Aussie photographer, filmmaker and creative director Jarrad Seng has certainly seen the world, travelling to 65 countries and touring with the likes of Ed Sheeran, Passenger and Angus and Julia Stone.
But at the end of the day, it’s Freo he calls home.
Photo credit: Olivia Senior
“I’ve always been drawn to Fremantle,” Jarrad said. “There’s a sense of creativity and playfulness that pulls you in.
“I think whether I knew it or not I was always going to end up settling here.”
His creativity has landed him gigs with Tourism WA, Adobe, Miss Universe Australia, partnerships with Qantas, Montblanc and Canon and a brief stint on Survivor in 2017.
It’s quite a body of work, not to mention an Instagram following over 200k, with the platform used to share his adventures from all over the globe.
For budding photographers, Jarrad’s biggest tip is simple: practice.
“Fremantle is an amazing place to practice the craft, with the ornate architecture and textures of the West End, or the dappled light that peeks through the pine trees, the silhouettes that emerge as the sun sets over Bathers Beach,” he said.
“I’ve always had a soft spot for the South Mole Lighthouse—especially at dusk, as the breeze picks up and runs through your hair as the lights flicker in the distance.
“There’s a very cinematic feel to it.”
Eager to take on new challenges, he recently partnered with Visit Fremantle for the 12 Days of Christmas campaign which put a Freo twist to the classic carol. Watch the full video at the bottom of this page.
“Let me tell you, directing 11 nonnos in Gino’s to stay in one place and sip coffee in unison is no easy feat,” Jarrad said.
“Or eight bartenders pouring in perfect sequence or 12 cyclists to ride in tandem without crashing into each other.”
Another passion project he’s been working on came in the wake of the tragic bushfire crisis.
The Art for Bushfire Relief print fundraiser was curated by the talented creative and featured prints from a number of international artists with 100% of profits—an impressive $50,000—donated to wildlife rescue organisations.
“Amongst the tragedy, it has been especially inspiring seeing Fremantle band together to help out,” he said.
“The Freo Fire Fund initiative, the brilliant Fire Aid concert—I’m really proud to be a part of this local community.”
From capturing the surreal landscapes of Iceland, the Maasai tribes in Kenya to the towering icebergs of Antarctica—we’re pretty sure Jarrad has one of the coolest jobs out.
“I get to travel to some pretty insane places for my work,” Jarrad said.
“The best part of my job is that it allows me to travel the world with my best mates.
“I can’t ask for too much more.”
This story originally appeared in the Autumn 2020 edition of the City of Fremantle FRE-OH! residents newsletter.
Banner image courtesy of Jarrad Seng.