February 2023 – John McRae Photography & Studio

February 28, 2023March 22, 2023

A house in Torquay, Feature Point Constuctions & Ali

Feature Point Constructions is a boutique construction and building company based in Melbourne, specialized in shop and office fit-outs and home renovations. Its hallmark is precision and quality finishes. The company is run by the well-presented and professional master tradesman, Ali Yucel (pictured above).

I spent the afternoon in Torquay, Victoria, photographing a home renovation that had recently been completed by Feature Point Constructions.

Torquay holds a special place in my heart as it was the “go to” holiday spot for my mother, aunty and us children. I have lots of fun memories of frolicking endlessly by the beach, long sunny days and loads of oysters and crayfish at the end of day in the hotel room.

I was impressed with the clean lines, rounded corners and beautiful finishes on this renovation. The following is a gallery of some of the shots.

February 27, 2023March 21, 2023

La Cage Aux Folles – slaying them in the aisles

During the recent Sydney run of La Cage Cage aux Folles, the chemistry on stage between the two leads, Paul Capsis and Michael Cormick, was palpable and electric. This iconic stage musical is about two eccentric men (one more-so than the other) bringing up a child above a nightclub in St Tropez, where one of the parents, Albin, performs as a drag queen. I took these production photographs at the final dress rehearsal in late January at The Concourse Concert Hall. I couldn’t stop myself laughing – the jokes are still relevant, even decades after they were written.

I remember when I saw the Franco-Italian film version in my 20’s … it broke many taboos in such a fun and ground-breaking way. Initially it was created as a play by Jean Poiret and was performed by Michel Serrault and Jean Poiret. It was a huge success and hence made into a film (also starring Michel Serrault) in the French language, which broke into the international mainstream market and certainly took Australian audiences by surprise. Not only did we see a successful homosexual relationship front and centre on the big screen, but there was cross-dressing, drag and hilarious slapstick on display … a far cry from the tortured, artistic, foreign-language cult films we were used to seeing from France.

The David Hawkins production of La Cage Cage aux Folles was a joy to shoot. If you appreciate colour, movement and good humour, then this version is the ultimate production. I loved watching Paul and Michael play the roles of Albin (and ZaZa, the drag phenomenon) and his more conservative partner Georges (who was previously married and produced a son).

News Flash!!!!!! La Cage is getting another run this time at the State Theatre in Sydney from 19th – 23 April, 2023. Click here to book tickets:

For further reading here are a couple of links:

Star Observer.

Broadway World

February 25, 2023March 21, 2023

Gentlemen Prefer Blondes – Dress Rehearsal

It was a real pleasure to shoot the Sydney dress rehearsal of director Richard Carroll’s new production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes at the Hayes Theatre.

The two leads, Emily Havea and Georgina Hopson, are fabulous in the roles of Dorothy and Lorelei and the rest of the cast are equally brilliant. When you are producing a theatrical shoot, it can be very difficult to appreciate the bigger picture of what is happening on stage. Your attention as photographer is focused on multiple things while you apply your craft, including technical considerations and stylistic decisions. However, in this case, it was impossible for me to ignore the magic of what was happening on stage, even though it was only the dress rehearsal.

See my previous blog post announcing the season, production details and my photography for the poster: https://www.johnmcrae.com/gentlemen-prefer-blonds-apparently/

If you see this post before the production of Gentlemen Prefer Blondes finishes at the Hayes Theatre on March 18, 2023, make sure you book tickets to see this wonderful piece of musical theatre. Book here

Director: Richard Carroll | Featuring: Octavia Barron-Martin, Thomas Campbell, Ruby Clark, Adam Di Martino, Emily Havea, Georgina Hopson, Tomáš Kantor, Leah Lim, Tomas Parrish, Matthew Predny, Monica Sayers | Musical Director: Victoria Falconer | Band: Nathan Barraclough, Amanda Jenkins, Abi McCunn, Jarrad Payne | Choreographer: Sally Dashwood | Set Designer: Dan Potra | Costume Designer: Angela White | Lighting Designer: Benjamin Brockman | Associate Musical Director: Abi McCunn | Stage Manager: Bronte Schuftan | Assistant Stage Manager: Anastasia Mowen | Dialect Coach: Benjamin Purser | Intimacy Coordinator: Caroline Kaspar

February 15, 2023March 21, 2023

So French So Chic – A Watsons Bay Summer

The team at So French So Chic hit the sandy shores of Watsons Bay to shoot the latest summer range of garments designed by Valerie Tsoukaris and manufactured in Italy. We were collecting imagery for the summer catalogue.

I have fond memories of the time when I lived in Watsons Bay twenty years ago, so it was a bit nostalgic to return to this pretty environment to capture the gorgeous Valeria Sizova (our model) by the water’s edge. It is amazing what a calming effect being near the water can have. Normally there’s a modicum of stress when shooting fashion, paying attention to detailing, styling and time constraints. Somehow all this falls away when you are barefoot in the shallows of the sea while you work and the sun is shimmering in the background, reflecting on the ocean.

Nick, John, Kevin and Valeria on set at Watsons Bay

The team comprised of model: Valeria Sizova, make-up and hair: Kevin Vella, photographer’s assistant: Nick Jones, stylist and dresser: Carolyn Turner, designer: Valeria Tsoukaris and designer’s support and all-round “tout-faire”: Nic Tsoukaris.