From Perth Social Pages to Global Fashion: A Photographer's Remarkable Return
Esteemed photographer and videographer Cheyne Tillier-Daly has made a poignant return to Western Australia, capturing Claremont Quarter's latest Autumn Winter campaign in the scenic Pemberton region. This homecoming marks a full-circle moment for Tillier-Daly, whose career began as a teenager snapping images for Perth's social pages, now buried in The West Australian's archives alongside STM editorial shoots featuring models like Rosie Tupper and Jessica Gomes.
An Unconventional Start and Rapid Rise
Tillier-Daly's entry into photography was far from traditional. Unlike many in the industry, he did not grow up with a camera or dream of becoming a photographer. Instead, he stumbled into the field during work experience at an advertising agency while studying psychology. "It wasn't the plan at all," he laughs. From picking up his first camera at age 19 to working as a full-time photographer within three months, his ascent was nothing short of extraordinary.
His early work for STM, when Western Australia had limited outlets for fashion photography, became a springboard. "I think half my (current) website for photos is actually stuff that I've shot for STM," he admits. This portfolio eventually propelled him to Paris in 2017, a move that close collaborator and stylist Teagan Sewell saw as inevitable. "I knew it would work," she says.
Parisian Pivot and Creative Evolution
In Paris, Tillier-Daly faced intense competition and a different creative hierarchy. "In Australia you're a technician at the same time as a photographer, you know how everything works," he explains. "In Paris they see themselves more as an artist with a vision." Adapting to this environment pushed him toward motion work. When an editor dropped out of a music video project, he taught himself to edit, leading to a shift where he received requests primarily for video instead of photos.
This pivot expanded his career into a hybrid creative space, allowing him to work on prestigious projects worldwide. His repertoire now includes shooting in Swiss mountains, Austrian palaces, and Sicilian islands, collaborating with celebrities such as Natalie Portman, Rita Ora, Usher, Zendaya, Emma Stone, Monica Bellucci, Karol G, Milly Alcock, Tahar Rahim, and Perth's own Troye Sivan.
Nostalgic Return and Future Aspirations
Returning to WA for the Claremont Quarter campaign, Tillier-Daly shot both stills and video, a technique he never used in his early STM days. The campaign features a road trip narrative set against the South West's natural beauty, reflecting movement and homecoming. Sewell recalls a memorable STM shoot in the Swan Valley: "(Cheyne and I) had this vision for horses and haystacks... we ended up scouting locations by literally driving around and knocking on doors." They eventually found the perfect spot through a cafe conversation, ending the day sharing wine with locals around a fire pit.
Perth remains a crucial anchor for Tillier-Daly, who returns regularly for family and work. He is drawn by WA's growing creative future, highlighted by the recent establishment of ScreenWest's Perth Film Studios in Malaga. "Eventually I want to move into feature films. That's the end goal," he reveals. His journey, which started almost by accident, has come full circle, rooted in the pages of STM.
Claremont Quarter will unveil Autumn in Motion, an immersive public fashion event, on Thursday 30 April outside David Jones from 6pm to 8pm.
