bang bang dot dot

An Ode to No One [Flickr]

2009-07-02T22:37:23-07:00

Shot for Adi. Designer of AOTNO

The Model School

2009-07-02T22:17:00.000-07:00

Here are some press shots I did for a Sydney band, The Model School. The chalkboard shots are some of my favorite pics this year, as it reminds me that you don't have to be a hot young pop diva to get beautiful photos. Ideas can be stronger than all the botox and bleach in the world.

We all sat around my lounge room with New Scientist magazines, googling 'physics maths equations theory,' scrawling them over a green paper-roll. We went through 4 silver sharpies.

Look! It's Pushkin. Again She is quite the celebrity!

This was shot at an amazingly retro diner on the Pacific HWY near Mascot called Dino's.

We also had free reign at a cargo yard near the airport. It was amazing. Planes flying right overhead. Definitely coming back here for a fashion shoot. Quite breathtaking.

Earl Gray

2009-06-30T04:09:00.000-07:00

Trawling through the archives.Shot in my old bathroom in Chippendale in 2007.

Alice In Wonderland [Flickr]

2009-06-30T00:22:44-07:00

cybele malinowski posted a photo:

3D World Djs [Flickr]

2009-06-30T00:21:00-07:00

cybele malinowski posted a photo:

3D World Djs [Flickr]

2009-06-30T00:19:37-07:00

cybele malinowski posted a photo:

Sian Honeywell (shot for Valerie Tolosa)

2009-06-17T03:44:00.001-07:00

Here are some more pics of the beautiful Sian

Sian Honeybell [Flickr]

2009-06-17T03:41:22-07:00

cybele malinowski posted a photo:

Lily Allen

2009-06-16T04:17:00.000-07:00

I had the pleasure of shooting the lovely Lily last week. Firstly for MCM Studios, where she had an interview with Ruby Rose for MTV and performed a few of her latest songs, and then the next day, across the road at the Horden Pavilion for her live show.

The last time I saw her play was some 4 years ago, at a secret gig at Club 77. Since then she has kicked off her sneakers and slipped into slinky heels. Although I resent her glamming it up a bit (i loved her sneakers and frocks, and fuck-off attitude), I guess we have all grown up sometime. She was a sweetie in the interview, very witty, and that voice of hers is just as juicy as ever.

Anyway, here are some shots from both events.

Lady Gaga

2009-06-04T05:16:00.000-07:00

I don't think I should write anything for this blog. She seems to have a pretty serious crew of heavies and lawyers surrounding her, so.... enjoy the pics.

Love her or hate her, she puts on a good show.

Shot @ Live Lounge, Sydney 11th May 2009

Valerie Tolosa Summer 09/10

2009-05-27T01:19:00.000-07:00

Val and I had another shoot. This time with a stunning model from Perth, Sian Honeybell. She was just beautiful. So young, and yet really fit into the luxurious look we were aiming for on the location shots.

We started in the studio, shot something crazy like 50 looks, and then headed to a speedboat down at Woolloomooloo wharf, care of Jamie Wright, whose boyfriend just so happened to own the FASTEST boat on Sydney Harbor. What are the odds really!

So we headed down and raced against the setting sun and looming clouds. It was actually a lot darker than it seems in the photos, at times the clouds so thick, there was next to no light what soever. So, hopefully we have pulled off a summer feel despite the dreary Autumn day.

Magdalena Part II

2009-05-21T23:38:00.000-07:00

Another chapter from the Magdalena Duma shoot. Later in the day. It was freezing!

Magdalena Duma

2009-05-17T03:07:00.000-07:00

Here is the first batch of shots from the Magdalena Duma campaign. They were shot to be converted to B&W, but I like the bleached out treatment in these. Reminds me of the 90s.

It was a very windy day, poor Imogen was almost being blown off the cliffs, her eyes were watering and the wind was forcing me to shoot at 1/250 shutter speed, just to avoid lens movement. We shot in the National Park between Cronulla and Kurnell, a hot spot that I have used for quite a few shoots, including the FBI cover shoot, St Augustine for ACFM and a recent shoot for Short Stack (Pics to come).

Anyway, many more pics to come. It really is handy having a muse as my

Model: Imogen Stuart
Hair and Makeup: Jeanne
Styling: Yvette Herbert

Photographing the photographers at RAFW

2009-05-13T03:14:00.000-07:00

I turned my camera onto the photographers at RAFW, to show the frenzy that goes on behind the scenes at a show. There were at least 20 photographers backstage at one time, all scrambling for the same pic. Generally most were well behaved, though as you can read in the well practiced Sonny's blog, it ain't what it used to be.

Out in the pit at the front of the catwalk, there were at least 50 photographers and videographers. To get a good spot, you have to arrive hours before a show, and mark your spot. Luckily I got to share a spot with the Rosemount TVC crew :)

Anyway, here are some pics, to give you an idea of what it was like working at this years RAFW. Only 340 days till next year.

I just loved watching the girls posing for other photographers.

Photographers checking their levels, while others check out the clothes

Some serious get-up

The guerrilla of the paps, Charlie Bruer.

Guests at Romance was Born snapping away

Eye spy Isaac

The wall of photographers in the OPT

Konstantina MIttas

2009-04-29T04:00:00.000-07:00

First show of day 3 at RAFW. Amazing clothes, matched by the hottest gold leaf eye make-up and crimped flat-top hair. So many pics to upload! So little time....

Backstage at Dion Lee RAFW

2009-04-28T05:00:00.000-07:00

Maise Show

2009-04-21T19:58:00.000-07:00

Well, we are coming into the thick of another fashion week (one of my favourite weeks of the year), and last night I shot the amazingly talented designer, Claire Greaves's label Maise. It was held in the old chocolate factory on Cleveland St (I used to live next door coincidentally), a great space, seating 250 people in bleachers, there was a real 1980s high school gym vibe. From the mini basketballs, spiked in the models heals (Ms Fitz is the mastermind behind the styling), to the bleachers, the football inspired shoulder-pads and the coach whistles squealing over the music.

Check out some of my favorite pieces here. There is a kooky mix of sport and femme. Kind-of like if the teacher's pet got knocked up by the school jock at the prom, this would be their child, some 20 years later.

Thanks to the beautiful Nicole at Under The Wing :)

Tim Fite

2009-04-17T17:42:00.001-07:00

I shot Laneway Festival 2009 for Drum Media, with one instruction from the editor, Mark. 'Make sure you get Time Fite, we hear he is something else on stage.' His show was quite remarkable. Nothing I had ever seen before. Tim and his brother Greg

After the show we chatted, and I thought it would be great to do a shoot with him. He has the charisma and presence that is a photographer's dream. I sent through some reference shots of the infamous 1930s photographer, Weegee. Tim wrote back, saying he loved Weegee, and I knew this was going to be a great collaboration.

I studied Weegee for my HSC in art, and the above shot has stuck with me ever since. Below is a photo of the quirky New Yorker.

I spent a day or so sourcing props, getting over-sized suits and shirts from op-shops, fake blood and 'wound putty,' and some amazing specs from my friends at Eye Candy Optics on Oxford St. The wonderful Felicia Yong came on board for hair and make-up, and my friend Will Reichelt put his hand up to assist. When Justin and I did tests with the blood splatter down at Glebe Point we had a few funny looks. We also tested the lighting method; I wanted to stick as close to the 'Weegee look' as possible.

Anyway, here is the final result. We started off in the studio, then wandered the alleys of Camperdown. The 'whodunnit' lighting in the studio was achieved using a Fresnel light.

Tim and Pushkin striking a pose

In the first street set-up I staged Tim as Weegee, Greg as the faceless victim.

Weegee would always show up to crime scenes before the cops, flashing away. For a while he was suspected as the killer! The idea of this shot was a play on the idea of a photographer shooting people. Bang bang your dead. Sometimes when I race around, firing away, staring through the lens, ready to fire as soon as the shot comes into focus, it can feel like a hunt of sorts. I wanted Tim/Weegee to look as though he had been busted.

I shot with my D3, and synced my Nikon flash with another Nikon flash which was placed on the Mamiya Press 6x7 which Tim is holding. This meant that my flash would light Tim's face (I used a soft box on my flash) and Tim's flash fired in unison, illuminating the dead Greg in a harsh glare

The second street setup was more of a traditional take on Weegee; voyeuristic documentary. Using a similar light (on camera flash with a reflector dish to emulate a bulb flash). Tim went above and beyond, smearing his bloodied face into the gravel, swallowing a questionable amount of the fake blood, bending his limbs into unfathomable positions.

Since the shoot the images have been featured on Antirecords blog and LA Eyeworks

Oh, and Tim has since got free glasses for his modeling

Tato Y Memi

2009-04-01T15:52:00.000-07:00

The beautiful Nicole Glavin from Under the Wing organized this shoot with the girls from Tato. We decided to stick with an elegant and simple format for the lookbook, getting a few hero shots on location after the studio shoot.

When we were setting up in the studio I was unrolling the paper-roll, and sun was streaming through the door behind onto the floorboards. It was beautiful. I mimicked this with studio lighting, placing a bare head behind the paper-roll to recreate the effect. I have since used this trick in a music shoot (The Model School).

Once we had finished in the studio we raced to a warehouse in Surry Hills, to get the hero shots. Location shoots are always my favorite part of the day; you never know what you'll get.

Label- Tato Y Memi
Assistant- Jef Yiu
Post Prod- Justin Malinowski
Hair and Makeup- Rachel Montgomery
Stylist- Bec Caratti
Model- Michella @ Chadwicks
Studio: Blue Murder Studios

Culture Magazine

2009-03-22T22:07:00.000-07:00

Fernando Barazza, Karen Hopwood and I have worked together on many shoots over the past year. We decided to to do a submission that had a strong focus on a really stripped back and elegant look, with little distraction from the hair, make-up and styling. We submitted to Culture mag. Here is the spread.

Thanks to the beautiful models Charlotte, Camille and Ruby @ Chic. So gorgeous! And thanks to the team, Karen, Fernando, Justin, Rachel, Vicki and Michael.

If anyone wants to know what the threads and accessories are, ask I I'll put them up.

Sound Relief

2009-03-16T01:14:00.000-07:00

The Sound Relief concerts, the biggest concerts Australia has ever held (120 000 people combined), held in Syndey and Melbourne on Saturday 14th raised 5 million dollars for the Red Cross Bushfire Appeal.

The SCG was filled to the rafters with a particularly friendly crowd. There were your die hard fans squished at the front of the pit, but there was minimal pushing and shoving. The crowd-surfers weren't your standard larrikans or first aid patients, but teen-bopper girls smiling away as they were hand delivered within spitting-distance of their idols on stage.

Speaking of idols....

Coldplay started the day. Which was great, the whole crowd was there as soon as the concert kicked off.

John Farnham joined Chris Martin on stage to sign "Your the Voice." 40 000 people chanting along, I was surprised the kids knew it! None the less, they loved it. Sentimental for an era long before their time.

Wolfmother followed, with their new line-up. Andrew Stockdale pulling the same charismatic Zeplin moves as before. They really amped the crowd up.

The keyboardist had a rather Jesus-like look about him

Hoodoo Gurus. My oh my! The way they held the crowd and moved on stage was incredible. I can only but imagine them some 20 years ago. On fire. The guitarist was like a Fabio of the rock world. Tight white pants, red shirt and some of the oldest and greatest moves in the books.

Architecture in Helskini were as quirky as always. There was a flood of girls crowd-surfing and doing the whirlwind.

You am I followed. Tim Rogers was looking mighty fine. Though something was wrong. I turned around, and the kids who had been screaming two minutes ago were standing there, staring at the ripped Tim, mute. I asked them if they had heard of You am I, and they harmonized a no. Unbelievable. After a bit of encouragement from me, the girls started cheering and dancing around, screaming 'we love you!' that was my good deed for the day.

The gorgeous Josh Pyke came out next, excited to play to the largest crowd he had ever performed to.

I actually spent more time wandering around the crowd shooting whatever caught my eye...

And then suddenly the sky opened up and the entire crowd ran for shelter (bar the 50 die hard fans of Marcia Hines who stuck it out at the front).

The clouds then parted as Taylor Swift pranced on stage.

At first clad in loose jeans and t-shirt, I thought that I would try and look past her music, and give her a chance. But then, off with the modesty and on with the show....

I turned around and spoke to my teen friends whom I had earlier educated in You am I, and asked them what they thought. They said they loved her. I asked why. They said she was sweet. I asked them if they knew what feminism was, and lets just say, I did my second deed for the day. Budding little Germaine Greers I made out of them. Swift's fanbase is down by ten.

Then some great Aussie rock started to heal my ears and eyes.

Jet were restyled and looking as great as they sounded.

And Eskimo Joe seemed to have the same stylist on board; Kav wearing a gypsie vest and white jeans with rocker finesse.

All in all it was a great day. The crowd was one of the best crowds I have ever come accross (might have something to do with the 'no alcohol policy' in the pit, and I still have a treasure chest of shots to upload. So keep tuned.

Study of a girl in the crowd

2009-03-15T23:59:00.000-07:00

Josh Pyke take iii

2009-02-24T21:36:00.000-08:00

I have had the pleasure of photographing the lovely Josh Pyke once again, this time for Drum Media. After shooting him twice for Ivy League, we know the way we both work, I know what he wants, he knows what I want, so it was cruisy. In and out within 20 minutes.

Naturally much more time was spent in the preparation for such a shoot. To-ing and fro-ing between Drum, the label and myself, coming up with an idea that we were all happy with. We settled on a dark and moody shoot, moving away from the seaside references in his previous press shoots. I needed to do something simple, elegant. Something that conjured up his creative journey.

Once that had been agreed on, then it was off to the prop shop, (conveniently located next door), to find inspiration. I found a typewriter and smoke machine. Perfect!

It wasn't until the morning of the shoot that I came up with the idea of dropping pages from an old book from the background sky. Not of course implying that his ideas come from thin air! So my assistant (Cara) and I raced to my bookshelf and carved up a Daphne Dumaurier book. Thanks Daph.

I'll put some older Josh pics up soon.

The Drones

2009-02-15T23:24:00.000-08:00

I first met The Drones last year, for a Drum Cover. This was a pretty speedy shoot, where we had set up all the lighting. In and out. Bang bang.

Next time I saw the band, up in Splendor*, this time for Jmag. It was another speedy shoot. The shot was a bit of an homage to the first shot. Pretty close......

I had a studio setup backstage and photographed all the acts after they were interviewed by Triple J. Some bands raced in before they jumped on stage, others hung around for ages, (I had them draw their band names on white card. The most impressive was Sigor Ros. Amazing. Each band's drawings got better and better as the festival went on. Everyone trying to up the rest).

The Drones had a plane to catch, to the US. As it happens, I saw them in New York. It was a great night. Ex pats style.

These last shots are from Laneway, Sydney 09.

Girl in the crowd.

* More splendor pics to come

The Ting Tings

2009-01-30T00:16:00.000-08:00

Innocence Lost

2009-01-22T02:27:00.000-08:00

Photographed by Cybele Malinowski

Styling by Alvin @ Academy for Men

Make-up Jasmine Lo

Hair Steven Juni

The Lost Innocents Mischa, Kubi, Felix (Pricillas) and the beautiful Imogen Stuart

Published in Academy for Men, Issue II

Pushkin

2009-01-14T01:41:00.000-08:00

My new muse

Pushkin and her buddy the stag

Franz Ferdinand

2009-01-12T02:00:00.001-08:00

The Lucky Lucky boys played at Enmore on 6th January. Amazing. Lots of kicks, jumps and general Franz antics. They are so tight.

Byron Bay. Pretty in Pink

2009-01-10T03:47:00.000-08:00

Dash & Will

2008-12-03T22:59:00.000-08:00

Two of the sweetest girls to come into the music industry this year; Dash & Will, Charlie and Josie have toured with the Kooks, and are creating a following around the perimeter of Australia, aaaand that's just the beginning. They are pretty much right out of school, and have a hell of a lot ahead of them.

I also recently shot Charlie with Tim Rogers for a Drum Homebake cover.