I love the beach and Summer, no two ways about it. Which is the reason why I spend a lot of the time shooting at the beach, take a click on some of my swim shoots and you will see why I love shooting with a beach setting. I have been lucky enough to have worked with some amazing models and some very special swim brands. So you most be thinking that you must have to have a cool beach location to produce some of the pretty cool pics you may have seen in my swim section .....and the answer to that is YES. And that is the reason why I have shot this editorial on Tamarama Beach. Not with a model but the beach it's self and some of it's surroundings.

The beach it's self is tucked away between two hill sides which gives it cover from the wind and in turn retains the heat from the sun turning it into a amazing place to visit and sun bake. Don't you worry I have spent many hours chilling out on this beach and have shot a few swimwear editorials as well. 

So if you ever get a chance to visit or plan on getting a tan in the Summer, Tamarama beach is the one. Never crowned like Bondi, but still has a ambience that you can soak up and enjoy.

Making it big in the fashion industry as a model doesn't mean that everyone is seeing your picture all over bill boards and magazines. What it really means is that you are in demand in more ways than one or two or even three. I know and have worked with a  number of models that have guided there own career to a point to where they can't go any further and then need a agent. Most of the time it is when they need a agent to help them score a overseas agent so they can work and travel. 

Modeling isn't always what it seems, it is not all glamour and amazing pictures. It is a lot of hard work. First of all it's castings, and that means a lot of walking and traveling from one end of the city to the other. Sometimes in the middle of summer and add on top of that the waiting times that are required when they turn up. It can sometimes turn into a cattle call so to speak. But on the upside of modeling, they get to travel for jobs to some of the most amazing locations and get to work with some very talented photographers, stylist and makeup artist. All of which the client is paying for :) 

So this leads me on to write about working with the same talent again and again on commercial jobs and editorials. It makes things so much easier when you have worked with the model or models before, I say this because it is about the model projecting herself in front of the camera to help make the images look engaging and dynamic. And not to mention the model trusting the photographer to help make them look drop dead amazing.

I personally love working with the same models when I can, and this shoot for LaMode magazine was no exception. I have known and worked with Valentina for 4 years not only on editorials, but also on commercial jobs, and that in it's self makes things so much more easier and fun when you know and love the people you work with. I also hope that the images below depict that, in a way that they are engaging and dynamic.

Photographer: Geoffrey Chuah@www.gcphotography.net
Model:Valentina@Instagram

Lately I have been thinking a lot about my photography and the sort of editorial's that I would like to shoot for LaMode Magazine. Thinking more about how the final images should look like. And I came to the conclusion that if it isn't art or doesn't have a art feel to it then maybe I shouldn't be shooting it? Does that make sense .....it should because photography is a art form period.

That was my thought process when I shot this culture editorial last week. The thought process was work back from how I would like the final images to look like. So the first step was think of a place or location that I would like to capture and then capture it in a way that is not only engaging but also eye catching.

So really the bottom line was how was I going to frame my shots secondly, I asked myself  how do I want these images to look and feel? I chose black and white, which is how I shoot my culture editorials anyway, and thirdly the time of day which will dictate how hash the light will be. I shot most of these pic's around 3pm Sydney time which would mean the light is still hash but good enough to play around with in photoshop so that they will look engaging enough for my readers enjoy them.

I think that is the reason why I love shooting with natural light ....because I can make the adjustments that I need to do so that they can be art it's self. 

Enjoy my culture editorial on Paddington, Sydney

Who loves to dress up?? I don't think many people do as offend as we use to or am I wrong with that assumption. I would like to think that I am wrong, and high fashion is still here and kicking it hard as we all would like to think. But when was the last time you wanted to go all the way and buy a new dress with some amazing accessory's for a night out? That question get seems to get asked a lot don't you think or more to the point can you actually afford to spend $500 on a new item of clothing anymore? I think what it all boils down to is that we would prefer to buy something that is versatile and we can wear over and over again. Who doesn't love a funky jacket that not only keeps you warm but looks amazing, and enables you to wear it out on your night out but also as a casual jacket. So here are three sexy, rocking funky jackets for you to mix and match and play with the next time your are on the hunt for something different.

Photographer and Stylist: Geoffrey Chuah
Make-up Artist: Elena Kan
Model: Victoria.B@Chadwicks

​Brands
​Premium by Jack Jones
Only
​Huffer

Jacket by Only
T-shirt by Huffer
Leather Skirt by Only

Denim Jacket by Only
​T-shirt by Huffer

Leather Jacket by Jack Jones

Denim Jacket by Jack Jones
T-shirt by Huffer
Denim Skirt by Huffer

Leather Jacket by Jack Jones
​Jeans by Only

Dress by Only
​Denim Jacket by Only

Brand shoots take a lot of hard work and planning if you want them to work for your client. And this one was no exception, it was two weeks in the making, but we got there in the end and the final pics from the shoot are below. It was for a bag brand called VonRoutee and it was for there social media campaign and website so the images had to be spot on and represent what they are all about. Mood boards and a lot of references where used to get the final shots that we where after.

Working for a brand, is so different to working for a editorial for LaMode Magazine, because the brief is so much more tighter than what you would normally do if you are shooting for yourself. There are shoots where you can make it up as you go along and there are shoots where you have to plan to get what you want. And this is one of those shoots. But then again planning is always the key to anything you do if you want to be successful. I got to shoot in the urban landscape of Newtown, Sydney which was fun, there is so much to chose from in and around Newtown to create the images that we wanted. I also loved working with the models Paris and Otti who are a actual couple of real life.

Photographer-Geoffrey Chuah
Models-Paris Miller, Otti Lawson
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