Anna Pihan
Self-taught photographer Anna Pihan splits her time between her two homes, Sydney and Europe—her beautifully raw photography, captured on analog and motion, invites us to dive into the magical moments she captures.
Photos ANNA PIHAN
‘Nowadays, I spend half of the year in Sydney and the other half in Europe or traveling the world, so my life is packed into my Rimowa luggage, filled with plenty of cameras, film and my passports,’ shares Anna Pihan.
Captured by Anna Pihan in Egypt.
“Working with film gives the opportunity to share raw and authentic moments—the images feel real, almost tactile. I primarily work with analog methods now in both my personal and client work, there’s nothing like it.”
The Pleasure of Leisure Book evokes limitless daydreaming… a blissful visual escape that feels like a holiday.
Hotel BonSol captured by Anna Pihan for the Lovers of Leisure series.
Hello Anna—can you introduce yourself?
My name is Anna Pihan, I grew up on the Sunshine Coast. Both of my parents are from Europe, so I’m first generation Australian. I feel lucky to have called Australia home growing up—to have the space, endless coastlines and nature to immerse in.
Nowadays, I spend half of the year in Sydney and the other half in Europe or traveling the world, so my life is packed into my Rimowa luggage, filled with plenty of cameras, film and my passports.
I’m a self-taught travel, fashion and lifestyle photographer. I love the variety this career brings. It was only when the world paused that I took the chance to follow it full-time. Not really knowing how to start or where to begin, I carved my own path by obsessively learning through trial and error. The rawness of film has always intrigued me, so I started to explore analog photography during the last 4 years.
I’m also the co-founder of The Pleasure of Leisure, with Milou Neelen of Hôtel Magique.
Do you remember when photography first made an impact on you?
My father always had a camera in his hand when growing up, and I recently found out my grandmother also loved being behind the lens. We have albums full of memories that my father has carried throughout his life from pre WW2 in Europe, through to my childhood and beyond. When we open the albums, his memory floods back and I love getting lost in the stories of his life—he shares them so vividly from each photo. We were looking at them recently, and it was like I was seeing them for the first time, fascinated by how they were photographed in those times, what was photographed and how they told their story in an age before social media, the raw imagery and sweet scalloped photo papers they used before cameras and printing wasn’t so accessible.
What emotion or feeling do you most want to capture in your work?
Curiosity, intrigue, and the invitation to daydream, to feel at ease and evoke a sense of leisure.
Your photographs are beautifully real, why are you drawn to an unpolished style?
Working with film gives the opportunity to share raw and authentic moments—the images feel real, almost tactile. I primarily work with analog methods now in both my personal and client work, there’s nothing like it. You can really feel the depth, authenticity and feeling in the photograph.
The process of working with film feels like an art form. From monitoring the light and having the constraints of what ISO your roll is, and the number of shots you have (either 16 or 36), it pushes you to think on your feet and get creative. I’m often shooting in natural light, so I work with the elements and what mother nature gives me on the day—figuring out how I can share the visual story in a way that fits a brief.
Then it’s the post production of working with a lab to develop the negatives and deciding how to continue the post production process from there. The unexpected nuances are all magic to me. Rather than relying on the digital camera screen, you’re always analysing a scene, anticipating what’s next, what elements you may need to be aware of, and how your images will come out. I feel it’s more intuitive. Brands are now reaching out to me because they too want to share imagery that tells a real story in this way.
How important is community to you?
Community is everything: collaboration, helping each other, sharing knowledge—this is where the magic happens. When you look at the blue zones around the world, it’s all about community, doing things together and helping each other.
When I started my photography journey, I used Instagram to connect with like-minded creatives, and was lucky to have them as my board of directors to cheer me on and create work together. Not everyone has the same connections, so I wanted to create a space where photographers can connect, while also having access to resources.
You recently started 1:1 photography mentorships, tell us about this new direction…
I look back at my personal zig-zag photography journey, and there were so many things I wish I could have known.
During the 1:1 mentorship we usually spend 4 weeks together, defining goals and tailoring specifically to each photographer—offering guidance with video calls and WhatsApp conversations, offering support every step of the way. We’ve navigated our way through pricing and pitching, launching a print collection and a store, through to holding a solo exhibition.
It’s always bittersweet when the mentorship ends, which is why I created The Collective, a place to connect and continue to learn—from insider interviews to instant access and resources (how to write an invoice, portfolio tips and social media assistance) to monthly updates on my work, travels and mindset tools. The Collective is a place to grow, learn and evolve, inspiring purpose, creativity and endless possibilities—welcoming photographers of all levels and ages around the world.
Captured during Anna Pihan’s travels to the Aeolian Islands in Italy.
The Pleasure of Leisure Book evokes limitless daydreaming—a blissful visual escape that feels like a holiday.
‘The process of working with film feels like an art form. From monitoring the light and having the constraints of what ISO your roll is, and the number of shots you have (either 16 or 36), it pushes you to think on your feet and get creative.’
‘I’m often shooting in natural light, so I work with the elements and what mother nature gives me on the day—figuring out how I can share the visual story in a way that fits a brief.’
Palm Palace, Egypt by Anna Pihan.
“Community is everything… collaboration, helping each other, sharing knowledge—this is where the magic happens.”
Captured by Anna Pihan in Spain.
‘When I’m at a location, I’m endlessly walking on foot, at my own pace and observing. I love the spontaneity of what I’ll find there, the conversations, the changing light.’
Feby and Suri Jabrik from the Lovers of Leisure series.
Photograph taken during Anna Pihan’s time travelling in France.
The Pleasure of Leisure series was inspired by the effortless Mediterranean way of life while you were on the island of Ischia… what do you hope to capture most in this ongoing series?
Since launching The Pleasure of Leisure book in 2021 in collaboration with Milou Neelen of Hôtel Magique, it’s expanded to a sunny lifestyle brand—offering a curated collection and a passport for a life well-lived; from art and photography books, travel guides (you can find one for Ischia sharing all my favourite leisure spots) and leisurewear. More recently we’ve been diving into creative conversations with Lovers of Leisure, it’s a space where we interview people from around the world to understand how leisure shapes their creativity—we've interviewed Jenny Kee, Marloes Hoedeman, Nicole Nelius and many more (with some very exciting interviews to come!).
For Milou and I, leisure is more than a way of life, it’s an antidote that sparks fresh ideas and inspires new projects and adventures. This is our research into understanding how others use leisure time and how it opens possibilities for them personally and professionally. It’s been such a beautiful way of connecting with people and exploring how leisure is important beyond purely holidays, and the importance of prioritising it in daily life.
How do you personally spend your leisure time—why is it so important for your creativity?
It creates space for endless possibilities, it instantly recharges my energy and focus. In this age we need to set aside time purely for leisure.
I like to spend my leisure time in nature, swimming in the ocean, or sitting on the floor surrounded by art, design, photography and interior books and magazines. Or in a quiet corner of a hotel, such as La Colombe D’Or surrounded by art by the greats.
Favourite destination you’ve travelled to so far?
This is always such a hard one! I love each place for its own qualities. I find myself drawn to volcanic islands and I really do love returning back to a place and getting to know it more each time—Ischia has been one of those places.
Last year I had the opportunity to travel to Stromboli with a client, setting sail into the night from Napoli and arriving before dawn to see the glow of the volcano's lava in the distance as we arrived. During the day we were graced with the puffing volcano in the background, dolphins gliding into the sea's horizon, and generous locals making us feel at home on an island that felt so far away.
When do you most feel a sense of purpose when working?
Creating something beyond the screen, something tactile such as a book or a print. Something that I can share, and others can experience as well.
The most rewarding part of your job?
Being able to translate someone’s story through imagery, whether it’s through the Lovers of Leisure or for a client.
I love the process of analog photography and its many aspects—from pre-production and the creatives, to post production and being in the darkroom and hand-printing negatives. The endless possibilities to create and to experiment, and be able to share my work, whether it’s for books or prints.
Also to share my experiences and knowledge to help aspiring fellow photographers.
And the most challenging?
Being on location and not being able to stop to capture everything I see (I’m usually on a tight timeline!) or explore more creative ideas because of a time parameter or budget. And to not have the time to do all the creative projects that come to my mind.
You’ve travelled to some incredible locations including Majorca, Egypt, Marrakech, Paris… do the images come about organically as you’re out exploring, or do you intentionally go out searching for a shot?
I’ll generally research a place before I go, look at what’s around, who’s there, the cultural sites, natural landscapes, hotels, the history—there has to be something that draws me to a place.
When I’m at a location, I’m endlessly walking on foot, at my own pace and observing. I love the spontaneity of what I’ll find there, the conversations, the changing light. I go without expectations and lots of curiosity. It’s not always going to be exactly like an image you saw or how you imagined, so being open to it all is a good way to be.
A dream project in a dream location?
Taking 2–3 months off-grid somewhere and really getting to know the place, photographing it with total creative freedom—perhaps Africa? Somewhere less traveled, then work on creating a book and exhibition to share the experience.
What’s coming up for you this year?
I have some exciting travel editorial assignments coming up to new places I haven’t yet explored. Also a few exciting brand campaigns in beautiful locations, and there’s lots of new travel guides and 'Lovers of Leisure' conversations to be shared on The Pleasure of Leisure. The year is ever-evolving with endless possibilities, which is exactly how I like it.