Bush, Baby / VAMFF Finale

Close your eyes.

Listen to the calls of wild birds.

Feel the wind gently blowing your hair.

Smell the sweet waft of eucalyptus leaves in the morning.

As I walked into the Great Hall at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) last night, a wave of nostalgia hit me. If I had not been surrounded by a sea of strangers, I would have thought I was back in the country, in the fresh alpine air. I was reminded of my home in North-East Victoria; the kookaburras laughing outside my house, perched on top of a light post and the rustling of gum trees in the school next door. 

I wish all fashion shows were like the one I attended on Sunday night. The attention to detail, the illusion that you were walking into another world, was nothing like I had experienced before in the fashion world. Ballet dancers in native Australian costume roamed the foyer as people clinked their glasses and gobbled down canapés. 

I snuck into the media pit with my friend, Adele. We purchased tickets a month ago, but I soon realised that I could get into the show for free with my media pass, as they had not printed the shows I obtained accreditation for on the back of my lanyard. I gave the spare ticket to my mother, who had never been to a fashion show before. It's not really her scene, but I'm glad she got to see this one. 

Fashion Week, You Got Me Good / VAMFF 2015

Graduate showcases are, in my option, the best shows at Fashion Week. They're creative, vibrant and eclectic. They're pieces of art rather than the ready-to-wear runway items featured in most shows. The Graduate Showcase at VAMFF features twelve of the best fashion graduates around the country and last night's show absolutely took my breath away.

Sarah, from StyleMelbourne gave me the daunting task of making the runway photos creative. 

Before each collection was presented to the audience, there was a short interview with the designer, explaining their inspirations and processes behind the clothes. I found these interviews to be particularly inspiring when it came to editing my images. Each image is edited to reflect the collection of each designer, highlighting the individuality and the colours of each garment.

Above: Optic by Monique Duggan

Here We Go Again / VAMFF 2015

Melbourne Fashion Week, we meet again, hopefully not for the last time. 

I always get nervous before my first show. Although you could call me a regular, I still feel a little bit on the outside of the fashion world. The media, in general, is often segregated from the rest of the crowd. We sit cross-legged at the end of the runway, baggy jeans over form fitting dresses/pants, comfortable shoes rather than heels, watching the fashion elite glide past as they find their seats before the show. 

My favourite part about photographing at fashion week is not the clothes or the models, or even the contacts I get to make. What I enjoy most is just watching everyone. I love seeing what everyone wears, I love observing the selfies, the note-takers, the groups of gossips, the girls in heels that look impossible to walk in, the men dressed sharp and dapper. I just find events like this absolutely fascinating.

New Heights

I have something to confess, I prefer working with people I already know. I've said it before and I'll say it again, collaborating with people I went to school with is one of my favourite things to do. 

Why? One word: Connection.

To take good photos of someone you need to establish a connection. Professionally, I meet a lot of new people on a daily basis and besides getting them comfortable in front of a camera, I have to get them comfortable with myself... so I guess the fact that I'm such a chatterbox when I nervous works in my favour.

Erskine Falls is the tallest waterfall in the Otways. The hike down to the bottom consists of about two-hundred steps followed by hopping over rocks and pools of water to get up to the actual waterfall. This kind of shoot was not something I felt comfortable asking a complete stranger to do. It involved risks and trust, something I knew I could only achieve with a model whom I already knew. So when Evie messaged me about collaborating on a shoot, I knew that she was the one. Back in the day, we went to high school together and performed in musicals. Three years later, she's a budding musician needing to be more comfortable in front of a camera. And what better way to get cozy with a camera than balancing atop slippery rocks twenty metres above the ground? 

At least every photo shoot Evie is in after this will seem like a breeze. 

Hair: Jordan Doroschuk @Hot House Hair

MUA: Ashling MacNeill-Sarkis

An Ode To Selfies

I'm currently typing this up at my new local library. It has been three weeks since I've moved house and this is my first time checking out the tiny portable building which houses a mere fifteen thousand books. But I'm not here for reading. Oh no, I'm here to abuse their free WiFi to write a blog post about selfies - of course!