Red Lantern, Red Jacket

Working with Aussie model Shaun Ripper in the backstreets of Kyoto. Shaun is represented by GTR Global.

Testing with Mikio in Kyoto

It has been ages since I did a test shoot, as I’ve been busy moving countries! But I finally got the chance to do an un-structured, freestyle shoot with Mikio, a model that I met in Tokyo. He was in Kyoto for a trip, so we decided to meet up and do a test shoot for his book.

One thing that I really love about Japan is the light. Photographers, you will understand. The quality of the light here is beautiful, its much softer and hazier than Melbourne, which has a very hard, intense kind of light. I feel very inspired shooting in Japan.

We shot these images at a university campus in Kyoto (I pretended to be an exchange student so that we could get free parking.) It was surprisingly diverse with many different textures and areas to explore, and a lot of the buildings were brand new, with gorgeous architecture. I really wanted this shoot to be about Mikio, and not about the location, which is why I opted for simple backgrounds. I also didn’t want it to be stereotypically ‘Japanese,’ which is why we didn’t shoot at a shrine or other similar structure.

Japanese folios are so different from those in Melbourne. They really lean towards the smiley, happy, commercial look, whereas in Melbourne it is all about looking serious and slightly pissed off or bored. The contrast is really interesting. So I tried to include some more serious expressions in Mikio’s shots, so balance out his very ‘happy’ images. We got a few smiley ones in there too though, to keep his agent happy! Thanks Mikio for a great first shoot in Kyoto!

Richie @GTR

I love working with models on more than one occasion, because it means that the initial ‘awkward’ phase is already broken down. If I’ve shot a model before, and get to work with them again, we already have an established level of rapport, and that makes the second shoot even more fun! After photographing Richie Barron in the studio a few months back, I worked with him again (literally the next day) on location. I think we got some pretty decent shots!

Johnny Harris also came along to play for a while, and we worked on some doubles images. I think these two work really well together, and they are both such lovely guys! Thank you GTR Global for putting me in touch with such fantastic talent!

Triangle

New editorial up! I absolutely loved working with this team to create these images in the parking lot of the studio (haha- location scouting at its best!) I used natural light for most of these images, but for some I erected my gigantic para umbrella, and used the Profoto kit on location. Thanks team for helping me hold it up against the wind!

 

PHOTOGRAPHER: Steph Doran @stephdoranphotog
MODEL: Meika Woolard @meikawoollard
MODEL: Kye Wall @kye_wall
MODEL: Lorenzo Sandy @papi.grandee
HAIR / MAKEUP / STYLING: Jyoti Chandra @jyotichandra,
GARMENTS: Myer Melbourne @myer

Winter Sun (Publication)

A test shoot that I captured last year has been published on Sticks & Stones online! Jonny Harris from GTR and I braved the winter cold to capture some images around the arts centre. I love playing with light and shadow, so this time of year is one of my favourite times to shoot. Jonny was amazing to work with, really relaxed but also open to trying anything. A lot of models feel awkward contorting their bodies into strange poses, or trying potentially unflattering expressions, but Jonny actually initiated the slightly ‘odd’ feel to the shoot.

Here are the images that made it into the online feature…

And here are some more shots that didn’t make the cut…

(The first one is probably my favourite!)

Check out the full editorial in all its website-ey glory here: Sticks and Stones.

Johnny is represented by GTR Global.