The studio of Gold Coast based artist Anna Carey.  Photo - Toby Scott.

Sunset Place, 2012 by Anna Carey.  Digital print, edition of 5, 100cm x 150cm.

Star Dust, 2012 by Anna Carey.  Digital print, edition of 5, 100cm x 150cm.

Reception, 2010 by Anna Carey.  Giclee print, edition of 5, 118cm x 79cm.

Anna Carey in her home studio.  Photo – Toby Scott.

We met a LOT of talented creative people during our trip up North, and one of them was the very lovely Anna Carey.  Anna is a young Gold Coast based artist, whose practice overlaps photography and sculpture. She creates these intricate paper models of long forgotten, slightly crumbling Gold Coast-style buildings, created from memory.  She then photographs her models, capturing a sense of uniquely Australian architectural nostalgia. When captured in this way, for a brief moment these fragile models appear life size… but upon closer inspection it’s clear that despite their familiarity, these buildings and interior spaces exist only as fleeting fragments of Anna’s very vivid imagination!

Anna was born and raised on the Gold Coast, and her work is, of course, heavily inspired by her summery surroundings.  She’s inspired by the distinctive houses, hotels and motels built in the 50′s and 60′s, with their ice cream colours and mid century styling.  Amidst the Gold Coast’s faceless high rise metropolis, it’s these modest, often dilapidated buildings which really give the Gold Coast it’s character.

‘Firstly I start with a memory of a place, and then I create the space based on imagination and memory’ Anna explains. ‘I usually sketch a space, however it always changes as my imagination grows. As a result the models are fragmented, like memory itself.  Model making is an important part of the process; it is like a memory mapping exercise. The photograph of the model documents this imaginative process’.

Anna Carey has a Bachelor of Visual Media from Griffith University. She’s only 25, but she has already exhibited in numerous exhibitions Australia wide, and in 2011 was a finalist in both the Churchie Emerging Art Prize and the Queensland Regional Art Awards.   She’s currently undertaking her PhD, in which she plans to explore the architecture and spatial experiences of not just the Gold Coast, but similar international cities such as Los Angeles and Las Vegas, where she plans to travel later this year.  Watch this space!

If you’re in Queensland, Anna’s work can be seen currently in the Josephine Ulrick and Win Schubert Photography Award at the Gold Coast City Art Gallery until May 19th (just a few more days!).  She is represented in Sydney by Artereal Gallery.

Anna Carey in her studio.  Photo - Toby Scott.

Details from the Melbourne studio / office of Hart & Co, a creative agency run by Rachael Hart.  Photo – Sean Fennessy.

Rachael Hart flicks through her photographers’ folios.  Photo - Sean Fennessy.

Rachael Hart of Hart & Co in her Prahran studio.  Photo - Sean Fennessy.

I have got to say, as someone who has never really had a ‘grown up’ job, I have such incredible admiration for today’s interviewee.  Rachael Hart runs Hart & Co, her own creative management agency, representing a select group of highly skilled Australian photographers, stylists and creatives.  Aside from this, Rachael also runs The Establishment Studios in Prahran – a studio space and props hire business she founded in 2011 with stylist Glen Proebstel.

As it happens, in a typically Melbourne coincidence, I went to the same high school as Rachael.. and I know for certain that she is much younger than me (I’m 32), so it’s safe to say that Ms Hart has a lot to show for her <30 years on the planet!   After working for four years as a booker / producer for respected Melbourne creative agent Katrina Herschell, Rachael launched Hart & Co at the start of last year and hasn’t looked back.  She now has twenty talented creatives on her books – a tightly edited team who truly represent the very best in each of their respective fields.  They include photographers Sharyn Cairns, Mark Roper and Jaclyn Adams, and of course respected interiors stylist  Glen Proebstel.

Despite her incredible achievements over the past few years, like many creative businesspeople, Rachael’s career has not been without a few unexpected twists and turns!  Soon after finishing high school she moved away from home to pursue her passion for dressage horse riding – a physically and emotionally challenging time which really instilled in Rachael an incredible work ethic and sense of personal responsibility.  As she outlines below, it was during this time that Rachael learnt many of the life lessons that drive her business today.

These days Rachael’s job means wearing many hats on a daily basis.  On any given day she’ll be taking bookings, liasing with clients and her creatives, quoting, producing photo shoots and working with her team to keep studio running smoothly.  Sounds pretty awesome!

Massive thanks to Rachael for sharing her inspiring story with us today – so many brilliant pearls of wisdom here, a must read for any budding photographers, stylists or creative business people out there…!

Tell us a little bit about your background – what did you study, and what path led you to what you’re doing now?

If you had asked me back in my teens if I wanted to be a creative agent, I would have replied; What’s that? It took three years juggling full-time work and a double degree in business/psychology before I finally figured out that I was not cut out for a normal office job. It took me a while to come to that realisation though, and I spent my formative years training as a dressage rider in the hopes of pursuing that to the highest level.

When I finished school I moved out of home and took a position as a working student with horse trainer and Olympic Dressage Rider Hayley Beresford. During that 12 months I helped Hayley run her stable of about 10 horses, taking care of the general stable activities and competing on the weekends. I learnt about work ethic and drive. It was physically and emotionally draining work and I discovered a lot about myself during that time. Good things and bad things. but most importantly I learnt that there are really no limits, just those that you impose upon yourself.

When Hayley moved home to Perth I went back to Melbourne and took a break from full-time competition to focus on my future. I went back to university to do a double degree in psychology and business management, which is something I had always had an interest in and studied in VCE. I kept up with riding and worked 2 jobs to pay for the horses on top of studying full time. There was a lot of late night last minute essay writing that’s for sure! After 2 years of juggling horses and uni and being a bit miserable, I finally admitted to myself that a 9-5 job was not for me, I wanted to work in a more creative field.

I began assisting a few of the fashion stylists represented by creative agency Katrina Herschell Management. After a few jobs, Katrina asked me to come and interview for a position within the agency, so I started working on the booking desk with her. I worked at the agency with Kat for 3 years and was very incredibly lucky to have learnt the trade from her. She was an indelible influence and taught me so much about the industry. From how to put folios together to quoting jobs to liasing with artists and structuring your business so you can survive!  She was a truly incredible agent and mentor. When I am in a tricky situation I’ll often think back to my days with her; how would Katrina have handled this conundrum?

After I left KHM I partnered up with stylist Glen Proebstel whom we had represented at KHM. We launched Prop’d from a great warehouse in Footscray – a prop hire business that catered to food and lifestyle stylists. Throughout this time I continued to work with photographers and did a fair bit of freelance production as well.

A shoot from two of Hart & Co‘s most talented creatives – Homewares trends for Inside Out magazine, stylist – Glen-Proebstel, photo – Sharyn Cairns.

It must be said, it is SO seriously impressive having built such a respected business given you are still relatively young! Did you always have a burning ambition to run your own agency, and how did the opportunity arise to launch Hart & Co?

Well I am not sure about impressive or anything like that, and I don’t feel that young most days! I think I always knew I would start my own agency but I wasn’t ready to make that commitment until last year. One of the things I love about running an agency is the relationships you develop with the artists, we are really like a family. I spend more time on the phone to my creative team than I do to my parents. I will take my work home with me, and with that also the highs and lows. The agency is my life now and it is a long-term commitment for me. I needed to make sure I was ready for it, which is why I had a bit of a break and worked on some different things.

I had always thought that it would be an ideal partnership to run a studio alongside an agency so when the space in Prahran became a reality for the props business it all seemed perfect. There were a few artists I had worked with previously who had approached me about working with them and helping with promotion and folio work, so it was a natural extension to build the agency from there.

Once I decided to launch my own agency I wanted to make sure I did it properly. I commissioned studio duo duo to do the branding and web design. Most importantly I made sure I stayed true to the ethos and vision I had for the agency, I wanted to only look after artists who are passionate about what they do, have a strong style and produce high quality beautiful work. If you expect that of everyone around you then you need to produce that yourself so that always keeps me motivated.

Shoot for Delicious Magazine by Mark Roper of Hart & Co, and stylist David Morgan.

It must have felt like quite a leap, taking on the premises in Prahran, and launching The Establishment Studios and your own business concurrently. Did you feel a sense of fear about all this? How did you muster up the courage to take the leap!?

It was a big leap for sure, not just financially. Glen and I knew that it was such a great opportunity to grow the business and diversify into other areas but at the same time it was still a big move. It also happened very quickly. From the time we found out this building was available for lease it was less than two weeks until we had signed on the dotted line! No time for second thoughts! We moved in on Dec 28th 2011 and The Establishment Studios was born, I then officially launched Hart & Co. in February 2012.

I have always been a pretty optimistic person. Optimism allows you take risks but also helps you confront any eventuality so I knew if things had gone pear shaped I’d be no worse off for trying. I didn’t want to be left wondering what might have been.

I must say that I could not have done it without the never ending support from my husband and my family, they are always available for me with advice, cuddles and coffee!

Details from the Melbourne studio / office of Hart & Co, a creative agency run by Rachael Hart.  Photo - Sean Fennessy.

Your core business is your agency, but you also co-run The Establishment Studios and Props with Glen Proebstel. How do you find juggling these various intertwined businesses – is there a particular system you work within to structure your workload across each business?

The early days were intense. Glen and I have spent many weekends at the studio having meetings, painting floors, rearranging furniture and preparing the space for clients. On top of that I have had many late nights getting the agency up and running and managing the book work for each business. Things are a bit easier now but I think the only way I am able to manage both business is because I have great help. Glen and I are very supportive of each other’s careers and commitments outside of The Establishment so that is crucial. We have a full-time studio manager Carly Spooner who pretty much runs the show in the studio, and then I have a great booker, Nadia Towart, who helps the keep the office running.

The other things I could not live without are a great bookkeeper and lists. I use a complex calendar system that manages all the creative bookings, as well as all my personal and work related tasks. At any one time we could have up to 30 projects on the go from big car brochure shoots to managing the hair and make-up artists’ multiple commitments during fashion week, so keeping on top of everything is very important.

A campaign shoot for Melbourne bedlinen brand Aura, stylist - Glen Proebstel, photo - Sharyn Cairns.

What does a typical day in the life of Rachael Hart involve?

I’m at the office at about 8.00am each day for 30 minutes of quiet time to make my lists and have a coffee before everyone else arrives. Once the day is underway I liaise with Carly my studio manager about things coming up, and also with my booker at the agency, Nadia, about what needs to be done that day.

From there I am mostly on the phone and email with the clients and the creatives, taking bookings, managing jobs, doing quotes, and general production for whatever job I am working on. For example at the moment I am managing a big car shoot so we are juggling crew, weather, cars, transport, accommodation and all sorts of things to get it together on a daily basis! I also really love working on the artists’ folios and putting together images and promotions, making the flow of images through a folio work so that on the whole it becomes more than each image… it’s a really enjoyable process. A bit like putting a jigsaw together!

Sometimes I will need to head out on pre-production meetings, recce, or folio meetings with clients. I go to shoots as often as possible. I love it in the office but it is really great to be on location to work with the crew, early mornings, lugging gear, helping any way I can and being a part of getting the shot is really what it is all about.

Rachael at her desk.  Photo - Sean Fennessy.

Which Australian creative people are you loving at the moment?

I work with 20 incredibly talented artists, who are leaders in their fields and love being a part of all the new work that they complete!

If I had to look outside of the agency I really love Anna-Wili Highfield’s sculptures. I am drawn to her because the first pieces I saw of hers were her Hermès horses… but all of her work is pretty incredible.

We are lucky enough to have a relationship with lighting designer Christopher Boots, who has fitted The Establishment Studios with his lights, they are incredible pieces of design.

Love our man Matthew Collins from Art and Interiors who completed my wall in my office as well as various other surfaces in our studio. He is incredible with textures, hand made wall papers and pretty much any surface finish!

I love Aussie band Husky, the lead singer Chasky Gawenda is an amazing songwriter and they are working on their next album now so am keen to get my hands on that.

A shoot for Elle Decoration UK from Hart & Co’s Glen Proebstel and Sharyn Cairns.

Can you list for us 5 specific resources across any media that you turn to when you’re in a need of a bolt of creative inspiration?

I really love watching the short documentary/films produced by Nowness, they are filmed so beautifully. Not only are the visuals beautiful but I find it really motivating hearing about other peoples stories.

Dog Shaming is great for giggles.

Paul Rand’s books and website. I am still thinking of getting one of his cover designs as a tattoo!

The Sartorialist for a fashion fix.

I still ready heaps of magazines, I particularly love men’s magazines like Fantastic Man and Smith Journal. I tend to like the design of these mags more than the women’s ones. I cant go past The Gentlewoman either for a bit of inspiration about what other women out there are doing.

What would be your dream creative project?

I have been planning to put together a Hart & Co. broadsheet since I started the agency. I represent so many amazing creative artists with such a broad skill base from journalism through to film direction, I think if we collated all those ideas and skills we could produce a really interesting piece of work!

Another shoot from Hart & Co’s Glen Proebstel and Sharyn Cairns.

What are you looking forward to?

I think I am generally looking forward to the future… continuing to grow the agency and the studio and see where that takes me and my team.

A food shoot by Hart & Co photographer Sharyn Cairns.

Melbourne Questions

Your favourite Melbourne neighbourhood and why?

I do love Prahran, it seems to be changing a bit at the moment, lots of great new cafés and restaurants, there seems to be always something new to try out.

What and where was the last great meal you had in Melbourne?

I prefer a casual bistro meal over anything too high end. I really enjoyed my last meal at Bistro Gitan and I am afraid I can’t go past a burger at Parlour Diner on Chapel Street!

Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?

If I am not at the office catching up on things, or on a shoot, I am most likely having a late, lazy breakfast with my husband at one of our locals – either Hawk & Hunter or Follow the Leader in Glen Eira.

Melbourne’s best kept secret?

My parent’s property and B&B in Shoreham Hart’s Farm. I try and spend as much time there as possible!

Details from the Melbourne studio / office of Hart & Co.  Photo - Sean Fennessy.

Photo by Dieu Tan for More Space Magazine, stylist – Kirsten Bookallil

Photo by Dieu Tan for More Space Magazine, stylist - Kirsten Bookallil

Photo by Dieu Tan for Sydney Magazine

Photo by Dieu Tan for Travel & Leisure, stylist – Megan Morton

Photo by Dieu Tan for the Financial Review Magazine, Stylist – Virgina Van Heythuysen 

Sydney based Dieu Tan is a man of few words and many, many talents. It has been difficult to know where to start with this story because I must say, he is such an interesting and multi-faceted character… it’s quite difficult to describe his varied creative endeavours succinctly!  I’ll give it my best shot…

Mainly, Dieu is a photographer. He’s well known for his masterful skill in still life and product photography.  Whilst it seems almost every other photographer in Australia seems to be focussed on either food, interiors or fashion, Dieu is the master of still life. He’s a quiet achiever, hunkered down in his studio most days, producing pixel-perfect product shots, often for fragrance and cosmetics brands, gadgetry or jewellery.  These shoots are produced with such an incredible attention to detail, Dieu really undertakes his craft with the precision of a surgeon.

‘Dieu is like the perfect combination of left and right brain’ explains Megan Morton, who has worked extensively with Dieu for various clients and editorial titles. ‘He’s systematic and precise.  He could be an engineer, an aeroplane pilot or an architect’ she explains – ‘he’s a slashie of the highest order!’.   And, in a world now where really anyone with a Canon SLR can call themselves a photographer (!!), Dieu sits at the complete opposite end of the spectrum, making elegant imagery with the utmost reverence for good old fashioned technique, whether he’s shooting a magazine cover, or a packaging shot.

Dieu is also a talented furniture maker, who largely taught himself woodworking techniques, and takes on private commissions for various custom furniture and cabinetry projects.  It’s a side project – but it’s a serious one.  Dieu has an impressive timber workshop not far from his photographic studio, and spends many hours when he’s not booked on shoots creating prototypes and one off pieces for friends and clients.

AND then there’s the bikes!  Dieu’s latest endeavour is Tanto Bicycles - a bike building business that last year turned from a side project into a business because, as Dieu says below, ‘I just couldn’t stop’!  Bike building again appeals to Dieu’s inquisitive creative mind – it perfectly combines craft, science, and ‘a good amount of problem solving’, he says.

Dieu Tan’s photography website is here, his furniture can be seen here, and his bikes are here!  He has also recently obtained the exclusive license to import and distribute the distinctive ‘Strida’ bikes in Australia, a unique folding bicycle, designed in London.  They’re pretty amazing!  A little more info on this below!

Massive thanks to Dieu for sharing his story and his studio with us today!

Dieu Tan in his Sydney studio, photo – Phu Tang

Tell us a little about your background – Did you always want to be a photographer? How did you first start out in the industry, and what eventually led to going out on your own?

Since the start of high school in year seven, I dreamt of being a photographer. I imagined all the scenarios of what a photographer did on my daily walk to and from school and dreamt of all the cameras and lenses they used. I got into RMIT and studied a bachelors degree in photography. I almost didn’t do it because people would tell me ‘it’s not a real career, just do it as a hobby’.

Towards the end of the course, I got really depressed and felt a lot of pressure because I would soon have to find work and somehow prove that I could make a career out of photography. Overcoming my shyness, I eventually got work as a photographic assistant. I worked one year with Greg Delves (a brilliant still life photographer now in NY) and two years for John Gollings (legendary architectural photographer). In 1999, I had the urge to progress and start on my own. It was like leaving RMIT again. It was scary at first, but since making this decision I have felt more proud and satisfied with my life.

Whilst many Australian photographers specialise in shooting food, interiors or fashion, you are the master of still life. What is it you love most about shooting still life, and what have been some particularly favourite shoots / campaigns in recent years?

Still life lets me get into a zone. I like it because there are usually less distractions and the outcome is the result of what I do (on a job, a stylist and I would work together). I like not having to rely on too many other variables to do my work. I think it’s a personality thing and mine is suited to still life. Not to sound like a complete loner, I do shoot some fashion, interiors and portraits, but still life is what I excel in!

Fragance product shots by Dieu Tan

Photo by Dieu Tan for Vogue Living Australia, stylist – Alexandra Gordon

For the photography nerds out there – a peek at Dieu’s impressive studio set up!  Photo - Phu Tang

Not only are you a professional photographer – you also design and make furniture AND you’re a bike specialist, restoring and building custom bikes. Can you tell us a bit about this business – what inspired you to launch this venture, and what plans do you have for Tanto Cycles?

Friends tell me I have an obsessive personality. My lovely wife (an excellent photographer also) has gotten used to this and is quite supportive. Woodworking and bike building are serious hobbies of mine that gradually turned into side businesses because I just couldn’t stop. I started Tanto Bicycles last year because I felt bicycle building was an extension or progression from woodworking. I love making things and bicycles ticked all the right boxes for me. Building a bicycle involves a lot of craft, science, special tools and a good amount of problem solving.

The process is also making me a healthier person physically now that I am cycling on a regular basis. The biggest challenge I have taken on though, is creating a brand. It will be a slow process but I hope to make the brand respectable in the cycling world by offering great bikes and cycling related stuff. The dream is to one day see Tanto become to cycling what Speedo is to swimming or Callaway is to golf.

Dieu’s studio doubles as a bike building workshop! Photo - Phu Tang

You’re also the Australian distributor for Strida Bicycles. How did this come about? What is it you love about Strida bikes that inspired you to import these unique bikes, and how on earth do you have time for all these extracurricular projects!?

The Strida is a really unique looking bike. Designed 25 years ago, it has had a pretty interesting history. Mark Sanders designed it while studying at the Royal College of Art in London to make his commute easier to class. Now it’s a global product that is very popular in Europe and Asia. I was very lucky with the timing because Australia simply didn’t have a distributor. I also read somewhere that folding bikes were the fastest growing market for all bike sales in Australia. They are extremely practical and perfect for big cities. We are a bit spoilt in Australia for space, but if you visit very big cities, it makes complete sense. I thought why not – our cities will only get busier and it is better for the environment. Love them or hate them, design wise, they are pretty unique.

Dieu’s studio – the bike top right is a ‘Strida’, with its distinctive triangular shape.  Photo - Phu Tang

Can you share any wisdom on how you manage to juggle so many varied businesses and projects? Is it a challenge to manage your time between so many varied multidisciplinary pursuits?

Some days are a struggle but it doesn’t happen often. Being a freelancer, I’m able to juggle jobs and time. Photography always takes first preference, and jobs are always booked well in advance. All the other things work around my photography schedule. I can work on a furniture project anytime as long as I meet the deadline, and I make sure I give myself some leeway for each project. When it gets overwhelming, I make notes for what I have to do and force myself to go through the list and tick off each chore at a time. It’s very satisfying!

Dieu in his wood workshop, not far from his photographic studio. Photo - Phu Tang

Dieu in his wood workshop. Photo - Phu Tang

What does a typical day in the life of Dieu Tan involve?

This is a tough question because I have no routine and I could be working on four different things on the same day. If I’m shooting, I’d go to work, sometimes via dropping my daughter off to school, have a coffee at the studio, and set up for the day. Clients and crew would then show up and we go about doing our jobs with plenty of laughter and gossip in between (that’s a good shoot). By the end of it, I’m usually pretty tired, go home and crash in front of the TV. After dinner and getting our daughter off to bed (about 9pm), I would go through images, edit and retouch the day’s work (this can sometimes take days), plan what needs to be done the next day, watch more TV if there is time or just go to bed and look at things on the iPad before I crash. Very unglamorous and mundane!

Dieu in his office. Photo - Phu Tang

Which Australian photographers, designers or creative people are you loving at the moment?

The photographer I’m loving is my wife Chris Chen!  I also like Martyn Thompson and Earl Carter’s work. I’ve always loved furniture designer Khai Liew’s work. To me, he’s like an old master at his craft, not caught up in trends but instead creating beautiful modern, yet timeless furniture pieces in timber. I love Megan Morton’s inventiveness, unstoppable energy and what she is offering in the styling world. Have always loved graphic designers David Pidgeon and Vince Frost’s work. They’ve always pushed the boundaries with what they do.

Photo by Dieu Tan for Travel & Leisure, stylist - Megan Morton

Photo by Dieu Tan for Travel & Leisure, stylist - Megan Morton

Can you list for us 5 specific resources across any media that you turn to when you’re in need of a bolt of creative inspiration?

I must admit, I was a late discoverer of The Design Files. The stories and people here provide great inspiration. I love my morning update from TDF and it’s not because I’m going to be on it! On TV, I get plenty of inspiration from Grand Designs. Some of those projects are amazing journeys and I get so impressed with the people who build the homes themselves. I subscribe to (Inside) magazine for the latest in interior design and gadgets, Luerzer’s Archive and PDN magazine for photographic inspiration and technical updates and when there is time, my other favorite blog is Cycling Tips.

What would be your dream creative project?

In my dream, this is what will happen – Coca-Cola’s global office calls my mobile and says they love my work and would pay me lots of money to fly to the U.S. (I assume it’s in the U.S.) and shoot a month long campaign of Coke print ads and I can come up with the concepts and do whatever I want. After the tiring but rewarding shoot we all go partying…

In another dream, I win $10 million where I’ll donate $3 million to charity (my wife will make me do it – she’s like that). Then I’ll buy a huge warehouse to house my dream studio, wood workshop and bike workshop all under one roof. It will be designed and built by me of course!

Dieu’s studio – bikes made by Dieu, stool made by Dieu! Photo - Phu Tang

What are you looking forward to?

I’m looking forward to getting on the plane and going to Taipei for the cycle show in mid March. Taiwan is the biggest bicycle manufacturer in the world, making bikes for the world’s big brands. I’m looking forward to discovering new things in cycling. I’ll be visiting the Strida factory and other factories that make parts and frames for Tanto Bicycle. It’ll also be a semi holiday for the family.

Sydney Questions

Your favourite Sydney neighbourhood and why?

I like the inner west – parts of Newtown, Marrickville and St Peters because it’s kinda edgy, not too bling and trendy, yet close enough to the city. There is still a good mixture of industry around and I love finding small factories that still make things nearby. These places have a mix of working class and professionals, huge cultural diversity and great cheap food.

Where do you shop in Sydney for the tools of your trade?

For photography, I buy most of my lighting equipment through Sun Studios in Alexandria. Digital equipment comes from L&P photographics and a lot of bits and pieces I get online.

For woodworking, I buy timber from Anagote Timbers in Marrickville. This place looks like it hasn’t changed since the ’70s. They sell timber from all over the world and the timber yard guys look like they haven’t moved on from the ’70s either. I love it! For machinery and tools, I go to Carba-tec in Auburn or Hare and Forbes way out in Northmead.

For bikes, unfortunately it is pretty hard to get tools or components from bike shops in Sydney. I usually source these on ebay or other suppliers all over the world.

What and where was the last great meal you had in Sydney?

Thai at Let’s Eat Thai in Marrickville. We pretty much eat there weekly. The food is great and there is no big queue. Eating out for us involves a handful of places that are approved by our 8-years-young daughter, Tommie. We don’t have family in Sydney so Tommie goes where we go. Once in a while we get organised enough to get a babysitter and go somewhere nice with friends. We’re slowly ticking off the list of places people are raving about. Porteno in Surry Hills is always exceptional.

Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?

I would most likely be in Bondi Junction having ramen with Tommie after her guitar lesson. We both share a love of ramen and yum cha. If I don’t have to take her to guitar I’m either in my workshop working on a furniture piece or at my studio, tinkering with a bike build.

Sydney’s best kept secret?

It’s not exactly a secret but I love the family friendly cycling and walking trails at Olympic Park at Homebush Bay. They go through marshland and bush, and alongside the Parramatta River. It is so tranquil and scenic there. Do it on a bike for a great day out with family.

Photo by Dieu Tan for Habitus Magazine, stylist – Paul Hopper.

Photography by Petrina Tinslay and styling by Bronwyn Riedel for Bauwerk Colour.

Photography by Petrina Tinslay and styling by Alison Attenborough for cookbook Cooking with Friends.

Photography by Petrina Tinslay and styling by David Morgan for The Food Dept.

Photography by Petrina Tinslay and styling by Lynsey Fryers for Inside Out.

Photography by Petrina Tinslay and styling by Jeff Leatham for Vogye Living.

Ok so in dealing with Petrina Tinslay over the past week or so whilst pulling together this interview, I have learned why she is one of Australia’s most respected and in demand photographers.  It’s not just her incredible talent (though clearly, she’s a freakin’ superstar).  It’s professionalism!  This lady is seriously amazing.  So reliable! So organised!  So lovely to deal with, and so generous with background info and captions.  Petrina wins our award for speediest and most streamlined response to a TDF interview ever!  Thankyou Petrina! :)

Seriously though, have a look at her work.  SO so beautiful.  Petrina is one of Australia’s best known editorial photographers, and has spent more than 20 years shooting incredible food, interiors, travel and portraits for some of Australia’s most respected publications.  She’s also shot over 40 cook books!

What shines in this interview is not just Petrina’s immense talent and experience, but her genuine passion for her craft.  She speaks with such joy and enthusiasm about every stage of her career – from her apprenticeship assisting Geoff Lung, to early days shooting cosmetics spreads for Vogue Australia, to her first cook books – including Donna Hay’s very first Marie Claire Cookbook - Cooking.   It was such an amazing time, when Australian food publishing in particular was really in its heyday (or should I say ‘Hay’ day?).  In the mid 90′s, Donna Hay and Petrina Tinslay were a creative force to be reckoned with!  They really did set the trend for that minimal, pared back style in food photography that is still so relevant and current today.

Petrina shot five books in total with Donna Hay, followed by several for Nigella Lawson and Bill Granger, Delia Smith and Michele Cranston, and many more.  These days Petrina works on a great variety of editorial projects in Sydney, and also travels frequently to New York, London and across Asia for work.  She still shoots a lot of food, but also travel, lifestyle and interiors.

Last year Petrina also launched a very special project – a seriously stunning food blog called The Food Dept!  The Food Dept. was co-founded with art director Anne Marie Cummins, and produced with respected food stylist David Morgan and food editor Sally Courtney.  This stellar team have over 65 years of professional experience between them… so it goes without saying, the blog is incredible!  It’s interesting to see a seasoned bunch of print media professionals join the blogosphere in such a bold way.  For many photographers and print media professionals, online platforms such as blogs and Pinterest are something to be wary of, but Petrina and her team really have embraced the medium, seeing its opportunities not just its pitfalls.  The results speak for themselves…  Bookmark immediately!

Massive thanks to Petrina for joining us today!  What a star.

Petrina Tinslay in the studio.  Photograph – Geoff Lung.

You’re one of Australia’s best known editorial photographers, and have spent more than 20 years shooting incredible food, interiors, travel and portraits for some of Australia’s most respected publications. But, can you tell us a little about your early background – what path led you to photography originally?

I was incredibly lucky to have a wonderful art teacher in my last year of secondary school who had enormous passion and energy for photography. Her excitement for the medium rubbed off on me and I spent most lunch hours in the dark room printing images that I’d photographed on the weekends. My interest in image making was truly fuelled. My father had taught me the basics about apertures, ISO’s and depth of field. We have a running joke that he taught me everything I know about photography. He definitely taught me all the basics with incredible patience.

At around the same time I was going to performance art pieces by Stelarc, film screenings of Cocteau and Fellini, and various art exhibition openings associated with my brother’s first year at City Art Institute. My path had been set and my interest sparked in the arts and I spent the next three years at Sydney College of the Arts in Balmain studying photography and film.

Photography can be a notoriously difficult industry to break in to – what trajectory did your career take from finishing your studies to working as an editorial photographer?

Following my graduation from art school I started as a freelance photographic assistant working for several photographers in the advertising, still life area and then was very lucky to land a full-time job as an assistant to photographer Geoff Lung. The work Geoff did was incredibly diverse and creative, and he was working for every prestigious magazine in both Australia and worldwide, across all types of subject matters including interiors, still life, portraits, travel and food.

It was a wonderful apprenticeship with an extremely talented shooter, and it was so fascinating to me to be shooting somewhere different everyday and seeing wonderful things and meeting all sorts of interesting people. I was hooked on editorial shooting and knew that it suited my need for variety and challenge in my work. It was a natural progression that I started shooting with magazines when I finally went out on my own as a photographer.

Photography by Petrina Tinslay and styling by Alex Gordon for Vogue Living.

Was there a defining moment or ‘big break’ in your career early on?

My first regular gig as a freelance photographer was shooting the cosmetics still lives for Vogue Australia. I had a ball every month experimenting with new ways to make lipstick, foundation and nail polish look different and interesting. I did lots of magazine stories too encompassing interiors, people and food, then shot Neil Perry’s first cookbook for Rockpool Restaurant and this was soon followed by Donna Hay’s first Marie Claire Cookbook Cooking. This book did incredibly well and set the style for pared back simplicity in food photography in books and magazines at the time.

I then shot four more books with Donna Hay, one winning the prestigious James Beard Foundation ‘Best Food Photography’ award in 2000. This was followed by several for Nigella Lawson and Bill Granger, Delia Smith and Michele Cranston, amongst many others. I’ve shot over 40 cookbooks in my career now with some extremely talented chefs/cooks. I love book projects because of the extended time frame you get to work with a team to develop a look or style for the publication. It is so different from shooting one or two day projects in that regard. You definitely bond over a book and some of my most wonderful friends have come from these sorts of projects.

Photography Petrina Tinslay and styling by Alison Attenborough for cookbook Cooking with Friends.

Your blog ‘The Food Dept’ is so incredible! Can you give us a little info about this amazing side project? Who is involved, when did it first launch, and where did the concept come from originally? What are your goals for ‘The Food Dept’?

Thank you! We are really proud to have a very loyal following after only 10 months online. The Food Dept. is a wonderful collaboration between myself and co-founder Anne Marie Cummins (our talented creative director), food stylist extraordinaire David Morgan, and our inimitable food editor Sally Courtney. We launched in March 2012 and do a major post monthly with one to two smaller posts in between.

We have a combined 65+ years experience between us in the food publishing industry. The concept came about when Anne Marie and I were at a restaurant launch party, discussing how the magazine industry had changed so much, making it a lot harder to express our creativity without restrictions. We wanted to create an outlet where we could work in a free, organic and creative way, producing high quality imagery and recipes, and explore visual ideas where perhaps we couldn’t elsewhere. We thought the perfect way to do this was in a blog format, and David and Sally soon joined us to round out our team.

We all bring distinct talents and perspectives from our various backgrounds to the fore on our shoots, and compliment each other very well. I find it wonderful to be working in a collaborative way with this talented team, as often I come into jobs after concepts have been realised, and then have little to do with the edit process or final product once it leaves my hands. It’s a great thing to be a part of the whole process from start to finish with The Food Dept., with a team who are all as equally passionate about what they do as I am.

Our goals ahead are to keep producing high quality posts for our readers every month, and publish our first cookbook together of The Food Dept. images and recipes. Lots of plans ahead to grow and produce exciting content.

The creative team behind The Food Dept. blog! From left to right Petrina Tinslay, David Morgan, Anne Marie Cummins and Sally Courtney.

Photography by Petrina Tinslay and styling by David Morgan for The Food Dept.

Can you give us a little insight into the inner workings of your business – i.e. where is your studio based, do you employ staff/assistants, which significant tasks do you outsource?

I’ve had so much work out of Australia in the recent few years, it seemed superfluous to have a studio when I was away so much. Even my work in Sydney tends to be on location lately. So I now have an office that I use as a base in Surry Hills, and I rent studios that suit my particular job needs as I go, wherever I am. After having a studio for almost twenty years, this now works really well for me and allows far greater freedom to travel with my work.

I utilise regular freelance photo assistants and digital techs to work with me on my jobs wherever I am. I have several who have been working with me for years in Sydney, New York, London  and in Asia, who I can rely on and who are very loyal to me. A great assistant is absolute gold and I try to be loyal in return. I usually outsource the more complex retouching of my images when required. I think this is a whole other skill set that some spend many years honing, and I’d rather spend my time shooting and creating images.

Photography by Petrina Tinslay and styling by Alison Attenborough for cookbook Cooking with Friends.

What does a typical day at work involve for you?

There is really no typical day for me at all. Every day is completely different, which is what I love about my work. One day I might be on a travel story in some remote location, the next back in the office prepping/processing images for delivery to a client, another day shooting an interior for a magazine, and another out and about going to a pre-production meeting for an advertising job I’m producing.

There is always something happening and I always have a running list of tasks to complete. I really feel very blessed to do what I love, and be able to make my living from it, and at the same time working alongside so many wonderfully talented chefs, designers, artists, art directors and stylists, and being inspired by them every day.

Photography by Petrina Tinslay for You Magazine UK.

Can you list for us which resources, across any media, you tune in to regularly for a bolt of creative inspiration?

I think for me travel brings the very best bolt of creative inspiration. It opens your points of reference for creative ideas in so many wonderful and unexpected ways. I always feel the most inspired and reinvigorated creatively after a trip away. There is nothing quite like it. In terms of magazines it has been sad to see so many great ones close over the last few years. I do love a magazine printed on a great paper stock, and being able to turn textured magazine (or book) pages is a very tactile thing. A tablet device will never replace this experience for me.

Some current favourites include Kinfolk, Port, Smith Journal and Bloom. The internet holds so much imagery with the advent of Instagram and Pinterest, as just two examples. We have never been at a point in history where imagery is utilised by so many. It is truly a revolution that has seen our industry change dramatically, with everyone having ready access to image making tools at an affordable price, and with the means to disseminate them very widely. It has been an interesting evolution. It is inevitable that all creatives now find creative inspiration online. I’m certainly no exception.

Photography and styling by Petrina Tinslay for Marie Claire.

Which other Australian photographers, stylists or other creative people do you admire?

There are certainly some extremely talented creatives on our shores. I think this is confirmed by the fact that they get snapped up overseas with great gusto. There has never been a time when you are more aware at how visually aware everyone is, and that there are extremely talented image makers out there. It is a really great thing that images can now be shared so readily. It does make you realise the absolute wealth of talent there is. Anna-Wili Highfield is a real Australian favourite. She is a wonderful sculptor I’ve been collaborating with recently. Her paper works are absolutely gorgeous and it’s a joy to visit her studio and photograph her new works.

What would be your dream creative project?

So many! I love travel and food more than almost anything and these for me are almost inseparable as experiences. So anything that combines these things is a dream come true for me. If there is design, architecture, beautiful interiors or art thrown in there too, I’m just in heaven.

What are you looking forward to?

2013 is looking to be a great year with some really exciting projects in the works. An interiors/lifestyle book in Paris, another in Berlin and The Food Dept. cookbook, which we hope to complete this year. There is also a possible collaboration with Nigella Lawson on a new project that I’m very excited about. I also have some magazine and advertising work in Asia, London and the USA. I hope that is a year of some great creative adventures and some great travel adventures.

Sydney Questions

Your favourite Sydney neighbourhood and why?

I live in Surry Hills and find it a wonderful and ever evolving suburb with great shops, galleries, markets, cafes and restaurants. I find the diversity of the people living and working in the area fascinating. It has a really creative heart, but then still has the rough edge from its past. It’s easy to either walk or cycle the suburb with the new cycleways. There is not a lot I can’t get a short walk away in the area. It’s a standout favourite.

What/where was the last great meal you ate in Sydney?

My favourite food experiences include simple food, good ingredients and great company. I have so many great locals in Surry Hills, including Japanese, Vietnamese and Italian just a stone’s throw from my apartment. Billy Kwong and Berta are my favourite local favourites.

Where do you shop in Sydney for the tools of your trade?

There are a number of places I go depending on what I’m needing. It’s really varied for photographic needs, as all different photo brands have different suppliers in Sydney, so no one place in particular. I’m often at the Apple Store though for my computer needs!

For great reference material I buy my art books at Published Art in Surry Hills who source rather unusual and hard to find photography and art books, or Ariel Booksellers in Paddington. These trips usually include buying several more titles than I’d counted on! I really want bookstores to be a part of our local communities into the future, so I try to support them by not buying online wherever possible. I cannot imagine not being able to walk into a bookstore and being able to flip through the pages of a book before purchasing it. I think it will be a terrible day when our bookstores no longer exist, which is fast becoming a reality as online takes over the market.

Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?

Most Saturday mornings when I’m not away travelling, you can find me swimming at a local beach sea water pool, and having a coffee afterwards with friends. Sometimes I head to Eveleigh Markets to get my fresh fruit and vegetable, or if the Surry Hills Markets are on (once a month) you can find me scouring the stalls for a bargain. It is most typically a lazy day catching up from the week.

Sydney’s best kept secret?

I’m not sure Sydney has any real secrets, but there are definitely things that I love that are very Sydney to me. Bourke St Bakery (the original on Bourke Street) for great coffee and everything else they sell. A run on the beach or swim in a sea pool early in the morning before the crowds. When I come home from overseas these are the first things I do.

Photography by Petrina Tinslay and styling by John Wilson for Marie Claire.

Victor Avenue shot by Toby Scott for The Weekly Review, stylist – Sian MacPherson.

Raven St House, shot by Toby Scott for James Russell / Green Magazine, stylist – Lynda Evans.

Golden Fields, shot by Toby Scott for Est Magazine, stylist – Sian MacPherson.

Sunrise Beach House shot by Toby Scott for Real Living Magazine, stylist – Kylie Jackes.

Sunrise Beach House shot by Toby Scott for Real Living Magazine, stylist – Kylie Jackes.

I feel like it was fate when I stumbled across Brisbane based photographer Toby Scott – on Twitter, of all places. Someone I follow had re-tweeted one of Toby’s tweets…and in that split second I happened to see his friendly little profile pic and description pop up in my feed – and I noticed he was a photographer. I am always on the hunt for talented and nice photographers to work with, especially in towns outside of Melbourne, so I followed the links to check out Toby’s work, and I was so impressed! I was also completely baffled that he wasn’t already on my radar…his shots are excellent, and so consistent – a folio full of beautiful, crisp shots of interiors, food and some portraits. He has a kind of classic, un-selfconscious style of shooting – not too much styling or fluff.  Just the way we like it!  Toby is also a dream to deal with – so lovely, so chilled, so generous with his time. It’s really no wonder his star is on the rise!

Photography is a notoriously tricky field to break into, but being based in Brisbane has been a bit of a blessing for Toby so far. I am thinking he’s kind of becoming the ‘go to’ guy in Brisbane for publications based in Melbourne and Sydney. In recent years he’s found himself shooting a bunch of amazing homes and businesses for mags including The Weekly Review, Real Living and Est Magazine – and of course for us! You might recall Toby did his home town proud with a stunning edit of pics for our Brisbane Mini City Guide back in October. He turned it around in record time too. LOVE that!

Toby recently returned from a trip to NYC where he had the opportunity to show his folio to a bunch of agencies and publications…exciting times ahead! Except I selfishly hope he doesn’t fly the nest too soon, I only just discovered him!

Massive thanks to Toby for sharing his work and his story with us today…keep on keeping on Toby,  you’re definitely doing something right!

 Toby Scott in his Brisbane studio.

Tell us a little about your background – did you always want to be a photographer and what initially led you to what you’re doing now?

I think I was around nine or ten years of age when my parents started to notice that I was pointing out images and saying ‘I want to take photos like this.’  After high school I drifted for a bit and did the usual ‘work overseas’ thing for a few years, before coming home and finally realising that taking photos is something I really felt I could, and would, always want to do.

I studied for a year before dropping out of an art college, and decided I wanted to do it on my own. It hasn’t always been easy but that’s what makes every day so rewarding, especially when things slowly start to fall into place.

You’ve recently returned home to Brisbane after spending some time in New York City, and showing your folio to some big name clients!  How did it go?

Being there predominately for work, it’s really hard not to be all consumed and enticed to go endlessly exploring such a great city. I was invited over to show my portfolio to some of my dream clients. Having the opportunity to show my work to a mix of agencies, editorial publications and art buyers was truly amazing. It’s definitely an exciting new venture, and I’ll certainly be exploring some of the opportunities that came out of it in the new year.

Catching up with some amazing local and Aussie creatives certainly made the city seem that little more special, too. The foodie scene is in full swing, and the last day in town saw me moseying the streets of Brooklyn with a good mate, hopping from restaurant to cafés, with a little whisky here and there.

Some TDF readers might recognise your name as the fab photographer who visually documented our TDF Brisbane Week not so long ago. How do you find being based up north in sunny QLD?   Does this impact on how much you have to travel for work?

Being based in Brisbane has both its advantages and disadvantages, but then again what city doesn’t? I do find myself travelling predominately down the east coast of Australia to the usual ports of Sydney and Melbourne. Travel really isn’t a big deal for me, and I think it’s silly not to be willing to travel for clients and exciting projects!

Winn Lane, Fortitude Valley.  Shot by Toby Scott for The Design Files Brisbane Mini City Guide.

The Outpost store at Winn Lane, Fortitude Valley.  Shot by Toby Scott for The Design Files Brisbane Mini City Guide.

Being only 30 years of age and having such a fine tuned aesthetic, we can confidently say you are destined for big things! Do you have any tips or wisdom for emerging photographers out there who want to crack this industry?

Thank you! I really think it’s important to find your own groove. You really need to think about what it is you love taking photos of, and what makes you look through that lens everyday that puts a smile on your face. Once you know that, it will be easier to focus. Then I would suggest you go out and make a book that you’re proud of. Start making a list of all the people you want to work for and go and show it to them. Be proud to show your work and talk about it. Oh, and never let anyone say you can’t do something. I’m a strong believer in ‘if you think you can do it, then that’s half the battle’. Go out, be proud and do something that makes you happy.

What have been one or two favourite shoots/clients in recent years?

I think my two favorite shoots this year have to be some Queensland homes. These two houses were just a pleasure to shoot. The homeowners were just great and the client briefs were pretty open, and just let me do my thing.

Bisley Place for a Brisbane based architect James Russell. The homeowner Wayne was great and the day went by effortlessly. The weather was patchy, which meant there were times of just sitting it out and waiting around with some good old fashioned chats,  finishing off with a splash of bubbly in the late afternoon didn’t hurt either.

The second was a home on the sunshine coast that I shot for Real Living magazine. Annie, the owner was just lovely and the house was an absolute pleasure to shoot. Weather wise it was absolutely perfect and everything just fell into place.

Bisley Place, photographed by Toby Scott for architect James Russell, Stylist – Lynda Evans.

Can you give us an insight into the inner workings of your business? What does a typical day at work involve for you?

Most days start off with a visit to my favourite coffee shop, for a little chat with the locals. Then it really depends if I’m shooting on location or pottering about the studio. Lately, if I’m not on location I’m most likely playing around with food, furniture or editing in the studio. I love food, so it’s slowly becoming a real interest to style and shoot. The studio is usually filled with some country or blues music and you can always find my little dogs, Murray and Elvis, lounging somewhere in a corner.

Of course there is the usual business emails and paperwork, but I tend to procrastinate and manage to find something else to do instead. Most Mondays my Production Manager is in, and when we are not distracted by the internet, we are planning upcoming shoots, discussing current trends, projects and basically going over client lists and marketing. Usually we manage to squeeze in a good lunch in between all of this.

Toby’s Brisbane studio.  Photo – Toby Scott.

Toby’s Brisbane studio.  Photo - Toby Scott.

Can you name for us 5 resources across any media which you visit regularly for a bolt of creative inspiration, or just to be kept in the loop!?

I have to admit I am a huge Tumblr fan. I love scrolling through and getting little glimpses into different parts of the world. You can really lose yourself for hours just linking from page to page.

I’m currently enjoying flicking through Smith Journal. Excellent writing and lovely images on beautiful stock, a quality Sunday morning read.

I recently purchased a cookbook called The CheeseMongers Kitchen by Chester Hastings that has really inspired me to create some different dishes.

Garden and Gun is a gorgeous magazine and they have some great online content for everything you need to know about living in the south. Other magazines such as Est Magazine, Bon Appetit, and of course I’ll admit to owning a few copies of Martha Stewart Living!

Darling St House shot by Toby Scott for Est Magazine, stylist - Sian MacPherson.

Which other photographers, stylists or creative people are you most inspired by at the moment?

Recently I had the pleasure of meeting fellow photographer Nicole Franzen when in the United States, her work is very inspiring. Locally though, I am very lucky to be surrounded by some creative friends. John Ellway a local Architectural designer, Kara Rosenlund a lovely stylist, Lynda Evans is the Creative Director of Est Magazine, and Nicole Phillips who is a whizz on the letterpress and a typographic genius.

What are you most proud of professionally?

I’m very proud of running my own business, it’s not always easy, so the small achievements are pretty special. I was very proud to take my book to the US this year and be given the opportunity to show it. I put a lot of work into my folio and when you open it in front of someone and they start noticing the small details, all of a sudden the late nights and stress seem worth it.

The D Residence, shot by Toby Scott for Est Magazine, stylist – Sian MacPherson.

What would be your dream creative project?

I think with all dreams, the focus shifts and moves as you progress through life. At the moment I would love the opportunity to work on a beautiful book. There is something very charming about a gorgeous, well-published book and I think they always stand the test of time.

What are you looking forward to?

I am really looking forward to what 2013 has to offer. I have a few personal projects that are slowly coming together, and a couple of overseas trips planned that are going to be real adventures.

Detail from Anna Spiro’s shop in Fortitude Valley.  Shot by Toby Scott for The Design Files Brisbane Mini City Guide.

BRISBANE QUESTIONS

Your favourite local neighbourhood and why?

I would have to say the Teneriffe, New Farm and the bottom end of the valley. There are some great new restaurants, cafes and shops popping up.

Where do you shop in Brisbane for the tools of your trade?

This is actually a tricky question. I find it rather difficult to get what I need when I need it here in Brisbane. My main camera/equipment supplier is actually based in the US. Dave at Capture Integration has been my go to guy for a few years now and offers great service and support.

Where/what was the last great meal you ate in Brisbane?

I have eaten at The Survey Co. a couple of times recently and the lamb’s brains stole the show both times…

Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?

Definitely at a coffee shop and then most likely a local dog park with my little guys.

Brisbane’s best kept secret?

Moreton Bay. We are so lucky to have this beautiful playground filled with amazing wildlife right on our back doorstep.

The Rabbit Hole Ideation Cafe in Fortitude Valley.  Shot by Toby Scott for The Design Files Brisbane Mini City Guide.

Melbourne sculptor Jonas Ropponen, as captured by photographer Bryan Sun for his ongoing portrait project, Walking with Giants.

Melbourne sculptor Jonas Ropponen, as captured by photographer Bryan Sun for his ongoing portrait project, Walking with Giants.

Melbourne vintage / furniture dealer Guy Mathews, as captured by photographer Bryan Sun for Walking with Giants.

Painter Emily Ferretti, captured by Bryan Sun.

If you thought I was doing a good job of documenting talented creative Australians on TDF, then you really have to check out Walking with Giants – the wonderful photo project of young Melbourne-based photographer Bryan Sun.

I’m always in awe of anyone who can take a beautiful photographic portrait – it’s harder than you think!  Making someone feel comfortable in front of the camera, and capturing something honest and real about them is a very fine art.  I am usually hopeless at it… I get all nervous and flustered, which only encourages extreme self consciousness in whoever I am trying to photograph!  Bryan Sun, on the other hand, seems to have it totally sussed (and he’s only 23!).  Bryan’s shots are relaxed and beautiful, and he seeks out such an interesting mix of spaces and subjects from all walks of life.

Walking with Giants began as a experiment for Bryan, a project which would test and hone his portraiture skills.  Soon enough he became quite obsessed with seeking out ever more interesting subjects – the project recently took him on a 6 week trip to the US, where he met and photographed a bunch of amazing artists in New York, LA and San Francisco.  Now back on home soil, his blog is filling up again with more local talent… recent portraits include sculptor Jonas Ropponen, painter Emily Ferretti, jeweller Vikki Kassioras, and artist Peter Atkins.

Bryan publishes only one or two portraits from each shoot, usually accompanied with a succinct sentence or two describing his personal impressions of the subject or the space.  (Be sure to read Bryan’s anecdote accompanying the Peter Atkins shoot… priceless!).

Nice work Bryan!  I don’t know you but you are totally killing it.

Anna Varendorff as captured by Bryan Sun.

Bill Henson in his Melbourne studio.  Photo – Sean Fennessy

Bill Henson, Untitled #17, 2011 – 2012. Photo Courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney.

Bill Henson, Untitled #13, 2011 – 2012. Photo Courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney.

Bill Henson, Untitled #4, 2011 – 2012. Photo Courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney.

It’s not everyday you get the opportunity to interview Bill Henson.  So when this opportunity crossed my path just over a week ago, I couldn’t help but pounce.  I have long been a fan of Henson’s distinctive, haunting photographs.  It was quite an honour to interview him by phone this week – and a little daunting I must admit!

In fact, in conversation, Bill is less intimidating than you might think.  Chatty, even.  In a very intellectual and kind of measured way, of course.  He comes across as a bit of a philosopher, though also quite matter of fact.  Henson has old fashioned sensibilities – somewhat predictably, he prefers second hand bookshops to Google, and he rejects the modern idea of using assistants in his practice (‘the Hollywood management mentality’), preferring to work primarily in solitude.  But he wasn’t snooty or pompous in the way you might expect an artist of his notoriety to be.  And equally, he didn’t appear remotely jaded or withered by the controversy that seems to circle his exhibition calendar ominously every two years.  He was gracious and patient and generous with his responses to all my questions.  And he provided some genuine pearls of wisdom which I hope I have been able to pass on below…  Oh the pressure!

Bill Henson is one of Australia’s most acclaimed and widely known contemporary artists – his work has been exhibited extensively in the most high profile galleries both here and abroad, he represented Australia in the Venice Biennale in 1995, and was the subject of an incredible retrospective exhibition at the Art Gallery of New South Wales and the National Gallery of Victoria in 2005.

It must be said that Henson’s work does tend to polarise.  After the now infamous incident which resulted in a police raid of his 2008 Sydney exhibition, and the confiscation of various artworks, Henson briefly returned to slightly less inflammatory subject matter.  His following show in 2010 played it a little safer, focussing primarily on landscape and architectural forms.  But his current exhibition, which opened two weeks ago at Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, is back in familiar territory.  Depicting ghostly, ethereal, teenage bodies, the show is sure to prickle Henson’s usual detractors.  The selection of works – melancholy, brooding and mysterious as ever – seems quietly defiant.  I guess you could say, after a brief diversion, Henson is ‘back’.

The show runs until October 13th.

Immense thanks to Bill Henson, Kym Elphinstone and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery for facilitating this interview.

Bill Henson
Until October 13th
Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery
8 Soudan Lane
Paddington
NSW

Tell us a little about your career background – what drew you to photography originally, and which early influences contributed to the development of your distinctive style?

Well, I never really thought of what I did as a career, early on or even now.

Probably the best way to describe it, is simply that from the earliest age I just drew and painted and made things out of clay and whatever else. I’ve always obsessively made things, that’s all I was really interested in, and that’s what really absorbed all of my attention through childhood and adolescence, and nothing’s really changed.

I never really had that thought of ‘what will I do’. It never occurred to me that I would ever not be making something, and mostly that was pictures.

I got into Prahan College tertiary art school with a painting folio, which consisted of various things I’d done in the preceeding year, but by the time I was about 15 I had pretty much moved away from painting. The only way I can describe that transition from painting and drawing to photography I suppose, is that painting increasingly felt as if it was falling ‘short’ of something, that I wasn’t even able to identify. I started to muck around with photography and somehow photography started to seem as though it fell less ‘short’, if I can put it like that.

Initially I didn’t study phtography specifically. I went into a preliminary year at Prahran College, I would have been about 16 at the time. We studied all types of art, but really by then I was pretty much absorbed in making my own photographs. In fact, much to the frustration of my lecturers, I was there very infrequently, I was just making my own pictures.  Every few months I’d come in with a bundle under my arm and my lecturers Athol Shmith and John Cato would wring their hands and tell me that they loved the pictures I was showing them, but if I didn’t do the assignments there was no point in me being there!

But really as far back as I can remember it’s just been about making pictures, for better or worse, that’s what it’s always been for me.

Bill Henson, Untitled, 1994 / 95, typc C photograph, adhesive tape, pins, glassine.  Photo Courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney.

Bill Henson: Three Decades of Photography, Art Gallery of New South Wales, January – April 2005.  Photo –  Mim Stirling.  Photo Courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney.

Tell us about your current show at Roslyn Oxley9 in Sydney – what has inspired these works, and how long have you been developing this body of work?

Well I never work to an exhibition, and I have never worked to a particular date. It feels to me very much as though new work grows out of preceding pictures or preceding bodies of work, and so it’s a continuous evolution really – pictures gradually build up in the studio over months and years and at a certain point there seems to be a critical mass. The commercial view is always to sort of plan their calendar as it were, and I’m always saying ‘book me in if you like – we’ll see’ because I really can’t work to anyone else’s schedule.

Fortunately things tend to fall into place. The show that’s in Sydney has been accumulating over the past few years. It’s a continuous gradual process, that just feels as though each image is sort of a fragment from some larger thing in a way, that you can’t quite see the boundaries of.

Bill Henson, Untitled #8, 2011 – 2012. Photo Courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney.

In a recent statement you quoted poet Peter Schjeldahl, saying – ‘beauty presents a stone wall to the thinking mind. It makes a case for the sacredness of something and wins that case, suddenly, and irrationally.’ With this idea in mind – Do you strive for beauty in your work?

I think that what interests me in any art form, whether it’s music or literary or anything else, are the same things that interest all of us in life generally. Things that shape our lives – loss, longing, love, a sense of mortality – these are the things that have inspired various artists throughout time. Really beauty is the mechanism that animates those things. That sense of attraction, longing, fascination. It’s got more to do with love, really, but beauty is the agent of that, and it takes different forms.

Beauty is central to all art forms – from a Mozart piano concerto to a Cy Twombly painting. It doesn’t really matter what medium or what period in history. You could almost say that everything in the universe runs on attraction, whether it’s 2 molecules in a vacuum or an episode of Home and Away.

Can you give us a little insight into the inner workings of your practise? Do you employ others or outsource any specific tasks?

I’ve never worked with assistants, work is a solitary thing for me. Except of course when I’m working with my models, but 99% of my time is spent in a room looking at the pictures I make. I think the presence of anyone else would be a bit of a distraction for me.

But I think there’s another more important aspect to that, from a process point of view. Having a kind of intimate negotiation with the materials and the physcial manifestation of making work is very, very important.

Negotiating materials physically acts as an automatic editing or filtering device – in many cases this automatically kind of filters out the things that are not essential. It acts as a purifier and focusser of your ideas. For that reason assistants are something I don’t feel necessary in my work. I’d rather negotiate the drudgery and the difficulty of whatever physical processes are involved in my work, whether its cleaning out a photographic processing machine, or doing whatever else I do.

I think otherwise you tend to do yourself out of a journey. The unexpected thoughts and feelings that come from wrestling with the actual materials themselves are gone if you hand that over to assistants or technicians. After all, everything we know about the world comes to us through our body, not just through our eyes and ears. Having that total immersion going on in whatever you practise is invaluable.

Bill Henson: Three Decades of Photography, National Gallery of Victoria, April – July 2005.  Photo Courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney.

Which other Australian artists or creative people do you think are making excellent work at the moment?

I’ll give you two very different people who work in very different ways.

Gerald Murnane is a great writer of fiction. His books are incredbly ambitious. Everything he writes is sort of a long shot. It’s a characteristic which I admire in all art forms.

A musician who I admire a great deal is Richard Tognetti who works with the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

What both these two have in common, is that their creative activity seems almost as though it is happening against the odds. That to me is the consistent quality of really impressive art – whether you are listening to a great concerto or standing in front of a late Rembrandt in a museum somewhere in Europe. There is  a gathering sense of disbelief when you experience really interesting artwork, because part of you is going ‘how is this possible?’.  That applies to literature, music and great work in visual arts as well. But it’s the thing that links them all for me.

Can you list for us a few favourite resources across any media (ie specific books, journals, magazines, websites or other media) you tune in to regularly or which inspire you creatively?

I’m very interested in unpopular culture. So what I tend to read are books which have been out of print for years. So I would nominate as one of my favourite resources second hand bookshops. I think second hand bookshops are the most interesting bookshops anywhere in the world now, whether you’re in New York or London, Paris or Melbourne or Sydney.

They’re interesting because they’re almost starting to accidentally fulfil the role that libraries used to play. Whereas libraries now are being emasculated – anything that hasn’t been borrowed for more than two years is taken out, which is an apalling state of affairs and will sadly keep libraries entirely superficial and fashion prone in future. But second hand bookshops are filled up to the rafters with all this stuff which is not necessarily in vogue, so they’re a real treasure trove.

Second hand music shops that sell vinyl and CDs I find really interesting too. I like to be able to browse physically in shops – record shops and book shops. It’s a totally different thing to browsing online – because you really don’t know what’s going to catch your eye, whereas online the path people use really does involve a line of thought beforehand, so the truly unexpected doesn’t occur in the same way as it does in a physcial shop.

Do you travel much for work?

I try to avoid travel wherever possible, but I suppose being in photography particularly, once an idea clarifies itself, it might happen to be that I just need to walk down the street, but it might equally happen to be that I need to go to Egypt to get the picture.

It really depends on what’s necessary to create the pictures. I had to do a bit of work off the coast of Sicily the year before last. I had the image in my head, I knew the sort of still active volcano I wanted to photograph, sticking out of the Mediterranean, and there was no way around going there and getting the pictures. So I had to, you know, get on a plane and go there and spend a week in a helicopter going round and round.

It’s all about the picture you’re trying to get, it’s the picture that dominates the mind’s eye. You’re trying to bring something from the world of the imagination into the physcial world.  So you know, you do whatever it takes, and it’s always exciting and absorbing, but it’s a long way to go for one photograph!

What does a typical day at work involve for you?

There’s not really a typical day. I mean I have a sort of a pattern, but really nothing structured. I suppose the only thing I would say about what I do is that it’s really up to me. You know there’s no one else here to sort of say what needs doing. You have total absolute freedom and total responsibility, let’s say! It’s a double edged sword in that respect. I tend to be working most of the time.

Melbourne Questions

Which suppliers do you frequent in Melbourne for the tools or materials of your trade?

Well I have a only couple of suppliers of materials I use on an ongoing basis, and they’re very accommmodating and very professional. Kayell is the photographic and digital suppliers that I use and they’re great.

Where do you love to eat a great meal in Melbourne?

I quite like the food at Coda.

Melbourne’s best kept secret?

No point in telling you. We don’t want to spoil it. I think that more secrecy in general would be a good thing! It keeps things interesting.

Bill Henson, Untitled #4, 2005/06, type C photograph, Photo Courtesy of the artist and Roslyn Oxley9 Gallery, Sydney.

Stack of Pancakes from Eat This Food – food by Pat Breen, pic by Sean Fennessy.

Beef short ribs with barbequed corn and chimichuri from Eat This Food - food by Pat Breen, pic by Sean Fennessy.

Lavendar, Chocolate and Olive Oil tarts from Eat This Food - food by Pat Breen, pic by Sean Fennessy.

Everytime I meet a new insanely talented person in Melbourne, they seem to be from Tasmania.  Well, not all the time… but often!  Keep your wits about you, people. Tasmanians!  They are quietly infiltrating the mainland – what with their impressive creative talents, easy-going disposition, and good old fashioned work ethic!

Eat This Food is yet another example of outstanding Tassie talent.  The clever trio behind this seriously excellent food blog includes our fave photographer Sean Fennessy, graphic designer Jess Lillico, and clued-up foodie Pat Breen. All three are Tassie-born, Melbourne-based creatives, who have joined forces to create the most original and inspired food blog I have seen in SUCH A LONG TIME.

With their varied skills, Pat, Sean and Jess make the perfect team.  Pat conjures up the flavours, shops for ingredients and whips up the recipes, Sean takes the shots, whilst Jess art directs and creates the perfect retro-tastic graphics to accompany each recipe.  Geniously, in addition to viewing Eat This Food’s meal ideas online, each recipe is also available as a downloadable, printable recipe card, designed by Jess.  Super clever.

You won’t see a rustic tabletop or any soft focus fluff on Eat This Food.  Whilst offering up a super varied menu, the focus here is on flavourful everyday food, from party pies to pancakes and takeaway-inspired snacks.  Nothing is over engineered, and certainly not overstyled.  The results are SO refreshing.

We asked Eat This Food’s chief food enthusiast Pat Breen a few questions about this inspired culinary collab -

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself – what were you doing in Tassie, when / why did you relocate to Melbourne and finally what led you to start Eat This Food?

I grew up in Tassie and lived there ’til 5 or so years ago, studying and playing music. I also did a little bit of teaching. Melbourne is a bit of a right of passage for a lot of Tasmanians, particularly those interested in the arts or music. I see a lot of people from New Zealand living in Melbourne for probably much the same reason; more people, more opportunities, better coffee. Melbourne’s a really exciting place and I love it. As for Eat this Food, it came about from wanting to explore the world of food, photos, and recipes. Publishing things on the internet and hoping that someone might be into it.

Eat This Food is an ensemble cast that features the talents of three Tassie expats including yourself, Sean Fennessy and Jess Lillico. What roles do each of you bring to the, excuse the pun, table?!

Haha, well Sean and Jess are both amazing at what they do, Sean takes a bloody good photo and Jess is an outstanding designer so I guess once I’ve prepared the food, Sean will roll in and take a photo, and Jess will then make that look pretty on the internet. It’s quite a neat little system actually.

Top – Sean Fennessy hides behind the camera(!), bottom – Jess Lillico works on the graphics.  Top pic - Jesse Hisco, bottom pics - Sean Fennessy.

Do you have any formal food training or are you just one of those enviably talented born naturals?

I’ve helped out in a couple of commercial kitchens in the past, but no formal qualifications as such. I do love to eat though! And to feed people! And I think that helps. I wouldn’t say I’m amazingly skilled in the kitchen, but I’m usually keen to experiment and pretty open minded. Sometimes ideas are more important than the process I think, invariably there’s a way around technique. I mean, cookbooks, the internet, there’s a lot of info out there.

Pat Breen at Vic Market.  Photo – Sean Fennessy.

What was the first meal you ever cooked and how old were you?

I don’t recall cooking that often when I was younger, my earliest food memory is hoarding bags of lollies in the fridge at home, collected from the various birthday parties that one gets invited to as a kid. I was great at stashing them and feasting all at once! But Mum has mentioned to me before that I always wanted to be a chef when I was younger, so there you go.

Eat This Food features the most varied of recipes, from typical USA diner fare to finger-licking Asian and Mexican flavours. What recipes best characterise ETF?

It’s definitely a fairly broad mix food on the site at the moment, for sure, but I think naturally we’re starting to settle on a bit more of a style with the last few posts which is REALLY satisfying to see. I’m into alot of food history and culture – Anthony Bourdain, never eating fish on a Monday, Agent Cooper and the Double R diner; yeah, I love all that stuff.

As for recipes, I used to dread cooking without one, now I’m more into taking some basic elements and attempting to put a bit of a spin on it. But really we’re not breaking any new ground with the blog, that’s up to the pros. I guess we’re just trying to express ourselves in a way that’s exciting to us and hopefully others, should they want to have a look.

Awww Pat!  So humble.  ACTUALLY I beg to differ, I do think these guys are breaking new ground!  I ain’t never seen a fuss-free food blog quite like Eat This Food, and I’ve no doubt we’ll be seeing a lot more from this talented trio.

Anddd… we’re super excited to announce that Eat This Food will be joining us  for ‘Tasty Tuesday’ afternoons throughout October!  Their first contribution will pop up at 2.00pm today.  SO freakin’ excited!  

If these guys don’t get snapped up by some magazine editor or publisher before the month is out, I will be genuinely surprised, and most disappointed.

From left, designer Jess Lillico, foodie Pat Breen and photographer Sean Fennessy - the talented team behind Eat This Food.

Prunella collaborates with Erin + Tara photography!  Styling / flowers by Prunella, photos by Erin + Tara

 Bouquet plus table details - Styling / flowers by Prunella, photos by Erin + Tara

Not long ago I made a little daytrip out to Kyneton to shoot two beautiful houses – one belonging to photographer Tara Pearce, and the other to florist Vanessa Partridge.  Both Tara and Vanessa were amazing women to meet, incredible creatives who had each made the ‘tree-change’ and set up their respective businesses in Kyneton.  With business partner Caris Haughan, Vanessa runs Prunella – the sweetest and most stylish florist in Piper st, the main street of Kyneton.  Tara is one half of Erin + Tara, a fantastic little wedding photography business Tara runs with her pal and fellow photographer Erin Neale.

So you can imagine my secret thrill when I learnt that Prunella and Erin + Tara had joined forces! (I actually didn’t even know they knew each other… I guess no one is a stranger in a small town!?).  These clever creatives have paired up to offer a full and fabulous wedding and event styling service for anyone planning a wedding or party in the Macedon Ranges area.

Together, Prunella and Erin + Tara offer complete theming, flowers, photography, stationery, styling and hire of selected props and furniture.  Prunella creates wild floral masterpieces, beautiful bouquets and unique buttonholes.  Erin + Tara are the superstar photographic team who capture so many special weddings in the Macedon Ranges area.   There is quite honestly so much incredible creative talent and energy between these four clever ladies – talk about dream team!

To learn a little more about this inspired creative collab, do check out this little post on Erin + Tara’s blog!  Prunella’s website is also worth a little visit – Vanessa and Caris make amazing floral creations for all kinds of events, and they also run incredibly popular flower arrangment workshops!

FURTHER READING

Re-visit the home of Vanessa Partridge of Prunella

Re-visit the home of Tara Pearce *complete with backyard skate ramp!

Styling / flowers by Prunella, photos by Erin + Tara

Pretty centrepieces! Styling / flowers by Prunella, photos by Erin + Tara

The team!  Front left, Vanessa and Caris of Prunella, Tara and Erin of Erin + Tara.  Photograph - Simon Griffiths.  The girls are dressed by their friend Amanda McCarthy / Leonard St.

Rohan Anderson of Whole Larder Love by Cory White / Mr Blanc

Portrait of Mat Lumasai fo Rooftop Honey by Cory White / Mr Blanc

Fashion spread for The Age Melbourne Magazine by Cory White

Fashion spread for Yen Magazine by Cory White

Portrait of Jeremy Wortsman (+ pets!) for Four & Sons by Cory White / Mr Blanc

Cory White is a Melbourne based photographer with a particular knack for spontaneous, fly-on-the-wall style portraiture… he has some super cool fashion and editorial shoots to show for himself, but I must ADMIT the project of his which I am loving the most is his excellent side project – Mr Blanc.

Mr Blanc is a self initiated project which allows Cory to document ‘passionate and talented men of all descriptions’. A blog-style website featuring generous photo essays and words (some by Cory, some by collaborator Raynor Peirce), Mr Blanc sits somewhere between The Selby and Smith Journal.   The Selby because of Cory’s candid, documentary style, and Smith Journal because, well, essentially Mr Blanc is a celebration of the quintessentially Australian creative bloke.

Amongst Mr Blanc’s subjects are many local creatives who you’re likely to know – Rohan Anderson of Whole Larder Love, creative agent Jeremy Wortsman, designer Greg Hatton and a bunch of other clever local chaps, from tattooists to beekeepers and everything inbetween. It is SO worth a visit and a bookmark – do pop by and have a look!

Aside from his photographic work, Cory also directs beautiful short films / TVCs with production company Mr Smith - check out a few shorts here. Must say I couldn’t help but chuckle a little at the subject matter – between clients Keep Cup and Movember we’re talking serious Melbourne hipster heaven. (Coffee, fixed wheel bikes, tattoo-covered rockabilly dudes). No disrespect at all – I heart hipsters(!!), and Cory captures his subjects so perfectly!

Cory’s impressive client list includes Wrangler, Levis, Elwood Clothing, Oakley, Quicksilver, Holden, Schweppes, The Age Melbourne Magazine, Yen Magazine, Rolling Stone, Dumbo Feather and Broadsheet.

When he’s not shooting, Cory is a bit of a nature / surf loving type – he has a real affinity with the great outdoors, and this is so evident in his personal work. He considers himself a ‘lucky bastard’ to have such a great job!

Can you tell us a little about your background – what did you study, and what path led you to photography?

I learned how to process images in my home darkroom when I was a wee kid and became photographically self sufficient by age 13. My childhood hobby morphed into an obsession and later a professional desire where I would shoot, process and print photos in my backyard garage that we had converted into a darkroom. I even lived out there for a while with a door between my bedroom in the converted garage that was attached directly to the darkroom. I loved it. It was an awakening. Perhaps the smell of developer and fixer affected me while I slept!

I have a degree in politics and criminology from Melbourne University, which I never really pursued as after graduation I enrolled into a year-long photographic TAFE course at RMIT. It was here that I learned to hone my skills and was given practical on-the-job experience from the best in the business, which eventually led to paid gigs. Now that’s my kinda study!

What have been one or two favourite shoots/clients in recent years?

I had a great time in Hawaii earlier this year shooting for a lifestyle advertising campaign for a major international cruise liner outfit. The days off were particularly enjoyable, especially cruising around the stunning island of Kauai in a rather obtrusive red two-door Jeep Wrangler with my producer where we coordinated our outfits and wore matching Hawaiian shirts, linen pants and fluoro neoprene sunglasses straps. It was very Magnum, P.I.

I’m also very lucky as I get to meet and work with some amazing folks on-the-job, such as Aboriginal guru Geoffrey ‘Gurrumul’ Yunupingu for a Dumbo Feather shoot. Getting access to photograph a man of that ilk is really quite amazing.

portrait of Geoffrey Gurrumul for Dumbo Feather by Cory White

And what about Mr. Blanc? There is something a little mysterious about Mr. Blanc! When and how and why did this project come about?

Mr. Blanc was a project that originally began as a website to showcase the many talents of the creative people I was constantly surrounded by either for work-related or social purposes. The website grew quite quickly and the decision to make it purely about men was an attempt to give it a more substantial direction. The premise has survived and still remains intact, which is to photograph and interview men with a passion, be it a craft, a hobby , a musical or literary pursuit , anything really , as long as it’s a guy and he loves what he does. Mr. Blanc is about reminding yourself that it is possible to wake up every day and not dread going to work. I have been blessed to meet and continue to meet some incredibly positive and interesting men that inspire me.

Portrait of Greg Hatton by Cory White / Mr Blanc

Portrait of Rohan Anderson of Whole Larder Love by Cory White / mr Blanc

What does a typical day at work involve for you?

If I’m not shooting I have numerous ‘chores’ (as I call them) that require my attention other than taking photographs. I’m blessed to have work with SAMIAM, an amazing agency and production company based in Sydney where I spend a lot of time chatting with my producer Adam (who is like a really good looking version of Bear Grylls) about jobs on-the-go, jobs we’re quoting or pitching for, and bullshitting each other with exaggerated surfing tales. Other than that, as my lady laments, I just drink coffee. Sometimes I work on my website, personal projects and new prints.

A shoot day usually starts relatively early and involves a fair amount of pre-production and keeps me busy enough that I feel like I’ve been doing CrossFit all day (I’ve never done CrossFit on that note). I actually find making/taking images quite addictive. It’s not rocket science but it’s definitely a demanding profession and I feel sickly satisfied when I’m doing it. Sometimes I honesty feel like I ‘need’ to take a good photo.

Fashion for Yen Magazine by Cory White

Can you name for us 5 resources across any media (i.e. 5 specific magazines, websites, blogs or other) which you visit regularly for a bolt of creative inspiration, or just to be kept in the loop!?

No huge secrets here, but I’m not claiming to be the next neo-scenester blog pioneer. Here are my picks for six of the best (count that as a freebie!).

1. American Suburb X – This photographic website/blog is my computer’s homepage and has become a daily must-visit.

2. Foam Magazine – Foam comes straight out of Amsterdam and publishes photography analyses at their best. Check out their gallery if you are ever in the Dam!
3. PORT Magazine – An exceptional men’s magazine.

4. Interview Magazine – This is a no brainer. Interview is one of the originals, it’s simple and publishes classic portraits. Thankyou Andy Warhol (who founded the magazine in 1969).

5. Monocle Magazine – Inspiration and education in one. More words than images. It’s sometimes nice to take a break from over-saturation of photography.

6. Cabin Porn – Don’t worry, it’s not what you are thinking, it’s a great site that simply lists images of cabins in remote locations. Places I’d rather be.

Which other photographers, stylists or creative people are you most inspired by at the moment?

Here are a few of my regular photographic look ups. All have their own unique style. Some current, some classic.

1. Todd Hido
2. William Eggleston
3. Joseph Szabo
4. Alasdair McLellan
5. Ed Templeton

What are you most proud of professionally?

My ability to survive in the unruly photographic industry and still be progressing and happy. There ain’t many jobs out there that could offer me this satisfaction.

Meredith, Australia by by Cory White

What would be your dream creative project?

Someone funding Mr. Blanc and an opportunity to travel the world creating a hardcover edition large enough to encompass an inspiring man from every country.

What are you looking forward to?

The birth of my little girl in a couple of months and taking more photos. That and some sleep (which I don’t think will go hand in hand with a newborn!). Oh and finishing my bathroom renovation and soaking in a the bath with a beer.

Frozen Banana, Balboa Island, USA by Cory White

Melbourne Questions

Your favourite local neighbourhood and why?

St Kilda. I’ve always been a sunny side guy. As much as I love our fair city of Melbourne, and the fruits of the north, I always come back to St Kilda for its salty air and its musical history. It isn’t as fashionable as the north but it has definitely got soul.

Where do you shop in Melbourne for the tools of your trade?

I don’t really buy photographic goods in this city. Everyone knows the USA is the place. I buy magazines from the Carlisle Street newsagency in East St Kilda, books from Readings on Acland Street and I try to by a record or two from Greville Records every now and then. To be honest I’m not a huge consumer. I prefer to waste my money on other things like wetsuits , surfboards, rolls of film and overpriced danish cots!

Where/what was the last great meal you ate in Melbourne?

A couple of recent highlights include: Kingfish carpaccio at En Izakaya on Carlisle Street, Balaclava; Slow-roasted beef cheek at Ilona Staller, Balaclava; And my favourite breakfast dish, the potato rosti with extra fried egg and crispy bacon at Batch, also on Carlisle Street. That being said, my lady cooks a mean fish taco. I attribute her taco mastery to those prior years she spent in sunny California.

Where would we find you on a typical Saturday morning?

Probably surfing somewhere in Phillip Island with the boys, bracing myself for the frigid waters of the Southern Ocean. That’s sounds manly doesn’t it?! Or eating a rosti at Batch reading the paper.

Portrait  by Cory White