I have to say I am somewhat of a regular customer at Empire Espresso – my local and might I add, awesome coffee shop!

These guys make the best coffee in…well, I’d have to say the whole of New Zealand! The industrial feel they have going on inside with stark white walls, black furniture and chrome fittings together with the modern art on the walls that is rotated every couple of months from a private collector it is like nothing you have seen before and really does offer an escape to the regulars who drop in every day. They also have an incredibly intimate, friendly, down to earth and social vibe going on amongst the staff and customers that is as addictive as the coffee they serve. No wonder I am there most days!

Late last week, after all the customers had all left for the day and the sun was going down, we got all the staff together for a group photo. While they were chatting amongst themselves I created a clear vision in my mind of what I wanted, and was able to catch the look and feel of the establishment perfectly with the half closed look, upturned chairs and everyone just being their cool selves.

Although nobody wanted their photo taken that day, I managed to put everyone at ease by creating a more relaxed environment. One of the challenges of being a photographer are the sometimes sceptical subjects I am asked to shoot, but by kicking things back a notch I am generally able to get the exact images I want. Needless to say, the Empire Espresso team had nothing to worry about and when I presented the proofs them the next day they were thrilled!

If you’re ever in the area, be sure to drop in for a chat with Zoe, Jamie and the gang, sample the delights of their amazing coffee and see the new 1.5m print of the team which now hangs on their wall…

Mystery Creek Winery – A Photography Assignment.

ps|studio DPI has been on hand to create photography to showcase the Waikato, New Zealand based wine maker from vine to wine in anticipation of their new website and for use in their marketing material for 2010.

Requirements for the shoot included product and location photography, showcasing the onsite facilities including the bottle production line.

We tried a few variations for the bottle shots. First ideas were to have the wine bottles photographed in and around the vineyard – the origin of the wine. This to me was a logical first choice but unfortunately made the images unworkable from a marketing perspective.

We also took shots on a aggregate slab onsite with a hint of the lifestyle that goes with enjoying a glass or two of vino, the great outdoors and hot sunny days. however, as I like to shoot with available light on location we were getting some inconsistencies with the shots across the product range. Reflections of the cloudy but sunny sky above did not work in my favour.

Not satisfied with the results, it was time to take the wine to the studio.

With bottle samples in tow and a determination to get it right, we were back at base to begin working out what we should do and how the final images should look.

After a conversation with Mystery Creek Wine’s marketeer, we had some good ideas that definitley got the creative juices flowing in order to have an end result that would please everybody (including ourselves).

During the experimentation on the product shots we decided that the element of aggregate from the earlier shoot, which was favoured by the client and ourselves, would form a good foundation for the studio photography. We located some loose, broken, exposed concrete and found pieces that were of particular interest, set up a gray backdrop… Time to play!

Lighting the wine bottles was a little challenging to start with, but after a few test shots it was all looking good.

The clients response to the test shots was like beautiful music!… They loved them!

Not so long ago I was invited to a birthday dinner over at the Woodbox. As per usual my camera was in tow…

Somehow Calum Jamison, one of the co-founders at the Woodbox got to see some of the photos from that evening… I received a call from Calum a few weeks later, explaining that they needed some photography for a large advertising project over at Hamilton airport, which happens to be very close to the restaurant.

They needed a large photo of the vineyard. Unfortunately at this particular time of year the vineyard didnt look at its best, the vines were a little on the bare side, but we decided to roll with it with the chance to possibly take another photo in the future to replace it.

The advert is some 7 meters long and I think is possibly the largest reproduction of my work so far!

Calum also needed a few spot photographs for the ad so over a couple of coffees I had a wander around the place and started snapping.

The results were great and Calum and the team were very happy. I very much look forward to working with these guys again, a real great bunch of people who are making their dreams a reality…

King St advertising in Hamilton handled all the design and layout and they did a really great job.

The Woodbox is a restaurant whose reputation is growing rapidly as one of the best places to eat in the Waikato region and is rated in Cuisine’s top 40 restaurants in New Zealand.