GABI MULDER

On growing up in Byron Bay, trusting your gut and keeping your cup full. 

If you were an avid Tumblr user during the blogging site’s glory days, chances are you’ve come across Gabi Mulder’s photography. From trips to the Tuscan countryside, to a simple home-cooked dinner with friends, Gabi’s work celebrates both the extravagant and ordinary moments of her busy, nomadic lifestyle. 

Currently residing in New York City, she’s come a long way from her first few photoshoots on the beaches of Byron Bay, with clients such as Dior, Vogue, Topshop and Spotify now under her belt. Although far removed from the natural beauty of her hometown, Gabi continues to produce work that demonstrates her appreciation for the outdoors and her particularly keen eye for natural lighting and color. 

I came across Gabi’s photo blog, Oak and Bone, about four years ago. Having kept up with her work since then, I was thrilled to finally meet her in person to talk about her career and creative process. We decided to meet at East Village’s Ninth Street Espresso on an unusually warm day in January. 

**Disclaimer: Interview shortened for clarity. 

Let’s start with your early days. What was it like growing up in Byron Bay?   

So when I was first born we actually lived in Fiji, but then moved to Byron Bay soon after. But yeah it was the most amazing lifestyle—lots of beaches, rainforests, and waterfalls—everything was very nature-based. As a kid, my feet were always dirty and my hair was always a mess. Things were slow-paced. It was kind of the opposite of everything New York. 

And at what point did you first decide to pick up a camera? 

I had this obsession with magazines and their photoshoots and remember being so amazed by the worlds they were able to create. But I also did find that everything was generally shot in a studio, the model always had so much makeup on, and nothing really felt authentic or natural. 

So here I was in this naturally stunning place feeling like this is what should be being photographed. This is what I’d want to see. So in my final year of high school, I decided to try out photography, and that’s kind of where it all started. 

How did you go about your first shoot? 

It’s funny, I actually kept it pretty secret that I was doing photography at all. I was a little bit nervous about who to ask to photograph. It’s kind of a weird request, and I didn’t feel comfortable going to any of my close friends. During this time Facebook was really big and everyone was friends with everyone from all the other schools, and I remember there was this one girl who shared a lot of mutual friends with me, but we’d never met. I’d always see her around though and thought she’d enjoy modeling. So I sent her a message, and a couple of days later we met up and did a shoot, just driving around our area taking photos. 

I ended up putting the photos on Facebook and eventually got inundated with messages from these other girls who were like, “I saw your photos. Can we do a shoot together?” This was my final year in high school at this point, so every weekend for about probably two or three months I’d do these free photoshoots with these girls in my area, and it was just such a wonderful way to meet people. 

As you built your portfolio and started gaining more recognition, what was the first major project you took on? 

This wasn’t my first paid job, but I remember my first ever big gifting was from this Australian brand that no longer exists. They just sent me this huge box full of clothes, and it was a really expensive brand too. I think it was like $2,000 worth of clothes. I was 18 and thought I’d just won the jackpot. I remember being like, wow they’re giving me all of this? It’s funny though cause now it’s so common that brands will just gift things to people, but back then it was a pretty massive deal.

But for my first big pinch-me job, I think I was 20 years old, and I ended up shooting for American Vogue here in New York. It was for Karl Lagerfeld’s collection, and it was the most intense shoot I’ve ever done. 

Did you plan on going to university? 

So I took a gap year, and during that time I was pretty much just doing photography, but I had enrolled to start school for the following year in 2015. Once it actually came time, I moved down to Melbourne to start school, and initially I was really excited, but I think in the back of my mind I knew it wasn’t quite right.

About two months into my first semester, I remember feeling like school was just not for me. I was sitting in these three-hour long lectures about economics or, whatever it would’ve been, and just felt like it was a waste of time. I kept thinking about how I could be out there earning money and doing what I love, and I was also having to turn down jobs because I would have to be at university. So I remember after about two months I started feeling off about it, but I didn’t say anything to my parents.

At what point did you decide to pursue photography full-time?

One weekend I had been booked for this really big job, and I just remember having the most wonderful day. I was so happy. During the drive back to the city I remember looking out the window and just smiling to myself.

Fast forward 48 hours later, and I was on the train back from the city to my apartment after a full day at university, and during the ride I remember feeling so flat. I was like, what am I doing? At that point I took it as a clear indicator that I needed to leave. I was 19, and I was dreading the next four years of my life. So I remember sitting on the train deciding that I was done with school and just felt this rush go through my body and instantly felt so much better. I just felt so confident in that decision. 

Let’s talk process. What helps you prepare for a shoot?

 I’m a big believer in mood boards, so before any shoot whether it’s a personal one or for a brand, I always create a mood board. I think that just takes a lot of the stress out of it, particularly shooting for a brand. Photoshoots are often so chaotic. There are so many people involved so it can be very intense, so I just use the mood board as a kind of safety net that I can always return to. 

Another thing I’ve been lucky with is that brands will sometimes let me be a part of the casting process with the model, which is really helpful because it’s very difficult photographing someone who you don’t necessarily gel with. So yeah, mood boards and having a big say in who the person is both help.

For the people looking to turn their creative skills into a lucrative side gig, what would you say is the best approach to ensuring you stay passionate about what you do? 

Whatever your creative outlet may be—whether it’s photographing or painting etc.—you should be strict with yourself and always ask, “Have I created something just for the joy of it?” If you haven’t, start making sure you do, because in turn, that will make you create such better work for your clients.

“It’s that whole idea of you can’t pour from an empty cup—you need to constantly be filling yourself up with creativity and things that make you feel inspired.”

Any exciting projects in the works?

 A big project I’m working on at the moment is getting this big print series off the ground, so that’s really exciting. I’m also planning a trip to Europe to complete the Europe series that I want to do for prints.

Then, I’m also really wanting to get into photographing more women. Not sure how that’ll look or be yet. There's a lot of that around already, so I want to do it from a different angle. I’m such a girl’s girl, and I feel like this city has so many incredible women in it, and hearing their stories and doing exactly what you’re doing is so special, just to connect with them. So yeah I would love to do that.

You can view more of Gabi’s work @gabimulder