Testimonials

What his clients and other photographers say about him

From Lindsay Merritt
Looking at your body of work over the years, Rob, I’d put it at more important and more beautifully crafted than Ian Hawthorne’s magnificent work in his Geelong book Studio. Ian’s work was masterful, but you’re on another level again, 300 years ago you’d be compared with Sir Joshua Reynolds, be hung in The Royal Academy of Art in London, and be patronised by the wealthy and elite.

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Beautiful images. You’re the Master of evocative, personalised photographic art in Australia. You’ve managed to thrive in a profession battered by the largest change to its existence since the invention of the Box Brownie. I dips me lid.

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UKRAINE
Your work is elevated to a much higher plane. You have fellow photographers on multiple continents going weak at the knees over your mastery of available light, and careful posing, posing which appears unposed. Most photographers can’t do the that.

*****

Nek Vardikos
I’m more than 20 years in this business. I’ve seen and hired hundreds of shooters, from those who call themselves photographers to some great ones. The phenomenon Rob Heyman is something you don’t meet often anymore. Rob thank you for teaching our eyes for so many years. I’m sure that Suzan Sontag would agree that your images are from those ones with a rare visual ethos.

*****
Gary Yonkers: USA
Stunning work. Your work has it’s own feel and signature style. Right up there with Ansel, Karsh and Dorothea Lange. When I see one of your images I’m in awe. Thanks for sharing your gift.

*****

Stephen French
AUSTRALIA Truly outstanding work Rob. You are the best Australian portrait photographer of our generation. PS. Don’t take any notice of that Lindsay R D Merritt fellow. He is just as jealous as hell.

*****

From Dinu Lazar
(translated from Romanian) one of Romania’s premier photographers. So March 28th (2022). Exactly 10 years ago, I was walking one of the best photographers I know, Rob Heyman, through Romania. I did 1000 km in one day – I left Bucharest, I went to Sibiu (old town and Dumbrava), then to Sighisoara, then to Brâsov (old town), then of course Bran and Șirnea, and at night came that we were still going. One of those unique days in the life of a man, at least for me – how about for an actor to walk with Shakespeare for a whole day, or a chemist with nea Mendeleev. I didn’t take many pictures, but Rob I hope he did something. From Rob Heyman I learned what Andre Kertesz wanted to say: “Seeing is not enough; you have to feel what you photograph”

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Adrian Nicholson
Rob Heyman is a great photographer – possibly one of the best in my lifetime ( but I’m only eighty-nine until my birthday on ninth of March.)

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Australia
Rob, the thing that separates you from the pack with your usage of natural light, is the contrast ratio that you find. I’m referring to the ability to see into the shadows whilst you have clear details in the diffused highlights, and at the same time, having specular highlights with the required lack of fine detail. This is hard to find unless you’re attuned to finding it. Seeing ‘the light’ is easy when the contrast of that light is high, but you’re ‘seeing’ contrast where there’s not much more than 1.5 stops between the key light and shadow illumination. Clever. Hard if not bloody near impossible to replicate consistently…

*****

Dinu Lazar Any photo of yours, Rob, is a lesson in both art education and humility. We rarely see that these days. To me you are the greatest photographer I know, and the light in your photography is simply formidable.

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Lindsay Merritt
This recording of the people of the land of Victoria reminds me of the work of Dorothea Lange (without the gritty desperation). The ‘new deal’ photographers of the Great Depression captured the spirit of the people and something of the life they lived. Rob, you’ve managed to capture the spirit and accuracy of who these people are, and yet have woven it in art, glorifying them but not in sickly sweetness. They’re posed so naturally and illuminated in soft light, skilfully found. Well done. The abstract B&W being the true photographic art form.

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Peter Pickering
I hope this message finds you well Rob. I just wanted to take a moment to express my admiration for your work. Looking through your monochrome images is truly a delight for the eyes. It’s like listening to Mozart – your images are a symphony of tonal poetry that leaves me feeling relaxed and at ease. Your use of traditional compositional rules is masterful, never feeling forced or jarring. Instead, it creates a sense of harmony and balance that draws me into the image and keeps me there. I can’t help but feel a sense of awe and wonder when I look at your photographs. Thank you for sharing your talent with the world. I love looking at your images.

*****

Wolf Schoen
I reckon, Rob needs to be recognised as the equivalent of Max Dupain in the bush..sticking people into their environment and producing portraiture of this high quality should be archived as part of the Oz folklore .. if nothing else.

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Megan Hawksworth From Facebook
Last week we had the amazing Rob Heyman come and take some long overdue family photos. Anyone who can get the 4 (I mean 5!) boys to comply with photo taking is a winner in my books, but the shots speak for themselves, he needs to add miracle worker to his resume!! Thanks again Rob, so happy!

*****

Translated from Romanian: Ducu Stefan
If you thought there was no great photography art with a totally different sense… like torn from another world… with flawless lighting technique and editing… To be taught in schools… But please don’t look at them on your phone screen.. and not on the way to work by car/bus/subway/etc… and not from the alte or other inappropriate places for such a thing… Imagine going to a museum, take time to do what you see next, and have to look at the big screen, in silence… with calm and patience