My name is Joshua Kai Richards. I’m an eighteen-year-old photographer and film maker. Born in Melbourne, Australia and raised in Byron Bay, I have travelled and lived overseas extensively since I was young, giving me a deep curiosity about humanity, culture and visual aesthetic.

I have had a passion for visual storytelling – and specifically the human characters within them – for as long as I can remember. From the age of two, my ‘study’ of characters in the films I watched completely dictated the way I dressed (and acted), and in recent years this has translated into a passion for capturing the essence of a moment, story and the human spirit in photography and film.  

I have an eye for detail that almost feels like a curse at times, because of how sensitive and perceptive I am to the details of my surroundings (some would call this OCD). Photography and film have created a channel to focus this trait in ways that can be shared with others. It helps me pay attention to all the composing factors that create a beautiful photograph and to notice subtle details and nuances of expression that often make the difference between a photograph that ‘looks good’ and one that evokes a genuine feeling or experience in the heart and mind of the viewer.

For the past 3 years I have been immersed in developing my skills, experience and opportunities (personal and professional) in photography and film - with projects and creative collaborations of multiple sizes and themes, both behind and in front of the camera.

My goal is not just to capture aesthetic, but to create and capture a genuine feeling. I love to find the authentic and real (often hidden) beauty in my subjects and my goal is to have the photos feel as real and natural as possible – as if a specific moment of life was already unfolding and I just happened to stroll past at the right moment to capture it.  

I have realised in order to truly capture moments of authentic human expression and experience (in photography, film or otherwise), these moments must actually be and feel real for all involved.  So my work is also about creating a relationship with the subject that allows us to be fully present, in the moment, attentive to what genuinely wants to emerge.

Passionate about understanding people, how the mind works and how we can grow beyond the sub-conscious programming to be the full expression of who we are.  For me photography, fashion and film are all vehicles I use to explore the authentic human expression, because in order to create and/or capture a beautiful photograph in most cases you have to be totally present and in the moment … and you must create spaces where others feel safe and inspired to do the same.