SHOUT OUTS! - 2013 IN REVIEW: Flashback time!

2013 - that's a wrap! I thought I would do a quick post that features all the videos from the shoots I worked on this year!

As always it takes lot of people to make the magic so a massive shout out to (in no particular order) Dylan B, Amelia J Dowd, Justin Harrison, Kimberly Clarke, Tasha Tylee, Yasmin Suteja, & Ian Knight - thank you for helping me with all of these video projects and seeing it through to the final edit!

Also big props to the people who helped me in all forms this year from Chris Fatseas on shoots to Ben Scott and Daniel Sangermani for sharing their awesome studio spaces with me. Y'all gotta book their studios people!

Thank you to my wonderful editors of Black Magazine, Grant Fell and Rachael Churchward, whose determination and loyalty inspire me - and lots of gratitude to the incredible Justin Henry who continues to have a massively positive impact on me both personally and professionally! What a guy!

And a very big thank you to all of the designers, artists, models, creatives, bookers, agencies and clients I worked with this year (even the clients I didn't like) - I learnt from everyone! And thank you to my agency Independent for looking after me in what has been a massive year of accomplishments and evolution.

The end of 2013 was a monster of adventure - so many amazing things coming out in the next couple of months with big personalities! Stay tuned lovers! 2014 here we come! Feel free to explore the video gallery below - I love these videos!

CALLING ALL OCCUPANTS OF INTERPLANETARY CRAFT: Thom Kerr & Justin Henry vs. Marthe Wiggers

Thom Kerr & Justin Henry Beauty capture Marthe Wiggers

Those who know me personally understand my obsession with deep space and unexplained mysteries - one of my favourite topics being the existence of UFO's. The inspiration behind this story in the latest issue of Black magazine started when I discovered a series of allegedly true photographs of UFO's taken in a famous case called The Billy Meier Contacts. It got me thinking about how most ufo pictures are taken from a distance and usually somewhat distorted so I thought it would be fun to create a story incorporating that idea - almost a Where's Wally type effect - in which the reader would have to slow down to examine the picture to see if they could spot the craft. Just to see who would notice and if they noticed one, would they go back and scan the other images. Often I star gaze late at night and wonder if anyone is looking down at me... so I thought I would split the story into two - the girl who watches inside the craft and the girl who lives her daily life dreaming of something bigger... Beauty by Justin Henry - Styling by Katrina Sheiles - Art Direction by Lindsay Rose - featuring Marthe Wiggers from IMG models. Click the pictures to spot the flying craft!

Thom Kerr & Justin Henry Beauty capture Marthe Wiggers

HURRICANE LEILA: A preview of my new beauty series...

Hello lovers! Those of you who have known me for a while know that traditionally I haven't done much beauty work in the past. Over the last year though, thanks in part to my co-australian editor of Black Justin Henry, I've been really discovering the genre. To the point now where I've had my first beauty cover for Black featuring Ruby Jean Wilson - you can check it out on Frockwriter if you missed it - and I keep getting approached by different creative directors from beauty brands... fun times!

Leila @ Chic

I think in the past I had been resistant to shooting beauty because I thought a lot of it looked pretty average - same composition, same idea, same lighting etc. However, having now dabbled I'm finding new ways to create magic and discovering how to put the Thom Kerr drama into the genre! I love my beauty story that I shot for Blacklog - I also wanted to share these two setups that I adore that we shot later in the day. Justin and I have shot a body of exquisite beauty work which we're dying to share with y'all! But you'll just have to be patient for the time being! So enjoy! Hair and makeup by Justin Henry modelled by Leila Goldkuhl @ Chic and shot at Studio 501. Studio 501 is located in Surry Hills and super groovy - you should book the space!

Leila @ Chic

JUSTIN HENRY BEAUTY: A little background behind the other Australian editor of Black Magazine...

Annabel Moore wears dress by Rachel Gilbert

Many of you would be aware by now that outside of taking fabulous pictures I am one of the Australian editors for Black magazine. For those of you who don't know, Black is a beautiful glossy publication that has an international team of top notch contributors. All of the content is assembled together and published from the New Zealand capital of Auckland then distributed around the world. I love working with Black as I'm always learning more about the business of fashion - not just the process of creating the pictures themselves. The photos I'm sharing with you now are outtakes from a beauty story I shot with the super lovely Melbourne based stylist Sophie Barker and my fellow Black Australian editor Justin Henry. We shot this story before our featured beauty editorial 'Is Anybody Out There?' which you can see in all it's glory in the latest issue of Black #19 - starring the lovely Annabel Moore.

Annabel Moore wears jacket by Manning Cartell

THAT'S A WRAP 2012: The year that was!

Adventures ahoy!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years darlings! I thought I'd kick the year off by sharing some pictures of Taren Cunningham - a talented artist and musician who mused for some of the biggest names in fashion including Tim Walker and Steven Klein. She is one amazing woman and a delight to shoot! Have a listen to one of her latest projects here - her music sounds like a magic spell. I think that's why the pictures turned out the way they did! Goodness gracious... so much got crushed right into the end of the year there! I've been state hopping as usual. Had a lot of fun, shot a lot of pictures! December saw me visit Perth, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. By the time I got in to see my family I was well and truly ready to sleep for a thousand years. I had a really fun New Years Eve with my pals Sarah Birchley and Jovita Lee hanging out by a lake behind Noosa in a place called... Ccccooooorrrrrooooyyy... I can never pronounce it properly - but it was a good time! I woke up to sunrise in a field wrapped up in a picnic blanket! What a way to welcome in the new year!

The wonderful Taren Cunningham channels some magic