the-scenes videos.

As there’s so much to mention about each shoot, I’m including a small introduction (from Marie) for each series.

The Nightmare Before Christmas

(image at the top)

This shoot was at Toowong cemetery in the freezing cold. The Nightmare Before Christmas was one of my favourite movies as a child, and I feel it represents young love and the idea of being forever young. My partner Peter and I were the models for Jack and Sally! I did all the makeup for this shoot, including scar prosthetics out of makeup putty wax, liquid latex and wire stitches to glue in.

Alice in Wonderland

I have always been fascinated with Alice in Wonderland and how the mind works, and for these three images I really wanted to capture the essence of Alice. I digitally composed Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum together as they are the same person, I’d have my partner Peter stand on one side as a frame of reference, and Dave the model on the other, then take some pictures, then we’d switch bows and ties and put him on the other side and he’d do different poses. For the Queen of Hearts, I hand-made the crown and the wand.

Snow White

This series is also along the theme of “forever young” and I thought that Disney movies where a great interpretation of this. It is a typical storyline of the jealous Evil Queen wanting to destroy the young beauty. So in the first shot at Bli Bli Castle on the Sunshine Coast, my mother featured through a window of the castle with the poison apple.

I actually shot this in another tower about 10 metres or more away it was a bit scary. I made the apple prop by spray painting it red and then coating it in lots and lots of red glitter!

For the Snow White scenes, I wanted to represent the scene in the movie where she is running along the river with all of the trees attacking her. I found this beautiful location near my church, so I shot from the road whilst I had my model Claire hop along the rocks.

The final shot from this series captures the moment where Snow White is enticed by The Evil Queen’s poison apple. This represents how we can all be enticed by things in life even if they’re not good for us – it’s all about decisions! Also I did the makeup for this shoot and I airbrushed my mother, which was an interesting experience for her.

How have you got to where you are today?

When I was a child my mother would always do many creative things with me, and I believe that’s how I got my creative flare. When I left high school I wanted to find a way to implement my makeup skills into a photograph so I started coming up with concepts and then shooting them.

I realised I had a huge passion for putting emotion into a picture through the use of makeup and my own personal experiences I went through. That’s how I decided to study photography at Southbank Tafe and then makeup at the Napoleon Perdis Academy. I believe this has really helped me further. Now the skies the limit!

In a few words, describe yourself…

Creative, down to earth, fun and positive!

What are you spending your time on at the moment?

Currently I’m working on photography projects for an upcoming exhibition with the Moreton Bay Regional Council.

I have been coming up with Disney concepts under the theme forever young, so far I’ve done Sally and Jack from The Nightmare Before Christmas, I just finished doing Snow White and the ladies who run Bli Bli Castle at the Sunshine Coast where very hospitable by letting me shoot there which was such a fantastic experience. I still have another two Disney shoots that I’m planning, but they are a surprise!

Do you have a ritual for getting into the creative mindset? Or a creative process?

Sometimes I like to draw my idea in my art book so I can get an idea of what I need, and I try to draw the backgrounds and the scenes to prepare.

I’m quite lucky in terms of trying to come up with ideas, I’ll be watching a movie or I’ll just imagine something random then think, “Hey! That would be a great idea for a picture!” Even an emotion I feel can help create something, I feel blessed in that respect.

What or who inspires you?

At the moment, movies specifically Disney, in the past it’s been things like depression, pain and suffering, then coming out of that and being free. I can say anything and everything at the time.

What are you most proud of?

This year not only did I finish my makeup course but I started my own business Mazzzz Makeup & Photography. I launched my website to be able to keep track of the projects as I work on them. It was quite a defining moment for me. This year’s been a good year.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

I was very much into drama and the arts, (I still am) I wanted to act, model and dance. I don’t act or dance but I’m lucky enough to be able to do a bit of modelling which I love.