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MMXVI Pigment inkjet on cotton rag, 112cm 80cm Edition of 9, 2AP
MMXVI – Matthew Mitcham Annual Portrait
Every year I photograph Matthew Mitcham, Australia’s gold-medal Olympic diver, award-winning cabaret performer and television entertainer, in my studio.
Each portrait is taken under similar conditions. MMXVI marks the 9th portrait and the 9th year of this ongoing series.
Will Matthew Mitcham ever age…is the question on my mind?
The exhibition will take place at the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra from 1 April – 18 June, 2017. 50 finalist works are selected from photographers from all over Australia. I am looking forward to going down for the opening. The National Photographic Portrait Prize is one of my favourites – guaranteed high level of photographic expertise on display!
I will post more information as the date approaches…….
I have recently returned from working in sunny Italy to an equally sunny Australia. And after spending quite a long time away it was great to have an excuse to travel down to Victoria. It was fortunate that one of my clients was shooting his annual jewellery catalogue in Melbourne and rural Victoria, so that gave me a perfect pretext to make the journey.
One of the locations was conveniently close to Pomonal where my sister lives. I have blogged several times before in reference to Pomonal…so here is an up-date of rural life at the foot of the Grampian mountain range.
View of the Grampians from the point of view of Moysten
I arrived on the Saturday afternoon after a non-stop drive from Melbourne, where I had been working the previous 3 days. I found Helen sitting on the verandah of her little country hide-away (see picture).
You can see Helen…she’s got the grey hair!Here’s a view a bit closer….I think Helen is on the phone.
I then headed straight for the Stawell Show Grounds from Melbourne. It was a push since the show was starting to wind up and I had to get there before 4pm, if I wanted to see Denise and her winning entries. Thanks goodness I had a reliable GPS and I could head off the highway, onto the dirt road leading to Stawell.
I arrived in the car park, and Denise eagerly awaiting. I was quickly whisked away to the grand pavilion, on the edge of the main arena, where there was some exciting news……
Surprise, surprise! Denise had several prize-winning entries. She is so proud of her baking efforts and was over the moon at the fact that the local agricultural establishment had chosen to acknowledge this by awarding her several first and second prizes.
Denise pointing to where her first prize winning nut loaf was located.The label speaks for itself…how wonderful for DeniseDenise pointing to her first prize cappuccino cake….top shelf!This was a truly unexpected win….Denise had no idea what a cappuccino cake was until the Stawell Show…and look!
The real surprise was the Cappuccino cake…a relatively complicated layered construction which she managed beautifully, to win her a first ticket. I found out from Helen that the 2nd prize for the Anzac biscuits was also hard won. Apparently, they had some difficulty with the first batch, which lost shape and pured out all over the baking tray. With an insightful variation of the recipe (don’t try this at home, only a skilled technician, which Denise is, can play around with changing recipes) she managed a second prize.
Here are the Anzac biscuits……..Denise did mention that they were a bit tricky at first. This was apparently the product of a second attempt to get the recipe right.
Another victory in the Anzac Biscuit section (Biscuit is French for Biscuit)
Full length shot of Denise…too bad they didn’t have an event for fashion on the field
A slight disappointment….(well, I suppose you can’t really say disappointment when you have already won 2 sections and 2nd in another)…was the tea tray section. Denise, unfortunately didn’t cut the mustard in this years effort. It’s always good to have something to strive for and next year, I am sure, Denise will be hoping for a better result.
Denise points to her disappointing failure in the tea service sectionThe loosing tea service……..
We still had half an hour left before the show ended, so we decided to exit the baking pavilion, to visit side show alley and see what else was on offer……….
Denise admires a lump of wool, as she leaves the cake baking pavilion
So I thought……..but no! We were off to another pavilion for more of “Denise on show”! To my surprise Denise had extended her kit bag of talents to the photographic awards and had entered her work in 2 sections. There was quite an impressive selection of photographs on display. Some of the contestants were obviously professional or semi professional photographers. Denise wasn’t…but that didn’t deter her from entering because they had a section for amateurs.
Denise points to her 3rd prize winning photograph of a car. Vintage cars are another hobby of this multi-talented woman of mystery, which I will discuss further on in this blog…stay tuned!
A spectacular self portrait…although it didn’t muster a prize, definitely a favourite of mine. Denise pictured herself, softly lit, reclining in a bath, full of bubbles…reminiscent of the iconic images by some great past photographers of languishing Hollywood beauties.
Here’s a closer look at Denise’s self portrait in the bath. How glamorous! I’m loving the inspired “hang” by the trustees. Well positioned, I’d say!
How wonderful…..the side shows were still in progress after we left the photography. Although the guy on the Cha Cha had started to pack up, it didn’t deter Denise from having a go on the darts and the clowns. Denise was full of confidence after her wins and this was reflected in her deft delivery of both the darts and the balls. She started first on the darts and quickly made a number of successful throws to land herself a soft toy bear (see image). She was also successful on the clowns but the prizes on offer were less impressive.
The Cha Cha was being packed up…otherwise I would have liked to have a ride. I would always have a go on the Cha Cha, whenever the show came to Horsham…my favourite (except for the one where the girl turns into a gorilla…that’s another story)
Denise gives it her best on the darts….Note the action…..She landed a lovely soft toy, brown bear. Her boyfriend Greg will be delighted when she gets home.
Denise did not leave empty handed…..
Getting ready to try her luck on the clowns
Denise, poised for another victory on the clowns
Denise proudly displaying the 2 prizes she won at side show alley
Denise takes a break, next to the shetland ponies, to re-apply make-up. A girl has to look her best.I was very disappointed with what I saw, regarding the commercialisation of the iconic show bag, as seen in this shot. Nowdays, you choose to buy what you want inside the bags….in my time, the bags were sponsored and you never knew what crap was going to be inside. No more surprises!
Another fascinating feature was the Sheaf Tossing Competition. I have never seen this type of sport before…but here it was at the Stawell Show. The idea is to stick a pitch fork into a small bag of hay and throw it as high as you can, over a horizontal suspended beam. Have a look at the shots for a better explanation. The 2014 World Sheaf Tossing champion was defending his title…..he was unsuccessful. He lost to a rather shy young man who was on a “come-back” after retiring from the sport a few years ago.
That’s the pitch fork they use to spike the hay bale…..
So the hay bale is thrown up and over a suspended bar, above.
The idea is you get the bag over the bar at the highest possible height…and if yours is the highest…you win!
This is the guy who won…but he wasn’t comfortable with me shooting him until he had won. I managed to get this shot before he indicated that he didn’t like photos…put him off!
I got him from behind as well….on his way to the launching pad.
His opponent was looking on in anticipation….
I shot Denise with the winners…first and second. They did a marvelous job and Denise was very excited to be photographed between them. The commentator on the microphone mistaked me for a reporter from the local newspaper. Oh well….perhaps I do shoot from time to time for the “Callan Park News”! (Look up Callan Park)
Well after all that excitement it was time to pack up and collect the prize money. Yes….the prize money! How exciting! Those hard won tickets translate into cold hard cash! We quickly retrieved the cakes and photos and proceeded to the admin office for the loot! Rob and Elle helped carry the goods to the car.
Denise points out which ones are hers.Denise telling the show lady where the nut loaf wasThe show lady carefully carries the tea tray out of the cabinet for DeniseLove this shot of Denise with the tea tray….shame she didn’t win!Rob is Elle’s boyfriend and works as a young doctor in the rural area of Orange, NSW….so he understands the value of keeping country culture alive. He was more than happy to help carry the tea tray to the carThis is Elle, my niece. She took the opportunity to try the Anzac biscuits. I think she liked them very much.Collecting the photos…..Rob, Elle and Denise head to the admin office for funds!
Now it was time to collect the money…..finally! Guess how much 2 firsts, 2 second and a third got you ahead at the Stawell Show? I’ll tell you…….$8 (AUD). I mean it’s better than a slap in the face….but I hasten to say that the $8 wouldn’t even pay for the matt board on the photos, let alone the ingredients of all those prize winning cakes….but better not look a gift horse in the mouth (as they say in the country).
Denise waits for the money….Denise shows her bounty for the cameraDenise, Rob and Elle leave the office. Denise feeling rewarded and just that little bit richer from the experience.
Here’s Denise at the car, displaying her trophies…oh, there you go…she also got a trophey…not bad!
Well that was the Stawell Show. I decided that I would make an effort to go again next year, but arrive earlier so it won’t be a rushed….get to go on the Cha Cha. In fact, I think I will make a weekend of it.
Got this lovely shot of Denise on her car, just in front of the CB McMurtrie Poultry Pavilion
And this shot of Denise on the side of an old fashioned car. I like the way the owner has’t bothered to renovate…you see the remnants of the original finish.
It was obvious that Rob and Denise shared a common interest in cars….before our departure they took time out to have a look under the bonnet and Rob got into the driver’s seat (See picture)
So that ended day 1 of my trip to Pomonal and Stawell. There’s a day 2 coming up! I think I hit the jack pot. Not only was it the weekend of the Stawell Show but it was also the weekend of the Show and Shine car rally, organised by the local Holden Car Club, of which Denise is the secretary.
Sunday morning, after a hearty breakfast with my sister at the Halls Gap coffee shop I headed off to the nearby oval. Denise was just pulling up in her non-renovated Holden Kingswood. Her pride and joy. She commandeered that lump of metal in true style as she slowly moved onto the oval to take her position in the field of motoring enthusiasts.
Denise drives onto the oval to take her place
Narrowly misses a young girl in a wheelchair (out of frame)Denise pictured with her Holden Kingswood
Signage had to be put onto the car windows. Elle and Rob were there to lend a hand. Denise opened the bonnet for an inspection proudly admitting that nothing had been done to the car since it was bought.
Elle and Denise adhering a flyer to the car window
Denise displays the inner workings of the motor
When Denise felt that the preparations were complete, we all went for a little wander through the fair. It was a great turn out. Many of the cars were renovated versions of their former selves….great testaments of the love and devotion of their owners.
A line up of renovated utes. The owners not far away.
Rob and Elle like this one particularly
…..and this one!
Close up of the renovated motor in this red painted vehicle
This lady found the perfect place to take a rest…quiet, relaxing and I imagine, judging from the lilac sheepskin covers, very comfortable
This couple took a very practical approach and brought their own chairs
I was fascinated by this family…obviously car enthusiasts.More cars……and even more cars…….
Wow….looking at all the different coloured cars really builds up an appetite. We headed for the sausage sizzle, a fund-raiser for sure!
Waiting while the staff sort out logistics….
Nothing like an Aussie BBQ and plenty of tomato sauce to follow
A flashback from the day before….clowns and fairy floss.
Bring in the clowns…..
Denise looking on, fixated on how the fairy floss is made
Time to enjoy this sugar hit and there to help out is the well known Melbourne jeweller, Adrian from Circa AD Jewels
I had to leave to go to and work at a nearby homestead. We were about to shoot the last model for the 2017 Circa AD jewellery catalogue…..hence why Adrian was in one of the above shots. But before we all left Denise and finish the day at the “Show and Shine”, Adrian kindly lent a couple of his pieces that we were going to shoot later on that afternoon for Denise to model. I think she enjoyed the experience…she is certainly a lot more relaxed in front of the camera than when I first started shooting her, so long ago.
How classic is Denise looking her, showing off her South Sea Pearls
Here’s another lovely shot of Denise, modelling a coral and turquoise beaded necklace from CircaAD Jewels
And to finish up….Denise with a pair of turquoise drop ear rings
That brings me to the end of all the fun and games of the “Show and Shine”…and for that matter, a fond good bye to Halls Gap and Pomonal. It was now onto Lexington, a property near Moysten, for the continuation and last shoot for CircaAD Jewels. But more about that on another blog post. Later that evening I started my long road trip back to Sydney…..14hrs of listening to ABBA on a very boring stretch of road.
View of the Grampians from the verandah of the Lexington property, near Moysten
The End
And………don’t forget to get that particular shot you wanted in, before Xmas!
I had the pleasure of working with 4 beautiful and talented woman for the promotional shoot for an up coming musical extravaganza, “Witches”, to be performed with the SSO at the Opera House.
They were Helen Dallimore, Lucy Durack, Amanda Harrison and Jemma Rix and boy, was it fun to work with these witty and enthusiastic ladies. Make-up, hair up and up!….and scrumptiously designed dresses by the talented, Jaimie Sortino.Continue reading “Magic happens when Witches come out to play……..”
I attended the opening of the National Portrait Prize, 2016 on Friday night (18 April). I made the trip to Canberra to see my portrait of a group of performers outside the Imperial Hotel in Erskineville, Sydney.
This is the 3rd time that I have been hung in the prize and it is always a buzz to rock up to the wonderful building that houses the NPG. As I walked in I was given a lanyard with my name and “finalist” status written on it…obviously to identify me as one of the finalists in the crowd. The finalist were given VIP access to the space before the public enteredto view the works and to mingle and meet amongst themselves.
What a nice feeling to walk in and see your work on the walls…..always a great moment for an artist and worth every effort of getting the work and your body down to Canberra.
Congratulations to the winner, Elizabeth Looker who’s work you will see if you visit the website of the NPG….or better still, take a trip to Canberra and see the work in situ at the gallery.
The names of those performers whom I could identify are marked.My friend, Michelle, in front of the work. She knows quite a few of the artists pictured.Michelle confronts the camera as Kate reads on…..My group of supporters on the night…Kate, Michelle, Ann Maree and Joseph
Exhibition runs from 19 March, 2016 – 26 June, 2016 at the NPG, Canberra
Dont forget you can also vote for the “People’s Choice” at the following web address:
I recently had the pleasure of working with the amazing team at “One Room”.
One Room (1/414 Bronte Road, Bronte NSW 2024) is a progressive and highly creative hair styling studio, located at Bronte in Sydney. I was approached by Daniel McLennan, the owner and chief stylist, to shoot hair for some up-coming competitions.
It was a more convenient time to shoot for the salon as they were going through their “once a year” re-furbishment of the space and had some down time to come to my studio in Lilyfield for the shoot. I was impressed with the idea that a business, on a yearly basis, would re-furbish their interiors…..their customers must be equally impressed with that kind of commitment.
So my studio was transformed for a day into a veritable hair salon. There was hair dryers, combs, brushes, extensions, colour, product, movement, panic….for days! I loved the energy that was created by all this activity.
It was a pleasure and a great buzz to work with talented, enthusiastic and creative geniuses in their fields.
Have a look at the guys at work in the following images:
StylistModel
Daniel McLennan Hannah
Kate Lynch Alex Tinker
Laura Priori Terry Varvaressos
Lily Zak Jarday Tundrock
Lilly is thinking about adding some extensions to Jarday’s hair, while Daniel goes for the orange hair dryerLaura grabs some product as the rest of the team operate on their modelsDaniel McLennan works on Hannah. In the background Kate is working on AlexKate is busy concentrating.Laura at work on Terry’s hairDaniel with a blue hairdryer, this time!Finishing touches on Hannah
Finally it all comes together and we get results………
Terry…finished product! Hair: Laura Priori Model: Terry VarvaressosJarday looking fierce! Hair: Lilly Zak Model: Jarday TundrockHair: Kate Lynch Model: Alex Tinker
One of my recent works has been chosen as a finalist in the National Portrait Prize.
The exhibition dates are: 19 March – 26 June, 2016 at the National Portrait Gallery, Canberra
Unfortunately I am obliged not to show the selected work until the opening of the exhibition which is a bit weird when you’re announcing the selection but do not show the selected work….but I’m sure you’ll understand.
I’m looking forward to the exhibition. It’s one of the prizes that I like…always good portraits in the line up and well worth the trip to have a look at what other photographers are up to in the area of portraiture.
Well….it’s that time of year when I release the latest annual Matthew Mitcham portrait. I have been photographing this young lad for more than 8 years now, extending this project to 8 portraits. See below:
Well this month has seen a return to Pomonal. I took a trip down to Victoria for several reasons, one of which was to visit my sister in Pomonal, a village at the foot of the Grampain mountain range.
This time I drove. What a boring drive it is! Now that the highway by-passes all that is mildly interesting you are left with bitumen and Caltex Roadhouses. Did I say already the drive was boring………
The Roadtrip
After hours and hours on the road I made it to Pomonal and to my sisters brilliant little house. Here’s a shot……..
My Sister’s little house in the country…sweet!
I found my sister, Helen and Denise on the porch, waiting for my arrival. Denise is my sister’s best friend. She is also a transexual, living in rural Victoria. I love the dynamic between Helen and Denise and took every opportunity to get a few shots, as you will see in the following brief overview of my trip.
Portrait of Denise on the verandah of Helen’s housePartners in Crime…Denise and Helen on the verandah
Of course there’s always something to do in the country, never a dull moment. It was time to water the garden! We can note here that the Wimmera Mallee area has been in drought for some time now. It’s all you ever here spoken about in the public places such as the General Store, up the road from my sister. Endless summerising and speculation about the elements, will we or will we not, get rain today. It’s almost as good as the road trip from Sydney.
Necessary water for the garden…country living in a red dress.
That evening Helen made a fabulous dinner for us. I picked my brother Peter up in Melbourne so he spent the week in Pomonal as well. Denise and her boyfriend of 3 years, Greg, also attended, along with a couple of neighbours.
The lovely Denise, looking rather coy at dinnerGreg and Denise at dinnerGreg looks over at DeniseGreg tells a yarn. Denise continues with the task at hand.Dinner at Pomonal
We paid a visit to some neighbours, Nadia and Joel. Joel has sheep and knows a lot about them. Nadia runs the communications hub of Pomonal, the General Store. At her General Store you can also pick up extra supplies, post letters, hire videos, get a sandwich, enjoy a great cup of coffee, buy fishing gear, get the daily newspaper, buy great “Grampians” olive oil, get some local craft items and the list goes on……… Every morning I would drive the 200m to the Nadia’s and get my daily dose of caffeine, sit and do my e-mails and have a chat to Nadia while all the locals, one by one, would file in
Joel and Nadia relax in the back yard of the farm houseMore sheep…….Nadia’s nephew loves sheepSome of Joel’s sheepNadia at the counter of her “General Store”
Next stop was a short visit to Denise and Greg’s new house in Stawell. They had both recently moved from Pomonal where they were living right next door to the General Store. I imagined that Helen may have been disappointed with the fact that Denise had moved away from the area however, that was not the case, Stawell is only a 20min car journey away….so they see each other almost as much as when Denise was living 200m down the road.
I took the opportunity to take a few shots of Denise and Greg in their backyard, next to a couple of cars they are in the process of doing up. Denise was excited to tell me that both of them have joined the “Holden Car Club” in Stawell and that they intend to do up a number of old Holdens. I tried to look interested.
The front entrance to Denise and Greg’s lovely home in StawellDenise and Greg in front of the “Firebird” and corrugated iron for days….Is a “Firebird” a Holden?
Following…..Peter and I hopped in the car and continued onto Horsham. Horsham is the town where I went to school, swam and played basketball. I lived a bit out of the city on a defunct dairy farm…so I can’t really say I’m from Horsham. Here’s a couple of shots of Horsham so you get the picture.
The Horsham Wheat Silo (not far from the Railway Station)The Horsham Railway Station seen from the “overpass”.
We made a visit to the cemetery where an ever growing number of the relatives reside then headed back to Pomonal for a swim in Lake Fyans.
Peter with some of the relatives
We found an old chair not far from the shore of the lake which provided an unexpected but very comfortable seating arrangement for our numerous visits. The lake is only a 10min drive from Pomonal and is a great way of cooling off when the temperatures sore. Not that it was super hot at this time of year.
Lake Fyans (near Pomonal)Peter thought he get his gear off and go in for a swim
Speaking of the weather…….I mentioned that it was hot enough for a swim. That was true for the first 2 days however, a chill hit on the 3rd day, to the point that the thermometer dropped to nearly zero some evenings. I wasn’t prepared for that! Apparently this time of year can be a bit up and down and you have to remember….it is Victoria. But seriously it is a great time to go to the Grampians….all the native flowers are out in bloom, the landscape is greener than usual (in spite of the ongoing drought, it still looked quite green) and the weather is nice and mild, not too cold and not too hot. Of course, the other climatic scenario in this area is the annual bushfires during the summer months. You are surrounded by the the charred remains of eucalyptus, evidence of the frequency of such events.
Across a paddock……full of nice yellow flowersSee what I mean….charred remains of eucalyptus trees everywhere!
Helen thought that Peter and I would like a drive to an historic village, to meet a friend of hers and have lunch together in his rather large house. Why not? Off went went to near a place called “Willaura”. I wouldn’t say it’s a bustling metropolis…..I didn’t see any people until I walked into the bakery and purchased a macadamia nut slice from the young man behind the counter. I reckon they’d make good bread though….I just felt you’d get good bread at this place. Here are a few shots.
The bakery in WillauraThis is the shop where you can buy really cool scented candlesThe bustling main street of WillauraLooks like this building could be an old bank….The Silo in Willaura
Lunch was delicious. Peter and I enjoyed her cooking all week. We ate with Rob the owner of a large bluestone homestead on a farm, 10 mins drive from Willaura. He was a generous and welcoming host and we had a great time.
Interior of the disused bedroom wing of the homesteadBluestone homestead where we had lunchThe front of the amazing blue stone homesteadHelen and Rob in the kitchenLunch is underway at the homestead.Helen, my sister
I suppose I should say I was fortunate to be in Pomonal during the week of the Stawell Show, the annual carnival of local produce and various activity. I say this because it meant that Denise had decided to enter, once again, into some of the baking categories for the chance to take home the blue ribbon. This also meant that Denise and Helen had organised a “baking evening”, the night before the entries had to be delivered. Little did I know that Helen and Denise would be going, at it, until 2am in the morning, squeaking and giggling and basically preventing anyone with normal audio capabilities from sleeping. Helen had the cook books, handed down through the generations and offered her tutelage during the long, noisy process. She wasn’t allowed to touch any of the ingredients or have any kind of hands on involvement…..these were some of the rules that they both respected.
All in all it went fairly well. There were 2 items (the date loaf and the nut loaf) that had to be re-made for various reasons. The best bit is that Denise won every section she entered on the Saturday at the Show. She was ecstatic! All the hard work and late nights paid off.
I think there was a problem with the batter adhering to the cake tin……..Helen watches on, as Denise chopsHelen started the afternoon by making her own version of a Tarte Tartin, with pearsBeating well the mixture is really important. I think we are seeing the mixing of the Orange CakeDenise is hard at itA lot of concentration is demanded during the preparation processNothing says you can’t have a quick taste of the mixture to make sure things are on trackDenise shares with the cameraDenise holds up the winning square of butterDenise takes a break to pose for one of the shotsAn advertisement for the Stawell Show was erected beside the road, in front of Denise’s little house
See the little house in the background of the shot above. That’s where she lived for sometime before moving in with Greg. The house sits on my sisters property. You can’t see it, but my sister’s house is just behind. By a stoke of luck, Denise discovered the house on another property in the area. The owners were going to demolish it and Denise took the opportunity to ask them how much they wanted for it. She scored it for $100…not bad! I imagine it cost more to organise for it to be transported from where she brought it to where it is now.
Denise sitting on the verandah of her small home
I left Pomonal with a warm feeling in my stomach, having spent a wonderful 5 days in rural bliss. My sister was an amazing host. She even gave me her bed. Now Helen’s bed is the most comfortable bed I have ever experienced. It’s like sleeping on a cloud with a silver lining….you float!
I stopped in on my friend Ned who lives in Melbourne to say hello and take a couple of shots. Here’s one below. Ned has a fantastic companion called, Merlin. I made it home to Sydney, refreshed and happy.
My portrait of George Frazis has been selected, among 20 works, as a finalist in the annual “Shoot The Chef” competition.
Portrait of George Frazis
Artist Statement:
George Frazis is one of those rare diamonds. George spent 15 years as a cook in the Greek Merchant Navy. In 1963, after jumping ship in Newcastle to be with his fiancee, Anthippe (pictured in the smoky background of the image), he found work as a chef in several of Sydney’s most glamorous and sometimes notorious restaurants, including Chelsea’s in Kings Cross, The Russian Coachman in Surry Hills and Dimitri’s, serving culinary delights to the wealthy, the not-so-wealthy, the famous and the infamous. Fast forward 50 years and we find George still in the kitchen, now cooking in his son’s Rozelle coffee bar, Latticini, where we see the appreciation for his loyalty and hard work proudly displayed on the wall, ironically announcing his “Employee of the Month” status.
All 20 finalist works can be viewed on exhibition, as part of the Parramatta Lanes Festival from October 6 – 9, 2015 (http://www.parramattalanes.com.au)
People’s Choice Award:
Now I know all of you would want to cast your vote for the people’s choice award….well it’s very simple, click on the following link to take you to the SMH Clique page where you will find the winner and all finalist works displayed for you to vote on your favorite. Make sure you vote!
I just want to say a big “congratulations” to the adorable Heather Maltman for her stellar time on the Bachelor.
Not an easy thing….to be dumped by a man on National television after making yourself quite vulnerable….but you did it beautifully and with so much class. You made us proud!
I wish Heather all the best.
(If you’re wondering why I’m wishing a girl who appeared on the “Bachelor” congratulations…..it’s because I have worked professionally with Heather. She a really good sport and she has been very supportive to my efforts in photography and over the years we have become friends.)
We had a great shoot on Saturday at the studio for “Tan Swimwear”
The team was built from some very creative souls:
Producer: Mimi Puc
HMU: Kerrie Jane Bailey
Model: Kelly McCracken
Photographer: John McRae
Guest Model: Tete (You’ll see Tete below, such wonderful lines)
Here are some production shots of the proceedings………..
Kelly being styled by Michelle for Tan SwimwearProfile of model with hair rollersKerrie Bailey (HMU) applying the finishing touches of make-upKerrie & KellyKelly and Tete looking sharpTete gets right into the part!
I’m thinking that if I could get to do a regular post…may be once a month, that would be an appropriate interval. By appropriate, I mean at a frequency that I could handle in terms of the time I have to sit down and pen such a thing.
So I here is my month in review for August. Some, but surely not all, of the highlights during the month.
I loved the cover I did for SX this month. Long time drag performer, Amelia Airhead posed for my lens. I have been shooting drag performers for quite a while now but this is the first time I have come across Amelia. I believe she is a contemporary of the like of the famous Mitzi Macintosh whom I have shot a number of times before she headed off to the Mother Land.
Amelia was promoting the “Broken Heel festival”….which as the name suggests is a drag festival which is taking place the weekend of the 5th and 6th of September in Broken Hill! Yes, I said Broken Hill. The whole thing sounds fabulous and if I wasn’t working this weekend I might consider going along to have a look….sounds like it could be quite wacky! For more info go to: http://gaynewsnetwork.com.au/readonline/archives/sx763/index.html
Amelia was delightful and it’s always a pleasure to work with Reg Domingo, the Editor of SX.
Amelia Airhead
Amelia being interviewed by Reg Domingo(Reg is the one behind the camera)
Also, this month Matthew Mitcham performed his cabaret show in both Alice Springs and in Sydney at “Slide” in Oxford Street. I was fortunate enough to be at both performances.
Here are a few shots of the evening……
And you even get a signed autograph (and photo, if you like) at the end of the performance!
What else have I been up to….
Well I shot the team at “Fastvisa” this month. That was fun. A good bunch of people who are making the arduous process of obtaining and Australian visa a little more human and a little more hastle free. So if you know of anyone planing to move across here from another country and they would like some help in obtaining a visa and setting up bank account, business enterprises etc, give these guys a call.
Pictured Alberto Fascetti, Stefano Solferini and Conor Harty (from left to right)
Brigitte is the friend of an artist friend of mine. They met while both holidaying in NYC last year and Brigitte decided to visit this month. I took the opportunity to mark the ocaision by taking her portrait on a visit to my studio. (See below)
A friend said to me, “Have you seen the new Bachelor Girl?”. I had no idea what they were talking about.
Later, as they explained, I realised that the person they were talking about was none other than the beautiful Heather Maltman.
I had met Heather some years ago. I remember thinking that her brand of beauty was engaging in an interesting way and that I would like to shoot her. She is a good sport and agreed to work on some images together.
I am particularly happy that Heather has now found her way to being on the TV in “The Bachelor” series on channel 10 and wish her all the best.
When I first met Will he was a dancer and choreographer. Over a period of a few years I had the good fortune to work on a number of shoots with Will and his team, at the time. However, he disappeared for a while overseas. Recently, he re-surfaced in my life and asked me to work on a new set of images for a forthcoming project, based in Brisbane.
Here are some images from the day.
The “Sydney Props Specialists” in Marrricville, where the shoot took place, has a bit of an “Alice in Wonderland” feel with all these props and sets lying around throughout the building. The facilities are great and the place is a lot of fun.
My trusty assistant, Erick, re-living his days as a Paris cat-walk model…..a while ago, I might add!
I love taking shots of make-up and hair….always a very concentrated effort.
Maxime was covering day “en video”. Can’t wait to see the results.
Dan Murphey was directing the video component…..
Plenty of talented girls animated the styling…………..
Recently, I had the pleasure of shooting an English based fashion label who’s primary material was latex. The label is “Catalyst Latex”. The theme was “hospital” and there was plenty on offer for the fashion conscious doctor, nurse and patient.
It was a fun shoot which mirrored the tongue in cheek nature of the brand as you can see from the pics below. So if you feel like getting into a bit of “hospital grade latex”…look them up. I’m sure they have an on-line service.
“Blood Brothers” is a musical (directed by Enda Markey)……about to open in Melbourne. Don’t miss it…if you happen to be there from July 16 at the Alex Theatre, St Kilda.
I had the pleasure of shooting the cast recently in my studio for the lead image. It was great to work with such a professional bunch of people (pictured below: Bobby Fox, Helen Dallimore, Josh Piterman and Michael Cormick)
I had the pleasure of working with the team of the forthcoming “Hayes Theatre Co” production of “High Society” in the studio, recently.
It was a great team to work with…..Amy Lephamer is the beautiful actress playing the “Tracey Lord” character and the model for the main image. Ben Moir was the make-up and hair artist with the magic touch! Artistic direction was gleaned from Richard Carroll and Helen Dalimore (director of High Society).
Ben performing his magic with Richard in the background……….
The look is progressing………..
Almost ready to go, last minute tweeking by Ben……………
I’m down in Victoria currently. I’m shooting for a band called “Kritta” and spending some time with my sister in the little village called, Pomonal. It’s nestled nicely at the foot of the Grampian mountain range.
I had a fab day yesterday with a guided trip to Stawell’s historic sites of importance by, none other than, Denise herself. Denise is my sister’s best girlfriend. She rocked up with the Ugandan flag proudly displayed at the front of the car and the day proceeded beautifully from there…..Here are a few visual references of our day……
Denise was very stylish in her “black and white” outfit. Unfortunately the flag blew off half way to Stawell. Fortunately, Denise stopped the car immediately and I managed to salvage the flag as a momento of the occasion.
I love this shot…….
Denise is restoring this vintage car….she is so proud!
A few odds and ends needed to be loaded in the trailer before we took off……you see Denise and her “tree lopping” boyfriend, Greg, are moving to Stawell into a new abode
We hit Stawell and I thought Denise wanted to say a little prayer at the Salvation Army Citadel before starting our tour….but in actual fact she was going to the local bakery to buy a loaf of bread for her well known cucumber sandwiches.
Denise walking to the “Stawell Gift Memorial Museum”. We wanted to get a couple of brochures on the historically important sites of Stawell before we went for lunch.
We had lunch at the Stawell Hotel……….here’s Denise about to choose a dish from the delicious menu provided by the establishment. The kitchen was run by a Sikh punjabi Indian lady who served us. She had moved from the punjab about 8 years ago with her husband and they had settled quite comfortable into the rural setting. She said she found the locals very friendly.
Denise had fish and I had a nachos!
Afterwards…..Denise re-applied her nail polish…..before we had one last drink on the terrace.
Denise looking relaxed and happy on the footpath in front of the Hotel.
This is where Denise used to stay when she first started coming to the area….unit number 4 to be exact. She noted that this “Truckie Road Stop” used to be a brothel and that she was initially confused by all the attention she was getting from the road house clientele.
Denise standing on the biggest hill in Stawell…..there’s a monument to the 1st World War just to the right of Denise. In the distance you can see Pomonal as one looks towards the Grampians.
This was a highlight…….it’s a gigantic mound of tyres. Apparantly some person used to stock pile them here before cutting them up into little pieces and sending them to a buyer in China….well the story goes that the Chinese client pulled out and the guy went broke…..now the township is left with a “tyre” problem…..no one seems to know what to do with this ecologically unfriendly mountain of tyres. Denis has a few ides though…..
More tyres……..
This is Denise pictured at the famous “Diamond House”. A local hangout for Jazz musicians from all around the world. It was built very early in the 1860’s…by Mr Diamond. All the granite and quartz has been cut to form the wondrous diamond shapes you can see in the background.
Denise and I went looking for a “no longer” operating convent. We didn’t find it…..as it had been closed down many years before our arrival. Denise felt it had closed down under suspicious circumstances. However we found the Catholic church. It was closed but I managed to capture a couple of shots of Denise looking rather religious outside this rather beautiful building.
The wind played havoc with Denise’s dress at times. I had to be careful not to shoot too many shots of her panties. Here she understood and attempted to hold it down for the shot.
Well folks that’s about it…..I may post some more at a later stage.
It was a lovely day and enjoyed by all.
Stawell is well worth a visit, if you have no where else to go.