Michelle Grace Hunder is a renowned music photographer whose work has defined the visual identity of some of Australia's most prominent artists in her 15 year career - including Ruel, Jim Jefferies, Sampa the Great, Amy Shark and including every major player in the Australian Hip-Hop scene. 2023 saw Michelle shoot her first Rolling Stone cover with Amy Shark, and win an ARIA award for "Best Cover Art" for the Forest Claudette EP “Everything was Green.”
On this episode, Michelle shares the power of starting over after failure, why human connection to build trust with her clients is foundational, the significance of photographers in shaping the image of musical artists, why to always make space for play and experimentation, why doing the work matters more than raw talent, the lessons from putting together her first book RISE, the tension between visibility and undervaluation in music photography, why mentorship is so important to her and so much more.
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00:00 – Intro
01:45 – Generational Music gap and the Industry
07:40 – Touring with Ruel and caring for young artists
11:21 – Why connection matters more than the camera
16:51 – The frustration of being undervalued in the industry
27:55 – Play, experimentation, and creative risk-taking
32:49 – From business failure to photography
34:02 – Documenting Australian hip hop culture
44:47 – Why seeing things through is more important than talent
49:43 – Finding self through photography and community
01:00:03 – The importance of being mentored and believed in
01:05:01 – Business skills that sustain a creative career
01:14:50 – How Kendrick Sparked a cultural Shift
01:23:30 – Closing reflections on craft, balance and growth
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Follow Michelle on Instagram: @michelleghunder
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