Thank you Jackie, for taking these beautiful portraits of me - although I often love reverting to strong poses and strong presences in front of the camera, the softness and moodiness of this shoot is something that I've fallen in love with. Thank you for coaxing out my vulnerable side - this is one of the only times I've been able to appreciate Melbourne in it's native rainy state.
PS. I'm totally obsessed with these glasses from TIJN Eyewear!
The concept for this shoot was born out of a desire to capture the very unique relationship I have with Paul - we are two individuals who are often either exactly the same, or polar opposites. At the risk of this sounding too much like a stars-in-my-eyes love letter, I wanted to visually explore the ways our personas both overlap and balance each other out. Wilson's trademark desaturated, minimalistic palette was something that complemented this idea immensely, in that - in combination with his brand of subtle yet effective styling - our true characters were able to take centre stage in these stunning images. Included in this photo set are some bonus images of myself in London, where Wilson and I had the good fortune to meet up and check out the Tate Modern's newest building on it's first day of being open - the Switch House. It is thanks to both Wilson's consistent stylistic choices as a photographer, as well as the intriguing similarity of Melbourne and London as cities, that it becomes near indistinguishable which photos are from which shoot.
Enjoy Duality x
The team behind Reality is one to keep an eye on. These relaxed fits, comfortable fabrics and clean-cut aesthetics combine to create garments that can’t go wrong - and create the kind of t-shirts, caps and totes that are versatile enough to suit most any situation.
A huge thanks to the Reality crew for having me come hang out, punch darts and get comfy on a shaggy pink rug - is there really a better way to spend your Friday arvo?
Photographer: Jason Chan
Models: Charlie and Eitan
Photos by Matt (Ruderman)
Photos by Lucas (@iamwolve)
Shooting with Matt and Lucas was incredibly impromptu, and I was bleary-eyed when I received a message from Matt at midnight the night before asking to shoot. I was already seeing Paul but luckily a dual shoot was on the table - so in the wintery Melbourne evening, we all met up to start the night with some pho (duh), then went on to explore Chinatown with film and digital alike.
While dodging innocent shoppers and employees in minimarts never gets old, exploring an empty green-and-gold shopping centre after-hours was definitely a highlight. It looked straight out of the 80s - giant green ferns, polished granite tabletops and mirrors upon mirrors littered the space. This late night shoot played with flash in a way that normally makes me run for the hills - but Matt and Lucas took some incredible shots, and were just as fantastic company to boot.
After talking concepts with Andy for a little while, I found myself drawn to one of his moodboards in particular - simply labelled “neon”, the collection of images all shared that dark, curious sense of fantasy in the night. It got me to thinking about a beautiful old coat I had sitting at the back of my wardrobe, just waiting for the right shoot to do it justice - a touch whimsical, but still mature and gracefully dominant. Combined with inspo from A$AP Rocky’s L$D video, we had a great concept on our hands. Red-light district and Chinatown themes came through in the images, and the shoot was able to inhibit a hidden nighttime energy of Melbourne's CBD.
We were lucky enough to have Melissa come along to work on hair and makeup for the shoot, despite her having to travel to and from Bendigo! In record time she and Sabrina whipped out this great look - glossy, dewy and strobe-y, and bronzed to the high heavens. Tousled wet hair helped make the look come alive, and the rough-and-tumble elegance was exactly what the look needed. Andy is a thoughtful kind of photographer and spoke about storytelling through his work, and it’s clear it paid off through the almost tangible narrative in these final shots.
Hopefully you enjoy these photos as much as we loved creating them!
