May 2023 – John McRae Photography & Studio

May 23, 2023June 30, 2023

Prime Constructions at Marsden Park

Prime Constructions have a number of projects underway at Marsden Park in Sydney’s west. I was recently commissioned to document the completion of two warehouses and also photograph another building in mid-construction.

I do like shooting this kind of work. There’s something very “zen” about photographing what is essentially a huge rectangle in an industrial setting, at dusk. I like walking around the structure by myself as the sun is setting, waiting for the best light. It also makes you realise just how much space is needed to store and manage all the commodities that people require to maintain their urban lifestyles. These monolithic warehouses are usually built on the outskirts of the metropolis, where they are rarely seen by the more centralised, inner-city dwellers.

Before leaving Marsden Park, I captured images of a new Prime project in mid-construction. Here you can see the skeletal framework of a warehouse, with the steel girders reflecting the dwindling sunlight of the late afternoon.

May 22, 2023May 22, 2023

Hansen Yuncken – new-look corporate profiles

In a departure from the more traditional corporate headshot required for company portfolios, the architectural firm Hansen Yuncken has decided to approach this genre differently, aiming for a more relaxed and natural look during our recent photographic shoot of some of their Sydney team..

The idea has been to capture the individual subjects with various backgrounds and in informal poses, as opposed to having a standard plain background, with each portrait photographed from the same angle. Where conditions permitted, I used natural light as the main light source. The emphasis was on diversity, and a less contrived atmosphere and posture. Of course the mere fact that the subject is having a portrait photograph taken can work as a barrier … not everyone likes being put in front of a camera for that “close-up”. It is always the photographer’s challenge to make the experience as easy and relaxed as possible, to achieve a more natural image (in spite of the very “un-natural” situation). I think we succeeded with the task at hand.

May 5, 2023May 22, 2023

Laura Matthews – a new body of work

Artist extraordinaire Laura Matthews has recently completed a new body of work, which I happily photographed and documented at her inner-west studio in Sydney. Her paintings often look at how figures interact with expressive landscapes, including her recent series of underwater images.

Laura is the product of the illustrious British art school, The University College London Slade School of Fine Art (informally known as “The Slade”). It is touted as one of the UK’s top institutions for art, design and experimentation. A notable teacher at the Slade was the well-known British painter Lucien Freud.

After her studies, Laura moved to Australia with her husband, where she has worked as an artist ever since.

I enjoyed photographing her recent work. I admire Laura’s draughtsmanship as well as the looseness of her painting. I love “painters who paint”. What I mean by this is that I appreciate painters who really push their colours around on the canvas … where you can see the medium of paint and their techniques.

Laura is represented by the gallery, NandaHobbs and you can visit her link on the gallery website here:

May 5, 2023May 18, 2023

Sydney Roosters – head office upgrade

I captured images of a recent installation at Allianz Stadium, at the head office of the Sydney Roosters NRL team. The designers at Sydney Commercial Interiors created an impressive display with furnishings to house the many trophies and important football memorabilia collected by the club over the years.

Sydney Commercial Interiors is a Sydney-based company which leads the field in commercial interiors, spanning a broad spectrum of activities designing for office, hospitality, industrial and medical projects, as well as sports and recreation.