Welcome to LaMode's swim month this is the first shoot of four editorials that I will be posting over November. The swimwear used, will be a commination of new and established brands from here in Australia and around the globe.

To kick it all off the first editorial was shot in Sydney at Redleaf beach, Double Bay. Click on the link for more info. Also here is a link to the 100 best things to do in Australia, don't be shy, go check it out and the many other things you can do.

The team I had was amazing as you will see in the story below. When you are are working on a shoot it's all about the the team it's not just about the photographer or the model.

If the crew on set don't pull there weight and help the photographer, things can fade very quickly. In saying that having a clear concept and idea before shoot day is very important........... many hours of prep go into a shoot even before the first frame. When I was shooting my swim book "Surface to Soul" there were a few times I would arrive on set and have a quick look around and go " Lets shoot  there".......but that comes with experience and having a clear vision and photographic style.

The last thing I would also like to mention is just because you have a digital camera that doesn't make you a professional photographer. It takes years of shooting to become good at your art. I think back to the days I use to shoot film, most of the time I would use a medium format camera which would give you 10 frames per roll if you were shooting 120 film. Now a days I hear story's of photographers shooting hundreds of frames till they think they have it. Again it's all about planning and a having a clear concept and vision!!!!

I hope my last comment hasn't stirred up a few pigeons as I know it may do.

Just remember when you go to the beach this summer Bold is Always Better.

Stylist: Jessica Chan
Make-up and Hair: Connie G
Model: Serina@Chadwicks
Assistant: Erin Carroll

Scoop Back One Piece, Missoni. Gold Triangle Pedant, Lovisa

 Scoop Back One Piece Missoni. Gold Triangle Pedant, Lovisa

Scoop Back One Piece, Missoni. Gold Triangle Pedant, Lovisa

That Stripe One Piece, Ripcurl

That Strip One Piece, Ripcurl

Inked Stripe Bikini, Seafolly.
Breakaway Visor, Billabong.
White Sports Watch, Lovisa.

Gypsy Bikini, Billabong.

Twisted Wave Print Bikini, Missoni.
Sunglasses, Ray-ban.

Twisted Wave Print Bikini, Missoni.

Twisted Floral Bikini, Missoni.

Costa Maya High Neck One Piece, Seafolly.
Yellow Watch, Lovisa
Rings, Lovisa

Costa Maya High neck One Piece, Seafolly.
Yellow Watch, Lovisa

Here's a little bonus shoot that I decided to slip in before my swim month starting next week!!!! 

The Wonderland story was shot around the time LaMode magazine was born ....yes..... three and a half months ago time goes quick doesn't it? It's a commination of techno coloured clothes with a dash of black and white. My team on the day did amazing job of holding everything together and I am more than happy with how the shoot was laid out in the magazine. Unlike "LaMode"....... Most Magazine is available for purchase on Mag Cloud......which is what  I am hoping to do  with LaMode next year all going well.

Check out a few of the behind the scenes shots after the story.

Stylist: Kathryn Blom
Make-up and Hair: Connie G
Model: Emmaliana@Debut Management
Assistant: Nick Ryall

Surface to Soul.......What a epic journey that started last year and has only just finished 2 weeks ago. This is a small preview of my swim book that I spent over a year working on.

The cover and the shots below are some of my favorite shots from the book. Ten swim story's shot around NSW beaches using some of the best brands in Australian swimwear. A combination of boutique and some very well known brands were used in "Surface to Soul".

My inspiration for the book came from my love for the beach and the female form. So after teaming up with Michelle Larin(writer) then a few months later Lauren Nash(Designer). The force behind this book was formed........ I think this was the best thing I have done for a while in-regards to working on a personal project. Yes it was a lot of hard work pulling the different teams that worked on the shoots and the casting process of each model was also not easy.......a special thanks goes to Joseph at Chadwicks model management as he did me more than a few favours.

As from next week LaMode magazine will have the whole of November dedicated to swim editorials. That will have new and up can coming brands from around Australia.

I wish anyone who purchases "Surface to Soul" will have many years of viewing pleasure.

To purchase "Surface to Soul" please click.

The world of social media is a funny one isn't. You can meet someone online and never meet them in person and yet still form a bond. So when I got the friend request from Kayta I didn't hesitate to press the confirm button. Before I new it I was checking her profile out to see why she wanted my facebook friendship. One guess and I was right ........she was a model and she wanted to test with me.
As I was browsing thru her pictures the word "when can we do it" popped in my head. I don't normally test models but when the occasion arise I jumped at the chance to shoot Kayta.

So for this editorial.........it's not about telling a story or keeping the pictures cohesive. But more about the different set ups we did in the few hours that we worked together. This  wouldn't of happen a few years ago with the lack of the social network. I would of had to go into the agency and pick out comp cards. And then make countless phone calls to set up the shoot. But with the help of Facebook this happen and I wasn't sad that it didn't.

Make-up: Tracy Terashma
Model: Katya Kormarova