Viewing life through a camera lens has opened up a new world for 17-year-old Olivia Sutcliffe, who will hold her first ever solo photographic exhibition at Hobart's Youth Arts and Recreation Centre in August.
It has also given Olivia the opportunity to be part of this year's Beaker Street Festival, where she will showcase night images taken during a 'Glow Tour' with Dr Lisa Gershwin.
"At school we have to do an individual portfolio of photography works and I have chosen bioluminescence to focus on," says Olivia.
"I plan to showcase a series of photos I take on the Beaker Street Glow Tour as well as other photos I capture at the Youth Arts and Recreation Centre.
"I also have plans for an exciting glow food experience during the opening night of my YARC exhibition, which starts on August 8 and runs the entire month."
Inspiration
The idea of viewing the world through a camera lens first took hold of Olivia during a Young Carers event at the Youth Arts and Recreation Centre, when a photography exhibition by another young artist caught her eye.
"The exhibition looked interesting, and when I asked the staff about it, they encouraged me to come back and take some mentoring sessions with Fabrice, a professional photographer who was also one of the centre's youth workers.
"I started coming every Thursday afternoon, working with the Youth ARC team to learn the basics of photography and ended up submitting a photo into last year's group exhibition.
"I was encouraged to apply for my own solo exhibition, and now here I am, ready to show my images to the world."
Showing the world
Falling in love with the art of photography has not only opened up a new world for Olivia, but it has also given her a chance to show others what she can do.
"This year has been full of ups and downs for me," she says.
"I have moved schools, house and had to be a huge support to my family. Having something to look forward to and something to move forward with like my photography practice has encouraged me to keep on going and allowed me to continue being the support I have to be."
Olivia encourages more young people to visit the City of Hobart's Youth Arts and Recreation Centre, a safe, fun, and engaging space for young people aged 12-25.
"I think people should come and find something they are interested in and have the support to become good at something," she says.
"It's not a place you have to hide anything from and there is no expectation to come every day, it's just there when you need it or when you feel like being in good company."
Exhibitions
Olivia’s photographic exhibition starts on Thursday 8 August at the Youth Arts and Recreation Centre.
And you can view her photos as part of Beaker Street Festival's CoLab exhibition, which pairs research scientists with school art students in an experiment aimed at inspiring art that communicates scientific concepts and ideas.