Carol Jerrems captured Melbourne and Sydney of the 1970s, understanding photography as a collaboration

Carol Jerrems, 1/2 length self portrait in mirror, wearing pyjama shirt, camera at shoulder height, 1979. National Library of Australia Manuscript collection (MS 10718). © The Estate of Carol Jerrems

Australian photographer Carol Jerrems took an expansive approach to portraiture. She experimented with seriality – constructing narratives and meaning across multiple frames – and understood photography as a collaboration between her subjects, her camera and herself.

Born in Ivanhoe, Victoria, in 1949, Jerrems worked primarily with black and white photography until her early death in 1980.