Bio
Jonathan Bourla is a fine art photographer living in the coastal township of Snells beach. He is drawn to details and textures, relishing the moments when he becomes engrossed in a subject and can envision the finished photograph. Largely self-taught, Jonathan’s style is influenced by Ansel Adams and the American West Coast movement of the middle 1900’s.​
Jonathan studied engineering science at Oxford University and enjoyed success at its photographic society. After losing both his parents to cancer, Jonathan emigrated to New Zealand where he met and fell in love with his now wife Julie. It was Julie who encouraged Jonathan to pursue his passion for photography. ​​​​
​​In Jonathan’s black and white process, the initial camera exposure is followed by what he terms an interpretation stage. Originally done in the darkroom, he now manages this on his computer with a stylus (tablet pen). He adjusts overall brightnesses, colours, and contrasts with a slow and subtle build-up of effect (called dodging and burning), taking hours or days on each photograph. This is the part of the process he loves the most.​
​Before 2022, Jonathan's camera of choice was a Large Format Field View Camera made by the British firm Gandolfi. Resembling the plate cameras from history, this camera is made largely from wood and has a bellows. Every time he removed the camera from his backpack, Jonathan would marvel at its beauty. He would crouch under a dark cloth to focus and set up the shot. Exposures could take an hour or more. Jonathan was once asked by a young boy if he had a proper camera hidden inside, or was the outside just for show? In late 2022, in a big change, he began using two old digital cameras, one by Fujifilm and the other Leica. Whilst retaining his philosophy of making every shot count, the newer cameras offered freedom and spontaneity.​​​