Me and Lanie went for a cruise and stroll in Centennial Park to snap these pics for Drum Media. I love this girl. I first met her over a bowl of Pad Thai on my couch after Daniel had done a shoot with her. We ordered thai for dinner, and she just stayed on after everyone had left and ate and watched tv with us.

I knew I wanted to do something outdoors, to somehow focus less on her rockerbilly sensibility, which has been overshadowed by her country blues vibe of recent (I am speaking dress sense more than anything else by the way people). So, we decided on Centennial Park, found some beautiful locations that I haven’t used in previous shoots- can you imagine there are untouched places still in Centennial Park! and borrowed Lanie’s record label manager Andy Kelly’s wheels for the second part of the shoot. The shoot went so smoothly, Lanie is just such a natural in front of the camera, we were done and dusted in 40 minutes. Yee-haw!

I just love this shot. Her hand covering her face. It’s just so cute.

Yelle was one of 87 portraits I shot backstage at Splendour this year for Triple J Mag. This is the 3rd year I have shot these backstage portraits, and, with Art Director Ben Jarvis by my side, my sneeky collaborator, it was so much fun.

Each year we do a new little gag, this year we got each musician to stand for a mug shot. They wrote their charge on the letter board and gave me their most guilty face possible.

Heaps more pics to come. Including Florence Welch, Tricky, Foster the People, Mogwai, Hot Chip, Foals, Scissor Sisters, The Kills and loads more.

The day after Gotye’s song ‘Somebody That I Used to Know’ made major ripples through the twittersphere the charming Wally aka Gotye was standing in front of me, topless, with shards of disco ball glass contouring his face. We were doing a shoot for Triple J magazine, and believe it or not, this is not the first time Gotye has been standing in front of me and my lens (semi) naked- that’s a whole nother story for next time.

Anyway, what with the success of his video, featuring Gotye and the beautiful Kimbra, we thought we would reference it somewhat, at least the ‘naked’ part, and focus on the title of his latest album release ‘Making Mirrors.’ Gotye brought the disco ball stickers, and was a champion. Sitting in the make-up chair, watching his reflection in the mirror as his face was slowly becoming a mirror itself.

Thanks to everyone involved, it was such a fun shoot!

Before and After- spot the difference

Client: Triple J Mag
Photographer: Cybele Malinowski
Art Director: Ben Jarvis
Retoucher: Justin Malinowski
Hair and Makup: Felicia Yong
Assistant: Ash Holdsworth
Special thanks to Sam Clode for the lollies, and the wine, and setting this shoot up!

This was such a fun shoot! Catherine, my client, and mind behind Isson, came to me with a new range called Bauhaus. I was instantly excited. While studying architecture in uni, Bauhaus was a constant source of inspiration for me in my designs. We chatted on handsfree for over an hour while I drove down Parramatta Rd in peak hour. We were both on the same page and pumped. Catherine wanted to give me creative freedom, and see what I came up with. I was able to explore and delve into areas normally restricted by a tight brief. To help the creative process, I decided to fictionalize 4 kooky geniuses who studied at Bauhaus in 1934. Loosely based on a few of my 20th Century design heroes, and a few of stylist Mikey Ayoubi’s muses, firstly I came up with some funny German names, and then wrote a small character summary for each. I decided to add quirky pets to the mix, like in a classic portrait sitting. The fictitious characters were a way for the stylist, hair and makeup artists to understand and then visually create these characters, and it helped the models get into character on the shoot. The team was amazing, it was such a fun day. My house was turned into a menagerie, and Pushkin has still not forgiven me for letting Fluffy the cat in the studio.

Below each portrait I have included the little character study of each. Since then I have used character studies for other briefs. As I am not so fabulous at drawing, it’s a great way to get ideas across to clients.

Client: Isson
Photographer: Cybele Malinowski
Post Production: Justin Malinowski
Stylist: Mikey Ayoubi
Hair: Verity Griffiths
Makeup: Rachel Montgomery
Models extraordinaire: Daniel @ 6wolves, Lauren Moody @ Chaddys
Pets: Thanks Morten, owner of Fluffy the hairless cat, Raoul Tackelberg, owner of the parrot Nevill, Rachel, owner of the cute little pug Audrey, and Dorrie, owner of our 2 guinea pigs.

Alberta is a jewelery designer at Bauhaus. She is stunningly beautiful, a muse of many of the other Bauhausians. Her image is reinterpreted in world famous works of some of the greatest artists of the 20th century. She wears a turban at all times. No one has ever seem it off. What lies beneath- no on will ever know. She carries her dog ‘Gunther’ with her. He eats and sleeps with Alberta and her numerous lovers. This woman is the pinnacle of chic- women want to be her, men want to fuck her. Woman go out and buy pugs just to be like her. Alberta eats like a bird, and is constantly talking about giving up food entirely. She listens to jazz while she works. She is a collector of tribal art and a lover of all things African.

Victor is head of the architecture faculty at Bauhaus, and one of the founders of the institution. He will go down in history as the father of modernism. A severe man, people revere and fear him. He is the sort of person you cannot imagine ever being a child. Born a man. Always in control, he runs and swims every morning, even in the bitter winter. Sadly he dies of a heart attack at the age of 54. Married to his work, he never falls in love, though frequently has affairs with his students. They never last. During WWII he exiles to New York, and never returns to Germany. While in New York he builds 3 of the most famous skyscrapers in the world. He is loved by the yanks. Politicians, movie stars, they all want to be his friend. But he is uninterested in the glitz and glamour. This just makes them love VeeVee (as the press calls him) even more. He hates that name.

Henriette is Alberta’s best friend, and rumoured lover. She is everything that Alberta isn’t. Shy, introverted and understated. An architect by training, she lives in a world of order and logic. In her later years she wins the Nobel Prize for literature- she writes groundbreaking works on sexual liberation through design and art. The book is later shunned for being right-wing. She is a conundrum. Shy and meek on the outside, her mind is a force of sexual and creative power. She is rarely seen without a cigarette in her hand. She has a raw beauty, a fire burns within. Men fall in love with her from afar. Attracted to her physical fragility (she has the appearance of a rare bird), they fear her mind. Throughout her life she has 4 hamsters. All called Rathaus.

Tierry is an industrial designer at Bauhaus. He loves to work with wood, smoothing it down to a modernist perfection. Only ever using natural materials, he turns them into an object of unnatural perfection. Every year he travels to Mongolia to hike the summer alps. He has to travel by boat rather than plane, so he can take is beloved parrot Heinrich along. He has had Heinrich since he was a little boy. Tierry is a true romantic. When he falls in love, he falls hard. With rugged good looks, the ladies love him, but being such an intrepid lover of life, he can’t be pinned down. He leaves a trail of lovers behind him. He always remains in contact with them, writing heart filled letters to them into his old age.

‘By the ocean of course!’ Remove the salt, add some altitude and you have snow. So, there we were, the middle of winter, on the clifftop of Long Reef, stylist Mikey Abouyi’s traveling wardrobe strewn across the car-park, a Lacoste white knit here, a Northface jacket there, a semi-naked Alex Pullin over there. All three girls- editor, makeup artist and photographer do our hardest to avert our eye. How does a snowboarder keep such a great tan?

This was one of my first shoots after spinal surgery, but I was still running around, up clifftops, down sand dunes in the glorious winter sun. It was such a beautiful day, and this was my old stamping ground. My grandfather and I used to come and eat fish and chips at Long Reef, it brings back so many memories. A special place. I suggest going for a picnic up there, or even a spot of golf.

Anyway, enjoy the pictures. We did!

Client: Jet Star Magazine
Photography: Cybele Malinowski
Assistant: Ash Holdsworth
Stylist: Mikey Abouyi
Grooming: Rachel Montgomery

My dear friend Sarah Oakes has moved over from editing Cleo to Sunday Life. She introduced me to the Cleo world a few years ago, and now has opened the doors to Sunday Life. Thank you Sarah! So, my first assignment was a cover shoot of the wonderful Miss Matilda Brown, and here is the result. The story is about kids in their 20s reluctant to leave the safety and comfort of home. So, we (art director Aleks Beare and I) decided to focus on the youthful side of Matilda, picking and choosing the more playful clothes stylist Jolyon brought in. I wanted to portray her as cute, cheeky, playful, without turning it into a Lolita-type affair, not sexualising the basic concept of youth. We got some pre-school chairs in, and, as Matilda is the effervescent bubble that she is, she happy clambered all over them, using her innate acting sensibility, creating a story within such a simple setup. So here they are! I have another top secret cover shoot coming up, featuring another buddy of mine, can’t wait!

Photography: Cybele Malinowski
Talent: Matilda Brown
Art Direction: Aleks Beare
Hair and Makeup: Charlie Kielty
Stylist: Jolyon Mason

Continue and click on images to read article

Tony encourages the new guard; when Daniel first started shooting streetpress covers Tony lent his house for a cover of Sarah Blasko and Katy Steele for the Brag. A year back I photographed Sarah Blasko for Jmag and Tony sent me a brief email, praising it as the most beautiful shot he had seen of her. I blushed for days!

On the one hand, being a music photographer myself my be advantageous, however, being 29, I am only scraping into the ‘youth’ category, so we’ll just have to see! I do hope my experience and success does not work against me. Either way, I am nervous for the prize night on the 11th November. IF I did win, my plan would be to travel back to the states, with Daniel, and try to establish myself and Daniel in the big league. I have made an amazing life and career here in Sydney so far, I just need a push, out of my comfort zone, to see what else the world has to offer. It’s now or never!

There is also a people’s prize, and if I haven’t harassed you on facebook or twitter already, please click here to vote for me! And cross your fingers and toes!

Here are some of the photos I entered this year.

I had the pleasure of shooting this cover article, featuring the truly gorgeous Kate Waterhouse. Red carpet royalty, Kate is well accustomed acquainted with the camera, and it was just a breeze working with her. Our crew was amazing, my old buddy Alison Boyle worked her magic on hair and makeup, while Melissa Boyle, stylist extraordinaire brought some standout pieces for the Spring Racing article. Special thanks to Ash, my amazing assistant.

Photography: Cybele Malinowski
Talent: Kate Waterhouse
Editor: Rachel Farnay Jacques
MUA: Alison Boyle
Stylist: Melissa Boyle
Assistant: Ash Holdsworth

The technique we used is one I started playing around with this year, layering multiple images, and messing around with channels. You can see more of this style in my POP shoot.

We were over in the states on the night of the opening, but here is a video of it, ‘made2share’ held at Luxe Studios, Sydney, via 2threads. Take a geeze.

And here’s a pretty interesting review, focusing on the business of fashion and art and music around the exhibition.