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The fashion world is constantly evolving. Over the years I’ve photographed a heady selection of haute couture design, casual street wear and accessories, both in Australia and overseas, including in Paris, Hong Kong, Beirut and Rome. Recently I photographed the novel range of face masks designed by the label Hygiene to a T (www.htoat.com.au). Each mask is handmade, washable, reusable and reversible.
Hygiene to a T has launched its range of colourful, Australiana masks which are stylish and still highly protective. Their beautiful fabrics feature cockatoos, wallabies, bandicoots, wattle and banksia, but also more funky urban patterns, including a comic-book Spiderman. Wearing a mask of a masked superhero has its own ironic, Pop culture edge. Hygiene to a T cleverly encourages you to stay safe with style.
I’ve been photographing Rhonda Pryor’s works and exhibitions for many years. Originally Rhonda was my studio buddy when we both worked in the same warehouse building in Lilyfield – me with my photography and Rhonda in her painting studio. Rhonda has since moved on to work in a studio closer to home, but she continues to commission me to photograph and document her eye-catching works, which combine painting and textiles, both hard-edged and shadowy.
Rhonda writes about her work: “While studying for my master’s degree at Sydney College of the Arts, my media of choice evolved to photography and textile work. However, I feel my work still suggests a painter’s sensibility in many ways and has influenced me in working with oils yet again after a long break. Recent textile pieces range from tight, abstract and amorphic shapes with linen, to more fluid, evocative manipulations – like catching sight of something but not quite seeing or understanding it (much like the process of remembering).”
I recently photographed studio portraits as corporate profiles for the team at Prime Constructions. For the occasion, a studio set-up was temporarily installed at the company’s Artarmon offices, as pictured. Sometimes as a photographer, the key is to be mobile.
Prime chose a standard grey background with a slight gradient for the portraits. The subject was seated, to create a corporate mood that was relaxed and open. The images are all shot in a landscape orientation, rather than portrait. This choice was made based on the proposed layout of these profiles on the Prime Constructions website. The main lighting is high key with not too much contrast on the face, and I added a hair-light to separate the sitter from the background.
Pictured above from left to right: Paul Christopher (MD Construction), John Drake (MD Pre-Construction) and Phil De Gail (Executive Chairman)
In 1983, Ron Masters & Phil de Gail established Prime Constructions, now regarded as one of the leading building contractors in New South Wales. Paul Christopher joined Prime in 1988 as a cadet and John Drake commenced as a general foreman in 1989. Having prospered and developed within the increasingly expanding company, John and Paul became directors and shareholders in 2000. In 2010, they became joint managing directors.
Prime’s services include new construction, refurbishment and fit-out for projects up to $80m, offering innovative construction solutions and undertaking industrial, commercial, retail and institutional projects. Over the past several years, I have photographed many building sites overseen by Prime, documenting each stage from the earliest preliminary phases to completion. With a proven record of successful project delivery for over 35 years, Prime is one of my long-standing architectural clients.
St Narsai Assyrian Christian College, Horsley Park by Prime Constructions
Ceramic figure by Dutch artist Frans Franciscus, 2021
Sometimes in the art world, coincidences can be a great joy. I just received an invitation to a solo presentation of new ceramic sculptures by Dutch artist Frans Franciscus (www.fransfranciscus.nl), showing one of his elongated, nude figures. Franciscus has posed his male subject upside-down, like a naked totem. Immediately I was reminded of one of my own works, a surreal portrait of Olympic diver Matthew Mitcham. In my photograph taken in Sydney ten years ago, Matt poses in his diving trunks, balanced on his hands in the abandoned rail yards at Lilyfield.
John McRae, Matthew Mitcham, Lilyfield, 2011
The silhouette and mood are very similar in both of our works. Franciscus says he “combines or re-arranges compositions of old masters depicting biblical stories in an up-to-date and idiosyncratic fashion.” Using sculpture, paintings, drawings and photographs, his art tackles racism, discrimination and social discomfort. I sometimes do the same thing in my photographs. Frans Franciscus, who is also a great friend of my mate the Dutch artist Erwin Olaf, will be featured in “This Art Fair” to be held at the Kromhouthal in Amsterdam, August 26-29, 2021, with seven new sculptures presented in his solo called as “Clay Only”. Inspired by medieval and Renaissance painting, Surrealism, religious iconography and classical mythology, Franciscus’ artwork always tries to create space for a broader view on humankind.
My portrait photograph of Matt was taken in the industrial area still “under development for the West Connex”, at the site next to the Lilyfield light rail, from where you can see the Sydney Harbour Bridge. It was taken as part of a fashion shoot that I was staging for the Australian label “Gossip”. I had decided to incorporate different narratives into the fashion shots … to that end I enlisted “extras” to appear in the backgrounds. Matt, who at the time lived nearby, was included as part of this concept.
John McRae, Fashion shoot for Gossip Couture, 2011
This was only three years after Matt had won his gold medal at the Beijing Olympics in the 10-metre diving event, with what is still the highest-scoring single dive in Olympic history. My photos were taken in March, 2011.
Now and then it can be great to have a bit of fun in the studio and just see where things take you. Adam is a friend who was keen to play along. We raided the costume box and this is what we found. The results are a bit of Goldfinger, and Madonna, and Shirley Bassey, and Liberace, and Moulin Rouge, and James Bond.
For this shoot for So French So Chic, we decided to photograph the winter collection of jumpers and knits in a neutral warehouse setting.
With more than 20 years of experience So French So Chic is focused on stylish but casual clothing made from knitwear and all-natural fibres. Designed in France and produced in Italy for the Australian climate, the new range for SFSC features cable knit, bold colours and soft fabric.
Callan Park, a large parkland on the Sydney foreshore, borders the suburbs of Rozelle, Lilyfield and Leichhardt. Just across the road from my photography studio, the park stretches down to the water’s edge. I regularly go for walks on the lawns, amidst the centuries old trees and the heritage buildings. It’s both a sanctuary and an oasis.
Over the years I have photographed the interiors of different buildings within Callan Park, especially the abandoned psychiatric wards, which featured as a backdrop for my “Looney Bin” and “Ward 17” series. These sandstone buildings have been shown in my exhibitions in Rome, Ravello, Trieste and Sydney.
One of the original buildings in Callan Park officially entitled the house of “The Master of Lunacy”
The four 40-year-old Freshwater-class ferries churning the waters from Circular Quay to Manly are about to be replaced by a fleet of new 1000-seat, double decker vessels. I have been commissioned to photograph these iconic beasts before they disappear from service.
I have been venturing down to the harbour at different times of the day to capture the MV Freshwater, MV Queenscliff, MV Narrabeen and MV Collaroy as they near their retirement. The Manly Ferries provide one of the world’s most beautiful public transport services, operating since 1855.
The Port Jackson and Manly Steamship Company that operated the Manly ferries for nearly a century famously coined the expression about Manly being “Seven miles from Sydney and a thousand miles from care”, a phrase that became part of Sydney’s popular culture.
Sydney artist Phil Stallard is know for his spontaneous landscapes of coastal Sydney. Describing himself as an “Emotional Abstractionist”, Phil dedicates himself to creating exuberantly coloured paintings with Sydney harbour and swimming pool iconography. The theme of water has been a prominent reference point for Phil, drawing on his personal memories of the city and the Hawkesbury.
Currently Phil is working on an upcoming solo show at Rochfort Gallery in North Sydney.
“My work has echoes of improvised jazz, where the artist interprets compositional themes through the act of painting. The result is carefully thought out but with spontaneous elements that give the painting vitality and life.”
Following 30 years in the world of fine jewellery and decorative arts both in Europe and Australia, Adrian Dickens from CircaAD specialises in objects of intrinsic beauty and good craftsmanship. This ranges from South Sea pearl pendants and diamond cluster brooches, to reinvigorated family heirlooms.
For the last 8 years, I have been working with Adrian, whose business is based in Melbourne. My work has been photographing his collection of high quality pieces for his annual catalogue and documenting his fine jewellery, created thanks to his specialised approach.
Sometimes archeology is not about ancient history. The public swimming pool in Valletta, one of my favourite informal places in Malta, is for me a site of extraordinary memories. I have spent 20 years meeting up with friends around the deck, swimming laps for exercise underneath the ramparts of the old city. On the right of the pool is baroque architecture and on the left is the Mediterranean. There has always been an endearing atmosphere of mild neglect, which adds to the attraction.
As I write this, I have heard that the pool is being demolished. Sitting here in winter in Sydney I am full of nostalgia for scorching summers by the blue waters of this magical place.
The local children who live in the area have used the pool as their social club. Over the years I saw many of them grow up.
Currently I am revising and editing the various images I have captured of this iconic public meeting point, with the idea of creating a monograph as a tribute to this slice of warm humanity in Valletta.
Logistics of any kind is a big industry on the western periphery of Sydney. CHEP’s new warehouse in Eastern Creek, built by Prime Constructions, is no exception.
CHEP is a company dealing in pallet and container pooling services, serving customers in a range of industrial and retail supply chains. Founded in 1946, it is a subsidiary of Brambles.
Shooting in an industrial landscape at dusk can sometimes be quite surreal. The architecture takes on a futuristic geometry, devoid of the human figure.
I recently photographed the esteemed architect, Mark Butler, at various sites around the CBD, including The Rocks and under the Harbour Bridge. As principal architect of Butler Associates Pty Ltd, his firm required new imagery to use in an up-coming marketing campaign for projects overseas.
Mark is a highly experienced and passionate Australian designer who constantly strives for design excellence through an innovative and imaginative approach. He has extensive international experience working in Australia, China, Taiwan, Vietnam, Algeria and the Middle East.
Over the past 20 years Mark has worked collaboratively on a variety of international and award winning projects, with highlights such as, the Watercube for the Beijing 2008 Olympics (2003-2008), the iconic residential project, City Gardens in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam (2006- 2012) the design of the Zenith Theatre and Exhibition Centre for the Arab Arts Festival (2015), in Constantine, Algeria. Currently he is working on a number of new projects in Vietnam having completed the Chi Dong Residential Tower, Kingdom 101 Residence and Banciao Residential Tower.
My portrait of Emily Jacir, taken in one of her favorite streets in Rome, 2016
My friend, the Palestinian artist, Emily Jacir has a solo show at her Turin gallery, Galleria Peola Simondi, Italy (until 14 October, 2021). The photo based works, film and texts are her response to the ongoing conflict between the Israeli state and the Palestinian people in and around her ancestral home and artist’s studio in Bethlehem. Jacir’s house is 200 metres from the “Apartheid Wall”, the imposing security barrier which was supposedly designed to protect the Jewish Israeli population but instead serves to isolate and and antagonise Palestinian communities. As Jacir states in the text by Francesca Comisso, “the wall does not separate us from Israel, it separates us from ourselves”.
Emily photographed in Rome, 2016
I have photographed Emily several times over the years and one of these images was used by La Repubblica newspaper in the review of her current show at Galleria Peola Simondi.
At the lofty heights on the 22nd floor of the Multiplex headquarters in King Street in Sydney, I spent the day photographing the diverse and cheerful team of this global construction company.
The idea was to capture how individual personalities can shine through in a standardised corporate pose. My challenge is to portray each person as interesting and engaging in their own unique way. For me it is really cool… not many assignments give me the opportunity to interact with so many different people over the course of a single day.
On a perfect autumn day in Parsley Bay (although admittedly it was a bit cold for the model) we shot next season’s summer range for So French So Chic. Valeria Sizova, originally from Vladisvostok (eastern Russia) was a joy to work with. Sydney is full of these treasures of nature and the sandstone parkland, bridge and wharf provided a stunning backdrop.
We present our unique blend of A-line silhouettes and soft, falling fabric. This year, our summer range is a mix of bold colours and gentle neutrals. Bright tones of fuschia, coral, turquoise and burnt orange are mixed with fresh pastels, or crisp, maritime white. Be part of our own French identity, adapted to the Australian climate and outdoor lifestyle. This includes loose tops with twin front pockets and large mother-of-pearl buttons, an asymmetrical sundress, a bolero jacket and wide-legged pants reminiscent of French sailor wear.
Trevor Ashley, the Australian musical theatre actor, cabaret and drag artist based in Sydney, is continually inventing new characters and new looks.
Currently he has been working on the Drag Hag podcast and providing re-caps of RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under (to see episode 4, click here).
At the studio Trevor posed under the lights showcasing a series of vibrant, extravagant and fun new alter egos with costumes by Frida Las Vegas, under the master touch of Daniel Cater (aka Dallas Dellaforce) who took care of hair, make-up and styling.
Daniel and Trevor in the make-up chair
As a chameleon and from my experience of working with Trevor since the early 2000s, I never quite know who is going to be channeled on set…..Liza, Shirley, Edna or one of his brand new superstars.
The Lighting Council of Australia commissioned me to document the recent visit of Ed Husic MP to the Signify head office in Mascot. The Shadow Minister for Industry and Innovation, Husic is also the first Muslim to be elected to Federal Parliament.
There was a short presentation of the latest innovations and future projects for urban lighting by Signify, formerly Phillips Lighting, as well a general tour of the facility.
During the visit to the manufacturing division of Signify, the Shadow Minister met one of his constituents, a fellow Bosnian, and they happily recognised each other. The two of them are pictured below.
“This work comes from walking through the fire ground after the 2019-20 fires in the Blue Mountains….the textures, the still glowing logs, the xanthorrhoea stumps, the profound and shocking stillness,” says artist Margarita Sampson.
It is great to photograph Margarita’s work and spend a couple of hours with her magnificent and unusual creations. I wonder what’s next….?
“Jewels of all sorts and sizes continue to cross my path,” says Adrian Dickens from Circa AD. “Whether to re-sell for clients, to re-invent, to retail, to source or just to enjoy. Whether valuable or not, each jewel is given the upmost attention in order to make it sing.”
