When you get the right blend of band, producer and studio, the results speak for themselves. I was privileged enough to shoot the legendary Hungry Kids of Hungary during their recording sessions at the legendary Alberts Studio, with the legendary producer Wayne Connolly. The result is the stunning 'You're a Shadow' LP. Enuff said! now look at some photos...
12.3.2013
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When I cover a live gig I normally only take shots of the action on stage. On the odd occasion, when I see a fan that has gone to great lengths to get noticed (eg dressed as a banana) I will take the shot. For the recent
Parkway Drive
gig at the
Hordern Pavilion
, I was asked by venue management to try and get some crowd shots in. I thought I was going to shoot a handful of quickie social pics for them to slap on their social media pages, and be done with it. However, in the end I came away with a shit load of fan shots, and I would be lying if I told you I didn't enjoy shooting the fans more than the band. No offence to Parkway as they are an awesome live band, but if they received the Rolling Stone award for Best Live Act of 2012, then there fans should definitely receive some sort of award for the 'nuttiest' fans going round....
30.1.2013
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Another location scout, another photoblog made up of landscapes. I should just start a landscape gallery on the website, but I would have to shell out a packet for a web designer to tweek the site, so for now lets just assume that my blog page is a temporary landscape gallery. Anyway! this is a set of scapes I shot whilst location scouting for a promo shoot with an exciting new band called The Winter People. The shoot will be up on the site soon enough, but for now enjoy the beauty of the Central Coast and Peats Ridge areas...
To end, I would like to say a big thank you to chicken farmer and all round gent Mr Scott Russell, for letting us shoot on his property. His front paddock is basically a graveyard for old tractors and excavators, which was a perfect location for our shoot. Cheers buddy!
9.8.2012
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The rain decided to wait for competition day, which somewhat complicated the mammoth task of moving the food, the contestants, and the equipment to the Hobart Casino for the final show piece. What started as a logistical nightmare, was pulled off with great efficiency by the legends at
Catapult Creative productions,
who worked literally around the clock to make it happen. Hi 5 to Paul, Belinda and their team for their hard work!
Once everybody and everything was inside the casino, it was action stations with the teams having to knock out their first course for the judges to pore over, within the first hour of arriving. The teams were required to plate 4 servings of each course. Two were for the judges to dissect, one was for the food photographer to photograph, and the other was put on a display table in the foyer for all to admire.
After it was diligently photographed, the food photographers serving was placed on an enormous table that displayed all the dishes, of all the teams collectively. Next to that each team had its own individual display table which was decorated with a theme, befitting their country of origin. This table would eventually display all four courses.
Can you believe I never got to taste any of these dishes ? Nevertheless, it was inspiring watching the teams put together each dish, and the artistry involved in the presentation. This wasnt your Master Chef standard of dining, this was the top end of the international fine dining spectrum.
After each team finished serving their four courses, they were then required to do it all again for guest and sponsors at the awards dinner. Let me tell you it was a long day, even by normal hospitality industry standards...
Below are a group of students from the Tasmanian Polytechnic University of Hospitality. These guys were asked along, to provide the silver service for the event, as part of their course training. Iam certain that being able to observe some of the best chefs in the world, was an edifying experience for them, as it was for me.
Team USA, like all the teams, maintained a high level of concentration and professionalism throughout the day - they liked to call it their 'game face'. After the service was finished, they let there guard down and I finally got them to laugh!
The eventual winners where Team Thailand, and by the smallets of margins - 1 point. Here they are below being congratulated by runners up Australia .
I love photography for many reasons, one of them being, it offers me a passport into worlds I never thought, or imagined I could be a part of. Event documentary in particular, has allowed me access to a vast array of worlds, ranging from fashion shows, to dance contests, to theatre performances, to music festivals, to rodeos, to sport events etc The MLA Black Box Challenge was another one of these worlds, where I was privileged to watch the best in the industry do their best work...
This is Part 2 of a photoblog documenting the MLA challenge, Part 1 is below.
7.6.2012
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This is my favourite shot from my coverage of the MLA Black Box Culinary Challenge, and I think it best captures the importance of this event to the contestants, and the fanaticism of food culture. A culture that has that has come to the fore over the last few years, on the back of shows like Master Chef, MKR and a slew of celebrity chefs like Jamie Oliver, Heston Blumenthal, Nigella Lawson, Anthony Bourdain etc This is the type of fanaticism that is normally on display at a David Jones end of year sale, or at the Big Day Out. As a matter of fact, this is the type of shot that I normally take from the photographers pit at the Big Day Out. Punters packed like sardines up against the front barrier, vying for the best vantage point, waving their mobile phones in the air, and trying to get a souvenir shot of their idols. I guess thats why some people are calling food culture the new rock n' roll.
The
MLA (
Meat & Livestock Association
) Black Box Cullinary Challenge is a cooking competition where 15 teams of professional chefs from around the world, compete against each other by preparing a four course meal from a mystery box of ingredients. The challenge is to use all of the ingredients contained in the box. Part 1 of the photo blog below takes in the first two days of my stay which were taken up with some rest and relaxation, and mainly food preparation for the big event. Part 2 of the blog will take in the Competition day.Enjoy!
Day 1 was penciled in as a sightseeing day, but with a crammed schedule ahead of us, it was an early start . The competitors were required to congregate on the doorstep of their accommodation, at the Quest Waterfront apartments, literally meters away from the famous Hobart wharf. There was time for a quick meet and greet, some team photos, and then they were whisked off into the buses. I wasnt commissioned to take photos on this first day, but the constant sound of cameras clicking made it irresistible to keep my camera turned off.
Mt Wellington shot through the window of a moving bus. If anyone knows me personally they know Iam a cycling tragic, that still dreams of riding domestique for Cadel at the Tour de France. I plan on coming back to Tasmania in the future and taking on this beast! wishful thinking in my current condition.
First stop was Bonorong wildlife park , where the contestants had the opportunity to get up close and personal with Koalas, Kangaroos, Lizards and the Tasmanian icon, the Tassie Devil. One of the members of team USA even had the courage to sample some Koala poo. Unfortunately, I dont have a photo of this golden moment. When he spat the poo out, I was too busy laughing my tits off, and as a result was unable to operate the camera.
Next on the itinerary, we were all taken on a tour of a Salmon farm, care of one of the event sponsors Tassal Salmon. The salmon farm itself was an unusual sight. Swirling above the salmon farms were thousands of hopeful seagulls, that gave the location an eerie feel similar to that of the delapidated West Pier in Brighton UK. There was also a couple of seals frolicking about, waiting for any escaped salmon. I didnt rate their chances...
Next up we disembarked at Peppermint bay, and we were treated to a sumptuous 3 course meal at Peppermint bay restaurant. If your ever in Tassie, this restaurant and location is a must visit! Having been commissioned to photograph a culinary challenge, I was looking forward to eating lots of fine food. In hindsight, this was my one and only opportunity, other than that I cooked a scrappy spag bol for me and the Catapult event production team that lasted for a good couple of days.
Next up, we were all shipped off to MONA - The Museum of Old and New Art . This place is also a must for any peeps visiting Tassie. Frankly, there were so many brilliant peices it was overwhelming. Similar to the Louvre, but on a smaller scale. My favourite was the head of a gigantic buddha lying on its side. Inside the head, there was a mesmerizing stroboscopic stop motion projection. I stared at it until my brain couldnt handle the insane amount of information, and my eyes started to water. Then I tried to photograph it. I put the camera on a slow shutter to try and capture the strobing effect, the result is below.
Day 2 was game on. The teams were taken on a quick tour of the Tasmanian Polytechnic University and the facilities they would be using to do their prep or what the pros call ' mise en place'. Then it was down to the Henry Jones Art Hotel for the revealing of the BLACK BOX ingredients.
Sorry, I just had to put a shot of this scenario in again, it was unbelievable! I tired to get a shot of the food on the table, but was stampeded by a herd of crazed contestants. I photographed it from behind the black wall instead, and even that, at one stage was close to collapsing under the weight of the surging contestants. Next, it was back to the Polytechnic where the teams were required to hand in their menus, and then the cooking finally kicked off!
The team leaders were given one last chance to brief their teams, and then the teams were left to their own devices. At this point the judges stepped in to start the serious business of judging. The teams were not only judged on the final meals, but also their food preparation technique and hygiene.
The teams worked tirelessly through the afternoon, and into the night prepping their meals. At one stage, we even had to evacuate the building, after one of the contestants (no names) unwittingly set off a fire alarm. It was a storm in a teacup thankfully, and the teams were let back in to continue the prep.
That is the end of Part 1, stay tuned for Part 2 - Competition day...
30.5.2012
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Below is a set of landscape images that I took, while on a location scout for a music promo shoot with
Passenger.
I guess you could call this Part 2 to my first ever blog post, (scroll down) which had the same theme. You may have noticed that I shoot a lot on location, and for this reason I spend an inordinate amount of time stressing about finding new and exciting locations for every shoot, which in turn helps to give the final images a unique feel. As a photographer, I am constantly challenging myself to come up with fresh ideas and ways of shooting a portrait, and this usually begins with finding a suitable location for the subject. For some shoots, ill spend up to 2-3 days before the shoot, randomly driving around, hoping to stumble on an abandoned warehouse, a vacant back lot, a delapidated building, an interesting looking textured wall, or the way a shadow falls on a certain angle across the same wall. With other jobs, Ive been tipped off as to the whereabouts of a quarry, sand dunes, a spiral staircase, a window that is a certain size etc If you follow me on facebook or twitter, you're probably sick of the sight of my pleas for HELP! with finding a location. Then there is the complete opposite scenario, where due to time restraints, I havent had the luxury of scouting for a location and I have to just go with it, and the make the most of what is immediately available.
Whatever the case may be, when all the stressing and running around is over with and I am about to begin the shoot, I just remind myself that every shoot is a unique combination of a multitude of elements, starting with the person/subject, the pose, the facial expression, the lighting, the styling, the composition of the image etc I keep repeating the mantra 'keep it simple' in my head, and then I begin to relax a tad. To create a unique image, it is not essential to have a spectacular location, but it does help to create a narrative around the subject, or create a world for the subject to step into. This can work wonders especially when your working with a subject that does not enjoy having their photograph taken, as it gives them the opportunity to step outside of themselves and let down their inhibitions, just long enough for you to be able to take the shot, and even if this doesnt happen it can act as a welcome distraction. That being said some days I do prefer the sanctity of a studio shoot, especially with the horrendous weather we've been having lately...
17.2.2012
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I was recently contacted by
Cold Chisel
management with an exciting, but daunting brief. I was set the task of taking images that would be projected onto a gigantic screen at the back of the stage, during the bands live performance of the classic 'Breakfast at Sweethearts'.
For those of you that aren't familiar with the lyrics, its basically a song about the transition between night and day in Sydney's Red Light district-Kings Cross. The songs protagonist is sitting in a cheap diner on the main drag, coming down off speed, enjoying his breakfast and taking in the sights and sounds.
The brief sounded simple enough - capture the mood of the song in a series of landscape images. However, the instructions were a tad scary at first. I was required to roam the streets of the Cross between 4am-6am, the morning after the Melbourne Cup. My first thought was, 'someones going to jump me for my camera', my next reaction was 'grow some balls ya big blouse'. At this point, its fair to say that I wouldn't have cut it as a war photographer. So I gathered my balls, and a friend... I tell a lie, it was actually a friend first and my balls second, and dragged my sorry arse out of bed at 3am.
The song's chorus begins with the proclamation "Hey! street sweeper clear my way", so being a regular sherlock holmes, I struck up a conversation with this fellow in the image above, who was leading the morning clean up. As soon as I mentioned I was shooting for Cold Chisel, and capturing images for 'Breakfast at Sweethearts', he went off on one! First, he showed me where the originals Sweethearts used to be (its now a newsagency), and then he told me that when he first heard the song on the radio back in '79' at the tender age of 17, he was compelled to come and visit the Cross for the first time and eat his breakfast at Sweethearts. He even went on to tell me, and this is when I thought id struck gold, that the waitress in the song Anne Maria, still works as a door bitch at this establishment below that goes by the name 'Love Machine'. Unfortunately, as you can see by the picture the 'Love Machine' had closed for the night, and Anne Maria was nowhere to be seen, but for the trainspotters out there, this is where you can find her on any given night, just make sure you get there before 4am.
26.7.2011
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At the beginning of 2010 I was invited by the Vines to document the demo and recording sessions for the upcoming LP 'Future Primitive' (a very cool name for a rock LP I must say!). At the time I had very recently purchased a Canon 7d and was only just getting to know the camera and its features. Up until this point in time I had shot everything on film, and was in the process of making a very reluctant transition to digital. Since this transition the challenge for me has always been to make my digital work look more 'film like'. Using different types of editing software, I have been able to come very close. Just how close, ill let you decide...???
26.7.2011
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Firstly, welcome to the new look Angelo Kehagias Photography website and blog, and thank you kindly for dropping in. What better way to start a photoblog than with a magazine cover shoot. After the success of the Belles Will Ring promo shoot, the band requested that I photograph them for an exclusive Street Press Australia cover shoot. The image was used for both the cover of Inpress Issue 1177 and is on the cover of this weeks Drum Media, so keep an eye out for it ! It was also accompanied with a feature article which included a double page spread of one of the images from the original shoot, which you can view here in the editorial section.
Like I do with most of my shoots I set out for a location scout a few days before the shoot. I used to just take a few quick happy snaps on my smartphone, but I decided recently that these location scouts would be a perfect opportunity to capture some landscapes, so the 7d and the tripod are now full time travel companions.
This shot below is what clinched it for me as far as the location was concerned. I liked how when I exposed for the shadows the surrounding highlights would blow out creating an eerie atmosphere that looks very much like a snow covered landscape. Hi 5 to
Ansel Adams
for inventing the zone system ! I didn't expose the exact same way for the final portrait shot, but I still managed to capture the beautiful distorted shadows of the wooden pylons in the water, as you can see in the cover shot above. Another Hi 5 to the Inpress editor for not cropping too tightly and leaving this detail in!
Sometimes it rains and I freak out about damaging the equipment, so I just shoot from the car, and sometimes even through the windshield. I dont know about you, but I like it when there are a few raindrops sitting on the glass of my lense, that cause irregularities and distortion in the image.
I may not end up using all these location for the shoot, but I put them in a location archive for future reference. Priceless!
10.7.2011
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