It's all about me

Yes it's all about me today. Well, not entirely. I thought I'd post a few recent photos taken of me by two talented local photographers. Renee Moore and Naomi Frost.

Now most of us don't like having our picture taken but I was more than happy with the results when I received these in my email. See if you can choose who took what. One of the shots was taken at the new Gallery RAW location at 202 King Street Newcastle. The new version of the gallery will be opening in early July so stay tuned to this blog or follow the link above and sign up to the newsletter for more info. So I guess it isn't all about me after all.

A Russian Wedding in Newcastle

I was very fortunate to attend a Russian wedding held in Newcastle last week. I was invited along as 2nd shooter for Elena Gan and I couldn't have had a better day. The Bride, Dasha was stunning and the Groom, Eugene was a great guy, both loved having their images taken which made turned a task into an absolute gift of a day.

Different directions

My outlook is heading in a new and much more positive direction, and what better way to steer in that right direction than by doing something different for a change, and for me that is landscapes.

Seen here are two images taken from Stockton near Newcastle using a Neutral density filter just before dusk. Both exposures were around about 30 seconds long. In simple terms the ND filter darkens the lens right down and allows for longer exposures, hence the smoky look of the water and the blurred clouds. Local photographers, Naomi Frost and Andy Gock are the Diva and Master of this style, check out their links, you won't be disappointed.







Speaking of Divas, another local photographer is Sue Walker seen here pondering her bright future in this old farm house at Fullerton Cove near Newcastle. Sue has exhibited her work at Gallery RAW and has a new website on the way. I'll update you with the address when it is available. I used only a small amount of light room by just darkening the sky in this one.

Newcastle Portrait Photographer. The Photographer's Photographer

I have been very fortunate over the past 12 months to have been given the opportunity to make portraits of 4 very interesting Newcastle based photographers. They are also my friends.

Each has a unique style and a background that I enjoy and admire. Whether they agree with the style in which I have captured them or not, I consider it a privilege that they would sit for me in the first place.

Featured here from top to bottom are Naomi Frost and her well known chair, Artist and photographer Ric Woods, Photographic Diva Renee Moore and the very talented and original Steve Hopkins.

All have taught me much and the knowledge I have gained from them, at the very least, inspires me on a daily basis.

Saintz image testimonials

By adding testimonials to your web site it helps in the google race to the top, well so I'm told by those who reckon they know. We'll see eh.

Here are a few that I have on the front page of my website kindly written by three people that I have been associated with in my business.

Many thanks to Vanessa, Carol and Sue.

As a medical professional who required Mark St Clair’s services for some corporate image shots I was very impressed with both the quality of the photography and in Mark’s professionalism in general. The images were flattering, well lit and interesting as well as having a unique artistic style. Mark himself quickly put me at ease (which is not simple considering I quite dislike having my photo taken!) and with his gentle encouragement and quiet manner he ensured that the entire experience was as enjoyable as possible. I would thoroughly recommend Mark St Clair as a photographer for both professional photography in regards to the prompt delivery of prints, reasonable pricing and also the high standard of work I received. I would also say I found Mark to be very kind and hum orous, making this often stressful situation quite entertaining and painless. Due quality of the previous work I have received I have now employed Mark’s services for some casual portraits.

Dr Vanessa Powick

Being an outdoor nature photographer I haven’t spent much time in a studio environment. After a couple of hours training with Mark I felt confident to start experimenting with still life portraits using different lighting techniques. I have just completed a macro study of plants and flowers with low lighting effects and am excited with the results. Mark supplied excellent one on one training and his training technique was personal, straight forward and easy to absorb. I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Mark's tutorials.

Sue Walker Fine Art Photography

Mark gets the job done. His visual display background appealed to me when I was deciding who to hire regarding displaying and photographing my jewelry designs to their fullest on my website. I made the right decision and I received exceptional value due to the fact that Mark knows how to arrange each item in order to bring out the featured highlights of a piece. My requirement was a simple but extremely stylish representation and that is exactly what I got. The turnaround time was brief, the communication was friendly and clear and Mark takes care of the small details which appeals to me greatly and that is why he will continue to get my business.
Carol Beros Le Dain Designs

Newcastle School of the Performing Arts Year 12 Formal

Two weeks ago I had the privilege of photographing the Newcastle School of the Performing Arts Year 12 Formal.

Some photographers might dread such a grueling task but these young adults were a joy to capture and a gift to any photographer due to their willingness to work for the camera. The entire collection of the images from the function can be found on my website www.saintzimage.net.

Exotic Newcastle car photography

I was recently commissioned to document a local million dollar collection of rare cars. Here are 5 examples from that exhausting shoot.

No, hang on that's not right, the truth is I thought I'd do some table top photography using 30 cm long die cast car models.

I used one tungsten light, a piece of glass for reflection and a black background.

The trick is use high quality miniatures. In other words try to choose something that doesn't scream "I'm a toy !" at you.

Why go to all this trouble? you ask, my answer, it's all practice. Hours of fiddling around with miniatures, bad reflections and back drops is all just practice.

Practice for when I do photograph that local million dollar car collection. All of the technical requirements are similar, just on a larger scale.