Presenting - Maddison Ash

Maddison Ash © 2011 Auki Henry

Darwin's girl next door Maddison Ash
Photo: Auki Henry

Maddison Ash is a recent discovery, friend and fellow photographer Mark Hamilton did a shoot for an advertising campaign recently which was actually Maddison's first exposure to a pro photo shoot.

Her natural beauty was evident, nothing forced about her smiles and very confident in stature.

We got quite a lot done on that first shoot in such a short amount of time, and admittedly the time was shorter as I slightly miscalculated the speed of the setting sun by about 20 minutes. Luckily we have a few more shoots with Maddison to come this year.

The article picture inset is one of those pics that I took just a little too late for the setting sun to provide a backlight, so rather than waste the photo it was turned into a fantasy composite. I'd like to say twilight scene, but the movies have ruined that for me, no offence to team Edward but I'd like to class Maddison in a league apart from the connotations of the movie . . . I will refer to it instead as a surreal moonlit forest.

Below is a linked sample set of the shots we got in before the sun went down too far; enjoy!

Click on the samples below to see some more Maddison Ash

Swinging it in the top end

Swinging it a the old Darwin town hall ruins with
Quito Washington and Kelly Ann Doll

Today I woke up to a special start, and it wasn't anything as tame as bacon and eggs in bed either, my 0600 start was an opportunity to work with the indomitable Kelly Ann Doll filming a swing dance sequence for Swing Dance NT dance master, Quito Washington.

No stranger to the camera , Kelly is one of those people that can actually  provide energy  to invigorate a scene.  After just five minutes with her I could see she has (quite aptly) been described in the past as the 5 foot pin-up pocket rocket, and this girl can move!  Not just as a swing dancer either, Kelly Ann Doll has redefined the art of cabaret,was the first burlesque performer to tour Singapore and this year was a headlining star at the Australian Burlesque Festival with other featured Australian tours with Gangsters Ball, Burlesque Royale at Crown Casino and an boasting an endless list of premier events, functions and festivals all over Australia.

In front of the cenotaph on Darwin's esplanade

I had seen Kelly in action previously in the feature film 'Swing It' and her incredible assortment of stills work from her casting profile on Star Now, but the piece of media I found the most interesting was her Burlesque showreel on youtube check it out to see energy in abundance here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h64jIN6fUxg

Todays filming was shot pretty much 'guerilla style' - the idea is in your head and you just wing it at different locations and work out the shots as you go.  Relaxed, only semi-organised and a really good way of practising improv with limited gear.  I only brought the glidecam rig with the Canon 7D, a tripod,  an LED spot and a a panasonic AG-HMC41E for the morning and that pretty much covered all scenarios.  I'd almost forgotten how much fun unscripted shooting can be.

Murphys law invariably threw some clouds our way, but nothing that a little warming up in post editing can't fix.

Studio Shoot with DTOWN-3

The boys from Darwin's own DTOWN-3

This was another one of my privileged requested shoots with successful musicians who have come across some of my freelance work.

Aussie rappers Liam Devine, Nate Polkinghorne and Zac Calma formed in late 2009. Their group DTOWN-3 (aka DT3) has climbed the ranks of both local and statewide recognition rapidly with their distinctive infusion of American style with Australian  influence.  The group have stamped a confident mark on their genre by already appearing on the 2011 lineup of the NT's annual Bass in the Grass in less than 2 years from their original conception.

2011 has also witnessed the release of their debut EP "Skyhigh" which is testament to their enthusiasm for self sufficiency and getting things done as they produced this in their self built studio.

The tempo continues after this shoot as the boys have been confirmed to perform alongside some major upcoming acts yet to be announced.

The shoot itself was called to prepare for their busy next couple of months of public appearances, the brief being basically to do a studio style set of both individual and  group shots to update their promotional arsenal.

Some other publicly available samples of the shoot are available : HERE

  

   

Due Respect 101 - The very basics of sharing etiquette

Auki Henry 2011

The cropped signature edit of my original piece that was
discovered in : Darwin Photos

Being an avid photographer / videographer I am submitting work left right and centre to most mediums, including online to social networking sites such as Facebook.  It's a great medium to share and gain exposure, both for you and your models!

It's only natural that somone eventually takes a liking to your work and wants to share it and show it around.

For the most part this has been made easy by most sites offering content, you can embed video using special embed codes, sites like Facebook have 'share' buttons that allow you to link to content.  There is, in fact, little that you need to do apart from a couple of mouse clicks and you are done.  All these ways generally help to leave credit to the original creator in some way or other.

A lot of the time I find people will contact me about sharing the things I have done, almost all the time they will link back and give credit in some way.  I don't even mind if they don't leave credit as my signature is usually displayed on all online work (or in the case of videos a reference to all the people who put in the hard work are mentioned in the credits).

Although I am sure it has happened many times before, today it was brought to my attention for the first time by a good friend, that a piece of work I had collaborated on with a team of people and a model was being displayed without any hint whatsoever of the source of the material.

It is a little disappointing that this would happen as I am quite happy to share my work free, a lot of my full size landscapes are free to download if I am approached, I don't even include watermarks, just so it looks good for the framed finished product.

Perhaps it is just the pride in the work that makes it disappointing, both the model and myself discussed this shot and tried till we got it exactly how we wanted it, pose, shadows and post processing.  Perhaps it is the the amount of work that goes into a shoot.  Even a quick shoot like this took 3 hours out of an afternoon and many more in the post processing workflow.

Even if it was just 'shared' using the facebook share function that would have given me some credit for my portfolio work and that of the model as well.  After all this is how the model gets recognition for photographers who want to do shoots, this is also how I get recognition for people or organisations who want to shoot with me.

My video/photography equipment costs are reaching up into the tens of thousands of dollars now, and I think most of you would agree the icing on the cake doesn't really happen when your work is mangled and your only crediting marks are cut out of the final piece ( albeit with a sloppy yellow border ).

The lessons of due respect are learnt with having the decency to acknowledge others, and I have done all the hard work for anyone wanting to share, I've left the signature in the corner of the original!  It is far more work to have to go to any length to cover it up and hide it. /rant /lesson

For anyone wanting to share, the original web size shot is below ( with signature intact of course ).  Feel free to use it on any pages you wish as it is.  There are plenty others to share at http://photography.aukihenry.com

Model: Lan Treagus

Photographer: Auki Henry (Auki Henry Photography)

Filming the Doorslammer Special

Auki Henry © 2011

Auki & Ed on location at Hidden Valley - May 2011
Picture by Mark Hamilton

Here's one of the few times you wont see me in front of the camera for a HighRPM feature.  I recently went down with the media team to film some promotional footage for Hidden Valley to be used for future TV advertising, the schedule over the two days was pretty hectic which left limited time to get my head around any presentation material so I opted to concentrate just on filming.

As habit would have it though, we couldn't help ourselves and inevitably altered the schedule to shoot some extra material for a highlights reel, so with the help of HighRPM's newest presenter, Heather Banham, we quickly stitched together a rough running script for it.

We used a variety of cameras and lenses for the footage, utilising the Sony and the Panasonic AG-HMC41E for lightweight handheld shots and fast pans and two Canon bodies ( 5DMKII & 7D ) with 70-200mm and 24-70mm to get some nice DOF.

It was one of the best weekends of filming we have done, we had a great crew down there and despite the sore legs from hours of standing, crouching, climbing barriers and shifting gear it flew by.  The noise of the doorslammers from up close, not to mention the smell of methanol and the vibration through the body as they accelerate hard off the line is very addictive!

Here's the quick highlights reel just hot off the press.

Monsoon Madness 2011

Auki Henry and Krystal Eldridge go behind the scenes with Mark Hamilton at the 2011 Monsoon Madness photoshoot in Darwin, Australia.

As far as photoshoots go, this is one of the most looked forward to on the NT Calendar, what started as a fun way to get some different kinds of studio shots done whilst the Darwin wet season rages outside for half the year has become an annual institution of sorts in the local glamour scene.

Hamilton Photography NT's dynamic duo of Katrina Welfare and Mark Hamilton have been doing photography of all kinds for years, they are particularly well known for their glamour photography and quality portfolio work with models they have both gained national and international recognition for their product in this area.

It became very clear to us during our research for this featurette that they were so much more than just great photographers, the number of people who wanted to come forward to offer testimonials to us on how much help Mark and Katrina are to the local scene, selflessly offering time, equipment and expert advice to other photographers. They also often offer their services for free when they are able to, considering their best rewards as seeing the local models who have aspirations to continue on in the field succeed because of their help.



The Monsoon Madness shoot is a brilliant opportunity for photographers and models alike. The publicity and great imagery generated from the event fills plenty of portfolios and the girls involved get some great hype around the local scene.

The 2011 girls included Darwin finalist for TV's Australia'a top model lineup, Amelia Weber and 2011 Zoo Magazine calendar girl Grace Brenton along side the well known faces of Khia Marriott, Rachael Jacqueline Barritt, Kayla Robinson and Heather Banham.

Farewell to Racing at Hidden Valley, at least for 2010

I was recently asked by the HighRPM producers to present a small feature for their motorsports show on the 2010 wrap-up to the racing season.

 Along with friend and fellow presenter Tamika Barnett (who I have now had the chance to work on a few projects with) we compiled the latest report, dedicated to showcasing what the Hidden Valley Drag Strip culture in Darwin is all about - safe relaxed, fun racing.

The upgrades to the track are due to be completed in time for the 2011 season and should not only bring a new level of competition to the region but will also make the exciting prospect of ANDRA pro series events to the northernmost part of Australia a reality.

In a media role the perks usually tend to include being able to get access to people who are identities in their particular sports and this time we were fortunate enough to be able to chat to big names like National ANDRA Pro Series competitor Matt Abel and Nigel Benson driver/owner of the popular Aussie Bandit Exhibition Wheelstander.

During the course of the first year running with the HighRPM team we have also met a lot talented musicians who are keen to work with us on production tracks. It was a meeting with Australia's latest rising stars of hard rock/metal Blackwater during a trip to South Australia this winter that scored us the rights to use some of their music for this compilation.

Watch the HighRPM featurette below. Presented by Auki Henry, Tamika Barnett, Christine Watts and Ed Forman.



   

HighRPM Australia coming to the spotlight

Australian based project HighRPM is getting the gears rolling this year, literally. Aimed at the local motorsports scene in the Northern Territory the team aims to help the motoring community expose the enthusiasm and quality that exists by the bucketload but is rarely highlighted enough by the media.

Originally intended mostly for the web market with traditional website and forums focused mainly on local content the development team has also embraced the opportunity for airtime on digital television, encouraged by the realisation that video media is the best way to capture such a range of fast and dynamic sports.

With a four person presenting team made up of local identities from the Darwin area (Auki Henry, Tamika Barnett, Ed Forman, Christine Watts) and a talented development team working behind the scenes they intend initially on bringing featurette style articles to the public alongside their web platforms. This is shaping up to be a great concept for local motorsports in general and considering the amount of local interest it is generating will have plenty of support to get going.

Zerolizard Media put together a behind the scenes look at the media teams first presenter promo shoot at Hidden Valley Raceway in Darwin just last month (below).

The Best ( Alcoholic ) Eggnog

Alcoholic Eggnog, with a kick!  Auki's favourite kind.

The festive season is quickly approaching again, it seems to come faster every year so I have posted up my recipe for all to share.

I have received so many requests to use this recipe in writeups around the place that I am just going to write a standard disclaimer that anyone is free to publish this in any medium if they just link back to aukihenry.com

Ultimate Alcoholic Eggnog Recipe
This recipe has been an annual thing for me for over a decade now.  It is the product of a few experimentation sessions and a love for all things festive.  It packs a wicked punch and tastes creamy and indulgent.  Ideal to get in to the holiday spirit (pun fully intended).

Beware - this eggnog is a very potent alcoholic cocktail. Please be mindful and drink responsibly, it goes down very easily.

Auki Henry's Ultimate Alcoholic Eggnog

( Approx 16 serves )

Ingredients:

• 8 large eggs
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup white rum
• 3 cups full cream milk
• 3 cups whisky
• 2 tablespoons brandy
• 2 tablespoons sherry
• 2 cups heavy cream
• Fresh ground nutmeg to taste

Method:

• Separate the egg yolks from the whites and place into separate bowls.
• Beat egg yolks with 1/2cup of the sugar, set aside.
• Heat milk till it is just boiling then remove from heat, immediately add the yolk/sugar mix and whisk vigorously (this will let it cook slightly).
• Set this mixture aside and let it cool thoroughly.
• Beat egg-whites until stiff, then mix in other 1/2 cup of the sugar.
• Pour the cooled yolk mixture into the whites and mix together thoroughly.
• Stir in white rum slowly
• Stir in whiskey slowly
• Stir in brandy and sherry slowly
• Stir in cream slowly

Serve chilled and sprinkle nutmeg on the top.


  

The Aukiman Tattoo Project

The decision to get inked is a personal one, easier for some than others. Some opting for the urge to get inked on the spur of the moment after a wild night out, others deliberating over the matter and finally deciding months or even years later on what to do. Most who have tattoos will say that they got them for a specific reason such as a meaningful time in their lives or to remember someone, some will get tattoos for fashion because they feel more sexy or adventurous wearing them, others opt for tattoos simply because they love the design element and sometimes even design their own themselves.

My own opinion on the matter is that I needed to use a certain combination of caution and good judgment, when finally considering the real possibility of wearing a tattoo I spent the 10 months previous to this article taking into account where my future employment opportunities might take me, the impact this may have on opinions of those nearest and dearest to me, even as far as imagining what the skin might be like on various parts of my body in years to come. Originally I had thoughts of getting a tattoo on my neck but realised this would be too limiting in terms of employment or roles in independent film, for me at any rate.

I have finally reached my decision that concealability suits my own life choices the best and have opted for a quarter sleeve and my own tastes run to tribal patterns of sorts. Now even at this stage of planning there is still a fair way to go. I know my tattoo interests are mostly in the design and I prefer tribal theme's and pattern type tattoo's but here again are a number of paths I could take. While I have a celtic heritage and it would be good to be able to tie some meaning to that I have found a lot of the traditional celtic knot designs are a little too intricate.

One design that caught my eye over the last few months and I constantly keep referring back to is the Samoan design quarter sleeve of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Dwayne travelled to Hawaii to fulfill the Samoan tradition of having his family history tattooed on him, the artist incorporating deep meaning of both family and tradition into the design at the same time as skillfully fitting the work on to the curves of his musculature.

This highlights another possible path I could take, the other half of my heritage is Melanesian in origin (Papua New Guinea), the tattoo designs of this area tend to be geometric motifs and abstract depictions of everyday objects which could quite easily be adapted into a design of my preference.

Testing the Final Design



Testing designs for 'The Aukiman Tattoo Project' will be an important part on finalising the design I will hopefully eventually wear permanently, it is one thing to see a two dimensional flat pattern design on paper, but when translating that design onto a body with curves and ratios I want to see for myself the effect as well as give the tattoo artist a definite guide of what I want done. A photographer supplied template is the ideal testing environment. In the example above superimposing Dwayne Johnson's Polynesian tattoo design gives me a fairly precise view of what it would look like against my frame and body curves and would also allows for the adjustment of various ratios.

We will be using this technique of course to decide on the final pattern and placement. What we are looking for now is expressions of interest from tattoo designers/artists who can work with us on "The Aukiman Tattoo Project" to completion.

Wanted Tattoo Designers/Artists

Expressions of interest? If you are interested in getting the commission plus the free publicity for this project please contact us using the form below.

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