Black Tulip Photography

Shooting Roy without his G-string

2011-02-02T17:12:00.092+11:00

An unfortunate title for a blog I know, but I'll get to it in a minute.. You see, yesterday saw me photographing Roy Gaskin - a remarkable vocalist and one heck of a nice guy - in order to produce some promotional images. Originating from Guyana, this striking looking man possessed charisma, charm and fabulous sense of humour! So, naturally it was a joy photographing him to say the very least!

Assisting me on the shoot was none other than THE Shelton Muller! Together, Shelton and I created some pretty funky lighting situations which beautifully enhanced Roy's natural tan.

Equipped with all that was needed for a rawkin' shoot, Hosier Lane Melbourne was our first port of call for some grungy street photographs. Roy wanted to be photographed with his daughter's guitar - being a musician, it seemed fitting! He was concerned however, that because one of the strings of the guitar had broken, it may not have been possible.

Which string you ask? Why, the G string of course! To say that a few jokes were thrown back and forth between the three of us, would be completely understating our bellowing laughter!

The G string! How funny!

So getting back to the title of this blog, in case you were wondering, it wasn't referring to Roy's under garments!

As the daylight began to fade, we finished off at Hosier Lane, and headed down to St. Kilda beach. By this time we were all getting along with one another very well.

Roy felt very comfortable being photographed, and as a photographer, I have found that on a shoot it is important to establish a good rapport with your client and/or model in order to get the desired photographs.

The earlier a good rapport is established, the better! Lucky for me, I had Shelton along for the shoot. Among his many talents, Shelton has the innate ability to make people laugh - at times despite their apprehensions. Isn't he awesome?!

A good photographer will quickly analyze their subjects, and through their interaction with them, ascertain how to achieve the best result. With Shelton as my assistant, I knew that I would take great photographs of Roy. I mean, Roy is not a particularly good looking man by any stretch of the imagination! Yeah, riiiiiiiiiiight! That's why Creative Photo Workshops have enlisted his particular good looks to model for them - as a result of this shoot - at their Castlemania workshop madness! ...Looking forward to that, let's be honest!

Ok, now getting back to the shoot! Roy, Shelton and myself soon found ourselves along the St. Kilda foreshore with the setting sun quickly disappearing across the water. The day was typically Melbourne - consisting of no less than all four seasons! With mere minutes to spare, we were still able to achieve some fabulous results before the sun sank beyond the vast horizon - taking all of it's golden light with it. Ahhh! What a great afternoon! What a great shoot!

Thank you very much Roy for the distinct pleasure of photographing you. I wish you tremendous success with your musical career, and look forward to more craziness with you at Castlemania! Thank you also to Shelton. You are so much fun to hang out with, to shoot with, and to learn from. This would clearly have to have been one of my favourite shoots!

More blog updates to follow!

The Beautiful Bella.

2010-05-25T14:30:00.020+10:00

Saturday saw me in spectacular surroundings, with gorgeous weather and wonderful people, shooting the most exquisite of faces I could have hoped to photograph.

The young model was the delightful Bella - a fellow photographer and great friend, Keith Anderson's work acquaintance's daughter. Yes, I felt that I was very fortunate to have been asked along for some advice on posing and lighting techniques, and to also have a bit of a shoot. An opportunity too good to pass up!

Not only did Bella possess physical beauty, but she naturally radiated a beautiful personality which the camera found absolutely captivating. Oh yeah, right away I knew this would be an incredible shoot!

So the inimitable Keith Anderson, and our ridiculously awesome friend and photographer, Kerry Sumner, Monika and myself, all met Bella on Saturday morning at our local shooting haunt, The Abbotsford Convent. This time of year lends fabulous light, as the sun does not rise too high in the sky for all that long - so for pretty much most of the day, everyone is rim lit! Such a shame that.. Not!

After we finished up at the Convent, we headed for the abandoned house where I previously had the pleasure of photographing the wonderful Richard and Rhiannon - making a brief McDonald's stop on the way of course!

The morning's shoot had already proven successful by yielding many fabulous photographs, and allowing young Bella time to settle in to being photographed by four giggling snipers! To say that we all had fun, would be a gross understatement! It was a day I'll not soon forget.

The abandoned house and surrounding paddocks provided an excellent backdrop for Kerry's fabulous new red chair, and Keith's friend's 1950's Ford pickup truck. Talk about some incredible photographic opportunities!

So we began quickly in the paddocks with the red chair - a great contrast to the surrounding golden brown weeds. Placed rim lit against the sun, we used a gold reflector to cast light back onto Bella's beautiful face whilst she sat in the chair, and hey Presto! Amazing photographs.

All day, the reflector was our best friend. It's amazing how a photograph can improved by using one - or two in some cases we found.

Now, I have to say that Kerry, an exceptional photographer in her own right, has some breathtaking images in her portfolio. She has a gift for placement with an incredible sense of style, and so when she was excited to use her recently acquired red chair.....so was I!!

Photography is a natural form of expression for Kerry, and this is evident from her unique vision. The red chair was PERFECT!!! Thank you very much Kerry for the opportunity of shooting your red chair. I just loved the concept!

Before the day's shoot even began, Keith had an image with the pickup truck in his mind he wanted to shoot. So after a while of shooting Bella in the red chair, the pickup truck arrived and it was time to create Keith's photograph! He saw his image as a post production photograph - keen to use a 'vintage' processing technique.

Yes, the girl was gorgeous, the pickup truck was perfect, and the sunlight could've been ordered from a catalogue it was that good! He had all the ingredients needed to execute his shot. And so he executed it. And it was brilliant! In fact his entire series from not only from that part of the day, but the rather the whole day was incredible! And to think, he was only ever a landscape photographer!

Creating a photograph doesn't always end with pressing the shutter button. Often photographers such as Keith, have 'PhotoShop eyes' when setting up their shots - knowing the processing effect well before the photograph has been taken. This differs greatly from the 'I'll fix it in PhotoShop later', mentality, because the photographer has enhancement in mind. Not repair.

As the day drew to a close, Monika, Keith, Kerry, Bella and I were all very pleased with the results that were achieved. All in all, it was a brilliant day - one I desperately needed to enjoy. Thank you so very much Keith, for asking me along. It was such a joy to witness you in action, and share in your zest for photography. You have a beautiful gift for photography, and during the time I have known you, it has been a pleasure seeing that gift develop. I deeply appreciate the opportunity of photographing the beautiful Bella by your side, creating fabulous photographs, and enjoying an incredible day with you.

Thank you Kerry for bringing your effervescent sense of humour, delightful company, incredible photographic vision, and gorgeous red chair! It's always an honour to shoot with you, and Saturday was no exception! I adore your photography, and I am so very grateful when I have the chance to experience your photographic genius in person. You are an incredible inspiration!

Monika, your company is always delightful and appreciated. It was so wonderful shooting with you, and to see your photography improve exponentially in this one day, was the highlight of the shoot for me! Well done on creating some fabulous images to be proud of.

And lastly, the beautiful Bella. Thank you for being so lovely! You brought a lot to the day, and for someone so very young, you handled yourself extremely professionally, and rather maturely. I wish you tremendous success, and hope to one day photograph you again.

Contact Keith Anderson at Red Dirt Studios, regarding possible modelling assignments for Bella.

To Shoot A Black Wolf.

2010-05-16T23:25:00.006+10:00

Recently I had the distinct pleasure of photographing the ridiculously handsome Taisen Blackwolf - a Model Mayhem model, and dear friend. One evening after enjoying some pasta, quite a few laughs, and a couple glasses of wine, we embarked upon a photo shoot.

A black backdrop and some off camera flash in my lounge room, made for an excellent make-shift studio. Taisen is so much fun to shoot - having previously modelled for a few Creative Photo Workshops, workshops - the night rolled on effortlessly, one giggle after another.

Knowing how to pose for the light is extremely vital for a model to understand. After all, photography is all about light! So, having had this skilled acquired through CPW, Taisen was able to make my job much easier.

Being that he was so blatantly good looking, it was definitely a challenge for me to photograph him, let me tell you!

After we finished shooting in the lounge, we ventured out to the carport where a family friend had parked his vintage motorbike for us to use. Taisen was no stranger to this bike, as he had previously donned himself upon it for CPW's, 'Shoot-A-Hunka' workshop.

Yep, I was definitely in my element. A motorbike, off camera flash, and a hot guy. Does it get much better than this..?

Photographically speaking, of course!

Two flash units were set up. One behind Taisen to create rim lighting, and the other on a 45 degree angle in front of Taisen, to cast some light onto his face.

With this simple set up, we were able to capture some great images without much hassle. All in all, it was a great shoot which yielded a fabulous result.

Thank you, Taisen. It's always a great pleasure photographing you! I'm really looking forward to doing it again soon! :)

A Love Like Their's..

2010-03-14T20:00:00.056+11:00

Yesterday afternoon saw me meet up with a beautiful young couple, Rhiannon and Richard. I first met Rhiannon and Richard, whilst assisting Shelton, at Rhiannon's sister's wedding a few months ago. There I was at the wedding, lucky enough to have a few moments to photograph these crazy kids, and straight away I knew that they were a very special couple indeed! Not only were they a physically striking looking couple, but they also both had hearts of gold, and senses of humour as wacky as they come! From the first photographs I took way back then, I knew that I wanted to photograph these beautiful people again. And soon! So, that's how the story began, and lucky me, I was given that awesome opportunity yesterday. Yesterday was a really beautiful day - you might say a typical Autumn day in Melbourne. The skies were clear, and the breeze slight. The wonderful Monika and I, were very excited to meet up with Rhiannon and Richard, for the much awaited shoot. It was to be at an old decrepit and abandoned shack, by the side of our local highway, in the late afternoon. Ahh! This place was incredible! I had often driven past it, thinking to myself, '..Oh, I'd LOVE to do a shoot there!' So yesterday was the day!

The old homestead unfortunately over the years had been burnt out. And with only it's four walls remaining, it bizarrely proved to have some wonderfully unusual lighting opportunities. The roof had collapsed inward, and as you could image, it was an absolute mess!! An Interior Designer's nightmare, but a Photographer's dream! Around the back, there were the remnants of an old stud farm. Dingy sheds. Rusty equipment. And a whole lot of land! Oh yeah, you could say that I was keen as mustard to do some serious photography there!!
So, after the wonderful Rhiannon and Richard promptly arrived - complete with their changes of clothes, wild enthusiasm, and bright smiles - we were ready to begin! Monika and I had previously looked about the property, so we knew roughly where we wanted to shoot, and what types of images we could achieve. Ideally, I wanted to shoot a very broad range of portraits, in as many lighting conditions as possible - high key, back-lit, side lit, full sun, soft feathered, and also off camera flash. Hey, I was optimistic! Fortunately, time was on our side - despite what they say about it flying when you're having fun! Our lovely couple, sublime to photograph, and whose company is amongst a few I would call effortlessly delightful, were obviously very much in love! They bantered and played together the entire time, causing my face to almost fall off from laughter! Their's is definitely how love should be. Having said that, they made for an exceptional portrait session! We all had so much fun! Thank you very much Rhiannon and Richard, for the honour and privilege of capturing your love. Preserving it's essence in my photography. And allowing me such immense joy in sharing the afternoon with you both. May your love grow as strong as the Earth is old. Looking forward to doing this again some time!

Shoot-A-Hunka!

2010-03-09T18:23:00.034+11:00

It was my absolute pleasure to run CPW's, 'Shoot-A-Hunka' workshop on February 27th, whilst Glynn Lavender and Shelton Muller, were networking and work-shopping in The States. The day saw co-tutor Tamara Bodor and I, our hunky models Taisen Blackwolf and Justin Power, and a whole bunch of awesome women photographers at an abandoned 1850's homestead for the afternoon.
The scene was set. The weather however, was not! The forecast was for showers, but luckily, we had a constant drizzly mist for most of our shoot! Aaarrgggghh!! So much for shooting in full sun conditions! Alas! We did have flash, and so we managed to create a 'sunset' - putting the 'sun' anywhere we chose to! At one point, we even had a sunset inside the homestead!
The group was divided into two teams, with Tamara using natural available light, and me using off camera flash. We then each took a model and scattered ourselves around the homestead to enjoy some awesome photography before the weather turned.
We were fortunate enough to arrange a vintage motorbike for the shoot – a dear friend Colin, sat and read a book in our car, whilst we all photographed our hunks upon his bike! How wonderful! Colin was also kind enough to ride his 250kg bike right into the homestead in order for us to continue photographing during the 'rain'. What a feat that was. Narrow doorways, and a wide bike.. Colin risked life and limb for our photography – talk about a real sweetie! Thank you, Colin! Your efforts were very much appreciated!
Lunch was a BBQ, cooked up by the no less than delightful, Kerry Sumner! As you can see, the weather turned, and Kerry endured harsh conditions so that the hungry crew could all enjoy a fabulous lunch! Thank you, Kerry! You were a real Trouper!
After lunch, we all settled into taking some more lovely portraits of our hunky models. Taisen, was brave enough to to strip down to his briefs, despite the chilly conditions! There we were, an almost naked hunk, on a motorcycle, in an old house. The photography wasn't going to get much better than that! Unfortunately, running a workshop meant that I was unable to shoot as much as I would have liked to – but I still managed to grab a couple of photographs.
All in all, it was a wonderful day spent with some wonderful ladies, yielding some wonderful images! Thank you CPW, for this wonderful experience!

Less is sometimes..... More.

2010-01-12T17:27:00.037+11:00

Having quickly become an avid student of light, I have learnt some things since seriously taking up photography not all that long ago. There is obviously still much I need to discover, and wish to learn. But the process so far has provided me with a brand new set of eyes, and subsequently changed the way in which I see.

Light is what enables us to see, without which the world around us is a void of visual nothingness. As a Photographer, light is what I am in constant search of, in order to best highlight that which I would like to photograph. 'Good' light. A complimentary light, to facilitate a good photographic creation. But what really constitutes, 'good' light?

I believe that 'good' light, is light that enables you to creatively produce an image how YOU would like it to be seen. 'Good' light is subjective. Just as 'good photography', is subjective :P And although many would agree that a cloudy dull day would produce 'bad' light, I would argue that it all depends on what it is that you'd like to photograph!

You see, light also conveys an emotion. Bright shiny light generally carries with it joy, positivity and all things good. Whereas dull boring light, would set a more sombre mood. For example, you can photograph an apple, in the same location twice, using two contrasting lighting situations, and you will

produce two completely different images. Each photograph would evoke an emotional reaction through your visual senses. Your eyes. Your eyes would see both images differently. Both images would 'feel' differently, appealing to different emotions, because that's how the brain responds to light.

Knowing this, it allows photography to be emotionally creative through the use of light. And also, in the absence of it. Sometimes it's what is omitted through the absence of light in a photograph, that really makes the image shine. Using this absence of light, or 'shadow' rather, life can be given to an image - whereas if it had've been completely lit, it most probably would not have. It would be a different photograph altogether. Losing the impact, and missing the point. The converse is also true. Using too much shadow can totally destroy an image.

So when is less, more? When is it more effective to use a greater percentage of shadow, and a lesser percentage of light in an image, to create a fabulous result? Well, remember! Photography is subjective! Just because a new bride is joyous, and celebratory, doesn't mean that she cannot be captured in a dark and moody image. The absence of light evokes many emotions. The photograph would then adopt a very dramatic feel - a contrast to how we would expect to see a bride. Just because it's different, does it necessarily make it wrong?

My photography, and it's interplay with light is very fluid. I have found that my emotional state directly influences my photography. My mood is very often reflected in how I choose to take a photograph, because the way that I feel, directly affects the way in which I see light.

Photography I feel, is subjective for this reason. It's the reason why two people can disagree upon the same photograph. And why some Photographers only ever shoot in one particular style. Light carries with it emotion, and we are creatures who are subjected to all kinds of lighting situations. We joke that the British are always grumpy, and revere the Cariocans for being joyous, but seriously.. Take a look at the lighting conditions that they are indeed subjected to for an extended period of time!

Photography is influenced by light in a very unique and profound manner. The process consists of a vision, a decision, and then a reaction - bringing with it much subjection. Light, emotion, creation, and reaction. Complicated and complex, yet simple enough that even children are able to enjoy it. I have had fun producing the images in this post. It has been an excellent study - this thing called photography. I look forward to learning and experiencing more and more. Thanks for reading!

A Little Controversy!

2009-10-14T08:55:00.062+11:00

My fabulous and devastatingly talented friend, Adrian Corti, is the leading man behind Melbourne's 80's cover-band, CONTROVERSY. When on stage, Adrian comes alive as his alter ego, Silk. Rocking it up and transfixing his audience 80's style, Silk delivers an explosive performance each and every time. Recently, I had the pleasure of photographing Controversy live on stage, with my dear friend and fellow photographer, Tamara Bodor.

Never failing to satisfy, Controversy brought 80's music back to life with songs by Madonna, Billy Idol, Prince, Pat Benatar, Cyndi Lauper, Kim Wilde and many other 80's icons. I recommend the experience that ultimately is, Controversy, to all who enjoy great music and sensational entertainment.

I would dearly love to photograph Controversy live again, and perhaps on Cup Eve I will once again have that chance! Controversy will be performing at Venue 28, Shoppingtown Hotel Doncaster, on Monday 2nd of November from 8pm until the wee hours.

They'll be sure to delight, excite and rock out big time, so by all means, come on down for a show stopping 80's monster extravaganza!

Silk - Guitars/Vocals. Sammy HardOn - Vocals. Jerome - Bass/Vocals. Matty Slade - Keyboards. Sash - Drums

Shooting Glynn!

2009-10-13T12:52:00.094+11:00

Recently, I had the distinct pleasure of shooting my dear friend, and "Boss," if you will, Glynn Lavender, as part of my Creative Photo Workshops training. We were out and about in various lighting conditions, using natural light and off camera flash, to create our images.

Glynn, is so much fun to be around, and has a vast amount of technical knowledge to boot. This combination sure does make for one hell of a fabulous shooting experience!

One of the many locations Glynn had managed to source, was an old abandoned graffitied warehouse, which boasted some fabulous photographic opportunities! It's leaky worn out roof, allowed for some interesting puddle reflections using flash, whilst it's inpour of natural light also made for some creative images. This location seemed to have it all. Until we journeyed to the next..

An old decrepit farm house, complete with sunken roof lines, and broken walls, offered THE most amazing light! With the city skyline in visible site, this rural piece of land in Melbourne's western suburbs, had 'ultimate wedding location' written all over it! Massive rock piles, old sheds, and dilapidated homesteads, proved that this location seriously needs to be photographed again!

Glynn and I spent only a short amount of time here, concentrating on photographing within the tiny rooms of the farm house. Opting to the leave the strobest gear in the car, proved to be a wise decision. As even though the farm house's rooms were tiny, they provided us with the most incredible light. It was difficult dragging myself away from this prized find, but there was more photography to be done!

The next location saw us donning a straw hat, in a field of beautifully yellow golden canola flowers.

Here found us with exposure issues to overcome, but with some off camera flash, we were able to pull some excellent results. Thank you Glynn, for an excellent day of photography and fun. I infinitely appreciate shooting with you! You astound me with your vision and ability, and it is a privilege and an absolute honour to have you as a mentor, but more-so, as my friend.

Sarah and Jamie's, Timboon wedding

2009-09-30T00:31:00.035+10:00

I have met some fabulous people whilst enjoying life upon this marvelous planet. Some people have inspired me immensely, and other people have totally taken my breath away! I have been fortunate enough to work along side two exceptional people, who boast a photographic educational enterprise by the name of, Creative Photo Workshops . Glynn Lavender and Shelton Muller, are two of the most brilliant people I have had the pleasure of knowing, and it is an honour to work along side of them as a model for Creative Photo Workshops - a role that will soon begin to morph into one more of a tutor. Shelton and Glynn, are both seriously fun and highly intelligent - here's hoping that I won't let the team down! :P
Last weekend, as part of my 'training', I joined Shelton for the day in a little town along the Great Ocean Road, called Timboon. It is a quaint town, possessing one local tavern, and some really terrific people. Two of these terrific people were Sarah and Jamie - and the reason that I was in their tiny little part of the world. I was kindly asked by Shelton, to assist and second shoot at their wedding, and so I naturally took great delight in accepting this fabulous honour. Shelton is a renowned photographer with over 30 years experience here in Australia, and also internationally. The images he is able to produce at a wedding is nothing short of awe inspiring! I knew that this Timboon wedding, would provide me with great invaluable knowledge, and that I would walk away from it with a whole new appreciation for photography. And that most certainly was the case! On the day of the wedding, the morning began around 11:00am, with Sarah's hair still in curlers, and her makeup artist at the ready! The weather was dismal. Cold. Wet. And very uninspiring. Still, I knew that the photography would be fabulous, because I was with, 'THE SHELTON MULLER', after all! The couple decided to have a pre-ceremonial shoot, which allowed quite a bit of time for photographs - if tradition wasn't still such a big deal, I'd recommend this to every couple planning their day!
After the pre-ceremonial shoot, Jamie and Sarah tied the knot deep in the forest atop of one of their favourite footbridges. They frequently walked through this particular part of the forest, so exchanging nuptial there seemed for them most appropriate. The ceremony was beautiful, peaceful and very elegantly decorated with green foliage and small flowers. Shelton was brilliant as he worked his magic!
Sarah and Jamie had been thrilled by the images Shelton had showed them on the back of his camera, so they then gave Shelton their undivided attention throughout their entire day. A very handy tip to take home indeed!

After the ceremony, the newly-weds posed for their family portraits a little deeper into the forest, where an old trestle bridge made for an interesting backdrop. With the family snaps out of the way, it was then time for the reception! Jamie and Sarah chose to hold their reception on their own land, inviting to join them in celebration, family and close friends. And also, Shelton and myself! The evening was filled with laughter and joy, and ended with a lavish display of fireworks. The appreciative couple were so very grateful to have Shelton photograph their wedding, that they had mentioned to him towards the end of the evening that had he'd not been available, they would have moved the date of their wedding to suit his schedule! How lovely they indeed were! And, after assisting him, I can understand why Shelton was so much in demand. His passion, his humour, and his infectious passion for life makes for an outstanding wedding photographer! Thank you Shelton, for allowing me to assist and second shoot for you at Jamie and Sarah's wedding. I learned so much, and have gained a greater understanding and appreciation with regards to my vision as a photographer. You are an excellent mentor, and a wonderful friend! Thank you for everything! Thank you also to Sarah and Jamie. It was a tremendous privilege and an incredible honour to share in your special day with you. May your life together grow brilliantly with love and nurture - just as the wonderful piece of paradise that is your incredible land.

The Taisen and Troy Shoot..

2009-09-25T22:54:00.000+10:00

My beautiful friend - and fellow photographer - Tamara Bodor, and I, both met Taisen and Troy in the pub where Troy was playing bass guitar. I had known Troy through a mutual friend on Facebook, though I had never actually met him in person before this particular evening. So, girls being girls, Tam and I glammed ourselves up, and headed out to an Irish pub in Knox, to see Troy's band, Miss Behave. Ooh, and they were fabulous!!! :)

Shortly after arriving at the pub, Tam and I happened upon the idea of photography - as most photographers do at some point. Increasingly becoming inspired to arrange a shoot, Troy was our perfect candidate! He was tall, handsome, and possessed a fabulously wicked sense of humour. That being the case, Tam and I knew right away that he would be a lot of fun to shoot. So, after not too much convincing at all, Troy was on board! Brilliant!! Next came Taisen..

Taisen caught our eye straight away when a fellow patron introduced us to him. He was tall, smooth and very good looking - and with all tall, smooth and very good looking men, he very much knew that he was tall, smooth and a very good looking man! Yep, he was our obvious next victim.. Er.. Um.. No.. I meant to write...candidate! So as the night went on, a date and time was arranged for both men to join Tam, and I, at the Abbotsford Convent for a photo shoot.

When the day arrived, Richard Annable, Tam's soul partner and fellow photographer, came along on the shoot with us. Yes, when I found out that Richard would be joining us, I knew that we would be in for one helluva fabulous day of fun!! And it was just that. I just love Richard's brilliant sense of humour - oh, and the fact that he can shoot too was an added bonus! :P So after quite a few hours of laughing and carrying on, Tam, Richard and I, did manage some great photography.

Taisen and Troy were both brilliant models! You'd never guess that it was their first time on such a shoot. Thanks guys, you were both fantastic! I am really looking forward to doing another shoot with you both again soon.

So, Blog.. Yes.. You'll get those pictures too! And thank you also to the beautiful Tamara, and fabulous Richard! I had such an incredible time shooting with you both. You were just so much fun to be around! I really do hope that we all get another opportunity to get out and shoot again soon!

From Humble Beginnings.. By Natasha Humble.

2009-09-25T20:08:00.000+10:00

Creation begins as a vision.. Either viewed by the eye or by the mind's eye, creation begins as a picture of inspiration resulting in a physical manifestation. My life's journey so far has travelled me along many different roads of creation, each leading to crossroads of inspiration. My most recent turn has seen me fortunate enough to be in a unique partnership with my Mum, Monika Brecht, with the vision of Black Tulip Photography.

Together, Mum and I are travelling hand in hand along a new and exciting road of creation, producing photography and plan to have as much fun as we can along the way! Mum has only recently ended a 40 year marriage, to find that life has been waiting all along for her to engage in it, and experience it's wonders. I am so very blessed that my Mum has agreed to share in my journey, to create some remarkable images, and memories for life.

I will update this blog as often as I can, or remember - whichever comes first - and share in our love for photography. Hopefully you'll follow our journey on this road of creation as we venture down new territories of life, laughter, and light!