Portrait Shoots
6 women in a pine forest
27/07/16 19:31
Last Monday, we joined 6 lovely young women in a pine forest, deep in the Byron Hinterland. We'd been invited to do a creative portrait session in conjunction with the Quintessence Exhibition and Event coming up on 13th August at Kulcha Jam in Byron Bay.
Despite a grey morning, the sun shone from clear skies, streaming through the trees and lighting up the grass and the girls hair. As you will see from the collection below it was a wonderful creative collaboration and so much fun!
Despite a grey morning, the sun shone from clear skies, streaming through the trees and lighting up the grass and the girls hair. As you will see from the collection below it was a wonderful creative collaboration and so much fun!
Tiana turns 18
04/10/15 17:24
While we were down in Canberra last month we had the opportunity to do an outdoor location fashion shoot with the very gorgeous and sweet-natured Tiana. Canberra is very pretty and tidy, so we decided on some more urban settings (out at Fyshwick.) Tiana recently turned 18 so we wanted to reflect her maturity and the fact that she may be off to larger cities and all sorts of opportunities before too long. The photos that give the impression that she's lying on lawn were actually taken with her standing against a wall of artificial grass - that was a good find! Some photos she looks about 15 others, more like 19 - I guess thats what being a teenager is all about?
A family gathering at Fingal Head
18/05/15 19:37
We were thrilled when Diane from Brisbane contacted us to photograph her family's Mothers Day camping get-together at Fingal Head. They turned out to be a really loving and fun bunch: the parents, five offspring and their partners and six gorgeous grand-daughters under the age of 6! So it was a busy two hours chasing gorgeous moments and the beautiful fading light. Would so love to do this every week!
Sylvia and the creek
24/04/15 14:50
The other day we went creekside with the very lovely Sylvia Fenwick (who we first met at the Uplift Festival) for an artistic co-creation. The light was slipping behind the hill as we reached the creek, which solved the dappled light problem and created a more moody atmosphere. Alan was wanting to play with some very long exposures to blur the water movement and Sylvia did a fantastic job of keeping still for 4 or 5 seconds at a time. Sylvia was 21 weeks pregnant so her beautiful little bump was very present in all our thoughts.
We can't wait to do some more photographic explorations with Sylvia and some great ideas are already bubbling between us. Hope you enjoy these!
We can't wait to do some more photographic explorations with Sylvia and some great ideas are already bubbling between us. Hope you enjoy these!
Perri's entries for the QEPPA awards
01/03/15 17:18
I'm having a bit of a play here, with a new type of gallery for my blog. You can click on each image to view a larger version of it. Out of these 6 I'm entering 4 in the Queensland Epson Professional Photography Awards. Wish me luck. Whatever happens its a great learning experience with feedback from highly regarded judges who are professional photographers in the category you enter.
Stephanie and Maya
28/08/14 11:39
Earlier this month we had the blissful experience of photographing two gorgeous friends, Stephanie and Maya at Stephanie’s home. Within a short distance of the house we found some simple but stunning backdrops for them and were amazed by the range of looks we achieved in such a short time, inspired by their beauty, by the colour of a tree, the constantly changing light, and their sumptuous clothes and other props. We hope you enjoy the worlds we created together. If you’d like to commission us to do a similar nature shoot for you, just give us a call or send us an email.
Anna's Mokshanna family
14/05/14 15:43
Animals are such an integral part of our lives and they often live quietly at the heart of many families. Our portrait shoot of Anna from Mokshanna at Stokers Siding turned into a family photo session with her gorgeous boys, Josh and Janardhan. Buddy wasn’t much into photos (more into swimming and running) but little Chika would have been happy to be somewhere in the mix for every one. The goats, were being goats, as in not sitting still for a second and running riot eating the garden. Such an enjoyable shoot plus it gave us a chance to see more of this gorgeous property (which is available for stays, retreats, and dancing). Its tucked away in a peaceful valley near Stokers Siding, but its only about 15 minutes from Murwillumbah. We’re looking forward to our next visit to catch up with them all again.
2 cats and their people
29/01/14 17:55
This year we are launching into a new emphasis in our portrait photography. We call it Nature Connection Portraits. One part of this is photographing animals with their special people (and vice versa). Yesterday I spent some very enjoyable moments with Irene Brown, Professor Robert Pope, Kitty and Moses, all of the Castle on the Hill at Uki. Kitty wasn’t impressed with Moses pushing his way into her photo shoot, but she recovered her composure for some up close portraits and finally a sleep in peace. Here are a few of our favourites:
Dark goddesses
25/11/13 12:19
Last month we got together with Shanne and Jodi, two belly-dancers from Opalesque in Brisbane. This shoot had been quite a while in the planning stage and it all came together in a way that surpassed our expectations. We used a couple of locations that we’d had in mind for years. The changing light and breeze was a major driving force in what we did and led to some things we hadn’t planned - such as the flowing silks on the rock (looks like an operatic stage set to me!). We did a lot of experimenting both in the shoot and in the editing and its left us with so many ideas and so much inspiration for future work.
Elfyn in the Forest, Byron Bay
09/06/13 16:54
The other day we had a wonderful collaboration with Elfyn Love, herself a talented photographer, artist and musician. As she is more of a coastal woman these days we chose locations near Byron Bay and some of the beautiful tea-tree forest there. Elfyn’s grey-blue eyes were emphasised by the face-painting she chose for the day and the stunning blue sky. Hope you enjoy these images as much as we enjoyed capturing them.
Family portraits down in Geelong
06/05/13 11:57
Time to catch up on some news! Back in March we flew down to Geelong to do a series of family portrait sessions for a client. She needed a range of photos of clients from her chiropractic clinic to use on her website. The ones I’ve included here are not necessarily the ones used for that, but are some of our favourites. If you’d like to see the website or if you need a brilliant chiropractor just have a look.
Ali and Jaye at home
24/10/12 15:44
Ali and Jaye were finally in the one place long enough to have us come to their lovely little farm-house at Doon Doon (with the view to Mount Warning that you see below) in order to do a portrait session with them.
We wanted to capture their chilled out alternative life-style (in between all the amazing work and play each of them achieve) and the dynamic between them. At the end, Ponyo had to get in on the act too. We thoroughly loved the time we spent with them again.
We wanted to capture their chilled out alternative life-style (in between all the amazing work and play each of them achieve) and the dynamic between them. At the end, Ponyo had to get in on the act too. We thoroughly loved the time we spent with them again.
A professional and family shoot combined
16/06/12 16:54
We met Bob and Amelia through their business, Fig Jam, but they are not foodies, rather experts in E-commerce, MySQL etc. They engaged us to take some professional but relaxed portraits for a work-related website. While there and all set up we also did a short family photo shoot with their gorgeous daughters - quick and pain-free for all involved!
Autumn leaves and cool reflections
22/05/12 20:36
Today the very stoic Gabrielle came back for another demanding photo shoot with us. We didn’t ask her to sit in a cold creek this time, just on cold damp leaves and an icy cold mirror. We wanted to feature the last of our autumn leaves in a grove of wild persimmons up on our hill. There was no mist to create the rays of light we were hoping for, so we focused on the fallen leaves. Later we worked on some ideas involving a long mirror and some very concentrated light, which we envisaged would work well in black and white. Here are some of our favourites:
Birth of a nature spirit
29/04/12 16:52
What a courageous model Gabrielle (Wheelie Wicked Womyn) turned out to be. Must be those years of roller derby that toughened her up! Our prearranged dawn shoot turned out to be the coldest day of the year so far. (Well cold for the Tweed Valley and fairly cool for sitting in a pool in the creek for half an hour!) Alan’s pre-visualized image of the birth of a nature spirit came together really well with the light of the baby (aka the flash) lighting up the beautiful trees and rocks. We then moved into a more usual portrait shoot of Gabrielle in some of her favourite clothes - she had never actually worn the stunning coat dress in the last images before. Thanks again Gabrielle.
Dawn at Cabarita with Chrissy
25/04/12 16:17
Late last month we arranged to meet our friend and model, Chrissy, at Cabarita Beach just before dawn. When we arrived there was a heavy downpour of rain, but it passed and left us with the most sweet golden dawn. The water was warm, the reflections on the sand were beautifully coloured and we all felt blessed to be there. Here is a broad-range of images from the morning:
Red Tent Festival
09/04/12 13:50
I had a fantastic experience doing over 20 indoor portrait sessions on the one day at the recent Red Tent Festival held at Mullumbimby. Met so many beautiful women, babies and bellies! Everyone was so friendly and appreciative and I was pleased with results considering I don’t usually rely so much on flash - preferring to use as much natural light as possible. It was so good to see women of all ages talking, laughing and sharing such crucial knowledge and experience with each other. Here are a few photos from the day.
Naomi and Ollie schmoodling at Julita
27/02/12 11:11
We had been wanting to photograph Naomi and Oliver for about a year now and it finally all came together (the timing is always perfect - we have to remember that!) The opportunity came at a promotional shoot we did about Julita - the lovely holiday apartment at the back of the Old Convent in Uki. Naomi has had a very successful modelling career and is now getting back into it. They were both really natural and relaxed in front of the camera (though we usually seem to help create that even with people who are usually camera-shy). They certainly had no problem when we asked for more kissing and schmoodling - so in love!
From the balcony
The luscious indoor day bed
Great little spot for chilling out
General schmoodling
The gazebo bathhouse
The outdoor shower with Julita in the background (Oliver foreground)
Separate portraits
and together.
Ethan turns 1
18/01/12 13:45
Last year we had this informal photo shoot to capture young Ethan’s first birthday. We like the one of him using his “mobile”, but were most pleased of the ones with his amber necklaces. The small necklace is to help with his teething. The large one belonged to his great-great grandmother and came from Estonia.
A burlesque shoot goes off on a tangent
05/12/11 11:18
We have photographed Maya and Chrissy individually before, and as we had found out they are good friends we all decided to do a shoot with them together. The starting point for this shoot was a white burlesque outfit that we had got hold of plus Maya’s beautiful clothes. I don’t know if it was something astrological, but it didn’t seem the right time or day for burlesque energy and we ended up with something a bit more “morning after the burlesque party-ish” We then moved on to an idea we had pondering for a while incorporating rain and an umbrella. The one of Chrissy is a composite of two photos - a fairly successful experiment that may lead to something else - thats the way if works for us.
Every now and then we are looking for models for a creative project that we are working on. The model receives a disc of images and hopefully an enjoyable and creative experience. If you are interested let us know and send us a photo of yourself and we will keep you in mind when the right project comes up. Contact us.
Every now and then we are looking for models for a creative project that we are working on. The model receives a disc of images and hopefully an enjoyable and creative experience. If you are interested let us know and send us a photo of yourself and we will keep you in mind when the right project comes up. Contact us.
Kenny Super Chef
28/11/11 14:16
Something a bit different for us; a chef shoot!
We love the Uki Cafe, Kenny and his really yummy meals, so it was with great pleasure that we were commissioned to do some promotional shots for him and the cafe. he told us he was’t good in front of the camera but he certainly warmed to it - with some help from a can of oil at times. Have a look below!
Kenny’s uniforms are courtesy of Retrochef.
We love the Uki Cafe, Kenny and his really yummy meals, so it was with great pleasure that we were commissioned to do some promotional shots for him and the cafe. he told us he was’t good in front of the camera but he certainly warmed to it - with some help from a can of oil at times. Have a look below!
Kenny’s uniforms are courtesy of Retrochef.
Dogs of Ukitopia
25/11/11 14:39
So many wonderful dogs (and their gorgeous owners) at this years Ukitopia Festival, so I had to revisit my Dogs of Ukitopia project. They were all so beautifully behaved too! Our apologies for any wrong or mis-spelt names.
“Boof”
“Suki Lala”
“Toma”
“Majik”
“Teddy”
“Miffy”
“Millie”
“Tom”
Unknown on a leash outside the exhibition - too cute to resist!
“Ishta”
? The Gatt’s pooch
“Gus”
“Warria Warria”
“Harvey” aka the cutest dog in the village!
“Memphis”
“Uber”
The Sculptor and his model
12/11/11 20:50
A few weeks ago we finally were able to achieve a long-anticipated photoshoot towards some personal projects. Alan is working on a series on artists at work and Perri on a series of couples living various alternative lifestyles. Ammun and Lisa, were great subjects for both these categories and Ammun’s hand built studio became almost the third personality in the photos - it has so much true character. Here are a few images that we feel come closest to what we were trying to convey:
Childhood
17/10/11 11:20
For quite a while I had been wanting to photograph Jasper. His sensitivity and quiet self-confidence and slightly puckish appearance fascinate me - and I wanted to catch that time where he still has a lot of the child in him, while the teenager and future man is starting to appear. While Jasper and I explored the creeks and special trees on their farm, Alan took photos of the girls and though it was a playful shoot we were pleased with those photos too. Here are some of our favourites:
Portfolio for an actor
29/09/11 10:33
This week we were engaged by Elias (who is very engaging) to shoot a series of portfolio shoots that he can use as an actor - sending them to agencies etc. He is very photogenic (even though he said he doesn’t enjoy stills) Here are some of our favourites, showing different aspects of his complex personality.
The maiden and the crone
13/08/11 14:59
We were approached by artist, Maya to do a collaborative shoot based on an image she had in her mind of herself as a crone, representing the energy of winter and the winter of womanhood. A dormant Illawarra flame-tree made the perfect setting and we found an afternoon with great dark skies. We used very harsh light to created the cold and stern look we were all seeking. After time in the tree we then explored the more maidenly side of the beautiful Maya with soft natural light in the beautiful dry grass. Hope you enjoy the two different Mayas!
Sita and Gareth's wedding at Hosanna
10/06/11 17:06
Sita and Gareth put so much love, sweat and tears into their wedding day and were rewarded with a truly beautiful day. The threatening rain held off, they were surrounded and supported by such loving friends and family and there was even a bit of the sunset colour and glow that had been so important to Sita, while planning and dreaming of her wedding and her photos. We all really enjoyed ourselves at the dam - look out for the guys on the diving board!
Sit
Lalita - a modelling session
07/06/11 16:33
Lalita is a gorgeous young woman with a Scandanavian/Siamese background. She needed some outdoor images for her modelling portfolio and as we absolutely love photographing in nature, it was a valuable session for us all, with the chance for us to push our skills in using flash in outdoor settings. Here are some of the results:
The cute boys from Zacalu Zoo
13/05/11 16:00
Isaac and Luca are the inspiration behind Zacalu Zoo - a great little shop based in Murwillumbah, specializing in babies and children’s clothes, toys, maternity wear etc. The boys were super active after having spent a few rainy days inside, but we managed to catch a few great moments as they stopped to catch their breath. Chantal loves the photos and we hope they will always bring back great memories of that moment - that stage in the boys’ lives.
An inspiring artist
23/03/11 14:34
Last week, we had a photo shoot with Jhana Bowen with some of his beautiful colourful paintings. The images are for an article that is being written about him and his artwork. We aimed to capture his warmth and the integrity and sensitivity that he imbues into his work (and the rest of his life). You can find out more about him at www.jhanabowen.com.
Waiting for their first child
19/03/11 17:22
Emma and James invited us into their home about two weeks before their baby daughter was due. They were a bit nervous about their portrait session, but soon relaxed in front of our cameras. We believe we captured some of energy of a time of waiting, of just being together anticipating the amazing changes ahead of them!
Enchante!
15/01/11 18:23
This young French couple, Morgane and Florian, were holidaying in the Tweed Valley and we had the great pleasure of holding a portrait shoot with them. They were so charming, so photogenic, so .... French!
Father and Son
09/12/10 15:22
With Tom about to start school next year, his grandmother,Rosemary, decided to commission us for a portrait session of Tom with his father John (a well-known potter with a great little gallery in Chillingham) to mark this transition in their lives.
As it turned out, Tom had just received his new school uniform on the day that we were to photograph them and he was very reluctant to take it off! The chooks are a big part of Tom’s life - even sitting on his lap to watch TV!
The family were really happy with the photos; Rosemary’s only complaint was that it was hard to choose which she liked best for prints. We also did a slideshow (part of our portrait shoot packages) that came together really well. We’ll try to put a version of it up soon.
As it turned out, Tom had just received his new school uniform on the day that we were to photograph them and he was very reluctant to take it off! The chooks are a big part of Tom’s life - even sitting on his lap to watch TV!
The family were really happy with the photos; Rosemary’s only complaint was that it was hard to choose which she liked best for prints. We also did a slideshow (part of our portrait shoot packages) that came together really well. We’ll try to put a version of it up soon.
A new person in the family
12/11/10 13:51
Wednesday saw the slow entrance of little Ethan Riley into the world and into our lives. Well done Melissa and Ashleigh! As the proud grandparents we had a short time to get to meet him yesterday and the opportunity to take our first photos of him. We are looking forward to our next photo session with them (as well as a lifetime of the happiness of knowing him).
Amber
14/10/10 14:54
Amber is about to say goodbye to her friends and family and the Northern Rivers as she heads off to the Caribbean to work at an exclusive health resort. She just had time to come and do a portrait shoot with us before she leaves. Amber has a calm and wise soul and a beautiful face to match. We had a lovely time capturing her in natural light and a variety of off-camera flash combinations. A few days later we were able to meet her lovely mother and take a few photos of the two of them - not long before the big departure. We wish her all the very best!
Rhyla's first birthday
29/09/10 16:28
Just a few days before Rhyla’s first birthday, we had the pleasure of photographing her and her parents. Erin and Dave, at their breathtaking property, below the Springbrook Range, in the Gold Coast Hinterland. We used Rhyla’s favourite places as our outdoor studios, that is the beautiful creek that flows through Natural Bridge and the family’s organic garden.
Rhyla seemed to lap up the attention and left the camera shyness to Dave (we got some great ones of him too though). Once again through our photography, we had the privilege to meet some genuinely lovely people and to see yet another stunning part of our country.
Rhyla seemed to lap up the attention and left the camera shyness to Dave (we got some great ones of him too though). Once again through our photography, we had the privilege to meet some genuinely lovely people and to see yet another stunning part of our country.
A girl and her horse
17/09/10 15:41
Amy was keen to have some photos with her pony, Beacon, who she’s been riding since she was 11. This was a great opportunity to get some images that we’d had in mind for a while, including capturing them in motion:
Amy has a lovely youthful spirit (despite being all of 25) and a bit of an elvish look, so we also had fun with her fairy wings and put her up a tree!
Also used the flash to capture something different down by the creek. Amy is a hairdresser, working at Uki and Brunswick Heads and did a great job doing her own hair and makeup as well as modelling.
Amy has a lovely youthful spirit (despite being all of 25) and a bit of an elvish look, so we also had fun with her fairy wings and put her up a tree!
Also used the flash to capture something different down by the creek. Amy is a hairdresser, working at Uki and Brunswick Heads and did a great job doing her own hair and makeup as well as modelling.
I love photographing babies!!
30/04/10 15:41
The past few weeks we had two great photo sessions with babies and their loving families.
The first was with Jessie who was about 9 days old. I just love that slightly other-worldly newborn look as well as watching all the interactions. Here are a few images that aren’t on our main website.
The first was with Jessie who was about 9 days old. I just love that slightly other-worldly newborn look as well as watching all the interactions. Here are a few images that aren’t on our main website.
The next week we met up with Renae who we had photographed at two stages of her pregnancy with Lohwana. This gorgeous active little bundle is now 6 months old and already quite at home in front of the camera (well Mum was a model). After a couple of hours of fun, Lohwana had a brief nap and we were able to catch our favourite image of the day: the black and white shown below. Some more images are on our main site.
