FOR Lucas Muscat, taking a photograph involves more than just pointing the camera and pressing a button.
He spends hours designing his shots and fine-tuning his techniques to ensure his images convey the message intended.
This attention to detail is paying off, with one of his images appearing in the National Gallery of Victoria’s Top Arts exhibition, which opened on March 22 and closes July 15.
The annual exhibition at the Ian Potter Centre in Federation Square presents outstanding work completed by young student artists as part of their assessment for VCE art and studio arts.
More than 3000 works were submitted, but only 60 have been selected for display.
As part of his year 12 studio arts class at Catholic Regional College in Sydenham last year, Mr Muscat, 18, produced an image of reflected light through a clear glass object.
He says he’s delighted his work has borne fruit.
“It’s great that the National Gallery of Victoria shows an appreciation of students’ work,” he says.
“A lot of people don’t realise how hard it is to design a good photograph from scratch.”
Muscat’s studio arts teacher, Cinzia Stojakovitch, says he is talented and highly critical of his own work.
“He is really particular about aesthetics and correcting faults in print through Photoshop,” she says.
Mr Muscat hopes to continue to produce good work as part of his three-year bachelor of arts/photography course at RMIT University.
“I’d like to get into commercial photography and capture images at events like weddings and work in advertising. I always used to carry around a camera as a kid.
“Photography is something I enjoy doing and it doesn’t feel like a chore. And that’s why I don’t mind putting in so much time into my work.”
