Platform: Leah Reilly

                Remix teamed up with The Learning Connexion to bring you this issue's installment of 'Platform' where we celebrate up and coming artistic talent. The Learning Connexion, based in Wellington, is now taking enrollments for 2013, text 'tlc' to 8080 for a free prospectus. I was interested in art from a young age and in 2010 I relocated from my hometown of Fielding, Manawatu to Wellington to study the Diploma of Art and Creativity at The Learning Connexion. The large variety of classes and resources at The Learning Connexion appealed to me, particularly the darkroom and digital studio facilities as my focus was on photography. The tutors are enthusiastic, passionate and extremely talented artists who dedicate their time to ensuring the students get the most out of their time at The Learning Connexion. Most of my experience is in black and white film photography and night time is my favourite time to photograph. Throughout my schooling, I spent a lot of time photographing the night sky. For the past couple of years, I have been expanding from that realm of photography and focusing on incorporating more of the environment that surrounds me. My idea is to photograph a scenario without a strict intention of knowing what I may capture. Although I have an idea of the feelings I intend to convey, I enjoy the thrill of being surprised by the content of my photograph. My series has been taken with a slow shutter speed and the colour images are using expired colour slide film. My idea started with the intention to capture a starry night sky and this concept progressed into capturing a scene that evokes a truly unique and unusual atmosphere. They include various night scenarios involving unique or unusual light sources, for example planes in the sky or silhouetted figures.