#46 - Michelle Grace Hunder - How to Adapt and Thrive in a Creative Career

Michelle Grace Hunder is a renowned music photographer whose work has defined the visual identity of some of Australia's most prominent artists in her 15 year career - including Ruel, Jim Jefferies, Sampa the Great, Amy Shark and including every major player in the Australian Hip-Hop scene. 2023 saw Michelle shoot her first Rolling Stone cover with Amy Shark, and win an ARIA award for "Best Cover Art" for the Forest Claudette EP “Everything was Green.”On this episode, Michelle shares the power of starting over after failure, why human connection to build trust with her clients is foundational, the significance of photographers in shaping the image of musical artists, why to always make space for play and experimentation, why doing the work matters more than raw talent, the lessons from putting together her first book RISE, the tension between visibility and undervaluation in music photography, why mentorship is so important to her and so much more.-00:00 – Intro01:45 – Generational Music gap and the Industry07:40 – Touring with Ruel and caring for young artists11:21 – Why connection matters more than the camera16:51 – The frustration of being undervalued in the industry27:55 – Play, experimentation, and creative risk-taking32:49 – From business failure to photography34:02 – Documenting Australian hip hop culture44:47 – Why seeing things through is more important than talent49:43 – Finding self through photography and community01:00:03 – The importance of being mentored and believed in01:05:01 – Business skills that sustain a creative career01:14:50 – How Kendrick Sparked a cultural Shift01:23:30 – Closing reflections on craft, balance and growth-Follow Michelle on Instagram: @michelleghunder----Follow Future History on Instagram: @futurehistory.coFollow Wayne Lim on Instagram: @wayofwayne