Alistair Guthrie

Auckland-based photographer Alistar Guthrie is interested in using photography, both black and white, as a means of exploring people and the environment he lives in. Much of his work is based on the New Zealand landscape and on human impact on the local environment. He is also interested in exploring aspects of observational and familiar themes including people, places and objects. Guthrie prefers to present his photographs in a panoramic format, favouring the ‘real eye view’ of this layout.

Growing up in New Plymouth, Guthrie was greatly influenced by Mt. Taranaki, considering it to be a place of "great spirit, life and light" (Gutherie, 2006). This impact has remained an important inspiration to him and has influenced the way he thinks and looks at the world around him. Further influences include his learnings from a Wellington Polytechnic School of Design Photographic course in 1976 and working at his father’s commercial photographic studio where he became interested in photography beyond the commercial realm. International photography magazines such as Camera and Aperture have also been an important influence to him, Guthrie being particularly interested in the way these publications focus on photography as being a relevant art form.

Since 1990 Guthrie has maintained a successful career as a commercial photographer and his work appears in numerous magazines for advertising and design layouts. His work has also featured in several collaborative exhibitions throughout New Zealand.