John McRae Photography & Studio
Sydney Professional, Commercial & Corporate Photography
Vanity Faire, the renowned drag identity and performer, steps out to celebrate Xmas at The Rocks.
Performing on stage as Mariah Carey, Vanity lights up the precinct for an evening of sparkling glamour to spread Xmas magic. See link for details:
Before we started on the “Mariah” shoot I worked with the team from The Rocks and the Poem Group to feature some of the best products and food available from such outlets as Tea Cosy, Squidinki and The Doss House.
The Australian Master Builders Association has awarded Re:form Constructions, lead by Gerard Murphy, as the 2020 National winner in the category of projects (alterations/additions) over 1 million dollars for this Balmain residence.
Designed by Brian Zulaikha of Tonkin Zulaikha Greer Architects, this multi-storey house features warm wooden panelling, windows incorporating underwater views of the pool and a monumental mosaic by Janet Laurence.
It was a joy to photograph Samantha – performer, business strategist and motivational speaker – who is forever on the move. She is a great communicator with a vivacious energy and we had a fun afternoon shooting new imagery for her branding and corporate profile.
As Samantha says, “If you haven’t noticed, I’ve stopped listening to the ‘experts’ that tell you to only have one business. I happen to love and excel at being a multi passionate entrepreneur.” To find out more about Samantha visit her website here.
I photographed the latest works produced by the talented artist Margarita Sampson in my studio and was amazed by the captivating effect of her human figures.
Margarita says, “These figures were loosely based on Etruscan figurines I saw in the Hermitage in 2005. A friend recently told me that the Romans would scathingly refer to them as the ‘fat Etruscans’, so may be I haven’t taken too many liberties by padding them out a bit. The original figurines were actually quite lithe.”
Performer, singer and finalist on Australia’s “The Voice”, Prinnie Stevens came by the studio to work on images for a brand new show.
Here are some behind-the-scenes shots of Prinnie getting ready with Joe and Drew doing hair and makeup. Stay tuned for further information about show dates and the release of the finished imagery from the shoot, highlighting the talents of Prinnie, well known for her roles in theatrical productions of Rent, Thriller Live, The Bodyguard and Oh, What a Night, for which she was nominated for a Helpmann Award.
For the cover story of the winter issue of Vegetables Australia for AUSVEG, I photographed Enoch on his farm at Kemps Creek, NSW.
His work includes specialist horticulture, dual cropping and innovative methods in greenhouse management, results in lush crops of cucumbers, flat beans, basil and parsley.
Hansen Yuncken’s Minto team are naming their cranes for a good cause and raising money along the way.
When the site team heard the story of Autumn, a family member of one of the workers on site, they wanted to show their support.
With the help of their subcontractors, the team has raised over $23,000 for Redkite – a national cancer charity providing essential and practical support for children and their families. In honour of Redkite and to show their support for Autumn, Hansen Yuncken introduced their two tower cranes: Autumn and Redkite.
14 year old Autumn has recently finished chemotherapy, after being diagnosed in March 2020 with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. The 45 metre tower crane, tall and proud overlooking the site, is a fitting representation of Autumn’s strength and tenacity to persevere through the toughest time in her life.
As a show of support for Redkite, the Hansen Yuncken site team has decided to raise funds to help children and young people facing a childhood cancer diagnosis. The team officially unveiled the names of the two cranes on site, hosting Autumn and her family, as well as representatives from Redkite to be the first to see the newly dubbed cranes.
If you are interested in learning more about Redkite, you can find their website here: https://www.redkite.org.au/
On the same day, I completed a series of corporate head shots, amid busy construction for Hansen Yuncken’s company profiles.
Just in time for Christmas the Beresford Hotel is hosting a Yuletide extravaganza….with a difference. Minnie Cooper is leading a Christmas inspired pageant of drag brilliance with red bows, poinsettia and candy cane.
Joining Minnie on-stage are the illustrious talents of Tora Hymen, Jacqui St Hyde and Mynx Moscato, with Troy as the Little Drummer Boy.
Christmas tinsel and glitter arrived early at my studio. All we are waiting for now is Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer.
Focused on advocacy, representation, policy and health promotion for people with HIV, NAPWHA commissioned me to stage a group portrait of the staff from the Sydney office in the back streets of Newtown.
Theirs is a relaxed and engaging take on corporate imagery for annual general reports and their website. In these photographs I tried to capture their open and approachable attitude.
Brett Austin and Domenic De Sousa are two talented Sydney deejays who are highly sought after in the clubs and dance parties of Sydney, Australia and beyond.
Like all good professionals they are continually up-dating their image and their promotional efforts.
And the beat goes on…….
What to do with an abandoned building, collecting dust, graffiti and shattered glass. Prime Constructions turned a run-down eye-sore in Pymble into a modern, highly functional office building with all the mod-cons.
I was given the unusual opportunity to photograph the project as a “before and after” record of how urban spaces can be reclaimed and repurposed.
The decision has been to respect as much of the original, high quality graffiti as possible especially in the lower ground floors and car park. In this way the past is featured as part of the present.
Tigerpak office and warehouse, Marsden Park (for The Prime Group)
SCT Warehouse, Minchinbury (for The Prime Group)
Charter Hall warehouse and offices, Prestons (for The Prime Group)
Hunter Express, Casula (for The Prime Group)
Artist Rhonda Pryor exhibited in October, together with Kathie Najar at the Barometer Gallery in Paddington as part of Sydney Craft Week.
As a friend of mine, it was a joy to see Rhonda’s exhibition of new mixed media works combining fabric, canvas and paint.
For further information: www.rhondapryor.com
Prior to the offices of the NSW Department of Health being occupied in their new premise at St Leonards I photographed the interiors and exteriors of the multi-storey, purpose built facility, designed by BVN Architects and constructed by Multiplex, consolidating 10 NSW Health agencies into one location.
Improving collaboration between NSW Health agencies, the relocating health entities include the Ministry of Health, Agency for Clinical Innovation, Bureau of Health Information, the Clinical Excellence Commission, the Health Education and Training Institute, Cancer Institute NSW, NSW Health Pathology, Health Infrastructure, eHealth NSW and HealthShare NSW.
Click on the thumbnails below for full gallery.
In preparation for her Sydney Festival show next January at the Parramatta Riverside Theatre Catherine Alcorn is starring in FNL (Friday Night Live) with Paul McDermott. Produced by Tenacious C this is a musical revue which incorporates Daniel Edmonds as musical director, Glenn Moorehouse as band leader, Ted Robinson as director and featuring the luminous talents of Verushka Darling .
Backstage at the photoshoot for FNL, Sydney Festival 2021, with Catherine Alcorn, Paul McDermott, Verushka Darling and Glenn Moorehouse.
On commission, I photographed the Sydney office of Lloyd Group construction company in Pyrmont, showing both the interior fit-out and the building exterior. The focus was on the clean lines of the board room, meeting rooms and working stations spread out over the 2 floors.
I continued my commission for Lloyd Group by photographing 4 new educational facilities in NSW – Hurstville Public School, Speers Point Public School, Wangi Wangi West Primary School and West Penshurst Primary School. This demonstrates the current commitment to providing dynamic learning environments and communal outdoor spaces.
It’s uplifting to see how clever businesses are able to find fresh ways to survive in the current climate, and to reward their loyal customers.
Le Coq, a well-loved restaurant in Darling Road not far from my studio in Rozelle, boasts a menu focussed on traditional French poultry dishes. Together with David Poirier, the owner of Le Coq, I recently set up a photo-shoot as a way to celebrate their regular clients at a time when business is beginning to return to normal. Inspired by Leonardo’s Last Supper, I created a series of iconic portraits of various local people from Rozelle and Balmain seated at a long dining table. The new series is called The First Supper. These culinary portraits will soon be hanging on the walls of Le Coq.
The Sydney Morning Herald published a short story in its Short black good food guide on June 20, 2020.
Some people may dismiss them as big, rectangular boxes built as part of the landscape of a city’s outskirts, not so interesting nor engaging. However, I am often commissioned to photograph the best designs for newly built warehouses in Sydney and beyond. They are essential structures which are rapidly demarcating the fringes of our urban sprawl in Smithfield, Minto and Kemps Creek.
Like many people, I tend to live in my inner-city bubble. Specialist food shops, cafes and “take-away for days” line my suburb. It’s easy to forget how important the infrastructure to support this life-style is. I am reminded when I venture out to photograph the massive, multi-purpose “boxes” that make this lifestyle possible. The best are examples of innovation in landscaped settings with native vegetation.
I particularly like the abstract nature and repetition of some of the construction details. The following is a visual display of features which have taken my eye while photographing these warehouses in Casula, Eastern Creek, Minchinbury, Moorebank and Yennora, produced as documentation for the construction companies that are building them.
I have developed a great respect for the sharp lines and primary colours used in the design of a simple, functional, hi-tech warehouse. I continue to expand in this genre of photography.
If you have any enquires please feel free to send me an email on john@johnmcrae.com
I shot the new linen collection for So French So Chic on a timber-decked yacht in Rushcutters Bay on Sydney harbour. The shoot was relaxed and breezy, to reflect the clothes.
See the product description below:
Good style is effortless.
Our beautiful linen and easy-to-wear designs are created with an attitude of casual chic, inspired by the breezy ports of the Mediterranean. Designed in France from linen sourced in Bandol near St Tropez, and tailor-made in Italy, our range breathes with stylish simplicity.
Dress up or dress it down. Feel free and relaxed.
We present our unique blend of A-line silhouettes and soft, falling fabric. Summer is colourful. Bright tones of watermelon, azure, turquoise and tangerine, are mixed with gentle pastels, or such neutrals as anthracite, pale mint and charcoal, or crisp, maritime white. Be part of our own French identity, but adapted to the Australian climate and outdoor lifestyle. Welcome aboard.
Getting ready for winter, I shot the latest collection of boots and shoes from Booty Shoes, available online from their store in Potts Point
We are all grappling with the new Covid-19 threat and changes to our life-styles and livelihoods. The construction industry continues under new guidelines. With restrictions, building and documenting can continue.
Here are a few of the warehouse projects in western Sydney I have worked on during the past few weeks.
