Photographing The Rollercanes

I don’t usually get the opportunity to photograph musicians, but at the end of the year I had the boys from The Rollercanes in the studio, to shoot some promo images for their new album.

Without much of a plan for how they wanted the photos to look, I was given quite a lot of creative freedom with this shoot. The boys had a vague idea of including some random props in the frame, and perhaps being able to see some of the studio equipment too. In situations like this, setting up the frame is the hardest part. Trying to decide what to have in the shot is quite tricky, and its easy to go overboard and have too much ‘stuff.’ We tried putting things in and taking them out- swapping in objects and bits of gear to get the right balance.

Finally we were ready to shoot. They boys were a bit nervous at first, not sure how to stand or what to ‘do,’ but they soon got used to the lights and the long lens and settled in to the rhythm of the shoot.

Once they warmed up, the guys did a great job of interacting with each other. I didn’t give them too much direction, as they were a lot looser and more comfortable just doing their own thing and mucking around. I didn’t want the images to look staged, so I just let them poke, pester and heckle each other, and ‘play’ with the props in the set.

Photo shoot inception. My attempt to make it onto the cover shot failed.

After the shoot, I sent through some proofs to the guys and they chose their favourites. After a few trials, we settled on a treatment that they liked. Here are a few of the  retouched images. The horizontal one made it onto the cover of the record!

Give the boys a listen or a like.

 

 

New World Soul Campaign

One of my absolute favourite things to photograph is campaigns for designers. I love the creative nature of these type of shoots, and working with a team really brings a special energy to set. Upper Volta, by Francis Kwamee has been a client for a few years now, and I always get excited when the potential for a new collaboration arises. This particular campaign had two intented outcomes; to showcase some garments from the new collection, as well as create some bold images to advertise an upcoming fashion show.

The shoot was conducted in a fantastic warehouse in Prahran. The concrete floors and white brick walls provided an interesting yet unobtrusive background, and I brought in my profoto kit to enable me to utilize dramatic light. What was particularly exciting to me this time was the total creative freedom I had. Kwamee trusted me to shoot and light however I wanted, and busied himself co-ordinating the models and pinning garments. The models were really diverse, from all bakcgrounds. I thought this really helped convey the international feel of Kwamee’s new collection. After a few minutes setting up my kit and testing the light, I was ready to roll.

Here’s a shot from @cliftonstreetmarket of me doing my thing. Do you like my makeshift desk? The bright orange makes it completely OH&S compliant.

Jarreau of Lordtown Media was on the second camera capturing footage for some short promo videos. We worked really well together, ensuring that we each kept out of each other’s shots.

It was great working with such a diverse team of models, and everyone did a great job. Some of the models didn’t have much experience, but they were brilliant at taking direction, and adopting the ‘mood’ of the shoot. We flew through the large double rack of clothing, and everyone really kept the energy up, which made for a fluid, relaxed shoot. Thanks team!

The images were used for promotion on social media. Check out a couple with the copy overlaid! And don’t forget to have a look at Kwamee on instagram!

 

Testing With Darcy

Doing a lot of testing with males lately- its great because you don’t have to worry so much about hair and makeup. Darcy Ellis, who is represented by GTR, came in to the studio a few weeks ago, and we shot a range of looks for his book. I styled the shoot, using garments sourced from Myer (mostly Kenji), as well as a few of Darcy’s own garments.

I shoot really quickly, so the whole test was over in about an hour, but we got a lot of different images that I was happy with. Darcy was really easy to get along with, very friendly and funny.

If you would like to test with me, please don’t hesitate to get in touch :D

 

Avo Pizza, Armadale

Sometimes, I take a break from photographing people and fashion, and work with small retailers to capture their food. It is a delicious gig, to say the least. Yesterday afternoon was spend at Avo Pizza in Armadale, which has newly opened. I’d worked with these guys before in some of their other stores, so everything ran smoothly, as everyone knew what to expect. Their food is genuinely fresh and looks great- not your usual greasy, heavy pizza-store fare.

Check out their menu here!

 

Harley Visits The Studio

It’s not often that I photograph animals, but recently this very handsome pooch visited my studio for a portrait sitting (owner in tow, of course.) The aim was to capture some shots of Harley, for her owner to keep as a memento.

Harely was very excited to come in to the studio, but not so keen to go on the background paper.

Here are some of the shots that we captured. What a cute pup!

If you would like me to photograph your pup too, don’t hesitate to send me an email.