Tamara and Graeme's Wedding

Congratulations to Tamara and Graeme and their newly formed family. I had the privilege of being a part of their special day recently...as their photographer of course! Well done to you both, and thanks for the honour to capture your day.

Shoot all the Lawyers

Corporate headshots are part and parcel of the life of most photographers. They are required for corporate profiles, internal newsletters, annual reports, websites and press releases. I was recently asked to set up a portable studio in the city offices of a major law firm and photograph each member of the law team.

The difficult thing often about a task such as this is that no matter how accomplished a person may be, few of us enjoy having our pictures taken. This includes lawyers. It even includes photographers! Trust me. I know! However, the photographer's task is to make each person as comfortable as possible, but not take too much of their time.

When Mark Twain said "Shoot all the Lawyers" I am sure he meant something far more sinister than taking their pictures. Me? I enjoy the process!

Leanne and Tyler's Wedding

...And, let us not forget the reason I was in Canada in the first place! With many thanks to Leanne and Tyler and their families, I was able to spend some time once again in the grandeur of the Canadian Rockies. But, I must admit, the wedding was fun. Tyler and Leanne were great to work with, their families wonderful and the locations fantastic for photography. They even insisted that I travel in the limousine with them! I made sure not to have any champagne though. I needed a clear head for photography!

(oh, and I prefer whisky - pure malt, no ice..)

But talk about pressure! A young couple flies you halfway across the world in the hopes that you will produce better images than someone they could have hired locally...? Now that's pressure. But,...it sure was fun! They even let me sing The Tender Trap at the reception!Thanks you guys! May you both be eternally happy together!

Returned From Canada

Well, it should go without saying that our Father and Son Rocky Mountain Road Trip was incredible. So why am I saying it? Because it needs to be said! Does that make any sense? How would I know? I am jet lagged!

Nathan and I had a wonderful time, and the Rocky Mountains gave us so much in the short time we had there. Golden Autumn leaves, Snowy Peaks, Sunny drives through the Rockies, and beautiful soft light for waterfalls and lakes. I will soon be placing my favourites on my website, so look out. Nathan took some incredible images too (chip off the old block maybe? Or better?) and they will no doubt find themselves somewhere where you can check them out! One thing is for sure...the kid can shoot! Nathan used my Nikon D100, and I used my new D200. Also we each carried a Ricoh digital compact. I had the GR Digital, and Nathan used the new Caplio R5 - quite an impressive camera, and one that yielded some great pictures.

As for seeing them...we will keep you posted!

Rocky Mountain Road Trip

Once in a lifetime a man may get the chance to do something special with his son. In 1981, my father and I travelled through the Canadian Rockies together on a father and son roadtrip we will never forget. I was only beginning as a photographer and the images and experiences from that memorable trip set me on the career path I now enjoy.

So, when Leanne and Tyler invited me to photograph their wedding in Edmonton, I immediately set into motion the chance to do the same thing with my son, Nathan, who is now 15. Nathan and I both enjoy photography together, as well as listening to Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon, and a touch of ACDC and a number of other rock classics..So we will be rocking in the Rockies. As you can imagine, we are both looking forward to this. We fly out tomorrow, October 11th at 7am...

So, while I will try to keep you updated, at least you will know where we will be...See you at the end of October. My thanks (with all my heart) to Leon and Gina at House of Holidays for their help in getting me there, on budget, on time. You guys are the best. You Rock the Rockies!

Editorial in Better Photography

Once again I am pleased to be a part of the editorial line up for the 45th issue of Australia's second best photography magazine, Better Photography. In this issue I discuss the techniques behind successful environmental portraits. The techniques I reveal in this article are those I use whenever I travel and find myself in search of great travel images of the people from each culture. Better Photography is out now in Australian news agents.

Making it Exciting

I learned many years ago that one of your jobs as a photographer is not to photograph exciting things, but to make everyday things exciting. Clients are very excited about their products, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they are visually exciting in themselves. My shoot yesterday at SEW Eurodrive in Tullamarine was another example of that. Great product, a great story, but not necessarily a great visual. A touch of underexposure and the addition of an off camera flash, using Nikon's i-ttl technology made this shot a little more interesting.

Grand Final Luncheon

Aussie Rules Football and I do not even belong in the same sentence let alone the same room. But when the Carlton Football Club asked me to photograph their annual Grand Final Luncheon at the Grand Hyatt in Melbourne...well of course I accepted. After all, I have a family to feed!

Event photography is alot more than just sticking your flash on your camera and firing away. Anyone with a camera can do that and I wasn't hired to behave like anyone with a camera. An understanding of the parameters of each event, the nature of its attendees and of photography are all needed if your images are to turn out better than those who bring their compact family digital cameras along.

The Luncheon had many notable Australian celebrities and business figures in attendance, along with well known footballers whose faces I recognised but didn't know the names of. You see, as I said, Football and I do not belong in the same sentence. Naturally I knew who Nicky Buckley and HG were as well as famous yachtsman and philanthropist John Bertrand - for whom I have previously worked as a photographer. Star Carlton player Anthony Koutafidis was there along with his Dancing with the Stars partner and they had a giggle over his performance, which actually wasn't too bad. I had a beer with Carlton legend Steve Kernaghan after the event, and didn't even know who it was who had bought me the beer!

Oh well, I suppose he didn't who accepted it...;-)

Matt and Lora's wedding

I love a good wedding. Is it the romantic in me? The gregarious people person perhaps?Or is it the photojournalist, the photographer, the creative guy within? Or all of the above? I think the latter. A wedding is a challenge for any photographer, but I do enjoy them. Matt and Lora's wedding was no exception. The whole gang was a good laugh, and we had a great time on the shoot. We went to Southern Cross Station where security turned a blind eye to our presence while we snapped away. Here is one shot from the series....

Shelton and Ernie, Together on 3AW

Its an honour for me to appear regularly each week on Melbourne Radio 3AW talking photography with Ernie Sigley. Ernie is an Australian entertainment legend and is the funniest bloke - on and off the air. Perhaps he is funnier off air when he knows no one is listening except me... On air? He and I banter on the subject of digital photography and I am happy to take questions on air. I will be appearing again each week on Melbourne Radio 3AW (693 on your Am dial) on Wednesday afternoons at 1:30...ish. I f you wanna listen online, click on the very bad picture of Ernie and me above.

Total Image is Out

Creating a magazine is never easy, and today's photographic industry climate is tough. That is why I am once again proud to announce that the latest issue of Total Image and Better Pictures is on camera store shelves once again. The cover of Total Image features a portrait of Antonio, a man who stood silently in a doorway of his mudbrick home in Northern Argentina while 8 photographers snapped his portrait. This one was my favourite, especially after having been given the treatment in Corel's new Paint Shop Pro Photo XI.

In this issue of Total Image and Better Pictures we give you ten easy tips for that professional approach to your photography. We also get you into flowers for the Spring season. We look once again at the Ricoh GR Digital as well as the Sony Alpha and the Sandisk range of Extreme cards.

If you can't find a copy in your local camera store, contact me and I'll tell you where you can get hold of one in your local area.

Coming to Canada, eh?

I have been honoured with an invitation to photograph Leanne and Tyler's wedding in Edmonton Alberta on October 21st. Leanne and Tyler were looking through my online wedding portfolio and decided that they wanted me to come. I am truly honoured.

My lucky assistant will by my son, Nathan, who, due to his ongoing Chronic Fatigue cannot travel with me on my photo tours. Nathan is 15 and a great photographer in his own right and so we will be headed for the Rockies for a few days to do some photography together while we are there. It will be a great opportunity for us, one that does not come along every day.

No doubt there will be some new Canada images for my website when I return. Naturally, I will keep you posted!