During the last two weekends I took some photos for a project a friend was filming. Little Sister have created an interactive comedy-zombie youtube film for New Zealand pizza chain “Hell Pizza“.
Check out some of the photos – Emily plays the character “Sarah”;
Deejay plays “Steve”;
Ben plays “Jason”;
The directors of Hell Pizza, in zombie makeup after peforming a cameo in “Deliver me to Hell”
A few weekends ago, my partner and I were given the opportunity to make an trip to the Northern West Coast – We were invited to take stay at the Rough and Tumble Lodge, situated right on the banks of the Mokihinui River, halfway between Westport and Karamea. The lodge owners Susan and Marion needed some photos of their little piece of paradise. We drove the 5 hours from Christchurch on Friday night, stayed 2 nights and drove home on Sunday. We managed to score some reasonable weather (even better than the East Coast!), took some great photos and even managed to sneak another trip to the incredible Oparara Basin.
The lodge is absolutely beautiful, nestled in pristine native bush. Susan and Marion have created some little jungle walks on their extensive property. The lodge features a magnificent common area with a rugged style – exposed beams, open fire and mezzanine lounge areas – not to mention a collection of New Zealand and National Geo-graphics to keep you reading for a lifetime!
Have a look at the photos;
Looking from the river bed back at the lodge.
The long drive way really builds the suspense as you arrive!
Inside, two massive tables and chandeliers made from driftwood.
Each room features en-suite bathroom, queen/king bed and two singles upstairs.
Dani exploring the jungle trails.
Its far too easy to curl up on a couch with a magazine and a hot drink.
The mighty Mokihinui River – inevitably being dammed at some stage in the future.
This is the trail head for the Crazy Paving Cave and Box Canyon Cave, in the Oparara Basin. A must-see.
Box Canyon Cave, Oparara Basin. These caves feature native cave-spiders and wetas.
Last but not least, yet an impossible scene to show just how amazing this is! Moria Gate Arch, Oparara Basin.
Using a green screen for photography is something that’s been whirring around in my mind for a while – I figured that by using the same technique used in film and television, I could probably save time and energy making masks, and perhaps even make it easier to clip out difficult objects, like a persons hair. Clear cutting and masking can be a consuming task at the best of times!
I was contracted to create an image for a client that would benefit from using a technique like this, so the night before the shoot, I set up a trial run down at the studio to see how it would work.
I’m going to write up a full tutorial about using a green screen to create accurate masks in Photoshop – but in the meantime, have a look at the trial run below. The models are Lee and myself!
Here’s a composite image that I put together – Left to right: Me, Lee, Me, Lee:
Heres a shot of one of the RAW files, showing the green screen and some of the lights:
Last year I was given the opportunity to photograph a stunning Christchurch home. Situated in the heart of the seaside suburb of Redcliffs, this property affords fantastic views out over the mouth of the estuary. One of my good clients, “Cutting Edge Kitchens” produces high end kitchens in and around Christchurch, and this property’s kitchen was one of their projects. The house itself was built by Stephen Spencer of “Spencer Building Ltd”.
I thoroughly enjoyed photographing this property and attempting to show its relationship with its surroundings. Have a look at the architecture photographs below;
I had another opportunity to take some photos with Dave Wallace. This time the images were to be used to general biographical purposes, so he was after something a little less dark, and a bit more relaxed. We shot in three locations, including the studio, and managed to get the whole shoot done in less than 4 hours. Here’s a small selection of images from the afternoon.
- Photography by Simon Waterhouse
- Assisted by Lee Howell
- Makeup and Styling by Lucy Harvey
