The delightful and beguiling Bianca Bonino who is the founder/actor of the stage company 'Fools in Progress' sat for me the our Leichhardt studio. The painterly light hints at time long gone..... I've done some post production in Lightroom and PhotoShop to achieve a look that Annie Leibovitz has made famous especially in her latest most fabulous book of portraits. A soft muted palette with flat blacks and desaturated colours. This portrait is a combination of natural light and a hair highlight just to give it some lift and separation. My new fave look!
Latest Corporate Photography Promotional GIF
Well folks I've been playing with Adobe PhotoShop and I think I'm getting the hang of producing what's called a GIF. Basically it's a little slide show that opens as soon you see it and keeps looping which is pretty cool. I've added several categories of photography which I specialise in here at the Headshot Factory studio. They include travel photography, food photography, interiors photography, portrait photography, fitness and features photography. Basically all my years in press and editorial features photography in a quick bite size promo!
GOLD COAST HERE I COME!
Well I didn't win the Josephine Uhlrick and Win Schubert Photography Award 2017 but I sure did have fun going up to the Gold Coast for the opening night. Lee Lin Chin got some very good exposure for the show itself which sadly did not translate into a fat pay check! She was allover the place..... from posters to billboards even on the menu for the evening!!
BALLARAT INTERNATIONAL FOTO BIENNALE
My portrait of Lee Lin Chin looks so good hanging in the BALLARAT INTERNATIONAL FOTO BIENNALE as part of the inaugural $15,000 Martin Kantor Portrait Prize. I wish I could have gone down to see it in the flesh!
COUNT DOWN IS ON TILL OPENING NIGHT
Friday 8th Sept is opening night at the Gold Coast Arts Centre
for one of Australia's premium photography prizes
and Lee Lin and I are in with a reasonable chance we hope.
I think I might have to fly up for this one!
Josephine Ulrick Win Schubert Photography Award 2017
This is the second photography portrait prize in the last few weeks that my good friend Lee Lin Chin and I have been selected as finalists. We've been collaborating for the last 10 years on and off and are seriously thinking about an exhibition of works down the track.
Latest Promo!
My first GIF that I put together to promote actor headshots and professional portraits - very pleased for a first effort!
FINALIST for the Olive Cotton Award for Photographic Portraiture 2017
I'm very pleased to have selected as a finalist in the Olive Cotton Award for Photographic Portraiture. Congrats to the other finalists, many of whom I know so I'm in great company!
The Olive Cotton Award for photographic portraiture is a $20,000 biennial national award for excellence in photographic portraiture dedicated to the memory of photographer Olive Cotton. The winning work is acquired for the Gallery’s Collection. The exhibition is selected from entrants across Australia and is a significant opportunity for photographers living and working in Australia.The Award was launched in 2005, and is funded by Olive Cotton’s family and dedicated to her memory as one of Australia’s leading twentieth century photographers. The Award has grown and gained national recognition attracting entries from well-known and emerging photographers across Australia. The Award boasts a major acquisitive biennial prize of $20,000, selected by the Award judge. In addition, the Friends of the Tweed Regional Gallery and Margaret Olley Art Centre Inc. fund $4000 for the acquisition of portraits from the exhibition entries to be chosen by the Gallery Director. Visitors to the exhibition may also vote for their 'people’s choice', which awards $250 for to the most popular finalist.
If you really love Portraiture come join me in Canberra
As the guest judge for the National Photographic Portrait Prize 2017 recently held at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra, I'm also having a photography masterclass in the next few weeks. It's a 3 hour workshop and I'll be going over some favourite lighting techniques and a little post production. John Wallace from CR Kennedy and Profoto is kindly supplying the lighting gear so it will be fun setting up some crazy concepts. Can't wait! Go to the Australian NPG website for details.
SOME WORDS BY THE JUDGE (ME!) OF THE WINNING PORTRAIT
I'm still pinching myself after the whole amazing process of being guest judge for the National Photographic Portrait Prize. This is the 10th anniversary of the prize and Gary Grealy was a very deserving winner.
JUDGE AT AUSTRALIA'S BEST PORTRAIT PRIZE!
Wow what a total buzz to be asked to be a judge in Australia's most prestigious portrait prize - The National Photographic Portrait Prize now in it's tenth year. I was at the National Portrait Gallery in Canberra yesterday choosing the winner and the runner up. A few weeks ago we edited an initial 3000+ images over a couple of days and got them down to the amazing 49 finalists. Then the fun began as we whittled our favourites down to the last two! I'm pictured with the other judges Curator Joanna Gilmore and Exhibition Curator Christine Clark. The show opens this Friday night at the NPG and it's going to be a blast. Good luck to all the finalists.
CUTTING EDGE....
Well Rohans hair style may not be for everybody but it sure works for him! This cool portrait was an extra we did after the corporate shoot and I we were both very happy with outcome. In fact I've recently entered it in a prominent photography competition - so fingers crossed....
LEE LIN CHIN LOVES BEER.........
I have the cover of Lee Lin Chin's latest book out late Nov! She is such a funny person in the flesh - loves a beer and ciggy and has the driest sense of humour. In fact she turned up to the studio with a six pack - I kid you not!!
Clean, elegant and direct portraits connect with potential clients.
ARE YOU MAINTAINING YOUR MOST IMPORTANT BUSINESS ASSET?
Your Headshot is the most valuable asset in marketing your business. Your business portrait does not only show your image, it is also a reflection of your company’s professionalism. The portrait you choose for your business profile should not only project yourself, but also your company & your brand.
Use your professional image on your website or social media sites to help build relationships by putting the best possible image of yourself out there. The right image can enhance trust and build a level of confidence with both potential and current clients.
The right photograph and the right photographer can make an impact on not only your image, but that of your business. Book George now and make new business connections today! www.HeadShotFactory.com.au
LATEST HEADS.....
Whaddya' think of our latest A5 promo for HSF's Actor Headshot series? A pretty decent gene pool amongst this lot!
SYDNEY'S BEST ACTOR HEADSHOTS!
Amanda Wylde direct from the Blue Mountains west of Sydney graced the HeadShot Factory studios for an actors portfolio and she was such a pleasure to photograph - beautiful and hilarious! The final series of portraits were outstanding in my opinion and she was delighted with the final edit so much so that I decided to use her fabulous portraits as a HSF promo.
I wish all actors headshots were this easy!
JOHNNY DEPP MOVER OVER!
Blake a local inner west actor and agent was in the HeadShot Factory studio for the Actors Portfolio, and we captured some very powerful portraits a long the way. This particular image is definitely my favourite and with the conversion to good old black and white has come up a treat - actually a specialty of mine.
The intensity in the eyes is funny thing as in real life you often don't get anything like this sort of look - of course Blake was in character mode and I thought Johnny Depp had leapt into my shot for this setup! Nice set of actor portraits in this headshot photography session.
LOUIS LOVES HIS SWIMMING
My beautiful little man Louis when he was only 5 years old taking to the water like a fish at Leichhardt Aquatic Centre. Well he's now in the silver squad and quite bit faster down the pool these days at the grand old age of 11. Not your conventional headshot but a lovely portrait just the same. What a boy!
Super fish Louis
LATEST HSF PROMO!
It's so nice to see and feel real prints for a change. We got some enlargements for the HeadShot
Factory portfolio for clients to not only look but run their finger over as well. I laid them out on the floor, created the layout then photographed it producing the funky design.
Sure beats looking at a screen! Love great headshot photography and think we just might have of some the best actor headshots in Sydney.
Some of the very cool and creative actors we've photographed at the studio here in Leichhardt ~ Sydney.
KEN + the VOLCANO
And for something a little different..... One of my favoutite images of all time was taken on assignment for Travel + Leisure magazine a few years back in PNG on the island of Rabaul. My background is features and editorial and I was Capture Magazine Australian Travel Photographer of the Year twice. I do miss those commissions but of course the mags have no money anymore! That volcano in the background called Tavurvur sounded like a 747 taking off when it vented, and swimming in the waters with Ken Kolias who lived only a few hundred meters away is something I'll never forget. For the camera buffs the pic was taken with a Mamiya 7 medium format 6x7cm rangefinder camera loaded with Kodak Portra 160 iso film. Seems so long ago shooting on film.....
Local elder Ken Kolias and Tavurvur the volcano venting Rabaul PNG.