You might know her as Lismore’s candid photographer – with at least two cameras slung around her neck, waiting to shoot the perfect photo. Natalie Borowski (Natsky) has built herself a reputation as an intuitive photographer who can capture special moments as they happen – no posing.

But who is the woman behind the camera?

She’s an avid motorcycle lover who can tell you all about motorbike parts. She trains for the sport of roller derby and she’s getting pretty good at formal (posed) school photography – something she never could have imagined herself doing a year ago.

Natsky. Photo by Rebecca Rushbrook.

School photography

Earlier this year, when Covid-19 put a stop to weddings, parties and events – all the things which were the lifeblood of her Photography by Natsky business – Natsky found herself out of work.

“I used to fall out pf bed at 8 or 8.30am but now I’m working as a school photographer, I have to get up at 5am so I can photograph school staff before the school day begins,” Natsky said.

“There are thousands of schools in NSW and I’ve already travelled from Kingscliff to Coffs Harbour and Burke.

“There’s no creativity but I have a regular income now – it’s very strange, I haven’t had that for a long time. Running my own photography business since 2009 means some weeks I would make thousands and other weeks nothing – and you have to budget around that.”

“Taking pictures of kids is not easy - I am surprised – it’s opposite to what I’m used to.

“These days I’m shooting on a Canon, not a Nikon camera and using an Apple, not a PC computer and I shoot tethered and get kids to pose – I always did candid shots.”

Natsky. Photo by Richard Thompsett.

Herding cats

“Getting kids organised is like herding cats. The bigger schools with 600 kids are easier - they are used to having to be organised to get kids to do it.

“Some kids show up with vegemite still on their faces and toothpaste on shirts – and some have no tie and I have to wait till they borrow one from their mate.

“We are supposed to get kids through in 6-8 seconds each, and I also have to create a rapport with them to get them to smile.

“It’s a challenge.

It’s about the smile

“It’s all about getting that smile from that kid. I remember at school being traumatised by having my photo taken – and I want to make it fun for the nervous or shy ones and make them not dread it.

“Trying to get teens to smile and show their teeth is hard. Some may have braces or bad teeth or lost a front tooth. Sometimes I take time and take a photo of them with and without teeth - and they all prefer it with teeth.

Natsky. Photo by Brad Mustow.

Beginnings

Natsky was born in Sydney and came up to Lismore in 2000 to escape from the city. She’s been a dance instructor, a graphic designer illustrator for a magazine house and worked in the motorcycle industry. She said she masters something and moves on, but photography has been the longest profession she has stayed in.

Motorbikes

While she had to get rid of her motorbike so she could buy a car to drive her camera equipment around, Natsky said she’s always loved motorbikes.

“I used to pillion with my boyfriend and loved it – so I got my licence and bought my own bike. “I’ve had three bikes – a Honda, a Ninja, and my dream bike, a Ducati Monster - I loved it.

“I love the feeling of freedom and I feel safer on a bike than in a car.

“Sometimes I’d ride through the hills and scream my head off if I was stressed, or sing or laugh. People would wonder 'what was that?'

“In Sydney I got into sales in the motorbike industry and learned about engines and parts before I came to Lismore.

Music

“Then in Lismore, I met Nick, my boyfriend - and went to work with him in The Audio Room.

“It was fun, I love music – sometimes when an ABBA special was on TV, everyone came in and wanted to hear ABBA all day.

“I worked with him for 8 or 9 years before I started taking photos for myself in 2006 when we went to visit his sister in Bali.

Cameras and quality

“I got a point and shoot camera, but it wasn’t until we went to the Great Ocean Road in 2007 and Nick had an SLR camera, that I got frustrated. I saw the better quality of his photos and I got a proper camera again.

“I used to shoot film in my teens and early 20s and had access to a dark room, but when I lost access to the room, I stopped taking photos and life took over.

Self-taught photography

“Since I was 16, I knew the basics about cameras – like ISO, shutter speed and aperture. I was self-taught and it was always easy, but I didn’t know technical terms that someone with formal training might use.

“It’s instinctive - I’m an opportunistic photographer.

Opportunistic

“I don’t set things up in place and time. I take photos of what I see around and what’s appealing to some people. I look at things differently.

“People will often see me in strange positions – lying on the ground or getting up high. I often use things to frame my point of view because I want a different perspective that people might not find themselves.

“I want them to be curious and wonder about it – make people think or feel. I want them to spend time with it.

Instinctive eye

“I have a natural affinity with composing photos - people say I have the eye

“I’ve given up trying to quantify it – people seem to like it and wanted to pay me to do it, so in 2009, I started Photography by Natsky.

Own business

“Within two years, my business was self supporting. I had steady work because I’d been out in the community taking photos and people knew me.

“I stated taking photos at a Lismore jazz club night at Maggie Moore’s – I cut my teeth and fell in love with low light photography there.”

Roller derby

In 2012, Natsky discovered Lismore’s roller derby league. – Northern Rivers Roller Derby.

Not only did she join the league and start training, but it gave her a chance to practice her love of low light photography at a skating rink, capturing the fast moving sport.

“It’s a challenge and a specialty,” Natsky said, “I learned quickly how to pan. Some pro photographers come along and try it and don’t get any decent photos – it’s hard to shoot with no flash and the light sources and colours are mixed and not ideal.

“I did get some great shots and was quite pleased with myself, I knew how hard it was.

Ninjargh

Natsky’s alter-ego name in roller derby was Ninjargh and after eight years, she’s still training every Thursday night at Lismore’s skating rink.

“I cracked a rib a year into training when I did something stupid,” she said. “It took a year to heal because I was so impatient I kept playing and it would re-crack."

After a Covid hiatus, she said the league is growing again.

“When I started training, it was for fitness - I like challenge. Now it’s my zen, my meditation, my stress release. It’s very physically demanding and I’m getting older now and more mindful of my body limitations.”

Weddings

Natsky has been asked to photograph a lot of weddings. She said it takes a lot of trust for people to invite her into their special day and capture in in pictures, and she mainly gets people who want her special brand of non-posed picture taking.

“I always meet my couple before I do the wedding and make sure we are a match. Lots of people are shy and get me because they hate getting their photos taken and I’m the fly on the wall.

“Some couples want direction, but I don’t do that.

“I will try and choose different options for them though – they might be seated or walking and just ignoring me - but I will have already warned them if I see beautiful light, I’ll get them to stop or say 'can you head over there?'

Magic

“I want them to forget about me and concentrate on each other while I shoot with a long lens. That’s when you get the magic photos.

“Because it’s not posed, I need to be tuned in, listening and watching to get those moments or I miss them. I anticipate and develop a sixth sense about cute kids doing things or a nervous groomsman doing silly speeches.

Natsky. Photo by Nicki Deabel.

Significance

“I also don’t just give the best 400 pics – every picture tells stories and I don’t know the significance of some photos till afterwards. Maybe someone died not long after. This is their wedding day and I document it.

“One time, I was up on a fence shooting down and all I could see is the top of the bride’s head while a couple showed her a crucifix – that photo turned out to be special as the crucifix had an important backstory.

“I’m currently editing a 12 hour wedding. It was beautiful - lots of emotion and stories and I’ll have about 1000 photos.

Covid weddings

“There’s only been a few weddings this year and they were all different.

“At a wedding the weekend before we went into lockdown, everybody was buzzing about what’s happening – almost an excitement about the corona thing. 100 people flew in and there was a rumour all the airports were closed and people could not get home.

“Then there was a limit of five people at a wedding and a couple streamed it. Her dad drove up from Newcastle, but there were no other guests. In hindsight, it was a good thing because they were shy and didn't want performance pressure.

Dream

“I have a recurring dream I’m at a wedding, then the bride is walking down the isle and I’m not wearing any cameras and I’m trying to think of a reason to tell them why I missed the shot. I wake up in a hot sweat and I hope it never comes true.

Gunslinger equipment

“I’m always carrying two cameras like a gunslinger and I wear a belt with spare cards and flashes. It can weigh 10-15 kg and I can be wearing it for 12 hours. That’s my gym session – it’s physically demanding and sometimes I might need to run 50 metres down a beach to get a long shot with a headland behind it.

“The day after I’ve shot a wedding, I am knackered.”

To find out more about Natsky’s photography, visit her website http://www.natsky.com.au