Ep. 24 Leila Jeffreys
Leila Jeffreys is a distinguished contemporary artist renowned for her captivating photographs, moving image works, and installations that primarily feature birds.
Leila moved to Australia from PNG and pursued formal training in photography which helped her create her unique approach...to animal portraiture.
Her extraordinary photographs were loved by the public and she gained international recognition and featured alongside the world's most respected photographers as part of Civilisation: The Way We Live Now, a 2023 exhibition at London's Saatchi Gallery.
We talked about her early days as a photographer for Rolling Stone and how she never felt like she could get what she really wanted from the photos she took of people. And then a lightbulb moment when she followed her instincts and started photographing birds. But in a way no one had before – as portraits taken in studios.
The resulting photographs are breathtaking. She loved photographing birds of prey. They seemed to exude a confidence (even arrogance!) that comes with being at the top of the tree. Have a look at the last couple of photos in the insta carousel to see what she means.
