The old days of Film

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30 years ago I drove into Dunsborough.  I was shooting black and white film and processing it in a make shift darkroom.  My intention all those years ago was to make nice landscape photos and sell them in a gallery.  The idea was a good one but the reality of making money from photography was difficult.  I soon realised I would have to do what ever I could to make some money and that involved Weddings, Portraits and commercial work.  On seeing some of my black and white landscapes hanging in my brothers restaurant John Malloy, the owner of Creatures of Leisure asked if I could take some photos of his surf products to put in Tracks magazine.  They wanted something edgy, something that would stop the grommets in their tracks.  This was the concept I came up with.  They loved it and it definitely got the surfers talking.  This became one of the first published photos I had ever taken.  I remember feeling so chuffed that one of my images was in “Tracks”, I thought that was the pinnacle of my career.  A variation of this idea also helped me win my first art prize in the South West Survey exhibition held in the Bunbury Art Gallery.  I was asked to go further with my ideas for Creatures of Leisure and ended up with a complete top half of a sheep’s carcass wrapped with their leg ropes.  With a bit of a laugh and a kind word I was told that the world wasn’t ready for my sense of humour and edgy ideas!  I will always be grateful to John for giving me my first commercial work and setting me on a path that has led me to where I am today! Shot on a Bronica SQAI and Ilford FP4.

Black & White Commercial Concept Art Creatures Of Leisure Heart Leg Rope Product Shot

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