Jesse Pickett captures one of best photos of AFL Indigenous All Stars clash

When the AFL Indigenous All Stars took to the field for a match against the Fremantle Dockers last weekend, it was a self-taught photographer from Geraldton who captured one of the most striking images.

Indigenous man Jesse Pickett, 31, first picked up a camera in 2021, inspired by the work of his uncle, professional photographer Tamati Smith.

“[My uncle] helped me, he gave me a camera and since I picked that camera up, I loved it," he said.

“I got the first shot of Bobby Hill celebrating the first goal of the game.

“It was full of energy and I just managed to capture it."

Jesse Pickett behind the lens at the Indigenous All Stars v Fremantle Dockers match. (Supplied: AFL)

Focus on footy

Pickett first came to the attention of the AFL's photography producer Sarah Morton when he entered the Footy Focus competition last year, including a spectacular shot of a player's aerial leap to take a high-flying mark.

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"I loved the work that Jesse has been doing in his community, so I invited him to take part in our first Footy Focus masterclass and match experience in Melbourne last October," Ms Morton said.

"To my surprise he made the epic trek to Melbourne to participate.

" He impressed all our team with his lovely nature and ability to quickly adjust to the big stage. "

Ms Morton said a separate competition was run to align with the Indigenous All Stars match in Perth and photographers from across WA were invited to apply.

Mr Pickett made the final 20, earning him an invite to photograph the clash.

"Jesse performed so well, capturing one of the best photos from the match," she said.

Self-taught photographer

Mr Pickett had no formal training before the recent masterclasses, trawling online videos and tutorials to learn as much as he could.

Mr Pickett captured the moment when Liam Ryan greeted a fan overcome by emotion after the game. (Instagram: jessepickett_2)

He has also taken thousands of photographs at sports events in Geraldton, including the Great Northern Football League.

"I did my first job in Geraldton professionally and ever since then … it's just been going like crazy and ended up in the AFL," he said.

During the off-season, the photographer turned his lens towards local wildlife.

"The wildlife was just my go-to when footy wasn't on," he said.

"I fell in love with bird photography and wildlife in general."

Mr Pickett practises wildlife photography during the football off-season. (Instagram: jessepickett_2)

Mr Pickett said capturing images of his culture and community was incredibly important to him.

"Our community and culture is beautiful and I want to showcase that to the world," he said.

"I love that a picture can tell a thousand words.

"It can create a whole range of emotions and can really get people talking.

"It's an art form that creates memories for a lifetime."

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