Capturing Greatness: Cessiah Alice Photography

As an eager six-year-old, Cessiah Alice Henderson was already reaching for a camera, unknowingly creating the first moment of what would become a lifetime passion and possible career. “The first photo I remember taking was of my parents at the beach when the sunset was behind them, so real corny. I remembered taking that photo and I just thought it was so cool that I’d captured this moment … that it was forever,” Cessiah gushes. “From then on it was pretty much always like I want to be a photographer, I’m going to be a photographer – and I’d be trying to take the camera off dad all the time.”
Her passion quickly turned to convincing her younger sisters to dress up and be models in mock photo shoots. Not much has changed since then, and Cessiah is still using her sisters in her images, albeit with a much higher quality result.
Looking at the warm and gentle looking images, it’s astounding to realise that Cessiah has no formal training and that everything she creates is done organically through her own natural abilities. Though it wasn’t from a lack of drive, as Cessiah did consider pursuing photography as a career and studying the ins and outs of the profession.
“It was something I’d always dreamed of doing but suddenly I realised it wasn’t going to be an easy market to break into,” she says. “I was also a bit worried it was going to change the way I saw photography. Or even the way I photographed. I was a little bit sceptical that they’d change me so much that I’d lose my love for it.”
Looking back now Cessiah realises that her passion couldn’t really be quashed, but she still maintains that she doesn’t want for it to become a means to an end.
“I never wanted it to be work. I always wanted it to be something I enjoyed, and that excited me,” Cessiah says.

Graduating unsure of where she wanted to focus her attention, Cessiah decided to continue working at her parent’s shops. Her mother previously owned the Gorgeous Fashion franchise in Geelong but now Cessiah spends her time working at the family business in Highton, Ruby & Leo.
With the money worry put aside, she has now been able to give photography the attention it deserves without the stress of earning a living. Cessiah has since won numerous competitions, photographed several weddings and taken thousands upon thousands of photos. As a result, Cessiah is always looking for the next best shot.
“I’m pretty much always in photography mode. I feel like my eyes are a camera, because I’ll look around and everything is a photo,” she says.“I think a lot of photographers would be the same. Your eyes are always adjusting and looking at things a different way.”
When Cessiah isn’t taking photographs, she swaps the camera for a set of needles and thread and makes finely detailed hats.
“With photography, you’ve snapped up art in an instant, whereas millinery you get an idea in your head then start making it and it’s hours and hours of work until you finish creating it,” Cessiah says. “To me it’s a form of art, with all these tiny stitches. You’ve got to have so much patience. It’s pretty much the opposite of photography, but I really enjoy it.”
Cessiah’s millinery can be purchased from Ruby & Leo in Highton, though to see more of her photography visit her instagram or facebook.com/cessiahalicephotography.
Written by Amanda Sherring, Photos by Cessiah Alice