Photography Essay Sydney Biennale

This photography essay showcases the artworks displayed at the Cockatoo Island installations for the18th Biennale of Sydney. Cockatoo Island is a world heritage-listed island in the western region of Sydney Harbour and is a former shipyard and prior to that, a convict prison.

The artworks displayed at Cockatoo Island carry the theme "Stories, Senses and Spheres", opening the audience to the elements of water, wind and earth through collaborative and interactive projects that inspire within their storytelling. I spent a whole day exploring the island artwork installations and architecture with a good friend from Brisbane. Here's a small collection of artworks captured during the day.

 Peter Robinson, Snow Ball Blind Time 2008. Whole sections of an industrial warehouse is covered in white links in snow.

Daan Roosegararde, Dune 2007-2011. Light and sound installation underground with lights that display thanks to motion.

 Jon Pylypchuk, Spend the Rest of Your Life Mining This Death and It Will Only Bring You Despair, 2012.

 Cal Lane, Sand Lace, 2012. It's not carpet, it's red sand.

  Reiner Rietveld and Craigie Horsfield, Confusion 2012. Is a sound installation where the noises of ships horns and moving industrial machines dominate the senses.

 Philip Beesley, Hylozoic Series, 2011. An interactive light and movement sculpture that allowed the audience to turn lights on and off while feathered wings moved.

 Monica Grzymala, The River, 2012. Preliminary sketch.

 Adam Cvijanovic, The River 2012. Artists model.

 Cecilia Vicuna, Quipu Austral (Nina en el fuego) 2011.

 Carlos Garaicoa, Project Fragile (Cockatoo Island) 2012.

 Sriwhana Spong, Learning Duets, 2012. There was a video in an adjacent room showing a dancer alone on a beach and rocky outcrop.

 Li Hongbo, Ocean of Flowers, 2012. This is a silent protest to the construction and destruction caused by the bombs on Hiroshima.

 Erin Manning, Slow Clothes, Society for Art and Technology, Montreal, 2007.

 Ricardo Lanzarini, ...como llegar a las masas?, 2012

 Latifa Echakhch, TKAF, 2011 Installation view.

 Imran Qureshi, Blessings Upon the Land of My Love, 2011 (detail).

Evelyn Nicodemus, Bystander on Probation Series, 2007.

This is just a small collection of images of the artworks displayed at Cockatoo Island. The 18th Biennale of Sydney is also being held at the Art Gallery of New South Wales, the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, Carriageworks in Everleigh and at Pier 2/3 in Walsh Bay. The exhibition runs from 27 June to the 16th September 2012. Admission is free. For more information go to http:www.bos18.com

All original artworks displayed here are the copyright of the artist named. Photographer Markham Lane.

Featured Photographer in Aerial Photography Article

I recently did a Google search on my photographic works and found one of my photos being featured in an article written by Jonathan Dy, for WordPress About, showcasing "30 Amazing Photographs of Aerial Photography". To go to the article, click on this link: http://www.wpabout.com/wordpress-themes/aerial-photography-30-amazing-examples

It's an honour to have some of your work showcased in this way, up there with the best aerial photographers in the world. The photo is part of a collection of images I captured from a sea plane over the Great Barrier Reef National Park in late 2009. Interestingly, some of the underwater photography images I managed to capture on that adventure have also been showcased by other online blogs.

No doubt, aerial photography is one of my all-time favourite genres - the thrill of the adventure, coupled with the unique perspective makes it a standout experience, as a photographer. My dream job would be to build a collection of natural landscapes, seascapes and cityscapes, hanging out of a door less helicopter or light aircraft, finding the artistic composition in what lies beneath. 

I might have my head in the clouds (pun intended) when it comes to this dream being realised but you never know when a benefactor or corporate entity might come along and say "now is the time to make that aerial photography dream a reality".

Here is the aerial photography example used by WordPress in their article published on the 13th July 2011:

To see more of my aerial photography collection, you can either find me on www.flickr.com/photos/ShotbyMarkham or go to my website http://www.markhamimages.com and browse through the "Landscapes" Gallery. Don't forget to share your "like" and send me an email to make a connection.

Studio Portrait Photography

My photographic life is one of service. My purpose is to "find the light and share it abundantly". Part of the way that I fulfil my purpose is to help individuals and couples to produce beautiful, lightworking portraits that truly reflect their outer and inner beauty. In fact, the glamour portraits that I create are a significant part of the recognition I receive as a photographer. I love doing it and I'm honoured that people recommend my services to their friends.

So, when it comes to producing a studio portrait, there are three lighting conditions that I have to consider. The first and most obvious is how to use the studio set-up and lighting system to the best advantage of the subject(s). The second is about connecting with the inner-light of the personalities that I am shooting. And finally, the lightworking "magic" that I apply in the post-production process.

This blog article is going to provide you with a greater understanding of the portrait photography process, what it takes to capture your image and turn it into a portrait that will enthral your family and thrill your friends. Here is a visual before-and-after example of my studio portrait services in action:

The camera captures an extraordinary amount of detail as shown in the "before" image, while the "after" image reflects the human perspective of the subject's natural beauty. Click to Enlarge. Copyright 2011 Markham Lane. www.markhamimages.com

Now, I want to start this by saying that I truly believe every single adult human being, no matter how old and experienced they are, regardless of race, colour or creed, has something beautiful to offer to the world and it's my job to interpret that for the viewer.

Redcliffe View of Morton Bay Night Time Photography Series

A night time photography session of the Redcliffe view in Queensland, overlooking Morton Bay, produced some beautiful and moody images, thanks to the moonlight dancing in the sky and on the water, during April 2011. 


This original seascape photography series, some using time lapse shutter speeds of up to 30 seconds, capture the detail of the moon's dance on the water, giving the reflections an incredible amount of life that you don't normally expect to see in a night time photography set. 

Night time photography forces the viewer to find the beautiful detail in the smallest amount of light-filled space. Click on each image to view a larger edition of each photograph. All images have been produced to the highest quality possible, with granular elements removed, leaving a clean and crisp effect on some of these images, reminiscent (and having taken inspiration from) the Bill Henson style.

Produced by photographer Markham Lane, all images are Copyright 2011 Markham Lane. Non-watermarked copies of these night time photography images can be requested via Quaetapo Media at www.quaetapomedia.com or directly to Markham Lane at www.markhamimages.com.

Aerial phototography over Hawaiian Islands

A recent trip to Hawaii for the first time had us getting onbaord a doorless helicopter to capture these stunning aerial photography and landscape photography images of the Hawaiian coastline and surrounding mountain ranges.

 All images Copyright 2011 Markham Lane photography. All Rights Reserved.

Aerial photography really is an adventure ride for a photographer. Competing with the elements of movement, changing lighting conditions and the force of wind against the telephoto lens makes for an interesting experience. Add to that the lack of a helicopter door and just a harness to strap you in, you can appreciate the adrenalin rush that makes aerial photography my favourite type of photo shoot experience.

To combat the elements, I use a top range telephoto lens with an image stabilization unit. This helps to capture great quality aerial photography images without the shutter shake. Looking at the images during editing, I was amazed to see such increadible detail captured within the breaking waves.

Printed at A1 size, these aerial photography images would look amazing along the plain coridoors and walls of workspace offices and boardrooms. There's nothing like a unique perspective of our beautiful planet to enliven the senses and lift your spirits. Coupled with the Great Barrier Reef, Whitsunday Islands and Grand Canyon collections, these Hawaiian Islands landscape photography images are going to make for a delightful exhibition.

For more information about collecting archive quality prints or using these or any other aerial photography or landscape photography images in your next ad campaign, contact http://www.markhamimages.com/ or call his Agent at Quaetapo Media Pty Limited on +61-9332-2028.

Colours of Our Community™ Project

Original Post Published on 15th February 2011:
What do you think constitutes a good definition of the idea of "community"? Some people in the art circles will tell you it's nothing more than an excuse to produce "bad art" and that there's really no such thing as a community - it's just a human construct of the mind, like time.

Growing up, I pondered this very question. In our neighbourhood at the time of my teenage years, there were a large amount of "community services" being offered by the local council but I hardly felt that any of them related to me and my needs and so, I wasn't able to find identity within that. I kept looking for a definition of community that related to me.

Fast forward to the first year of my adult life and I find myself walking on the same street on which I was born. Crown Street, Surry Hills. There used to be a hospital there. On this day, it was a run-down, closed off to the public, decrepit building in need of a major renovation. I looked upon it, for the first time ever, as a curiosity. So this was where it all started. What did that mean to me?

Late for an appointment, I walked on and turned my attentions back to the client I was about to meet with. I had to present some creative concepts for promotional materials to be used for their next bacchanalian dance party.

And that's when I felt it. Somehow, for the first time, I felt a sense of belonging. It just felt right, being in that space. A sense of connection, not only to the hospital and the street it was on, but also for the creative people living and working in the area around it. That's when I began to see the colours of my community...

"Colours of Our Community" is a trademark of Quaetapo Media Pty Limited ABN 77 091 248 663

Additional Edit Published on 8th June 2016:

Many years later, at the start of the digital revolution in 2006, I picked up the camera again and began shooting, only this time it was a digital SLR. It was with a Canon of course, because they're simply the best kit on the market.

Guided by a conversation I had with one of my photography idols, the genius William Yang, I decided to embark on a photo essay of the local community in and around Oxford Street, the LGBTQI community in Sydney, their friends and supporters. It led me on many different paths - a fascinating ten year account of the personalities and events that make up the full spectrum of the colours of our community - and it presented many challenges along the way.

These challenges were both internal; with my own creativity, my confidence, my ego, with developing my own style, with exploring other styles and other forms of photography while honing my editing skills - and externally; the challenges of cashflow in a world drowned in a tsunami of image content, with balancing the needs of my significant other with the job at hand, with seeking recognition for my work and acceptance from my contemporaries, mentors and the wider community for my style which is sometimes labelled as "community art" which apparently carries little significance or described as "too commercial" and therefore not even worthy of the categorisation of the term "art".

Well, it is my form of photographic art and I pushed through regardless, knowing that my account of this ten year period has historical significance and while some pieces are fine-art worthy, others are editorial or commercial in nature and I'm ok with that.

Now I'm at the conclusion of this ten year journey, I'm preparing my first exhibition of the entire collection and publishing a book to accompany it. It's due for release in early 2017. And as it's a book about our community, I think it's only fitting and quite natural that the community could be called upon to help take the evolution of this concept into the light.

For now, if you could share this post with your networks, either on Facebook, Google+, Twitter or anywhere you think would make a difference, please go ahead. Later I will be offering pre-sales of the book to help fund the printing and shipping of the book and prints for the exhibition.

Love and light always,
Markham

Facebook Page Markham Lane photography

Our most recent creative effort has been to establish a new Facebook page for our photography studio services, based in Darlinghurst, or on-location by Markham Lane. 

Please feel free to find my Facebook page called "Photographer Markham Lane" and become a fan... If you're reading this from Blogger, just click on the title of this blog post to find us (you will have to be logged into Facebook first). 


Markham Lane photography studio services in the Sydney Eastern Suburbs are also complimented by visual marketing communications services, commercial and personal on-location photo shoots, website design and development services and corporate videos. 

This ain't so simple: "Collecting the Collection"

What a huge job it's been to create a website to showcase a collection of my photographic works.

Note: If you're a visual creature, skip these words till you get to the image at the bottom of this post - it might do a better job at highlighting the long process it's taken me to get here.

For the word lovers... To give an insight, it started with a brief that highlighted the key content pages, which included a requirement to build the galleries in flash format and to provide SEO features too... "What's that?" I hear you ask... Here's what I'm talking about...