Tag : gold coast reportage documentary photographer Toggle

Corporate portrait photography – with a difference

Recently, a Gold Coast Journalist associate made written reference to our client’s eyes. This gave me a visual queue for a contemporary portrait treatment…

November 2015 saw some of the world’s most accomplished change-makers of the moment converge on the Gold Coast. The inaugural Big Blue Sky event was the platform for Gold Coaster’s to hear a wide range of inspirational success stories presented by these excellent speakers. It was a great event to photograph, as I had the privilege of hearing them all while shooting!
Largely focussing on digitally disrupted industries and positive growth stories, the founders of Big Blue Sky propose a rethink, repositioning and renewal of what the Gold Coast is best known for. Silicon Beach is one of the initiatives to have come from November’s two day head-scratching and chin-rub-a-thon and you can read more about it HERE.

Recently I teamed-up with Susan Curran – a writer of exceptionally broad international experience with UNICEF, the ABC, BBC to the UN High Commission. Susan approached me to propose that we co-create what I’ll lazily term here as ‘high-brow content’ for Christine McDougall – one of Big Blue Sky’s founders. This Writer-Photographer collaboration is something that I always enjoy and Susan and I are now providing this two-prong offering to select Gold Coast and Brisbane clients as commissioned.

Susan’s article made reference to Christine’s eyes and this gave me my first visual queue for a contemporary corporate portrait treatment that would stand out from other photographer’s work…

A_Low_key_corporate_portrait_drawing_focus_to_the_female_subjects_eyes

A_corporate_portrait_of_a_businesswoman_against_grey_studio_backdrop_in_mottled_light

A_corporate_portrait_of_a_womans_side_profile_against_grey_studio_backdrop

Miss Saigon comes to the Gold Coast!

 

Kim & Chris - the lead characters in 'Miss Saigon' - The Arts Centre Gold Coast's new musical theatre production

Last week I was asked to photograph the hero shot and program imagery for the new theatre production at The Arts Centre Gold Coast.

‘Miss Saigon’ is set during the fall of Vietnam at the end of their civil war, and addresses some of the many issues that arose from the USA’s illegal interventional policies, both at the time of the conflict and during the decades since.

The Arts Centre have created a beautiful range of stage sets which were great to get a chance to see and incorporate into the shots. Their talented cast were great to shoot and the crew very helpful in assisting with the theatre lighting to complement my studio lights. My kind of shoot!

‘Miss Saigon’ opened this week and tickets to this great show can be purchased here.   🙂

 

Cast member of 'Miss Saigon' - The Arts Centre Gold Coast's new musical theatre production Cast members from 'Miss Saigon' - The Arts Centre Gold Coast's new musical theatre production Some of the lead cast of 'Miss Saigon' - The Arts Centre Gold Coast's new musical theatre production Pimp character from 'Miss Saigon' - The Arts Centre Gold Coast's new musical theatre productionThe cast of 'Miss Saigon' on the 'Dreamland' stage set at The Arts Centre Gold Coast's new musical theatre production

 

Photo shoot for Government ministry

Brochure samples arrived in the mail last week from my client, who I shot the below job for.
I was shooting for a great Singapore design agency named DPI and their client was the Ministry of Social & Family Development.

Shoot day threw me a few curve balls when the Art Director was unable to attend and I was asked to art direct the shoot myself (which is no problem – my comfort in doing exactly this, is why many of my clients hire me). The curve ball came when I was informed by their client that I wasn’t allowed to photograph the faces of the children who I had been sent there to shoot! The kids were all from troubled homes or were juvenile delinquents, so their anonymity was important for privacy reasons.

I quickly decided that more abstract and ‘arty’ imagery would be needed to meet this brief, so I utilised the sunny day to backlight the kids and have their faces drop out to silhouette. Tight shots, low key shots, obstruction and shadow-play were also utilised during the two shoot days, to gather the body of work needed for the brochure.

The client was extremely impressed with the solution to a tricky brief and the brochures look fantastic – props to DPI!

 

Mendaki-cover Mendaki-spread