ABOUT

Harriet Pratten is a photographer raised on a grazing property in New England, NSW. She studied at the University of Sydney. Her work explores the way we see the world. She is drawn to moments where light, atmosphere, colour and space reveal unexpected relationships. By distilling simplicity from complexity, her photographs invite viewers to slow down, look again and discover meaning in what might otherwise be overlooked. 

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Alongside her practice, Harriet undertakes documentary commissions that use photography to bring greater visibility to people, communities and issues. Most recently, she photographed in Vanuatu with ActionAid Australia, documenting women-led responses to climate change.

 

Her photographic practice builds on more than a decade of documentary and visual storytelling work across southern and eastern Africa, where she co-founded Ginkgo Agency and produced projects including 21 Icons and Beautiful News. She co-authored 21 Icons: Portrait of a Nation and co-produced the National Geographic documentary Europe’s Last Leopard.

 

Her work is held in private collections. Selected exhibitions include AKIN at Maunsell Wickes, Sydney, 2025, and The Ni-Vanuatu Women Leading Climate Action at Women Deliver, Melbourne, 2026. Her work has also been featured in publications such as Marie Claire Australia.

 

Her commitment to storytelling extends beyond photography. As a board member of Poetry in Action, she advocates for access to the arts and education for all Australians. In 2026, she joined the inaugural Shortlisting Committee for Groundswell Giving’s Stewardship Giving Circle, reflecting a broader interest in the role stories and narrative can play in shaping public understanding and building support for action on climate and the natural world.

 

At the heart of her practice is a simple belief: what we see is determined by how we look.