NATALIE GRONO

SEA DREAMING

Life is thought to have begun in the ocean.

Living as a coastal inhabitant I feel I am constantly beckoned by a tidal pulling of the ocean. Growing up on the coast of Australia, the beach has formed various playgrounds through the stages of my life; an imaginary and magical world created as a child, a social haven as a teenager, a place to be at the grace of the elements as a surfer and now a place to share with my child.

Now that I am a mother I wanted to revisit the beach as a child. As a coastal child, the beach is an endless playground at the mercy of the elements, where storm fronts pass overhead, birds’ circle, mermaids visit and waves tumble. It is here that children not only play creatively but also build a relationship with the natural world finding moments of both awe and stillness.

BIOGRAPHY

Natalie Grono is a photographic storyteller focusing on daily life. Her work powerfully transports the viewer into her wonderful world as she shares the stories and moments she encounters along the way. With a background shooting for magazines and newspapers, Natalie’s images are regularly published and exhibited worldwide. In 2010 she was named as Australia’s top emerging photographer for Capture Magazine and in 2009 she won the Nikon Walkley Award for portraiture. Natalie has had her work showcased in the Moran Contemporary Photographic Prize, at the FotoFreo Festival, in the CCP Documentary Award, the William and Winifred Bowness Photography Prize, the Head On Portrait Prize, the Olive Cotton Award, Sony Projections as well as Reportage Festival of Photojournalism.

Natalie lives by the beach in Newcastle and travels as much as she can.  More of her work can be seen on her website.