Sophie Chalk
Sophie Chalk
Sophie Chalk is an Australian-born, New York-based transdisciplinary photographic artist with a passion for digital, analogue, and alternative process photography. Sophie developed an early love for the photographic arts, creating fond memories using her mother’s automatic winding 25mm Canon. She went on to earn a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Digital Media and Film from Deakin University in Australia, followed by a Master of Fine Arts in Photography from Parsons School of Design in the United States.
Sophie’s work spans a wide range of genres, from highly stylized studio portraits to botanical studies and vibrant landscape photography. Her distinct photographic style has been heavily influenced by her childhood in Australia, particularly the high-intensity lighting found in the Australian landscape, which she has adopted into her studio portraiture.
With over a decade of experience as a studio portrait photographer, Sophie has worked with a variety of notable clients, including beauty influencer and Maybelline’s top makeup artist, Erin Parsons. She has also exhibited her work globally, with recent shows in New York City, Melbourne, Brisbane, and internationally in places like Pingyao (China), Bandung (Indonesia), and Barcelona (Spain).
In addition to her artistic practice, Sophie has a strong commitment to education. She began teaching in 2017 by offering private workshops in Melbourne, focusing on alternative process photography and printing methods. Sophie has also served as a teaching assistant at Parsons School of Design and has led early childhood art classes at The Cardboard Studio in Brooklyn. She has taught photography-based courses at the high school level at the Alice Austen House Museum. Sophie’s teaching philosophy emphasizes empowering students to express their unique visions and helping them develop a deep understanding of light, enabling them to tackle any subject with confidence.
Sophie is a member of the American Photographic Artists and has been recognized with several prestigious awards. She was recently awarded the Emerging Artist Prize by the Australian Consulate in New York City for 2025.
Her work has been featured in numerous publications, including Vintage Life Magazine, LA Weekly, Fashion Week Daily, and View Camera Australia. Sophie’s exhibitions include solo and group shows such as Natural Configuration at the Monash Room Gallery at the Australian Consulate in NYC (2025), Mighty Small at Cascade Art Concept Gallery in Brisbane (2024), and If You Surrender at TSA NY (2023).
Sophie offers a full range of photographic knowledge, from the core of photo enthusiasm with lessons on lighting for the captivating sunrise or sunset, to ambient lighting, portraiture, landscapes, wildlife, and street portraiture. She also inspires those who paint outside the lines with her ability to capture sublime imagery that speaks to the viewer in an atypical manner.
Whether in a private workshop or classroom setting, she is excited to share her knowledge and encourage others to explore the limitless possibilities of photography.
