Armpits in photography

January 27, 2016

I've been seeing a lot of debate about the relative merits of female armpits in photography of late, perhaps proving that a lot of people have too much time on their hands.

The argument seems to go that armpits are not the most attractive part of a woman and therefore should not be exposed in a photograph.

While posing of subjects is a matter of personal preference and personal choice I don't see anything wrong with a bit of armpit action in a photo of an attractive model. The habit of a lot of newer models to give a double armpit flash in a "hands behind the head" pose is perhaps a bit too much. The jury remains out on this weighty issue :)

The one o'clock call

January 12, 2016

I revisited the Jamai Al Muslimin Mosque in Saigons District 1 last Friday for the One O'clock call, as I did about a year ago. A number of my former subjects remembered me from my first visit and came up afterwards to shake hands and chat.

The Mosque is great for afternoon portraiture, even on a bright day, with lots of open shade afforded by the building which is conveniently painted white and pale green turning large area's into a giant soft box. A selection of images are below.

Ain't life grand!

January 07, 2016

I'm super excited to have two new photo book projects in the works for completion in 2016. Concepts are still under wraps but both are based in Vietnam and are on different facets of life in this fascinating country. Watch this space.

On the road again.

January 06, 2016

I have just returned to Vietnam from a two month end of year road trip to Australia and Thailand. It was great to have the opportunity to play "tour guide" for my partner on her first trip to Australia which put quite a different perspective on things. I'm mostly a people photographer so I tried to concentrate more on landscapes and cityscapes with the odd sunset thrown in for good measure. A selection of frames from the trip are below.

The iconic Sydney Opera House from the deck of the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

A sail on the iconic Sydney Opera House bathed in pink.

On Golden Pond. Sunrise over Salamander Bay, Port Stephens, Australia.

Feeling blue. Salamander Bay jetty at sunrise.

The fishermen. Salamander Bay jetty sunrise.

Coconut Island Sunset, Phuket, Thailand. Romance was in the air "quick, get out of the shot, the light is getting really good"!

Answering the call. A Thai man pauses for a portrait on his way to the Mosque for the five o'clock call.

Washed up. A long tail boat languishes on the beach at low tide. Phuket Island. Thailand.

The timeless beauty of black and white.

October 08, 2015

I was in Hanoi recently to wrap up a major project, the printing of my first book Hoi An Panorama, and to research a major new project for early in 2016. On one of my rare days off I travelled to Duong Lam Village, about 50 kilometers out of Hanoi where I had the privilege of hanging out with three female monks at a temple. I made a series of portraits of my newfound friends which I didn't mind in color, but they took on a whole new meaning for me when I converted them to black and white. Color can be such a distraction in some images and this series was particularly suited to a monochrome treatment. A few of my favorites are below and are also featured in my new "Black and White" gallery.

Hoi An Panorama. My first book published!

September 30, 2015

I'm thrilled to have had my first book published and in bookstores in Vietnam from this week.

Hoi An Panorama is a 150 page photo book of panoramic style images made in and around the Unesco World Heritage listed town of Hoi An in central Vietnam earlier this year.

I was only just off crutches from a broken ankle sustained in an accident when I went to Hoi An to photograph the book. It was blisteringly hot at the time and my ankle swelled to a remarkable size after only a couple of hours on the go each day. The entire exercise was character building to say the least but having a physical artifact to hold and read makes it all worthwhile and super exciting.

Special thanks to my Art Director Paolo Maling for his patience and good advice and to the team at Artbook Vietnam. Many thanks also to my long suffering girlfriend, Nhu Lanh, who assisted mightily and tirelessly in Hoi An during the shoot over many long and hot, but happy days.

I have uploaded a small representation of images from the book under the "Books" menu item on the home page. Please take a look, I would love to hear any comments that you may have.