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Dancing with Corey Blackburn, photographer
Corey Blackburn is passionate about the dance scene in Auckland. So much so that she’s spent the last three years photographing and interviewing the people who make up the scene, for a book. “I love the way the scene creates its own culture for two days each week. Outside the dance scene people might be quite different but once they are part of the scene again, there’s a beautiful energy and community,” she says. As she talks I’m feeling my sedate plans for Friday night morphing into a rediscovery of the scene. Her enthusiasm is deeply infectious! The ‘coffee table’ book is in the final stages of creation with a forward written by Jara Boreman (owner of the Upfm Radio Station). Jara has been a strong supporter of the project providing invaluable guidance along the way. Corey has worked closely with the upfm team as their resident photographer throughout the last three years, a position that’s given her a rich insight into the dance scene. The photographs are in, the words are largely written. All that remains is refining and editing with the help of more of those lovely people she’s met along the way. And then, of course, there’s the soundtrack DVD being put together by Ryan Tregurtha (High Dosage) with input from Terry Wizz that will accompany the book. After all, it wouldn’t be a dance scene book without a soundtrack! The Auckland dance scene has an established core of people who have been involved for many years. Corey’s experience over the last three years has convinced her that while many people come and go, this devoted core holds the culture in place. “I’ve never seen any drunken behaviour or violence. They’re there for the music and to dance their butts off.” The journey so far has been totally consuming with Corey devoting almost all her time to the project. However consuming it’s been, becoming known in her niche has its benefits. Fashion designers, Dj Station and Ana Steele and musician/DJ Mike Wescott are some of the clients who now use Corey for their photography. She also now has a photographic residency at Auckland’s Space Bar. Earlier this year she even found herself working with Coco PR in the lead up to Fashion Week as a backend photographer showcasing designers and their work; a dream ambition for most up and coming photographers. Corey has been photographing since she got her first camera at the tender age of six. Her big break came while still a student and nannying for Ian Wishart editor of Investigate magazine. After doing a couple of covers pictures for the magazine, Corey took the plunge and suggested to Ian that she pop over to Egypt, post 9/11, to document the effects on a modern Islamic society. Much to her surprise he agreed. The experience that followed was clearly a life-altering moment. “It showed me that I could do anything and that nothing is impossible,” Corey says, with an uncharacteristically long pause. After the article was published, she became a regular photographer for Investigate magazine and over the last seven years has expanded her portfolio to include weddings, corporate, landscape, products and fashion. Her real love though remains photojournalism and her ambition highlights this. “I want to do an anthropological photo essay for National Geographic. 25 dance parties in 25 countries in 25 weeks. A global documenting of the dance scene!” You’ve got to hand it to Corey, she thinks big! You can see more of Corey’s work at www.upfm.dj or on her website at www.corey.co.nz 
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