Sydney Professional, Commercial & Corporate Photography
I would have to say that portraiture is my favourite genre. Here are a few examples of recent portraits….some are commissions, some are for personal projects or simply people I wanted to shoot.
I have been working on an on-going series for exhibition called, Spot the Arab. For more information click here:
It’s always fun and colourful to shoot in the entertainment space. Here are a few examples of some shows that I worked on recently.
The lyin’ Queen – by Phil Scott and Trevor Ashley, an ecological disatser movie remake hits the stage.
A new production of Hair the Musical was produced by David Hawkins. It toured the country, including performances at the Sydney Opera House.
Each year I shoot stills for the live recording of “Just For Laughs”, recorded in the studio at the Sydney Opera House. It is always a pleasure to shoot this totally entertaining event….at times the camera is shaking as I hold back laughter.
The construction sector is still buoyant and active. Here are a few examples of the latest projects I was commissioned to work on…..
Prime Constructions is about to work on this “artistic” office space. Left vacant and unfinished for many years, this graffiti canvas will now become a re-furbished and modern office complex. This is the “before” shot. Stay tuned for the “after” shot….sorry that one will take another 6 months to complete.
Short term rentals is a vibrant market as more and more people make their homes and properties available. I’ve been working with a company that manages these properties for owners, Maisonnets. Here are a few examples:
I have been on assignment at Screen Australia recently, shooting some vibrant, young creatives for various promotional initiatives.
Ryan O’Connell, writer and story editor (Will & Grace) has teamed up with Anna Dokoza, Australian director, the star of The Big Bang Theory and Netflix to create a new comedy, Special. Click here for more info
Pitcher Perfect – Screen Australia announced the finalists of the first ever “Pitcher Perfect” competition which was held at VidCon in Melbourne.
I shot some of the creatives who’s job it was to pitch their concepts to a panel of judges, for a duration of 5mins. It was their job to convince the panel to choose their concept as the recipient of the $30,000 on offer to the winners.
The winning pitch was “Return to Sender”, pitched by Amy and Pearl, two of the finalists that I photographed.
Sydney was the original home of cabaret in Australia; it is an artform that is truly loved by all Australians. This year organisers decided to bring back the Sydney Cabaret Festival.
Trevor Ashley is the Festival’s Artistic Director. He assembled both International and Australian cabaret stars into a 9 day extravaganza of top class entertainment. Trevor states, “I have loved Cabaret as long as I can remember. As a confused child growing up I discovered this incredible artform that celebrated unique personalities, and more than that, an irreplaceable bond between artist and audience. Seeing artists like Lorrae Desmond, Julie Anthony and Geraldine Turner live, made me believe I could be anyone I wanted to be. It changed my life.”
The 2019 Sydney Cabaret Festival features Tony Award-winner Jennifer Holliday (pictured above), appearing for the first time on Australian soil, alongside local legends like Phil Scott and Jonathan Biggins, to New York downtown darling Natalie Joy Johnson. UK’s Frisky and Mannish return after a ten year hiatus, as does diva Alison Jiear. Tim Draxl will appear in a world premiere of his new show, along with Kim David Smith, Reuben Kaye and Brian Nash, plus circus and variety show Cheeky Cabaret, direct from their home in Brunswick Heads. Tim Benzie returns to Sydney with Solve-Along-A-Murder-She-Wrote. The Festival also includes a cabaret for children, Petit Cabaret, and masterclasses with Jennifer Holliday and Alison Jiear, as well as the Grand Final of the restored Sydney Cabaret Competition.
I was the Festival’s Photographer and had the pleasure of photographing and documenting most of the action. The following is a brief visual overview of how I spent my time.
The Seymour Centre was transformed into the Cabaret Hub with solo performances simultaneously running in 5 separate performance spaces. There was a great buzz of excitement and anticipation as the audiences crowded to attend each show. I ran from theatre to theatre capturing the action. Here’s a visual overview…..
Australia’s next generation of cabaret superstars launched their careers at The Sydney Cabaret Competition: Grand Final hosted by ‘International Queen of Cabaret’ Trevor Ashley.
9 entertainers were selected as finalists (Nyssa Milligan, Irene Nicaola, Katelin Koprivec, Sarah Murr, Naomi Livingston, Rachael Gillfeather, Ali Calder, Billie Palin and Clare Ellen O’Connor), each performed their own short cabaret shows. The judges then selected the 2019 winner.
Congratulations to the runner up – Clare Ellen O’Conner with her show Plucked! and the Audience Choice and Winner – Billie Palin, for her incredible performance in ‘From Dubbo to Death’.
Born out of the sleepy, picturesque village of Brunswick Heads on the north coast of NSW, birthed at the Brunswick Picture House, comes “Cheeky Cabaret”. Full of many flavours…..other than vanilla and very entertaining, Cheeky Cabaret ran for the entire length of the Festival in the Valhalla Room at the Seymour Centre.
The Piano Bar was a popular venue, nestled in the Seymour Centre’s Festival hub. Each night heralded a plethora of pop-up performances from various artists.
The Sydney International Cabaret Festival was a big success and will be now on the Sydney cultural horizon….so watch out for it next year and don’t miss seeing a few of the performers in next years line-up.
Crime queens Tilly Devine and Kate Leigh, who were bitter rivals during the 1920s when their gangs fought it out on the streets of East Sydney in the “razor gang wars”, are a fascinating pair of protagonists for a musical currently showing at the Hayes Theatre in Potts Point.
From the 1920s until the 1930s, two vice queens, Kate Leigh and Tilly Devine, ruled the Darlinghurst underworld. Their rivalry was infamous, leading to a litany of violent crimes enacted by their razor gangs as each struggled to gain dominance in a world of sly grog, narcotics and prostitution.
In 2019, Kate Leigh’s former sly grog shop is about to reopen as a trendy coffee spot. The shop is being gutted for renovation, but there are still ghosts in the walls who aren’t done settling old scores.
Razorhurst explores what it means to be a woman in a man’s world, forced into a life of crime by circumstance. At turns crass and hilarious, Razorhurst is a “compelling meditation on the explosive cocktail of gender, class, and power underlying an infamous period in the history of crime” (Newark Star-Ledger).
Book & Lyrics by Kate Mulley, Music by Andy Peterson
Presented by Hayes Theatre Co
Director Benita de Wit
Musical Director Lucy Bermingham
Starring Amelia Cormack & Debora Krizak
RAZORHURST
Was Commissioned by and received its World Premiere at
Luna Stage, West Orange, New Jersey
Cheryl Katz, Artistic Director
TICKETS*
Previews: Full $60 | Concession $55
Mon – Thurs: Full $65 | Concession $60
Sat Matinee: Full $65 | Concession $60
Fri & Sat Evening: Full $70 | Concession $65
Wed Matinee: Full $60 | Concession $55 | Fab Four Offer $45
Razorhurst is part of the 2011 Postcode offer. Residents of 2011 can obtain half price tickets 30 minutes prior to performances Mon-Thurs with proof of address. Subject to availability.
A brand new Australian production of the much-loved rock musical HAIR will come alive in the Concert Hall – Sydney Opera House from 3 – 6 October as part of a national tour to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the show’s Australian premiere.
Leading the cast in this new production of HAIR is award-winning TV and theatre star Hugh Sheridan (Packed to the Rafters) in the role of Berger and powerhouse vocalist Paulini as Dionne. Sheridan’s one man show, Newly Discovered, sold out Adelaide Cabaret Festival in 2009 and, in 2012, he starred alongside Geoffrey Rush and Magda Szubanski in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum.
I recently captured some promotional images of both Paulini and Hugh at the Sydney Opera House.
Paulini is one of 10 Australian female solo artists to have a #1 album in the ARIA Charts and her critically acclaimed performance as Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard (2017) has cemented her as one of Australia’s most exciting rising stars.
With book and lyrics by James Rado and Gerome Ragini, and music by Galt McDermott, HAIR will be produced by David M. Hawkins and directed by Declan Greene. The show brings together a talented local creative team with Set Design by Michael-Scott Mitchell, Choreography by Amy Campbell, Musical Direction by Glenn Moorhouse and Costume Design by James Browne.
HAIR plays at the Sydney Opera House from 3 – 6 October 2019. For more information, visit: www.sydneyoperahouse.com
HAIR also plays His Majesty’s Theatre, Perth (22 August – 1 September); Geelong Performing Arts Centre (4 – 8 September); The Art House, Wyong (19 – 21 September); Illawarra Performing Arts Centre, Wollongong (25 – 29 September); and Home of the Arts, Gold Coast (11 & 12 October). For more information, visit: www.hairthemusical.com.au for details.
I think this production will be fabulous and can’t wait to hear that rousing score….this is a must see. So Book and get yourself a ticket!
Construction has begun on a world-class performing arts centre and multi-use entertainment space in Rooty Hill. It is deemed the biggest cultural development to hit Western Sydney. The centre is set to become an icon for the West, with construction due for completion in late 2019.
The project has been designed by Cox Architecture and is currently under the construction expertise of Hansen Yuncken.
Hansen Yuncken commissioned me to capture some mid-construction images of the work in progress.
The complex which houses the Sydney Coliseum Theatre will offer some impressive facilities:
The two leading ladies of Australian theatre and cabaret are at it again. Firstly, it was ABBA-SOLUTELY FABULOUS. You may remember……
It is always a pleasure to work with these talented woman of the entertainment world. There’s no stopping Rhonda and Lara’s comic wit and sense of good fun which they freely share with all. They have a new show called “Partners in Crime” and they will be touring nationally.
Doing the photography has given me a glimpse of what’s in store and I can tell you it will be hysterical. Thanks to talents of James Carroll for the design work on the poster.
Go to: www.rhondaburchmore.com to see the venues and dates and BOOK IN quickly for a fabulous night out.
How exciting….I been selected as a semi-finalist in the Head On Photo Awards 2019.
The image will be projected on screen with other semi-finalist’s images at the Paddington Town Hall between 4 May – 19 May, 2019.
Artist Statement:
As part of my investigation into stereotypes and identity I photographed Jaden, a young Aboriginal man of the Wiradjuri Nation, dressed in middle eastern clothing. With Jaden’s consent, I then draped him in an Aboriginal flag as a symbol of how he identifies. Afterwards when I showed this photograph to a group of white middle class Australians, I asked them if they thought this was a portrait of an Arab man. Most thought it was. I replied, “He’s not an Arab but can you tell me how he identifies? There’s an obvious clue, it’s draped over his head”. I am left puzzled that most people still don’t see it.