If you’re a follower of Lilt Blog on Instagram you may know the name Nina Cavicchiolo (or Nina.c.sees, as she is known on the platform). She is one of the photographers who I often work with to create the beautiful imagery that you find on Lilt Blog’s platforms, and she is known for her vivacious, bright and colourful aesthetic.
A true creative at heart, Nina is always on the look out for that perfect shot. Always seeing beauty in everyday scenarios. And with a background in marketing and experience in textile design it’s no wonder she is known for her images, that are always bursting with colour, pattern and light.
A common story, one fuled by prioritising the important things in life, Nina began documenting her colourful life after becoming a mum, over 10 years ago. Instagram opened up a world of inspiration, and it is what has led to her career as a photographer for local fashion & lifestyle brands.
As a fellow creative, I love following Nina and her family’s adventures over on Instagram. Her images instantly lift my spirits and help me see the bright little moments that surround us every day.
Today I talk to Nina about her inspirations, dreams, & the new print store she has launched on her website so that we can all own a little bit of colourful joy in our homes. Read on below.
You can follow Nina Cavicchiolo on Instagram at @nina.c.sees
Can you tell us a little about yourself, your background and what led you to becoming a photographer?
I am a lifelong creative with a passion for textiles and pattern. I also studied photography in my final years at school but it was after having kids that my passion was reignited. I finished my marketing degree and worked in advertising then themanufacturing industry for many years but always felt like I wanted to explore the creative world more. Then I began textile design at RMIT part time at night and finally felt that I’d found my calling. Unfortunately the timing was wrong and I wasn’t able to complete my textile design studies because my husband and I decided to start our little family. When I was a sleep deprived new mum (over a decade ago) I needed somewhere I could escape and feel connected to the outside world when it often felt like I was alone. Instagram opened up a wonderful world of creative inspiration and I loved finding so many fellow creatives. It became my little visual diary and over the years people started contacting me asking if I could create content for them. It has been so fun working with so many fantastic small (and occasionally big) businesses and I’ve met so many wonderful people.
How would you describe your work?
Bright, light and fun.
Can you give us some insight into your process?
Depending on the project my process can change. A lot of my content is formed from random things or little scenes I see in my day-to-day life. But sometimes I don’t have the luxury of content serendipitously happening when I have a big product or lifestyle shoot to do for a client. In those instances I have to plan, think about what colours or vibe I’m after, think about where I’ve been that might be the perfect set/colours/shapes/light, or set up a scene at home with things I have around the house. Thankfully my years of collecting fabrics, ceramics and homewares often comes in handy when I need shoot props to compliment whatever product I’m shooting.
What does a day in the office/studio look like for you?
A LOT of making snacks for small people and a little editing, sorting and trying to catch up on emails! The best days are shoot days. Either getting creative with beautiful products at home or meeting new people on location. I adore this part of my job… I’m a people person. As soon as I meet a new client or family I love building a relationship with them in such a short period of time to get the very best results I can from a shoot.
What inspires your photography?
Everything! I see life in pictures. All day I spot little ‘scenes’. In things other people might consider mundane or walk straight past I see a photograph. It can be frustrating when I go somewhere without my camera because I often see things when I’m not expecting to, then I have to try and remember to go back but often it is a moment in time that won’t happen again.
You also work a lot with brands on creating really beautiful, colourful and fun content… can you tell us a little about that?
This is an unexpected bonus that came out of sharing my colourful squares on Instagram. It wasn’t something I set out to do but I LOVE it. I never get over the fact that some of my favourite brands and businesses want to work with me to create beautiful content for their social media and websites. Mind blown!!! I often get struck with imposter syndrome but the more jobs I do the better I get at believing in myself and my skills.
You have recently released a range of photography prints that are available for purchase. Can you tell us a bit about this project?
At home I have posters, postcards, greeting cards and tea towelshanging in frames all around the house as I’m not in a position to buy original art at this stage in my life (something to look forward to!) and I thought perhaps other people might want an affordable way to add interest to their walls. I have an overflowing library of random, beautiful photographs that I wasn’t doing anything particular with and thought they’d look great on a wall. So I printed a few samples and was thrilled with the result. They look SO amazing framed and hung (am I allowed to say that about my own work?!). I built a little shop section on my website (I felt pretty chuffed with my self-taught tech skills ha ha!) and hit the live button and here we are… the Nina C Sees print shop was born.
What are some resources you use for inspiration?
Instagram, books, travel, fashion labels, magazines, friends, my family and the world around me.
The past couple of years have been quite challenging due to Covid. Can you tell us about how this has affected your practice and what changes you’ve made if any?
It is 2020 that I have to thank for my foray into family photography sessions. In the early days of lockdown last year I asked some local friends if I could photograph them at home in their front gardens. I enjoyed it SO much and was really happy with the results. It also filled my ‘people person’ cup as I have always enjoyed being surrounded by and interacting with people from all walks of life. After this I started getting messages from friends of friends and then soon after that complete strangers asking if I could take pictures for them. So now I am still doing these family sessions (when I say ‘family’ it is really any variation of that including single folk, people and their pets, big extended families, tiny families, anything goes… I’ve done them all!). That has also extended into taking photos for bloggers or doing branding shoots for small business owners, etc. Turns out I love taking photos of people as much as I love taking pictures of ‘things’. BUT in later lockdowns I had to cancel many photoshoots as restrictions around the photography industry tightened and that was tough. There were many, many months where the only photography I could do was at home. Thankfully we have moved out of the harsh restrictions now and I’m slowly getting back to shooting real life people again but it will take a while to get that momentum back I think.
Tell us about some of the people in the industry who inspire you and why?
I am inspired by so many creatives not just in the photography industry but across fashion, interiors, architecture, textile design, travel, mum bloggers, etc. They all inspire me in different ways. Some inspire me to push my creative boundaries, some inspire me to go to new places, some let me dream about where I might live or travel next, some help inspire me in the kitchen. I am very careful to only follow accounts that make me feel positive. I am very conscious not to fall into the comparison trap, and if I ever get a bad vibe I unfollow without a further thought. Social media is what you make it. Surround yourself with joyful, kind, beautiful and real accounts and it can be an endless source of inspiration.
What would your dream project/collaboration be?
I am actually in awe of some of the projects I’ve already collaborated on. I cannot believe I get to create content for some amazing companies like T2, Elk, Bonnie and Neil, Variety Hour, Gorman, Angus and Celeste and I’ve even created content for Swatch which I was a little star-struck by! But if you’re letting me dream…I’d love to work with some brands like David Jones, Chadstone or City of Melbourne to create a mixture of fashion and lifestyle content… that is right up my alley! I’d also love to work creating more content for Australian fashion brands as I find this really fun. I try to steer clear of big fast fashion brands given there are so many amazing small Australian businesses I’d rather work with to support slower fashion. Or it would be super fun to work with some furniture companies like Harbro or Freedom to redecorate my house and create some interiors content. But for me the ULTIMATE collaboration to combine my love of exploring Australia (I’ve done quite a few travel blog posts over the years and I LOVE it!) with my content creation passion would be with some kind of collaboration relationship with a car manufacturer or caravan company and/or jobs with some of the tourism bodies like Tourism Australia or Tourism NSW, etc. THE DREAM!!!
What are some of your favourite pastimes?
Redecorating the house and moving furniture around, getting my creative/visual fix with a spot of Insta-scrolling, taking my camera out on an adventure and getting creative, running along the beach at sunset, boiling hot showers with no interruptions, eating delicious food, camping in our beloved camper trailer with my husband and three kids, travelling to new places around Australia, picking flowers from my garden, hanging out with my friends particularly when it involves dinner and no kids…. I could keep going, ha ha!
Where is your favourite place to shop in Melbourne?
That’s a tricky one!! I have re-trained my shopping habits to be almost exclusively online after the last two years of lockdowns but I’m slowly getting out and enjoying Melbourne again and to be honest you cannot beat shopping in the CBD (that’s purely if you are alone and feel like browsing and meandering through all the gorgeous laneways and shopping precincts). I’d have a different answer if I was dragging the kids along and I had a specific shopping mission. But for pure pleasure it is definitely Melbourne City… we are so lucky to have The Emporuim, QV, The Strand Arcade, The Block Arcade, Collins Street, Bourke Street Mall, Degraves Lane, Little Collins Street, Flinders Lane. As a kid/ teenager it was my closest ‘shopping centre’ so I got to know every nook and cranny over the years. In terms of online shopping (and in person for a few of these beauties!) my very favourite shops to browse include but are not limited to: Variety Hour (amazing clothes by Melbourne artist Cassie Byrnes), Bonnie and Neil (stunning hand screenprinted linen and cushions), Buckets and Spades (for the kids), Pinky’s Store (awesome for gifts), Kip and Co (for fun, colourful bedlinen), Society of Wanderers (the best colour combos in beautiful linen bedding), Poppies for Grace (best party shop ever), Obus (another awesome Melbourne women’s fashion brand), Nerida Hansen and Ellie Whittaker (for a ripper collection of fabrics for sewing projects), Dinosaur Designs (an iconic Australian resin jewellery brand…I bought my first piece over twenty years ago and have been a fan ever since), Angus and Celeste (for stunning ceramics and planters), Nobody Denim and Levis for great denim, eeek I have probably left loads out but that’s all for now!
What’s next for you? What exciting things are on the cards for the year ahead?
Another tricky question! I never really know what’s coming more than a couple of months in advance which makes things exciting I guess. On any given day I might get a message in my inbox from a new brand or business asking to collaborate but I never know it’s coming. There are also plenty of weeks where I don’t have anything on which gives me room for more of my own creative endeavours. I have some ongoing relationships creating content for a few businesses but it is on a casual basis so hard to plan ahead. But at the moment I’m just going with the flow. I still have my youngest daughter at home with me full time but next year she’ll be at kinder a bit more so I might be able to schedule in more work during the week. At the moment I have to cram any shoots in on weekends. Would love to squeeze in a bit of travel content too… good excuse for some holidays with the family!