sdevarax | musings

New Blog

2010-05-02T21:06:00.000+10:00

I've moved to Wordpress! Please visit http://sdevarax.wordpress.com and subscribe there for latest updates, photos, projects and other such lovely things! =)

New website and updates

2010-04-15T01:37:00.000+10:00

I have finally gotten myself an official website to showcase my work. It's lovely and I tinkered about it the whole day yesterday.

Click for official website

Featuring many new works from my latest shoots.
Thoughts and comments? All appreciated!

I've also uploaded a few photos (extras from the last weekend beauty shoot) onto Flickr, so there are some never before seen images!

Blue Summers

2010-04-09T22:50:00.000+10:00

I did mention about writing more about photoshoots, I'm so behind! Since the weather is starting to become that dreary cold sleep sort, I'll write about a recent beach swimwear shoot.

Locations shoots are rare for me, I do prefer the stability and blankness of a studio to create from. Outside I have to rely on the weather and the available light and the actual location itself. I'm actually quite anathema to doing location shoots because every time I venture outside it's sure to rain. Without fail. The original date set for this particular beach shoot had to be postponed because the weekend ended up pouring when I expected sunshine, no it was a definite no go.

Why a swimwear shoot?

Well, I needed a swimwear look for my portfolio and then I came across Billy & Lola, a darling little swimwear line by Ruth Ziller. Ruth creates her bathers from vintage fabrics she finds in op shops and the designs are a throwback to old-fashioned styles which quite suits my aesthetic especially in an age where swimwear is as tiny, tight, and metallic as possible and leaves nothing to the imagination. Therefore her high-waisted pieces tied back with printed bows completely drew me in. Ruth is also part of the new generation of eco-aware and eco-friendly designers using recycled materials so that's quite exciting.

Prep

Model casting was difficult. I envisioned someone who was lovely and slightly dreamy with an old fashioned charm and long brown hair. Not quite sure why I was fixated on a brunette but I was. There were cancellations and rejections and unsuitable models when I remembered Rebecca, currently repped by Scene Management. I've worked with Rebecca previously on Ghost Story and she had the most amazing skin and soulful eyes...and she had brown hair. She was also a really great person to work with so I was happy when she agreed to model for this.

A quick snap at the ocean, turned out to be one of my favourites.

Sarah Baxter was slotted in to do make up and hair. She had just started at the hair academy and was showing me cute braids and updos. We decided to get to her place for initial makeup and then drive down to the Great Ocean Road to find a suitable secluded beach. It was going to be an extremely long day and we were looking forward to it! We were originally going to work with a stylist but unfortunately it didn't happened so I picked up the bathers and packed up my bags, discovered I couldn't carry a reflector along with 3 bags I was already carrying so I thought stuff it and got on a train, then a bus, than waited for Sarah.

My equipment of the day:-

The none too subtle Canon 1000D

50mm 1.8 lens (sweet little thing)

Available light

And two awesome people to go on a road-trip with

While Rebecca was in makeup, I played with Ozzie an overenthusiastic dog who blackmailed me for pats and Sarah's cute niece who insisted I colour a tree and I happily obliged. Then off we went with Rebecca driving.

I google scouted for possible locations prior to the shoot. Google Maps is great because sometimes photographers would leave landscape images and you can see what's in the area. The stretch of beach around Torquay to Lorne be nice to explore.

The Shoot

We arrived in Torquay after a few hours and came to a surf beach, a little further than the town, spotting a secluded part that looked to be attached to stairs. In our enthusiasm we grabbed everything and trekked down several flights to discover it ends at a rather perilous stony outcrop with 'beware' signs everywhere. Not to be deterred as we were three determined young ladies, we climbed down the rocks.

Sarah touching up the makeup.

We stayed about half an hour shooting two looks, watching the surfers pass us with raised eyebrows which tells us we should perhaps look for a different location. It was all well and good but we hadn't realized how strenuously hot Melbourne summers actually were. Arriving at the foot of the stony outcrop rendered us in sighs of discontent and the next 4-6 flights of stairs had us collapsing in heart hammering exhaustion and delirious pants.

Me. Climbing up stairs. The flushed cheeks and near panic I was in cannot be seen but it's there.

It was just the heat and bright unbroken sun weighing down relentlessly on our heads, and we didn't have enough shade or water so cue heat stroke and us hightailing it out of there to collapse in bliss in the air-conditioned room of McDonald's back at Torquay. After an hour we were ready to take on the challenge again so we drove through a winding track to somewhere near Lorne. On the way we were stopped by a police car, and got a ticket for using the brakes to keep clear of the car in front of us...........well, always remember to budget for random ticket violations.....

Isn't this better. No rocks in sight and nothing to climb!

The next beach was so much better, beautiful clear waters and accessible from the road. There was a mob of young men having a barbie (barbeque in Australia) and they called out to us to join them for a spot of beach volley. Smilingly, we shook out heads and walked on by really quickly before bursting into laughter when we rounded into the next stretch. And then we had two men approach where we were setting up. What a conundrum. With location shoots onlookers may sometimes be a problem, these in particular got the hint quickly so we were able to continue!

My theme for this story is inspired by lomo photography with those vibrant dashing colours and hazy light flares. Since I don't have a lomo camera, I'd do as much as I can and then adjust during post processing. Bright sunlight can be hard to work with, usually resulting in harsh shadows and squinted eyes. If one has strobes you can try to overpower the sun to highlight the model subject and darken the background among other techniques. What I wanted however was a smooth light with limited shadows and preferably some lens flare, I shot around 1/500 shutter speed and 5.6 f stop and mostly where there were breaks in between clouds. Ideally I should've brought that reflector but alas the lack of multiple arms. Shooting at the beach also has a few other problems- sand gets everywhere. Protect the camera and lens by shielding with your body and checking frequently and cover wardrobe with protective sheets or towels where possible. For wardrobe changes use walls of towels or areas away from the general public.

Shooting. Also remember to wear something comfortable and something you can wear to jump into the ocean with!

Rebecca having a lark.

She always avoids the camera! Here we get a smile from Sarah.

Rebecca posing with the teddy bear.

Shooting. It's the last look and the end of the day, the light is great!

After multiple changes we gladly wrapped up to go home, but not before stopping for drinks and a spot of food so back to Maccas (McDonald's) for us.

Team shot!

The day ended well regardless of the initial hiccup, I certainly had a lot of fun and it's always great when we get all the changes and looks we needed. A few things to keep in mind for future location or beach shoots- bring WATER and hats and preferably plan the shoot during autumn or spring.

Prep

2010-04-02T01:33:00.000+11:00

A shoot often begins long before call-time. It starts weeks or even months in advance with an idea and then prep time starts. At the moment I am arranging a whole weekend shoot focusing on beauty work with Sarah Baxter when she emailed me a list of ideas she had. I'm such a fan of her work since the first day we met and she showed me what clean makeup and beauty actually was. She is now enrolled in a hair course so we'll be trying out some new looks!

Unlike a few other shoots, this weekend involved considerably less prep time than usual even though it's no less stressing. We've decided not to involve a stylist and keep it fairly casual. To start off with we emailed each other back and forth with ideas and descriptions and photo references and highlighted those which we were interested in and then we went away to research.

Research is so very important especially when creating an editorial story (double name here, an editorial -is- a story). I'm now focused on photographing both beauty and fashion stories which means I need to know that I can pull out 4-6-10 distinct, different and hopefully amazing images which has complementary themes and can convey a sense of a storyline. However research is still important in shoots not involving editorials. Occasionally I get very strong ideas about what I'm going to create, to the point that I can sit and sketch out the looks and the poses and lighting and setting, and other times the idea is vague so I build upon it. I go and peruse my favourite photographers' sites and images and books and music and magazines and everything that I like and am inspired by and draw together bits and pieces. A lot of times during research I also come across a particular photographic technique I'm not familiar with and if it suits the concept, it's a good time to try it =)

Then comes the practical prep, finding team members and models. I secured my assistant (with much reluctance on his part) and other times I'd usually also try to find hair and wardrobe stylists. For models I like using modelmayhem.com for castings or I'd call up agencies requesting models to test. Agencies are a whole story onto themselves.

It's important to find models with the right look for the concepts and to make sure everyone involved as part of the creative team are on the same page, hence more emails and narrowing down choices and finalizing details. Tonight, two days before the shoot I wrote out all the ideas and marked down the looks and who's doing what. This also helps in laying out the schedule for the day so we can make sure to fit everything in.

Tomorrow I'll be checking out all the equipment (however meager they are), recharging batteries, grocery shopping, apartment cleaning, going through my notes for the umpteenth time and wait with eager anticipation for morning. My stomach is already rumbling with stress and excitement. How invigorating!

LMFF: L'oreal Melbourne Fashion Week

2010-03-19T10:00:00.001+11:00

It's that time of the year again with Fashion Weeks across the major cities and Melbourne is no different. Festivities started on the 14th and already some interesting trends are showing up especially whimsical kooky designs the likes of Alice in Wonderland would be proud of.

Yesterday I caught one of the runways at Federation Square- Review presents 'fun, flirty, feminine and fashionable in bold rose florals, chic laces, and sharp shoulder silhouettes in blush pinks, vibrant purples, jewelled teals and royal blues'.

Excuse the off-focus. I arrived slightly late, and clambered up a raised platform while bumping (painfully) my knee at the same time, but it's quite a good view!

The deep vibrant teal has been quite popular last year, here it is paired with lace in two -just-brushing-the-knees dresses.

A quick peek at the crowd, all taking photos and rather subdued due to the heat but there were excited murmurs throughout the show and after.

I really love the structured jacket (left second image). The black dress on the left of first image was the final piece, it's too bad I couldn't get near enough to catch the lace details.

Beautiful little open back dress on the right and large necklace piece. Too cute.

Final walk! While the show only lasted for half an hour it was still quite lovely to be there =)

For more information and to purchase tickets to LMFF, go to http://www.lmff.com.au/

Hail

2010-03-18T17:18:00.002+11:00

When I first came to Melbourne I laughed in disbelief as someone told me about Melbourne's four seasons in a day. I soon retracted that, it's absolutely no joke. Nowhere in any other city would it rain with blustery winds, pelt innocent passerbys with hailstones the size of fists and then clouds part away to become a hot summer day.

At the moment we're still experiencing a very long summer. The days are intensely hot to the point that it just swelters and nothing can be done without feeling decidedly sick from heatstroke.

A week, two weeks (how the days pass quickly) ago without any warning large icy hailstones simply poured for a full fifteen minutes in the middle of the afternoon. All one could hear were the rapid thud-thud-thud of the stones and the city disappeared in a foggy mist. How scary, I was immensely glad I was safe at home!

Professionalism

2010-03-16T14:46:00.001+11:00

Issues of (un)professionalism are abound in every photography or art related forum and since we live in an age where almost everyone are connected via the internet it's easy to see that the same problems affect everyone even across the globe. Some of the biggest and most volatile issues revolve around 'people not fulfilling their end of the bargain especially with trade shoots', 'flaking where one or more people does not show up to a shoot', 'people behaving inappropriately on set or making others feel uncomfortable' and etc.

Recently there was a thread where someone asked 'what is professionalism?' Professionalism means different things to different people and you don't have to be a professional in order to act like one (and it doesn't mean simply charging for your services- that is being a working professional. This is about behavior and attitudes and how you present yourself).

To me it's rather simple and it can be hard but I believe in doing what's right and treating everyone around me in a manner I'd like to be treated myself. It means being polite, keeping communications clean and clear and being considerate of others and their opinions. It means keeping promises and being honest and bringing your best to the table. There are obviously situations where I simply cannot plan for and in some cases I have to make decisions that I won't necessarily want to do or like doing but I just have to try my best to do what's fair. In some cases I have to bend over backwards, in others I have to stand my ground and to be professional I have to make these decisions every day. Photography is a social industry and while I lament about how I -just- want to keep my head down and shoot beautiful concepts, reality is that I have to speak to people, to work with them and to confront people every day. Since I can't control how other people act or behave or think of me, I just have to make sure I do what feels right.

Sometimes I get disheartened when hearing about the stories of how yet another person have reneged on their words, or acted badly whether before, during or after a shoot. Sometimes I get extremely frustrated when I encounter similar situations during my own work. It's a big learning process because dealing with people and not-nice-situations and being professional is something that should be and can be learned. When you're a new shooter and trying to break into an industry that's all about networking, it's extremely scary because there's all these etiquette and rules seething beneath the surface and gets blown every so often and you can make major faux-pas everywhichway you turn. It doesn't mean I shouldn't -try- and atleast that's a start.

And sometimes it's about keeping your head down and just shooting beautiful concepts.

Melbourne: city of parades

2010-02-28T22:13:00.001+11:00

Well..protests really, but I've rarely seen violent protests on the streets on Melbourne, in fact the majority of them which had taken place the last 5 years have been peaceful, vigorous and chock-ful of excitement. I've really been quite surprised at the sense of active political awareness and camaraderie in Melbourne, people are very willing to speak out for what they believe in and being allowed to do so, something not quite the same in certain other parts of the world.

Last year the VCA (Victorian College of Arts) students took it upon themselves to stage a week long protest to defend their classes from being effectively phased out by the new Melbourne Model. A few days ago there was a march headed by some well known artists opposing the government's restrictions on small music venues under liquor licensing laws. They were accompanied by what looked like thousands, with a band playing music across loudspeakers.

The music parade protest

What a remarkable place and what remarkable people coming together. The people in this city has a spirit which makes Melbourne different, somewhat youthful and mellow with chutzpah. Isn't it great =)

A new hat

2010-02-17T15:00:00.022+11:00

A casual impromptu shoot with Vlad K. Vlad has been my assistant for the last few shoots I did. He bought me a new hat.

It suits my new hair rather well. And the heart shape on the band is uber cute.

Blooper.

I haven't shot with any other photographers in a long time. Mainly because I'm so focused on my own work there really isn't any time....and I haven't explored new self portraits either. Sometimes it's nice to kick loose and not worry about concepts or pulling a team or producing something-ultra-awesome-awe-inducing.

Definitely, sometimes it's nice to just shoot for fun and not worry about anything.

Izakaya Den and Canary Club

2010-02-16T09:10:00.174+11:00

Since Chinese New Year and Valentine's Day fell on the same day, it was a great opportunity to have a feast and try out the latest hot new restaurant that has just opened up. Izakaya Den is a cool underground Japanese restaurant featuring a casual yet chic bar-style ambiance in a tight but long room. The decor is warm with wooden seats by the bar and plush cushions for intimate groups, yet complemented with a bare ceiling of running pipes and marble tables (and a larger stone one for big parties). Mellow contemporary jazz is continuously played in the background. The place is famed for its variety of sake (japanese wine) but we decided to try the cocktails instead.

A Bellini Den and a Miyazaki...I think.

Decent with subtle layering of alcohol. My Bellini Den came with apple juice while the other has cranberry which gradually became sweeter with each sip but the initial taste came with a quick punch of dryness.

A very grainy image of yours truly in the dimmed spatial lighting. I got to wear a new dress!

When we arrived the bar was already full and it wasn't long before the place filled up. There were easy smiles about and casual chatter, while chefs tossed ingredients at the grill and the manager showed us the cutest menus curled up as bound scrolls.

The menus are written in both english and japanese.

Small plates and wooden chopsticks.

We decided to order two cold dishes and a hot dish with a dessert. The first to arrive were the German sausages, neatly sliced and accompanied by a tongue tingling wasabi mustard.

We licked up every last bit of sauerkraut with the wasabi mustard. Very yummy and opened up the tastebuds.

Next came the much praised spicy tuna tataki, followed by the kingfish sashimi.

Not very spicy. But this dish was the highlight of every delicious food ever created in this world. The tuna absolutely melted in the mouth, juicy, succulent and dripping with the sweet sauce. I could have eaten the entire dish, and 4 more.

Long slivers of kingfish with a distinct Asian flavouring, peppered with sesame seeds and a light cabbage salad. This was fresh with a lingering taste.

And dessert.

The icy cold apple millefeuille. If you're expecting a creamy pastry, this is not it. Instead expect thin apple slices layered with sweet fresh ice.

Each dish was absolutely delicious. Although it was like an orgasm without a climax. We were astounded by the food and there weren't enough on the tiny plates! Certainly though Izakaya Den is an experience to remember, just be sure to fill up beforehand....or order more than one of every dish.

We decided to pop over to the Canary Club in search of tidbits.

I've previously been to the Canary Club and sampled their paella, which was large, filling and scrumptious, very comfort food. At night their bar was lit with candles and chandeliers, and upstairs I discovered leather divans with soft pillows. One wall was lined with a long couch and covered with paintings.

This time I've opted again for their Sherbet Apple cocktail which is the most amazing cocktail ever! A must have for the discerning drinker who likes sweet and sour with no sharp taste of alcohol. My friend opted for a citrus tangy drink, again very dry! We finished the night with a platter of chorizo, chicken and beef kebabs. Tres cool.

Chinese New Year

2010-02-15T23:32:00.001+11:00

Welcoming the year of the tiger. Every year I'd be home and grandma would be bustling about, cooking and stringing red packets up. There would be new budding willow branches in the big vase, a platter-ful of sweets and biscuits on the table and new clothes to wriggle into. We'll have a big dinner on the first day and wait for the extended family to come the next, everyone wishing each other gong xi fa cai and the young folks eagerly receiving ang paus (red packets filled with money).

This year however I'm in Melbourne, far from home and family. The festivities here started early with firecrackers going pop pop pop! On the 14th the road to Chinatown was blocked off and stalls rose up so I went with a friend to see how Australia celebrates CNY. Unfortunately there were mostly adverts everywhere, and real estate agents, an extremely overpriced gelati truck and an awesome exhibition of bamboo skin and syrup artists.

Very pretty decorations!

mmm...gelati. Rather unsatisfying =(

A dragon dance workshop. The little kids were so cute and enthusiastic! So were the adults actually ;)

A syrup painting master, creating a butterfly.

Completed syrup art. Looks very yummy.

Around the city there were several lion dances visiting local businesses, bestowing good luck and good fortune to the happy drum beat and clashing cymbals. A man in a mask is often seen jumping around with a round fan, he leads the 'tiger' and conjoles it. There is always a cabbage and a paper scroll hung high, so the tiger leaps up and devours both, then reveals the scroll with good luck writing before the firecrackers go off in loud bangs!

A golden lion preparing to eat the cabbage. It succeeds!

This red lion retreats from the explosive crackers. See its closed eyes?

Off it goes finding a new place to bestow good luck!

A bold black and gold lion.

The tricky man leads the lion.

The players of the lion are often very strong, it takes alot of energy and martial art skills to leap and show off the great lion! At other places the lion would often jump from pole to pole, wowing the crowds!

Taking a gentle bow.

Chinese New Year is a time of families and friends. It is accompanied with delicious food and bright colours and lots of noises calling for happiness. Gong xi fa cai, may your year be filled with good cheer and good health and good fortune.

RIP Alexander McQueen

2010-02-12T17:28:00.002+11:00

Iconic British designer Lee McQueen, founder of Alexander McQueen has passed away, found dead in his home on Thursday. I awoke to these news with shock as did most of his admirers and fashion lovers around the world. McQueen's wild and exuberant designs defined innovation in the industry while his runway sets, always dream-like and out of this world, brought performance back into the shows.

source: style.com

source: coutorture.com

He was truly inspirational and I hope his vision and his work continues to challenge and inspire young artists. Certainly his 2010 collection of underwater alien-esque life forms left everyone in awe. A final round of applause to one of the best designers of our generation, may he find solace and peace.

Paris Couture Week 2010

2010-02-06T12:06:00.003+11:00

Spring-Summer collection from some of the big fashion houses.

Giorgio Armani goes for structured suits and some very interesting reflecting fabrics, choosing embellishments such as crescent moons to accent shapes and throats. The pencil skirts are so delicious, a cute addition to any wardrobe if the pret-a-porter collection is anything like this!

Chanel, ever feminine, gorgeous and ladylike. Lagerfeld revisits traditional lines but with new hints of modern panache with shorts paired with fitted jackets and edgings in silver. Mixed reactions to the styling, models walked with bows decked hair shaped like mickey ears- cute or or too lady gaga?

Christian Dior always presents such lovely sets. This year's collection follows an equestrian theme but there's no shortage of full length gowns with lace and tulle details and draped dramatic skirts accompanied by riding crops and top hats. Tres Chic with a capital C.

Funky tropical tribal looks graced Jean Paul Gaultier's collection. Waisted corsets, hoop skirts and padded shoulders and crafted headdresses, what a spectacular show! I adore the fringe effect of the layered skirt as well as the tulle filled dress, very stunning.

I have no idea how I went so long without chanting Elie Saab's name. This collection is definitely one of the top highlights, a pinnacle of couture gowns. Light airy and infinitely beautiful, each gown is exquisitely wrought. Love the understated colours and how the dresses flow with each step.

Photos source- www.fashiongonerogue.com

New header

2010-02-05T21:47:00.001+11:00

Made a new header =D
Featuring Courtenay (@ Maverick) and our latest shoot together, Beauty in a Bathtub or La Petite Sirene for the more romantic.

Stay tuned for more news!

Une Situation Etrange/ Editorial

2010-01-30T21:44:00.001+11:00

Last year I decided to conduct a shoot during the coldest day ever recorded in Melbourne and it was a shoot involving somewhat limited clothing. It features some delicious sexiness, a Dolce&Gabbana meets Tim Burton and I envisioned something rater epic involving lots of large structures and wild makeup and incorrigible props. Unfortunately it rather fell through, sort of a muffin besides the cake. The models were awesome though, braving everything with the type of courage any photographer would grin with glee. Makeup and hair were provided by the vivacious Monique Gow- stellar work. Wardrobe provided by models, styled by moi, bien sur.

It's shoots like these where things definitely didn't go quite well (wrong location, overcast drizzling windy winter weather, concept terribly conveyed resulting in quizzical looks) that tells you a successful shoot is more than likely 90% proper effective planning and 10% luck (at the very least, check the weather report! And make sure you have control over your set and everyone involved!). I know it sounds so dictatorial but the photographer (in most cases) control the final end product so it's prudent to make sure things stay on course and that you or everyone else are not distracted.

Location was cool though (no pun intended), definitely a place for more shoots if possible. Also those boots are to drool over.

Makeup and Hair by Monique Gow

Models Miss Hatter and Rob B

Photographed by S de Varax

Photography assistant Vlad K

This story can be found in Sublime Rush

2010

2010-01-23T14:20:00.001+11:00

Fascinating to look into a new year and see the possibilities. And reminiscing what was and could have been. I'm at the brink of multitude of changes, big changes and decisions and it is fearsome and exciting and terrible at the same time.

It is a chance to grow up and I feel as if I've stalled in a mire of my own doing. I've finally understood what it meant to have abandonment issues and to know that there are many things I've yet to learn and overcome. I wonder at the person that I was and remembered or may have made up and am sorrowful that she has become stifled and old and frightened. I've yet to say goodbye, so perhaps there are chances yet.

This year there will be possibilities and beginnings and new wonder. I do hope I will remember. My work seems a facade for the person I hope to be and there are details left unsaid. Perhaps this year they will grow and fill in the quiet empty spots.

Beauty Shoot- Caroline

2009-11-28T23:04:00.001+11:00

Just realized I kept wanting to update but kept putting it off 'til the next shoot and then the next shoot and then another shoot. This semester I've completed 6 major shoots, worked with heaps of awesome new people and hopefully significantly boosted my portfolio another level. It's great because I can now really concentrate on compiling my print book!

Couple of months ago (it always seems a couple of months ago), I met up with Portia Peacey whose makeup and hair work I've noticed for quite a while, so it's quite exciting to finally collaborate on something. We decided on avant garde hair with a European Nordic theme and contacted Sarah (Baxter) to hopefully do makeup. Now I've mentioned Sarah a few times, we first worked together early in the year and her clean beauty work simply blew me away. It was one of the definitive turning moment in my work so anyone can imagine how hilariously happy I was.

Beauty is a big part of the fashion industry- all those skin care, makeup, hair products, perfume, jewelery ads are in most parts beauty photography. It's all about perfection- perfect hair, perfect skin, meticulous makeup application, phenomenal faces, phenomenal lighting and it involves a great team working together which is stressed even more given how the slightest imperfection would be brought up in beauty work. The biggest mistake when trying to shoot beauty is thinking that all that is needed is makeup or a beautiful model, and while beauty usually utilize beautiful models (and makeup) it's actually a combination of everything which focuses on skin, hair and makeup. It's about the art and the perfection and if one facet fails, the whole image fails. This is also perhaps why many would mistake portraiture or glamour work for beauty when they aren't really.

This is Sarah, uber cute! She's standing in for a light test =D

Sarah working on Caroline, our model of the day.

Portia attempting the hair which is a white faux piece styled on the model's own hair.

We are yet again in my little apartment studio so we're working around the bench and table. We are joined by Caroline from Chadwicks and Vlad who's assisting me. The shoot itself it set up against a white wall and I wanted a really nice bright clean type of lighting so (and here's the semi scary part where due to lack of equipment and making do with what we have) we hooked up one of the hotlights on a hanger and hung it through the vent in the ceiling. This serves as my main front light.

Portia subtly changed the hair for three looks while Sarah did a clean face with blue eyeshadow, then blue and silvery lips and then a lovely orange lip.

Sarah and Portia stepping in to fix stray hair.

A valiant attempt to introduce a back hair light.

This was possibly the quickest ever shoot we have ever done. It lasted about half a day and Caroline was superb just easing into each change with rapid succession. I did learn however that white is notoriously difficult to light without losing details and definition, so that is something to focus on for next year ;)

Makeup Sarah Baxter

Hair Portia Peacey

Model Caroline @ Chadwick

Photography S de Varax

Assistant Vlad K

Summer

2009-11-22T02:11:00.002+11:00

Melbourne has turned into a scorcher when it's not raining straight through for 6 hours. Attempting to sit through 3.5 hours of law exams twice was rather an achievement in itself and at last I'm free. Sweet sweet freedom from being cooped up for two weeks staring at tiny notes and bright computer screens!

Sarah (a very dear and darling makeup artist who recently moved to Melbourne and we've been working together for awhile) and I excitedly planned for a what promised to be phenomenal beach fashion and beauty shoot. Unfortunately, as always when I prepared for a location shoot, the skies thundered and grayed and positively threatened sleet. Slightly dramatic but I'm hugely disappointed in Melbourne 'Four Seasons' weather!

Just the other day popped in again at Insert Name Here to see Airdrie and met the newest designers who joined the store. Eva Q is a must watch young couturist, her current collection an exemplar of hand sewn delicacy, while Hamish of T Shirt Garage produces comfortable male and female tees grafted with muscle car designs. It was Hamish's welcome evening and somehow I got roped in to shooting runway and event! What an interesting experience negotiating through available light, trying to shoot quickly, quietly and with decent composition. Don't think I did so well, but it was great fun =D

I'll soon be busy with a new shoot and will be updating with images from the big editorials from months ago =D Stay tuned!

Orphan

2009-11-03T21:42:00.001+11:00

I meant to write about this on Halloween! Saw Orphan the night before, and while I'm usually not partial to horror films due to an overactive imagination (I still fear Chucky and IT), I was really surprised by Orphan!

The story tells of a family still grieving from the loss of a stillbirth baby, and they decided to adopt a girl who turned out not quite as expected. The film maintains a sense of watchful creepiness even from the start, relying on expert cinematography to deliver the audience along with it. Unlike most other horror thrillers, this one does not involve a high amount of senseless blood and gore.

Not quite sure why the reviewers aren't as receptive to Orphan, perhaps because it doesn't hold the same sort of value in potential sequels, the movie was definitely a little more artsy. I was blown away by the performance of the 12 yr old lead actress Isabelle Fuhrman who played 'Esther', very mature, well thought out and she absorbed her character utterly.

Her transformation in the movie was so impeccable! Alternating between sweet child and psycho with such ease, I half expected her to appear in the room!

Time to stop shuddering. Orphan isn't as scary as all the Exorcist type movies and Ring and etc, but still, quite enjoyable for a thriller =D

All images of Orphan movie belong to Dark Castle.

Fast and Slow

2009-10-27T22:28:00.002+11:00

Met up with one of my favourite designers today- Airdrie Makim who does Joolz by Airdrie, very beautiful hand crafted jewelery made from recycled materials. She now has an adorable little shop with two other designers on Georges on Collins called Insert Name Here.

I first worked with Airdrie when I started photography, she had so graciously loaned me her collection to play around with.

Designer Joolz by Airdrie

Makeup Justine Bruers

Model Sara Downs

Photography Me

Lighting Assistant Jeff Paine

Assistant Sammi Jones

Evidently it was one of my biggest shoot with a ton of people and lasted about 6 hours. So ambitious this young thing!

So Airdrie and I got to talking about the industry. Everything is so fast paced and things just happen. It's really truly about who you know and it's about networking and pushing yourself and putting yourself out there, because if you don't no one else would know you existed. I'm pretty much the shy lamb, I feel so uncomfortable in social situations and have been avoiding parties and launches, which I should really go to!

I always hear questions on how to succeed, how to be a working photographer- I have a ton of those questions myself. Networking, perseverance, marketing yourself- I have to keep my head down and keep chugging on like the little engine who could.

But everything in this industry is also about waiting- waiting through prep time, waiting to hear back from people, waiting to be approved, waiting, waiting, waiting. It can be so exhausting- it's a social industry and you end up depending on alot of other people.

C'est la vie.

Alexander McQueen SS10

2009-10-17T21:40:00.001+11:00

McQueen certainly puts on a show for fashion lovers with his 2010 Spring runway. The theme was Evolution and models strutted in crafted ballet heels, scaly prints on structured dresses against an 'underwater' backdrop. The makeup and hair was a sight to behold with coiled braids, fresh skin and prosthetics utilized to give an alien look.

Watch the show via video at Showstudio.

Enjoy.

Beauty Shoot

2009-10-12T17:16:00.001+11:00

Mid-semester break has just ended and I readily used the time to fit in as many shoots as possible. This time around I had a general casting call and had quite a favourable response and compiled a list of possible creatives and models.

This beauty shoot involves Domi Baiocchi (makeup and hair) and Jas B (model), both of whom I haven't worked with before so it's quite exciting. It was a simple one involving two looks and after sending messages and reference images we settled upon a high contrast one focusing on the eyes and one with a diamante design.

As with most of my shoots, we were in the apartment. Jas recently moved to Melbourne and is finding her way around. We've been meaning to work together for some time, so this was an awesome opportunity. She's such a lovely girl and put up with my strange directions (can you growl? like a lion?) with a smile.

Domi (seen above working on the first look) does superb clean meticulous makeup. I love it! Her choice of cyan and blues in providing the contrast look turned out really well, and I ended up preferring the end result in colour as opposed to the original choice of black+white.

This also gave me a chance to play with different processing style. I've been really interested in silvery skin tones, although I'm not quite sure if there's enough contrast and separation from the background. Lighting was done with two hot lights, with one bounced to the ceiling. Vlad provided assistance with adjusting lighting.

Jas also brought along a bagful of jewelery and we attempted an a jewelery editorial. It was certainly an education, as trying to get an awesome set of 8-10 images for an editorial is a lot harder than just getting one kick ass image. In addition they have to be cohesive and tell a story.

For the second look, Domi opted for a casual ponytail, and carefully laid out red diamantes in a scar formation. The next hour was spent attempting to growl, scowl, scream, yell and bring fierceness to the look! Black lipstick is difficult to work with, it tends to stain the teeth so be prepared!

Changing expression and pose shows how remarkable a look can shift. In the first she's a sneering dominatrix, and the other a high fashion model! I like to think so anyway =)

The right people and a good team is invaluable on every shoot. It's a wonderful feeling when everything goes right and you end up with something you're proud of. Much contentment.

First publication

2009-10-03T19:44:00.001+10:00

With all my latest shoots and prepping for submissions, I didn't realize I actually received my first publication and tearsheets. What a completely (forgotten) surprise! It's a little article (text and photos) on the 13th Nec Go Cup for the Australian Go Journal, of which I'm now the Melbourne correspondent for. So while it's isn't fashion and beauty, it's still quite exciting and involves the other occupation of my life- go.

Go is an ancient Chinese board game played with white and black stones. It's quite simple to learn but challenging to master, and quite beautiful once you start understanding the intricate complexity of the moves. I started playing about 6 years ago and have been involved in one of the local and more active clubs the past four years. This year (this weekend actually) we're hosting the Australian National Go Tournament, so yes I'm covering the photography aspect again.

One of the Journal editors brought in copies and I get one. Happy.

Portfolios

2009-09-13T19:39:00.003+10:00

While I'm shooting and adding more work to my portfolio, I must begin to think (and rather obsess) about a physical print portfolio. Every photographer interested in a career must invest in both their work and the tools that would connect them to their clients. A print portfolio is the presentation of our work (although arguably in today's time many photographers make do with just a web presence and online portfolios- I'll write about websites another time, it's yet another obsession). It's an investment of both effort and a lot of money, especially since a nice book cover can run in the hundreds and when you add business cards, promo cards, websites, perhaps even a design of your logo (let's put aside the photographic equipment for the moment), you'll be seeing red for awhile before your career could possibly cover it in later years. 'Quite an expensive hobby' as a friend use to say.

As I've started in photography rather haphazardly with more of a conviction than any knowledge, all information relating to photography and the commercial industry and about fashion and the ways to go about setting yourself up comes from the internet, from other photographers much wiser, more experienced, and of course from trial and error and thinking about the path I'd like to take.

There is of course a lot of mis-information from the internet, often contradictory and most of the time rather vague, one must use discerning judgment and hope for the best.

So back to portfolios. General thought by those in the fashion industry for aspiring fashion photographers, your book should be 11x14, comprising 10-20 pages (20-40 single images) of your best work. It is remarkably difficult to find portfolio books in Melbourne (Australia) that 1) looks professional, 2) are of the right size, and 3) allows for easy page changes. It is far more economical and (with a wide range of options) easier to find something online.

House of Portfolios (pictured above) offers a super sleek and solid design (among others). It's really classic and you can personalize them too. I can imagine their leather books are divine to hold. Little bit out of my price range however which is a pity.

I'm quite favouring Pina Zangaro's portfolios, a multitude of presentation covers for those desiring to stand out a little more unique. I suppose they are slightly more modern yet it hasn't stopped me from lusting after their synthetic leather Rossano (pictured right) or the acrylic panelled Vista (in Onyx matte black) all quite conventional choices!

I'm influenced by understated elegance and letting my work show by itself. It should be neat, sleek and simple. The screwpost system also allows you to add more pages when ever you like so that's definitely a bonus.

The only thing left is to go see the portfolios (Zetta Florence in Australia supplies Pina Zangaro), and decide what to print and include and in which layout......

And whether I'd like an imprinting of my logo or any of the other additional personalizations.

Quelle la vie.

(Images belong to their respective companies)

Self Portraits

2009-09-10T18:21:00.002+10:00

I started photography with self portraits (actually it began with some abstract shadows and building tops from the balcony, and of course I also photographed Cat who would get curious at the sight of this black shiny DSLR), but since I've always been more drawn to people imagery and having a lack of models I just used myself (one could also always use siblings, family, friends and random people on the street).

Self portraiture is an art in itself. It's a direct reflection on who you are as an artist, and you not only have to grapple with the conceptual imagery you wish to present but also the technical difficulties involved- focus, light fall, composition anyone? Since you're playing both roles, the majority of time would be spent on running to and fro adjusting all the details. At least I do anyway.

Self Portrait: The Shoot

Since getting my camera back from repairs, I had to try shooting again. Voila, another self portrait (see image above). First is deciding what you want to shoot. It's the same with any other shoots- the theme and details are important. In this case I was influenced by my outfit of the day- a gothic lolita skirt from ebay, a Cue long sleeved collared shirt, a pair of black and purple knee high stockings and my favourite pair of black suede boots. I wanted a white background for contrast (cleared a section of wall space) and hard lighting and shadows (one light top right). Once there is a setup, it's some experimentation getting everything else on camera right. Adjust, adjust, adjust until happy.

Then off I go. Trying different poses, different expressions. One good note about using digital is that I can keep experimenting without having to worry too much. I didn't like the first 100 frames (continuous shooting on bursts of 10), until I started playing with my spectacles. Much better.

Once I get a good selection, it's off to editing, deleting those that are terrible, bad, not good enough and keeping those that are usable. I did basic corrections, lower the saturation slightly, and resized these to 11x14. I really liked a couple and combined them, thus final product:-

It's quite interesting to see the variety of ways that photographers present themselves, some even make whole portfolios of self portraits and it does push one to be as creative as they can to do something different and unique each and every time. I'd like to try the 365 days Self Portrait Project one day, so perhaps....one day =)

Gender fashion

2009-09-02T19:38:00.005+10:00

2009 marked an explosion of new fashion for men- skirts. With names the likes of Gaultier, Commes des Garcons, and Yohji Yamamoto, male models in avant garde makeup and trailing skirts or over skinny pants walked the runways. Is this a sign of fashion taking gender bending to new heights?

Interestingly one response was about the need to make skirts for men more masculine looking or else they just look wrong. Hmm.

Contemporary fashion is about pushing limits. No rules, no must, no have tos, it's about defining yourself without definitions. Transgress boundaries by disregarding it completely, reinvent it. This is why fashion is sometimes incomprehensible, out there and thus avant garde.

Vogue Italia- Linda by Meisel

2009-09-01T19:39:00.005+10:00

Linda Evangelista with Steven Meisel

For Vogue Italia 2009
What a gorgeous editorial. Sublime black and white tones and I love the light flare.

Here's another one with Linda. There was a conversation today about moving models. Movement always bring a certain dynamism and liveliness to an image- even if a model is moving -into- a pose. The hard part is of course maintaining a suitable facial expression, thus it does take quite alot of control.

Introduction

2009-08-25T21:16:00.003+10:00

Photography came into my life not too long ago...a very lovely photographer friend handed me his spare 10D and said 'try it' and as if something very large, something very prominent and enthusing and marvelous came and knocked me sideways, photography has become a very different reality of my life.

This is a documentation of my journey. Welcome.