Not Your Average Agency Photoshoot - UnBasic Agency

When Maddie sent me the mood board for her latest branding shoot I let out a ‘Hell Yeah’.

Maddie and Mick run UnBasic, a digital marketing agency that specialises in bespoke marketing for clients that are sick of the ‘one size fits all’ approach.

I met Maddie during our prep for a charity boxing match with Fortitude Boxing. After contracting me to shoot one of her clients, we have since developed a friendship around dark humour and sarcasm. Her witty humour combined with a borderline autistic drive for marketing lends to an absolute power house of abilities in this digital space.

The man of a thousand expressions. I was in stitches of laughter during our shoot with Mick’s ability change his face into every meme you could imagine. Head of design, I share Mick’s love for BOLD imagery and love looking at his creative work.

With most internal branding being your boring cliche headshots and dull tones, we wanted to make sure you remembered UnBasic when you hit their website, receive a digital pack or rock up to their instagram.

This was a super fun shoot and i’m excited to continue working with UnBasic on some exciting client work coming up next year.

If you’re wanting to have your brand/team stand out I’d love to help! Get in touch and lets bounce some ideas around on how we can take your image to the next level.

Double Denim - Erik & Phoebe

Two of my favourite humans Erik and Phoebe joined me for a personal shoot titled ‘Double Denim’ and damn they look cute!

Rolling up in West End with my 64 Impala we shot a series of couple portraits while dodging traffic through the streets.

I decided to shoot this series on my Fujifilm camera system because in my opinion Fuji’s colours are the most vibrant, classic and superior straight out of camera which lends itself nicely to my style of portraiture.

Fuji’s glass (lenses) is also absolutely beautiful. A lot of modern cameras are clinically sharp, which takes away from the organic look that great portraiture entails. Fujifilm’s lenses are not excessively sharp and have a gorgeous contrast to them that brings a timeless feel to images.

I am excited to shoot more of my personal projects that I are in the pipeline over the next few months so keep your eyes pealed!

Liquid Emotions

In exploring the themes of sadness, loneliness, and isolation, I created the beauty editorial ‘Liquid Emotions.’

Along with my incredibly talented friend Evie, we set out to the shallows of Shoal Point in my hometown of Mackay. Our goal was to capture the side of some women that contrasts with the outgoing, happy personas they often present.

This shoot was inspired by a friend who, on the outside, seems to be thriving and living her best life. But on the inside, she feels a deep sense of loneliness and isolation.

It's so easy these days to assume that everyone has their life together based on the best versions they show on social media, but in reality, we all face the same human struggles, and some people are dealing with much more beneath the surface.

With 'Liquid Emotions,' we aimed to reveal the hidden truths and give a voice to the silent struggles many experience, reminding everyone that beneath the perfect appearances, the challenges of the human experience are real and universal.

The Ringer - BTS

Amongst the rolling hills and red dirt of the outback near Speedwell, I had the honour of working with an Australian icon.

Kelly Dixon has written countless award winning country classics and bush poetry in his career, including some for the aussie legend Slim Dusty. I had the pleasure of reconnecting with him on a music video for ‘The Ringer’, which is a bush ballad based on his retirement.

96 years young, Kelly has retired to his little farm of 150 acres in the beautiful countryside of Speedwell. The serenity shooting in this bushland oasis was so relaxing, and helped lend itself to the slower pace filming tempo I have tried to bring to this film clip.

Keep an eye out for the music video release of ‘The Ringer’ next month and the possibility of getting Kelly one more golden guitar!

Suits Can Look Cool Too! - Luke Sartor Corporate

All these people in suits have souls too! And I love helping them bring out their personality.

When people hear ‘corporate photoshoot’ they think of a painful experience where they are forced into a half baked smile and left looking like another drone in the matrix.

I think it is crucial as a photographer to give your subjects an ‘experience’ as a photoshoot. So with a little charisma and charm, I try to leave my corporate clients having a great time when we break their usual daily routine for their team photos. This leads to much more genuine, relatable and human reactions, that better translate the companies team and brand.

‘What would you want on the cover of your autobiography?’ This is the question I pose to myself and my clients when we are trying to create personal branding images that gives them authority, translates their persona and communicates their story. In the endless sea of ‘LinkedIn headshots’, I really want my clients to stand out form the heard of suits.

Whether a client is a seasoned media appearance veteran or its their one moment of fame, I want the viewers of their piece to stop and take notice. ‘Bold’ is one of my core style principles (bold, raw, minimal) and that’s how we get their audiences attention.

I loathe nothing more than deathly boring brand comms, you know the ones? Stock images of another company that kind of fits your company and ‘ah it’ll do the job. Bringing the personality out of a brand and having its members bring their own individual elements that contribute to the whole, brings me great joy. Ive had the pleasure of helping some great teams express their quirky selves!

I Am Stoked - Emerging Photographer Awards

There was some absolutely insane work submitted this year in Capture Magazine ‘Top Emerging Photographer Awards’ of which I submitted 5 of my own projects.

I was lucky enough to have 4 of my 5 pieces of submitted work make it through rounds of judging which blew all of my expectations and am very stoked about the result. Coming away with two top 10 rankings and two commended.

My entires where from 3 different personal projects; Fire Fire Fire, Immortals and Good Morning Vietnam.

For Fire Fire Fire I linked up with the gentleman from D Crew at my home town fire department and shot a series of portraits in their different kit outs.

Rogan Dean is a crossfit athlete I shot for my Immortals project and Good Morning Vietnam was from a holiday earlier this year.

Im excited for my next opportunity to submit in competitions later this year.

Tech Meets Allied Health . DAMIEN ADLER - POWER DIARYS

In a niche sector of the tech space PowerDiary’s are making huge waves with their allied health practice management/scheduling system ‘PowerDiary’. I sat down with CEO and founder Damien Adler for an interview for the latest cover of Allied Magazine .

PowerDiary’s is used in over 23 countries globally and is taking the US by storm becoming one of the leading practice management systems and growing rapidly.

In 2011 Damien (psychologist) was managing his practice with multiple softwares and thought ‘there has got to be a better way’. Bringing on his brother Paul (technologist) the pair brought their skills together to solve the issue for themselves, little did they know that they had started something that will grow exponentially.

Damien, understanding the struggles other allied health practices deal with in their management systems, put it out to practices Australia wide to try help them simplify their systems. But as the software gained adoption they noticed that it wasn’t just Australian companies using it…. UK, US and other jurisdictions globally were signing up and that was when the light bulb moment happened that there software solves a problem that allied health practices struggle with globally.

I sat down with Damien who is an enthusiastic and articulate speaker, and thoroughly enjoyed our conversation about the early days, global adoption, the future of allied tech and AI and his love of mountain biking. You can watch our full interview below or download this month’s issue of Allied Magazine here.

Chis from Allied Magazine and Allied Marketing has been working with PowerDiary’s over the years to help them grow in the Australian market. The two were great to work with as it was obvious to see both of their passions for the allied space during our photoshoot.

This is my second cover for Allied Magazine and I am excited to continue shooting together as we cover everything in the sporting and health space, which are both big passions of mine.

Bold . Raw . Minimal - Harsh Lighting Technique

Earlier this year, I embarked on an exciting test shoot in the studio with model Jamie Verster. I experimented with harsh lighting techniques to capture jewelry images, which are typically shot with soft lighting. My aim was to infuse these images with a bold, harsh lighting setup to make them really pop. This shoot served as a creative exploration that I then referenced for ICONS project.

I am particularly drawn to the crisp shadows and vibrant, contrast-rich colours that this technique produces, all while maintaining flattering skin tones. To achieve this effect, I used a bare bulb strobe directed straight at the model.

Although this strobe method can be intimidating to some creatives, mastering its nuances can yield stunning results.

I love how this type of lighting commands attention and distinguishes itself from the conventional 'soft fashion' lighting prevalent in the industry.

Don't forget to follow Jamie — she's an incredible personal trainer, emerging model, and a talented UGC creator!

Life Outside - ANZAC Day

As a veteran myself I have a special place in my heart for fellow ex defence members who may be struggling as civilians in ‘Life Outside’ the military.

During the interviews I conducted with veterans I wanted to gain their perspective on what are some of their struggles, triumphs and things they think the community can do to help support our soldiers when they leave the military.

A key take away from Jake who was an infantry soldier and sniper, is that, ‘it can be as small as someone talking to us that can make a huge difference in our lives. We are not psychos, we just might be having a ruff time.’

Brendan has gone onto become a helicopter pilot after leaving defence and he thinks that having a clear purpose once you leave the military is key to success on the outside. Finding or creating your own purpose will help you have direction when you are the now master of your own ship.

For Angus, finding a community is key to dealing with struggles on the outside. Having a group of like minded people that you can lean on in hard times and hold you accountable when building your new life.

For this Anzac Day please take the time to just say hello to a veteran. Because you never know what they may be dealing with and this small act of kindness can make all the difference.

Thank you for your service.

Luke


Evergreen Content Workshop

A common theme amongst some of the professionals and brands I work with is you guys are struggling to come up with original content ideas that resinate with your audiences.

Iv’e partnered with Allied Magazine to release my first workshop teaching you how to create Evergreen content that will be relevant today, in a month, next year and forever.

THE AUDIENCE IS THE ASSET and we teach you how to create value that builds the die hard fans that love you, jam with your message and when you are ready to sell, will buy from you.

The curriculum includes:

  • Why Giving Free Value Makes You More Money

  • How to Come Up With Original EverGreen Ideas

  • Using AI to Your Advantage

  • The Gear You Need (and Don’t Need) and How to Use It

  • Free (or very cheep) Software/Apps You Can Use

  • 1 Day a Month Content Days For Bulk Content

  • How to Overcome Camera Anxiety

  • Which Social Media Platforms to Use

  • Hosting Your Own Content on Your Website

  • Content for 2 Types of Leads: Clients and Business Partners

  • Q&A

  • We Make Some Content!

I have packed this with as much knowledge as I can so that all you have to do after the workshop… is start.

I hope to see you there.

Luke

Attila - New Talent

I love the creative collaboration between photographers and models when we set out with no fixed goals but to just see where our creativity takes us.

Greeted by this tall, charming and enthusiastic young man in my lobby, I was taken back by his energy and keenness to try different ideas and modify on the fly.

We worked between a ‘paparazzi interview’, outdoor formal wear (failed haha) and portrait sitting to create some great portfolio pieces.

Very keen to see what we are able to create in the future. Check out the full set in my blog post and give Attila a follow @attila.mbe

Fire Fire Fire

I had the privilege of capturing portraits of the legendary members of D Crew from my home fire department. These individuals are true heroes, yet their humility and down-to-earth Aussie spirit shine through.

Working with them on these portraits was an absolute pleasure, and I am thrilled with the final results. To view the complete set, be sure to click into the blog post.

This Is Glam

I wanted to apply my style ‘Bold, Raw, Minimal’ to simple beauty portraits inspired by some of the greats; Peter Lindbergh, Vincent Peters, Mario Testino. So I assembled a team of other creatives to help me pull it off.

Models Josie and Anna from Chic Management.

Hair and Makup Marie Le

Video Nick Ravnn

Stylist Courtney Moane

Along with the stills I also wanted to explore the idea of ‘Moving Portraits’. Short videos framed as if it was a photo with minimal camera movement but the subject in the portrait has some kind of motion. You can view these in the posts from this shoot on my instagram.

Some Favourites from the year

Reflecting on some of the sets and individual images I have created this year, I believe I have produced some of my best work to date. Of these I have narrowed down some of my all-time favourites and the reasons that I like them.

Jimmy Fkn Thunda

This image of Jimmy is the epitome of my style. Bold. Raw. Minimal.

Bold - Big sunnies, chopper moustache, zero cares. Jimmy is gunna do as Jimmy does.

Raw - The rugged cold gaze through his classic shades, coupled with his mou and unkept hair.

Minimal - No distracting backgrounds or fancy light set ups. Straight on single light, straight on framing, black & white.

Phoebe in Pink

The whole set from this shoot is some of my favourite work but this image is just so fun quirky and eye catching. Phoebe’s inquisitive expression combined with the closeness of the wide angle shot makes you feel like she is inspecting the pimple on the end of your nose.

Ahrie

The comfort and calmness that Ahrie presents here, leaves me locked in but comfortable in his gaze. I like the shape that hi body is making. Also the first time I got do you my new custom apple boxes!

Maia

Little Maia’s innocent face also expresses an air of confidence, which matches here beautiful personality. Again the effect of a wide angle lens leaves you feeling like her hand is 10cm from your face. (Which it almost was!)

Jamón

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

Monetez . Calvin Klein

Montez is one hell of a specimen of a human. Probably the most well conditioned bloke i’ve met, the contrast of the light as it hits his body leaves in you in awe at a human in peak physique. Almost like looking at a marble statue. I love the way the front on light is then compliments the shadows hugging him.

Jayo Archer

Complete confidence. This portrait of X Games athlete and free style MX lunatic Jayo was taken in my make shift portable studio at the motocross track. The side lighting creating a beautiful contrast of light across his face and the contrasting colour pop of red and blue, emphasises his confident demeanour. Also a top dude.

Courtney

Courtney’s cold, hollow, confident gaze draws you straight into her eyes. It’s quite polarising to see someone so pretty have that emotion.

I love the gorgeous front on lightning and how it hits her face, the messiness of her long hair and the discipline of her uniform and bow.

I have many others, and am blessed to have had some incredible humans sit for their portraits. I hope they have enjoyed the experience of shooting with me as much as I have, and that I have been able to create an image of them that when they look upon it they truly see themselves.

Luke Cunningham Portfolio

I met Luke in the most random of places. On a set of a music video for Dhanda Nyoliwala. An internet famous Indian rapper that I was renting my 1964 Impala to for the day.

We agreed that we had to work together in the future so we set up a portfolio shoot.

Hitting the Powerhouse at Newfarm park we were surrounded by an eat street market and thousands of people! So we had to think on our feet and move quickly to get the shots as the light was also fading quickly.

Utilising the vibrant colour of the purple trees as a back drop and the cold concrete walls inside the Powerhouse we were able to come away with some bangers!

Luke was a creative model to shoot with and at such a young age he will crush the industry with his passion for his craft.

Lukes Instagram

Celebrating the Artistry of the Human Form with Jamón

In the world of art, Greek sculptures have long been revered for their ability to capture the essence of human beauty and grace. These timeless masterpieces, often depicting women in their most elegant and natural forms, have served as a profound source of inspiration for countless artists throughout history. In a recent photoshoot, I had the privilege of channeling this rich artistic legacy to celebrate the innate beauty of the female form. Much like the sculptors of ancient Greece, our aim was to create images that would not just showcase, but also elevate, a woman's curves to their fullest potential.

Although the style of our images were very different from classical sculptures we were able to who of Jamón’s beautiful form by creating shapes with here body and a simple background.

Second to showing off her form we wanted to capture some simple but powerful beauty shots that have you completely fixed on her eyes.

This was really fun and I'm stoked on this set that Jamón gets to put in her new modelling portfolio.

Everybody Was Kung Fu Fighting!

Taekwondo* fighting! Competing at world championship level Taekwondo and representing the United Kingdom, Courtney Eardley has been to the pinnacle of her combat sport.

As a third dan black belt her hands and feet have become weapons, so don't let the pretty smile and charming personality fool you, she can mess you up!

Hanging up the competitive belt, Courtney now teaches Taekwondo through her online presence while she travels between Australia and Thailand learning new forms of marshal arts including Muay Thai and Brazilian JuJitsu.

In our interview Courtney shared what it was like to compete at the top level, both the good and the bad, opening up about the intense dieting verging on starvation put upon athletes to make weight for their devision. This compounds when competing in your treens and as a young woman with the changes your body is naturally going through.

Check out the full interview on my YouTube which will be released later this week.

Immortals Project Update

20%..!!! I am absolutely stoked to have crossed this milestone for my Immortals project!

Setting out to help 100 athletes take the image worthy of their story I knew I was going to meet some world class athletes, but still in this early stage I am blown away with the people I have met and the story’s I have captured.

Interviewing and shooting athletes from amateur part timers to pros on the world stage, so far there are a few traits they all have that make them great I think we can learn from.

  1. Unwavering long-term vision. All these athletes have days where they doubt themselves, don’t want to train, get injured, lose competitions, lose sponsors, have setbacks but continue to rock up and put in the work for YEARS until they reach the vision they have for themselves. The ability to just not give up over a long period of time results in being the last man standing and reaping the reward of experience.

  2. Doing the simple things to the 110%. We all want to jump straight to the Gucci, fun and sexy part of our pursuits once we have a novel understanding of the basics. But these guys take it to the next level in drilling the basics. Repeating a punch, gear change, movement until it is just as natural to them as breathing before trying to master the technical.

  3. No side projects. There is one project, one pursuit, one trophy. They don’t get distracted by every shiny object that comes their way. This is the mission, and the mission is all that matters.

I cant wait to see were this project takes me, the athletes I’m yet to meet and the images I can give to them as a memory of there sporting legacy in this moment in time.

You can watch some of the conversations here on my Youtube channel.

Hybrid Machine! James Newbury

Currently hailing from the Gold Coast, James is one of the most insanely driven humans I have met. When he is not working out, surfing or smashing a coffee, James is currently going pedal to the metal with his new supplement brand Phyba.

Coming off the back of an incredibly successful CrossFit career where went to the CrossFit games FOUR TIMES!, an iron man athlete and promoter of the hybrid method of training, James is putting all the lessons learned from his experiences into this new venture.

Upon meeting James for my Immortal’s project it became immediately clear that his humble, articulate and good nature is the reason he is one of Australia’s most liked Crossfit athletes and not just for his sporting accolades.

You can hear about Jame’s sporting adventures, current projects and where to find the best coffee on the Goldy on my Youtube channel where I interview him for Immortals.

In collaboration with Allied Magazine