This blog post is about a shoot I had photographing portraits of up and coming business owners in Kempsey, on the Mid North Coast of NSW.  One of these businesses is Bucket Brewery, a local boutique brewery.   The Mid North Coast is full of passionate business people working on wonderful and exciting ventures.  I was hired by Kempsey Shire Council to photograph some of these business people for the new Macleay Valley Welcome Pack.  The brief was to create environmental portraits – that is, portraits showing the person in their own unique setting.   Bucket Brewery is a funky new small business with a lot of passion behind it and big things ahead.  Owners, Sam and Amanda Preston have lovingly converted South Kempsey’s old energy depot into a beautiful, contemporary space.  For now it is just a brewery but they have big plans to expand the space into a thriving new venue where locals and visitors can enjoy the brews with amazing views over the river.       If you are a small business looking for a portrait photographer in Crescent Head, Kempsey or the Mid North Coast for photos of your staff, products or services please get in […] Read More
Kempsey Shire Council hired me to photograph some of Kempsey’s motivated business people for the new Macleay Valley Welcome Pack.  I love photographing environmental portraits like this – showing the personality of the person in their own environment.   Being a Crescent Head Photographer, Kempsey is just down the road.  South Kempsey Corner Store has brought a current and trendy vibe to this end of the Macleay Valley.  The light, welcoming atmosphere and delicious teas and cakes makes it a lovely spot to stop in for a drink or a bit to eat.   Check out other photos from this shoot on my blogs page         Please get in touch if you need portraits for your business or personal use.  I’d love to talk with you about how I can help. Read More
Papua New Guinea has been up the top of my Travel Wishlist for years.  Despite it being Australia’s closest neighbour (only 170km from Queensland), it isn’t a very popular travel destination – hence the appeal. A few years ago when I learned about PNGs rugged beauty, rich indigenous cultures and distinct lack of tourism, I started looking into how I could get there.  Simply travelling or being a tourist is never enough for me – I always look for a way to add another dimension to any journey, and I love my profession so much that turning a travel opportunity into a Photo Trip is usually my first preference. I pasted photos of PNG onto my “Dream Board” – the digital pinboard where I gather inspirational images surrounding my dreams and goals. While I was busy making other dreams come true (making a sea change, getting married and building my strawbale cottage with my husband), plans for Papua New Guinea fell into place on their own.     I was ecstatic when I received an email from Cool Earth, asking if I’d be available for a photo shoot in PNG.  Cool Earth is a UK based NGO (Non Government Organisation) that […] Read More
Antony Ledezma Mendin & The Bethlehem Youth Club – A photo shoot for Opportunity Nicaragua When Antony was eight years old his parents divorced, and his family disintegrated around him. Antony’s mother is Costa Rican, but his farther is Nicaraguan. When the family broke down Antony’s father returned to Nicaragua, forcibly taking Antony with him. They moved to the Nicaraguan Capital of Managua and shared a house with Antony’s grandmother. Life at home was tough, and the family relationship was strained. Antony rebelled. He fought with his father and grandmother, who also fought with each other. At a young age he began experimenting with drugs, smoking and drinking, by 12 he decided living on the streets was better than at home. He ran away. Antony lived on the streets with a group of friends. They stuck together and protected each other. To get money they would steel whatever they could, sometimes visiting local farms to rob fruit and then sell it on the street. As he got older, the group of friends developed into a gang; drugs and gang related violence became part of life. Antony looks back on his past drug use with open honesty, recalling “I was crazy, […] Read More