07.07.2017

After our first dance shoot a few months ago we were keen to do another one – this time in studio though.

Our focus this time was on the play between light and dark, and the simple beauty of dancing. We had the pleasure of meeting two young dancers that were a joy to work with. Their love for dancing shines through the pictures and their hard work and excitement about the photoshoot made working with them very easy.

We made sure to eliminate any natural light and set up a black backdrop and our studio lighting. The dancers in their white dresses stood out in between all the black, and the studio lighting created a beautiful mix of shadow and controlled light accents.

We thoroughly enjoyed this photoshoot – it was a great experience for both us and the girls, and hopefully we will have the opportunity to do a similar shoot again in the future.

Thank you, Eryn and Maeve – please keep your passion for dancing!

 

 

04.06.2017

Today we got to photograph a lovely German family. It is great to be able to fit in work whilst being on holiday in Europe. We decided to have the shoot at a playground, a natural environment for their daughter – to keep her comfortable and happy, although it’s also risky as it offers quite a bit of distraction. This was only a mini session, and we managed to snap a few natural family pictures before the little lady lost interest. Photographing children or families with children can be challenging, and you have to be patient (and quick to capture a good moment). Whilst I do like interaction with the camera, the true magic lies within the couples or families – how they interact and look at each other. We got a few glimpses of this magic today, and for me those photos sometimes carry more emotion than a posed photo.

Thank you for a fun afternoon, Alphei family!

 

 

31.05.2017

We finally enjoyed our long awaited holiday! During our time in Europe we had a few days in Appiano, South Tyrol, Italy. This is a beautiful area known for their fruit trees and vineyards, using even the steepest of hills to grow their crops.

My wife used to holiday here quite a lot as a child and holds fond memories. We enjoyed trying to locate places she had visited and also making our own memories. Our daughter especially loved spotting the countless old castles and mini tractors along the way. The tractor to car ratio seems to be quite even in that area, but they never ceased to amaze her. One day, at a different time of year, we will have to come back to the mountains to grant her wish to see snow and build a snowman.

The fresh air and peacefulness of the area was enabling us to recharge our batteries a bit. We got to try the local produce, and as we both aren’t wine drinkers, we enjoyed the best apple juice and fresh apples we had had in a long time. Plus, Italian pizza simply can’t be beat and that alone is worth the long travel.

Here are just a few impressions. Feeling the travel bug yet?

 

 

 

10.04.2017

I like to challenge myself and try new things. I always wanted to do a photo shoot that features the Arts, like music or dance, but thinking outside the box. I love seeing the passion someone has for what they do and to showcase it through pictures.

Today was an opportunity to photograph the talented Miss Kate in her ballet gear, but not in the typical dancer’s environment but on the beautiful stage nature has to offer. We chose Somersby Falls as our location. After all the heavy rain we had in the weeks prior to this shoot, the power of the water crashing would create a nice contrast to the elegance of the ballet poses. Plus, the waterfalls just make for a perfect background.

Hats off to our dancer for being such a professional! The environment was quite challenging; we had to make sure none of her gear (or ours) got wet, and we also had to find a suitable spot for her dancing (as suitable as an uneven rock surface could be…). Kate was amazing, very patient and just kept on going with a smile on her face. She even managed to deliver a few jumps on this rough terrain. Thanks to her work we had a hard time choosing only a few photos for our Blog!

25.03.2017

This photo session was a lot of fun! We met the Talbot family on a beautiful location with these big old trees which set the scene. We had brought a bubble wand along to keep the kids entertained, but who knew bubbles would be such a big hit with the kids! Their enthusiasm and excitement was contagious and resulted in a lot of natural photos during our shoot.

 

 

These two had way too much fun with the bubbles! They still put a smile on my face looking at the photos. I love being able to capture such pure emotion!

Thank you for a great afternoon, Talbots!

21.02.2017

What a great and fun shoot I had today!

Ryan turned up dressed to kill, since I requested him to wear a dress shirt and tie. I had been looking forward to doing this photo shoot with Ryan for a while, as I had some ideas on how to capture him and his awesome beard in a studio setting.

Since I do not have a proper studio yet, I had to improvise and use our driveway as a set. With the marquee blocking the sun and all light boxes and background set up, I was quite happy with my pop-up studio.

 

In less than half an hour we had captured all the photos I had in mind, lots of laughter  inclusive. I wanted to focus on his face, showing off his beard with a straight face. Ryan was not intimidated by all the equipment around him and was having fun in front of the camera, which occasionally resulted in tears of laughter on both sides.

Thanks for being such great sport, Ryan, and I hope you enjoy your photos.

 

14.02.2017

Other people spent today celebrating Valentine’s day, I got to play with new photography equipment – total win for me in my eyes.

I recently purchased some new strobe lights, the Xlite strip lights from Kayell Australia, and I was excited to test them out to see what they can do.

Luckily my wife agreed to be in front of the camera for me this time, so I set up an improvised little studio. It was a joy to use the new strip lights compared to my old equipment. I love how close the strip lights can get without blowing out the subject.

This was only a quick test shoot ( I might give a more detailed review on the lights at a later date), but I am pleased so far with how the light is controlled and how easy the light boxes set up and take down. This will certainly help in future Portrait shootings, which I’m really excited about.