Long-time lovers of Lillie Thompson's work over here. Her play with shadow and light, capturing textures so intricately you can almost feel them through the screen, is real jaw-on-the-floor stuff. Thoughtful and calming, always nuanced and warm, we asked Lillie to capture Blanca at The Galeries. Delivering the exact tones and vibe, she's put our pieces and the small-but-gorgeous space on the chicest display. 

On ‘you’ outfits:

Anything comfortable. I am usually wearing loose, relaxed, tailored shapes.

On high-repeat items:

The Iman Shirt with tailored pants or jeans are on constant repeat at the moment. It is relaxed but also has a great structure to match its shape and texture. I recently spent a few weeks in Italy during the spring, on a working holiday, and this shirt was the perfect additional layer for transeasonal weather, shoot days and travel days.

On staple looks:

What I wear doesn’t change much between editing days at home, shoot days (which are quite physically demanding) or walks with the dog. It’s always layered tops with long sleeve button shirts, tailored pants or jeans, and a long coat, especially now that we’re in the thick of winter. I’m always reaching for something relaxed and comfortable that still provides some structure or shape. 

 

 

On pursuing photography:

Growing up, both my grandfather and my mother always had a camera with them, mainly documenting their life around them. Looking back through my mother’s photos, there are lots of pictures of warm sunlight casting shapes across the walls of wherever she was living. 

As a kid, I remember her always pointing out and appreciating the way the sunlight hit something or how an artist had created light in a painting at a gallery. My mother really instilled an appreciation for the beauty of light. I was twelve when she showed me how to take a photograph, at the edge of a lake, explaining composition. From then on, photography was something I enjoyed and continue to pursue. 

On the best bits:

I love that, distilled down, what I do is still pursuing this appreciation of light. Now, with much more experience and a technical skill set, I can create and craft that light to create emotionally engaging imagery as a means for my clients to communicate impactfully with their audience.

I also really love collaborating with art directors and stylists, sharing this joint pursuit of creating beauty. It’s such a pleasure, really. There’s always the reality of running your own business, but when it’s centred around this shared pursuit for beauty with a collaborative team or client, it’s such a joy.

On her favourite images:

There is no specific type of image that I like to capture, however I am always most content with images when something about the light makes me feel something.

 

 

On finding inspiration:

I feel most inspired when I can take time to slow down, be in nature, and spend time with friends. These things are really recharging for me and allow space to feel inspired when I return to my work.

On the Blanca store:

Despite its tiny size and being amongst the busyness of The Galeries, the Blanca store is a moment of calm and peace from the outside world, beautifully designed by Aterre Architecture. Each image thoughtfully frames a curated glimpse into the warmth and softness of the space, sometimes showing a sneak peek of the store through a mirror or highlighting the curved-edged walls, high ceilings, and blackbutt timber custom joinery.