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What a day! Our team spent an unforgettable day on the stunning Sydney Harbour, working together to bring the latest fashion catalogue for So French So Chic to life. The weather couldn’t have been better, with the sun shining brightly and the harbour’s sparkling waters providing the perfect backdrop for a summer-themed shoot.
The atmosphere was buzzing with excitement and creativity as we began setting up for the shoot. David Cranson, our incredible make-up and hair artist, worked his magic to create the flawless looks for our models. From glamorous waves to sleek, sophisticated styles, David’s talent added that extra touch of elegance to each shot.
Louis, our hard-working assistant, was always at hand, keeping everything organized and ensuring that the photo-shoot ran smoothly. His attention to detail was invaluable, making sure the lighting, props and silhouettes looked good. And, of course, we couldn’t forget Valerie from So French So Chic, whose vision for the brand and her expert direction kept us all focused on creating the most beautiful shots possible. Her sharp eye for style and current trends was evident in every look we put together.
As the day went on, we transitioned between a variety of looks, from breezy summer dresses to more chic, polished ensembles. Each outfit perfectly captured the effortless elegance of the So French So Chic brand, and it was such a joy to collaborate with such a talented team to bring that vision to life.
By the end of the day, we had a collection of beautiful, sun-soaked images that were a true reflection of the brand’s signature style: fresh, timeless, and always effortlessly chic.
This year, as we celebrate the Year of the Wood Snake, Melbourne Chinatown will come alive with the city’s premier cultural event. Highlights of the festival include the iconic Millennium Dragon Parade, spectacular lion and dragon dances, dazzling lantern displays, and a feast of live performances ranging from traditional music to contemporary art showcases.
Themed around wisdom, intuition, and transformation, A Round Square Banquet explores personal identity and cultural inclusion through a stunning collection of over 30 works by artists from around the globe.
I am happy to say that a number of my photographs are represented in the exhibition at the Chinese Museum in Melbourne (through February 9). Information about three of my works is listed below.
Ali & Osso Buco, 2012 Pigment inkjet on cotton rag, 60 x 90cm Edition 1 of 9, (3AP)
Ali sits at the dinner table, an embodiment of indulgence fused with a certain effortless refinement. A glass of red wine rests beside him, its rich colour, a perfect match for the Italian speciality of Osso Buco before him. His presence radiates a raw, unapologetic masculinity, sensuality, and sexuality, infusing the vast dining hall with an almost palpable energy that contrasts sharply with conventional notions of fine dining. A single yellow tulip, vibrant and unpretentious, symbolizes his joy—an outward expression of his unrestrained pleasure as he savours each bite, completely immersed in the moment.
Winner of the critics choice award at the 2013 “Shoot the Chef” competition held by the Sydney Morning Herald
Portrait of Margaret Olley in her Paddington Studio, 2011 Pigment inkjet on cotton rag, 66cm x 154cm Edition of 6 (1AP) (Signed lower right)
In mid-2011, had the great pleasure of photographing renowned Australian artist Margaret Olley in her Paddington studio, a place well known for its colourful clutter and referred to by some friends as ʻThe Dolls Houseʼ. In my portrait, Margaret is seated in her painting chair, confronting the lens with her particular sense of candour and an uncommon frailty. As far as I know, this may well be the last photo taken of her before her death the following month in July. Christine France – art critic, author of Margaret Olley (1990), commented, “It is a wonderful photo in that it captures both the vulnerability and sense of enquiry which entered her face in the last months of her life”.
The Portrait was a selected finalist in the 2012 National Photographic Portrait Prize, National Portrait Gallery, Canberra. It won the inaugural People Choice Award at the National Photographic Portrait Prize.
The Tweed River Art Gallery purchased the work as part of their permanent collection with the intention of displaying the portrait as part of the Margaret Olley Art Centre, Murwillumbah.
Amirah I, Sydney 2017 Pigment inkjet on cotton rag 92cm x 63cm Edition of 9 (AP) (from the series “Spot the Arab”)
This striking portrait of Amirah forms part of the “Spot the Arab” series of photographs. The project engages with portraiture as a vehicle for exploring complex themes of identity, including religion, race, gender, orientation, nationality, and freedom.
Presented initially in a game-like format, Spot the Arab invites viewers to question whether the subject of each image self-identifies as Arab, thus prompting reflection on assumptions and societal constructs.
For the series, the artist imposes a Middle Eastern costume on each subject, using it as a tool to both veil and reveal aspects of cultural identity. Each subject is then asked to articulate their own sense of identity, a process that challenges preconceptions, stigma, and prejudice.
At the time of this photograph, Amirah was a social worker in Sydney’s western suburbs and identified as an Egyptian Arab woman.
Pictured from left: Yashian Schauble (ACAF) and Christina Zhao (MCBA)
I recently visited TAFE in Wetherill Park to photograph for Richard Crookes Interiors. RCCI has just completed the refurbishment of an existing building on the college campus.
This project involves the development of a state-of-the-art electric vehicle (EV) training centre on the TAFE campus. This initiative is significant as it now provides a dedicated training facility for students at Wetherill Park, as one of the latest additions in the nation. The centre will focus on all aspects of electric vehicle maintenance and repairs. As the number of electric vehicles on the road continues to rise, this specialized area of education and maintenance becomes increasingly important.
United for Care is an independent living provider, working in partnership with Vertika, to make appealing accommodation available for their clients
On the morning of October 30, 2024 (a date I particularly remember because it was also my birthday), people gathered at the newly completed Redfern facility to celebrate its grand opening.
A diverse group of attendees came together to listen to speeches, participate in a traditional smoking ceremony, mingle, and enjoy the refreshments offered, which included a much-appreciated coffee barista service
The traditional smoking ceremony is part of an ancient Indigenous practice that involves the burning of native plants to create smoke. This smoke is believed to have cleansing properties and is used to purify the space and those people present. During the ceremony, participants often share stories, songs and rituals, fostering a sense of community and connection to the land and ancestors. The specific plants used can vary by region, but commonly they include eucalyptus, sage and other native herbs.
Guests in Sydney were warmly welcomed to the Cope Street inauguration and encouraged to explore the state-of-the-art accommodation facility, which is located within walking distance to the transport services and shops along Redfern’s main street.
I am frequently asked to photograph “topping out” events for various stakeholders in the construction industry. On this occasion, I was invited to document the “topping out” of an educational facility at Wentworth Point in western Sydney, during mid-construction.
You might wonder, what is a “topping out”? According to Wikipedia, it is a practice which seems to have originated in ancient Scandinavia as a religious rite, where a tree was placed atop a new building to appease the tree-dwelling spirits displaced during construction. The tree also served a practical purpose: when the pine needles fell to the ground, it signaled to the builders that their timber frame had cured or dried.
Today, a “topping out” event is usually organized by the builder, who invites those partners and associates involved with the project to a ceremony to mark the completion of the final level in construction, signifying that the structure is finished.
At the event I covered for Roberts & Co., a large potted tree was hoisted by crane onto the roof of the building. Speeches were made and group photos were taken. I learned that the tree does not remain on the roof; after the event, it is taken back down by crane and planted somewhere nearby.
It had been a while since Bob Downe graced my studio with his presence, but he has returned for an exhilarating update of his imagery. Thankfully, Mark Trevorrow was on hand to expertly navigate us through the nuances of a “Bob Shoot”.
Having had the privilege to photograph Bob for many years, it’s astonishing to realize that his career has spanned an impressive four decades. This year, 2025, marks Bob’s 40th anniversary in the entertainment industry. To countless fans and in my own eyes – being a visual person – Bob remains as ageless as ever. While the heavy “pancake” makeup and cheesy smile plays a role in his timeless appearance, I truly believe that his durability comes down to his commitment to clean living. And his crisp safari suits.
Working with Bob is a delight; he embodies professionalism. I can trust that I will capture a series of original shots without hassle, since Bob knows how to work a camera with ease. Beyond this talent, he’s genuinely a wonderful person to be around. His upbeat attitude, infectious laugh and zest for life will transform any photo shoot into a joyful experience.
Bob readies himself for the shoot
The ever watchful Mark Trevorrow adds last minute touches to Bob’s wig
As we celebrate Bob’s remarkable journey, I wish him a cheerful and successful 2025. I encourage everyone to book tickets for one of the venues where he will be performing this year, from Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne to Perth, Newcastle and Brunswick Heads. Don’t miss out on the entertainment extravaganza that awaits! Information on performances can be found at this link: BobDowne40thAnniversary
NAPWHA members gathered together in late 2024 for their annual conference, held in Surry Hills, Sydney.
To mark the occasion and for upcoming communication purposes, I was asked to take a group portrait. I always enjoy the challenges of photographing larger groups and look forward to seeing the results.
Finding an ample space can be an obvious obstacle. Fortunately we had access to a large balcony with an impressive view of the CBD.
I always check the lighting before assembling people for a group portrait. I usually take test-snaps of myself posed in various positions in the chosen setting – this creates a silly opportunity to create duplicate images of myself … and this was no exception.
I look forward to working with NAPWHA (National Association of People with HIV Australia) again on a future project. And do not hesitate to get in touch should you require photography of team members or groups.
Sharon Calabro is one of Australia’s finest and most respected singers and cabaret performers. Moreover, she is a wonderful human being who is both professional and loads of fun to work with
Sharon decided it was time to update her portfolio and promotional imagery. So we organised a studio shoot before Christmas, before the start of Sharon’s busy summer schedule.
Joining us at our photo-shoot was Alex Divanis , the talented make-up and hair artist, who has extensive experience in the industry. He has recently returned to Australia after living overseas.
For our shoot, Alex decided to style Sharon’s hair in a new manner. Normally Sharon sports a fringe but for these images, Alex flicked the hair back from her forehead. It worked really well and Sharon was super happy with the result.
It was a great moment for us to work together to create something special. I will share more of the final, retouched images in a future post. For now I’ve included a few unedited proofs as a teaser.
It was a perfect day for a Christening at the St George Serbian Orthodox Church in Cabramatta. The youngest daughter of Tania and Ray Duricic was about to be christened.
Many of Tania’s and Ray’s friends and family were present to witness this joyous and celebratory event. It is always at events such as these that you realise how important it is for people to come together and socialise and interact…no matter what the occasion.
Since I am not accustomed to witnessing an Orthodox Christian ceremony, I was fascinated to see the traditional proceedings and rituals. The interior of the church has many murals, paintings of religious figures, gilded objects and is rich with colour and gold.
At this christening, the role of the godparents is to attend to the person being christened, to present Kristina and to repeat the vows given by the priest. The parents stand in the background, supporting their child from a distance.
Once the service was completed, everyone moved to a nearby reception centre where the festivities continued, complete with musicians including a very enthusiastic piano accordionist and keyboard player, as well as a delicious feast.
It also happened to be Kristina’s first birthday. Obviously you can’t have a birthday without a cake and the obligatory blowing-out of the candles. It was a most fantastic day, not only for Kristina but also for all those who attended.
Janet Anderson on the red carpet for the CGA Awards Night, 2024
It was a Friday night at the ballroom of The Establishment and it was the awards night for the Casting Guild of Australia
What is the Casting Guild of Australia? Well in their own words….”The Casting Guild of Australia (CGA) was formed to bring recognition to Casting Directors across Australia who cast film, television, TV commercials, theatre, new media and reality. The CGA gives members a forum to share ideas and exchange information, provides unified standards for safe, inclusive and fair practices, engages in charitable activities, and highlights its members’ achievements.”
Each year, the Casting Guild of Australia (CGA) holds an awards ceremony to recognize outstanding individuals in various categories, akin to the Oscars for casting agents. This event is unique in the southern hemisphere, as it celebrates and acknowledges casting achievements across all mediums, including film, television, advertising, theatre, and online content.
Group image of some of the 10 young, up-and-coming, new talent.
On Friday night, attendees gathered in the ballroom to mingle and socialize, celebrating the achievements within the casting community. During the event, several awards were presented, and ten promising young talents were recognized as future stars likely to achieve national and international fame. The evening featured speeches and was expertly hosted by the erudite duo, Christian and Connor Van Vuuren.
Christian and Connor Van Vuuren, hosts for the CGA Awards night, 2024, on the red carpet.
There was also a special appearance and presentation by Sally Riley, the notable filmmaker, writer, producer, who was head of the indigenous branch of Screen Australia and then Head of the Indigenous Department at ABC, during which time she executive produced Mabo and Redfern Now. In 2015 she was appointed Head of Scripted Production at ABC, which commissioned series like Stateless, Mystery Road, Total Control, After Taste, Rosehaven, Wakefield, The Newsreader and many more. Sally is now Creative Consultant at SBS and NITV.
Sally Riley (filmmaker, writer, producer) during her presentation at the CGA Awards Night, 2024
It was a great night filled with good energy, and with the flash of the red carpet photography going non-stop as the award winners and guests were snapped in front of the media wall. Sending my congratulations to all the award winners.
The talented glass artist, Dagmar Ackerman is staging an exhibition at her Balmain studio complex. I often photograph Dagmar’s works for catalogue entries and promotion, so I am familiar with her seductive and colourful art works.
So head down to the artist studio complex, One plus 2 Artist Studios, and browse through Dagmar’s glass exhibition. The exhibtion extends across the weekend (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) of the 22nd – 24th November, 2024.
Photo: Dagmar Ackerman during a recent photo session of her glass art works
The team at Charter Hall and Prime Construcitons came together to mark the commencement of a new development at Minto. A short ceremony was organised where speeches were made and refreshments were consumed, as well as the symbolic turning of the first sod of ground.
The “sod-turning” is a symbolic re-enactment of the first bit of dirt that is dug up when work on the site is commenced. Three very shiny shovels were prepared for this construction ritual and then the appropriate individuals dig into the ground and dislodge the first bit of dirt (see photo).
A delicious spread was provided for breakfast on the dayPhoto: commencement of construction on the site at Minto
Every so often I get together with a team of friends in my studio to stage a fun photoshoot. This is an opportunity to take photographs of our model with no real commercial intention other than to experiment with hair, make-up, lighting and photography.
This particular weekend we photographed the beautiful model, Anya Gorbunova (Insta: @anyagorbunova89), who was a delight to work with. Normally I shoot with a fellow photographer colleague, Rob Srjararian, who not only photographs, but works as a graphic designer and has a background in hair styling….hence he decides the hair. He also operates as the artistic designer and is responsible for the styling of the shoot.
So the shoot team was a follows:
Hair/Styling/artistic direction – Robert Srjararian
Photography and lighting – John McRae
Make-up – Kerry Jane-Bailey
Styling and accessories – Joyce Conte
Model – Anya Gorbunova
It was a great Sunday morning and a very creative activity. I feel it is important to make time to work on photography that is not necessarily related to commercial goals…after all that’s why most of us went into photography in the first place….and photographing a beautiful model is a good start.
On now at the Hayes Theatre, Sydney, Flat Earthers, a brand new musical that is not just a kaleidoscope of colour, but a wacky adventure into (cyber) space and time.
Production shots of the dress rehearsal are an important tool for promotional purposes for any show. They are also reproduced in the program that is sold on performance nights at the theatre, creating a valuable document of the cast, lighting and staging of any particular production. In the case of “Flat Earthers: The Musical”, due to difficulties with my scheduling for the dress rehearsal, I was actually photographing the first public performance. This meant I was limited in my movements, since I normally have the freedom to move throughout the auditorium when photographing a performance. As a photographer, you want to vary the angles and you constantly search for striking lighting effects. That said, you usually work more at the front/centre of the stage, because the show is constructed that way … you want to mirror the audience viewpoint.
Book & Lyrics Jean Tong & Lou Wall Songwriting Lou Wall & James Gales Music Production James Gales Director Declan Greene Musical Director Jude Perl Choreographer Fetu Taku Set & Lighting Designer Brockman Costume Designer Emma White Sound Designer, Associate Video Designer & Animator Daniel Herten AV Content Creator Xanthe Dobbie Stage Manager Anastasia Mowen Sound & AV Assistant TK Abioye Sound Operator Em-Jay Dwyer Intimacy Coordinator Chloë Dallimore Musical Dramaturg Clemence Williams Casting Director Rhys Velasquez Assistant Set Designer Lochie Odgers Assistant Stage Manager Grace Sackman With Michelle Brasier, Lena Cruz, Manali Datar, Milo Hartill, Manon Guderson-Briggs, Mel O’Brien, Shannen Alyce Quan, Zarif
Independently I was approached by three different contemporary sculptors to document their recent work. Since this happened almost simultaneously, I thought this synergy shown by Patrizia Biondi, Nuha Saad and Charlotte Van Ewyk merited a special blog post.
Nuha Saad
Nuha Saad
Shooting sculpture is very different to shooting two-dimensional artworks. In regards to photographing paintings, once the lighting is set up, it remains the same for consecutive works. However, for sculpture, each piece requires slightly different and adjusted lighting and shadowing. The other important feature when photographing sculptures is that you often need to document the sense of shifting perspective. Each angle and point of view is different. Therefore I take numerous images of the same piece, to make sure I have covered most of the various viewpoints. I then edit down the shots to create the narrative I wish to capture.
Back in July, I hosted a photographic session at my Lilyfield studio for the different actors appearing in forthcoming productions for the Hayes Theatre in Sydney. We were shooting imagery for the promotion of the 2025 season.
Together we worked on images for a new production called “Pharlap”, an end-of-year special Xmas performance by Nancye Hayes in “Merry and Bright”, and finally the lead imagery for the production of “Pirates of Penzance”, set for February 2025
These are the latest additions to the impressive list of musicals and stage-plays performed as part of the Hayes Theatre’s busy program. Once they have been fully rehearsed, I will write more about these productions in this blog.
For more information on each show, as well as performance dates and times, click here:
I went to the former White Bay Power Station at the weekend to take a series of installation images of my work, on display as part of the “Power Up Festival” in Rozelle. (See previous blog post for more info). There has been a really good response to my photographs in the exhibition, which were visible through specially constructed “peep-holes” to create a surreal, hidden, slightly subversive effect. My photographs themselves capture scenes shot in the former psychiatric ward and hospital in Rozelle.
This weekend, I will be exhibiting several of my photographs at the White Bay Power Station in Balmain (September 20, 21 & 22, 2024), as part of the Power Up Festival. Diverse Sydney artists are showing their recent work, along with a festival of music and food.
My photographic portraits of a solitary figure in a post-industrial space are being featured in a new installation flanked by abandoned machinery. It will be a great event with more that 250 artists and a line-up of artisans, food vendors and craft brewers. Wander through the Pump House and Boiler House to see the Power Up Stage ignite with live music and captivating performances. It is a wonderful opportunity to visit this iconic building near the Anzac Bridge. Oh … the best bit, it’s free!
A new logistics facility opened for inspection in Prestons, a suburb south-west of the Sydney CBD. I was commissioned to photograph the completed stages of the building, which has been constructed by Hansen Yuncken. I also covered an event at the same site, hosted by the developer, 151 Properties.
What is particularly impressive about this structure is the huge awning which stretches over the loading bays, spanning both warehouses. This is one of the largest dual-purpose awnings I have recently seen.
151 Properties held a presentation for agents who work in this industry, to show them around and to publicize that a new, state-of-the-art logistics facility was available for rent. Obviously by demonstrating innovation and by fielding potential customers for 151 Properties, it shows how layered the construction industry can be when many stakeholders are involved … from the lofty levels of financing and investment, to the actual build, project management and deployment. At any step of the way, you can be sure there are a number of people and interests involved.
The early morning presentation proceeded well. There were several speeches and then visitors were taken on tours of the facility. However, alongside the impressive structure itself, the best part for me was the hamburger stand and the accompanying coffee stand … breakfast was a welcome treat.
