Smash Photography

The Groom

2012-01-05T11:41:00.004+11:00

Usually when we get to the Grooms house to shoot them prior to the big moment, they are nervous, quiet and spend a lot of time trying to figure out how that damn carnation is supposed to stay on

....and then there was Al....

The Guests

2012-01-04T11:07:00.002+11:00

Yes we shoot the beautiful Bride.

Yes we shoot the handsome Groom.

But we also shoot the awesome people that make the wedding itself. The Guests.

Delhi Wedding

2011-12-25T11:38:00.004+11:00

We were privileged to be asked photograph the wonderful wedding of Tanisha and Sumer in New Delhi. It had everything. A beautiful Bride, a gallant Groom arriving on horseback, spectacular venues. We covered four days of non-stop ceremonial and partying action from the Mehendhi to the final ceremony. Rich in colour, texture and the best baked lobster we have EVER tasted. A very big thank you to the Gambhir's for looking after us and treating like we were one of the family. We had a ball.!

The Flying Veil

2011-07-20T11:37:00.003+10:00

We generally are fans of dramatic skies, and when there is a stiff breeze and a large veil, all the better. Except while we were getting this veil to 'sing', it decided that it would rather be in the bay!

Golden Hour

2011-05-10T09:00:00.000+10:00

It's that Moment...when everything clicks. the golden hour, the phase of the moon, the angle of the sun.....

Profoto AcuteB

2011-04-10T21:30:00.002+10:00

Rom and I recently blew our lunch money on a couple of Profoto AcuteB portable strobes. It usually take alot to get me impressed by gear, but the ease of use, the reliability of the remote triggers and the quality of light are on a whole other level.

Which doesn't mean we don't do available light anymore. It's just that we have a whole lot more light available to us when we need it.

St Kilda Beach

2011-02-25T12:04:00.001+11:00

The weekend before the St Kilda Festival was cold and blustery, but the clouds were awesome! Thanks to Anna and Stephen for being such good sports. Because the weather was so bad (great for photography though) there were very few people, which made things a whole lot easier. Silver linings and all that sort of thing.

An Australian bush wedding

2011-02-01T16:04:00.003+11:00

What a day! Searing heat but everyone still managed big smiles all weekend for Ben and Rebecca.

Only a couple of years ago this area near Alexandra in Victoria was threatened by the Black Saturday bushfires. Rebecca's native Canada is probably under a few feet of snow this time of year.

Chris and Sarah. Melbourne

2011-01-18T23:27:00.004+11:00

Chris and Sarah, after we did a pre shoot for this couple, the real deal was effortless as we got to know them when it came to the wedding date. We arranged a combination of a garden setting and the beach for their portraits. The weather was absolutely disgusting, however, we always like to make the most the dramatic sky.

Cinema

2011-01-05T21:43:00.001+11:00

The drama in the sky made this shot. Cropped to panorama style, very cinematic and larger than life.

Modernist TShirts

2011-01-05T15:03:00.002+11:00

Recent photoshoot for Modernist TShirts. Melbourne based TShirt designer Steven Hendry.

http://www.modernist-tshirts.com/

Pre Shoot

2010-12-07T08:53:00.004+11:00

Recently we did a pre- wedding shoot for Chris and sarah. We usually don't do these but thought it would be a good idea to get to know the couple and photograph them prior to their big day. Chris and Sarah have been a part of our 'word of mouth' chain of weddings. a Looking forward to shooting the wedding later this month.

New Clip for Marc Collis

2010-12-06T14:46:00.000+11:00

Recently shot another clip for Marc Collis on a shoestring budget. There's a fine line between romantic and cheesy. I hope we were on the right side of that line. I like my cheese grilled with a dash of tobasco. I don't like it in my video clips.

Replay

2010-12-03T07:30:00.002+11:00

Grand Final Day 2010. Hustle and Bustle downstairs as the groom was missing. We find Brad, upstairs watching the last gripping moments of the game, his beloved Saints tie the game. "Now I'm ready to get married"!

Passport photo?...

2010-10-04T22:19:00.003+11:00

Shot a fashion shoot with a young model Aimee Suckling recently. I asked her to let go nuts and make a couple of faces, ugly it up a bit and leave those inhibitions at the door!!, anyway, she didnt stop and I just kept clickin...made an interesting montage.

The Quarters; Tik Tik Boom!

2010-10-04T14:56:00.000+11:00

Shot a clip for Melbourne band The Quarters the other week.
There was a desolate field out in Sunshine that looked like some kind of nuclear wasteland. Unfortunately we were only able to get 2 takes before the sun disappeared. Luckily we had a generator and a couple of work lights handy. Check out Stephanie on bass. There were some very sore necks the following day.

Monsoon Wedding

2010-10-04T13:23:00.002+11:00

Rom and I just recently got back from Goa in India where we had the honour of shooting a wedding for Shimauli and Gaurav. It was only a week or two before the monsoon season and you could literally see the moisture hanging in the air waiting to bucket down. The humidity gave everything a beautiful soft haze, and the sunsets were some of the most spectacular we'd ever seen. The ceremony took place down by the ocean, and the colours were so intense we had to actually desaturate some of the shots, otherwise it looked totally fake. With the high humidity and very high temperatures it was a struggle preventing our lenses from fogging up in the mornings. One of Rom's cameras was out of action for a while as moisture was literally dripping from it's mirror when he changed lenses.

I was sweating like I was in a sauna the whole time, but the upshot was I managed to lose about 5 kilos during the time we were there. Bonus!

I'm sure 35 bridesmaids is some kind of record too.

Cambodian Wedding

2010-10-01T19:56:00.003+10:00

Today we shot a VIDEO wedding for a Cambodian/Samoan couple in Melbourne. The colour and ceremony was magnificent so inbetween takes, the iPhone was out capturing anything we could. Definitely out of or comfort zones, the wedding took it's own course and we were following the action, not knowing 100% what was going to be happening next. Great experience from a different culture.

Boho shoot

2010-08-06T15:13:00.002+10:00

Recent fashion photography published in Style Melbourne.

http://stylemelbourne.com/2010/08/fashion-editorial-on-the-edge/

Cameras in Fed Square

2010-06-09T16:33:00.003+10:00

cameras in Fed Square, originally uploaded by brendan.oshea.

Everybody thinks they're a photographer. Truth is, it isn't that hard to get a good shot these days, with some of the amazing cameras that have been coming out over the last few years. Many professional photographers are worried that their days are numbered. And they have every reason to be worried. Uncle Bob with his brand new Canikon can sometimes get a totally pro brilliant shot. Sometimes. I see it as incentive to raise the bar a couple of notches. Get the shots that Uncle Bob can't. And get them every time without fail, when it really matters. Uncle Bob will get lucky every now and then. Good on you Uncle Bob!
I've got quite a few lucky shots. The more I practice and refine my craft, the luckier I get.

A little Misunderstanding

2010-06-09T15:33:00.009+10:00

Bride: I love cheescake. Can I possibly have a
cheesecake wedding cake?
Caterer: Of course! Your wish is my command!
Catering Apprentice: So, what sort of cake does she want?
Caterer: Cheese!
Catering Apprentice: OK. Cheese it is...

Brilliant photo by anonymous...

2010-06-02T14:57:00.005+10:00

Got a front cover on the Geelong Advertiser this weekend. Not that anyone would have known about it since there was no photography credit. Again. Doesn't seem that hard really.

I guess they figured after they cropped it beyond recognition nobody would want their name on it anyhow.

Hot Wheels!

2010-05-19T22:39:00.004+10:00

Recently we have had a couple of hot cars accompanying the brides to the chapel. Above is Fiona with her Chevvy and Louise with her Jensen (which incidentally, colour matched her wedding dress!)

Cover art for Marc Collis

2010-04-29T13:44:00.001+10:00

Cover art for Marc, originally uploaded by brendan.oshea.

2 580 EXII's through brollies to the right of camera. Backlit with a sunset over Melbourne from Kew. First musician shot in a while. For cover art on his new album. I've also shot a couple of music clips for Marc now.

Car

2010-04-29T10:23:00.001+10:00

car, originally uploaded by brendan.oshea.

Wide brown land, with a 45mm Tilt Shift through Rom's windscreen.
On the way back to the reception after the beach.

Rocks

2010-04-29T10:20:00.001+10:00

rocks, originally uploaded by brendan.oshea.

One of about 30 dramatic beach shots that really worked for this wedding. Rom and I used to dread beach weddings, but after dozens of tests and lighting experiments, now we pretty much specialise in them!

rom contemplates life

2010-04-29T10:15:00.001+10:00

rom contemplates, originally uploaded by brendan.oshea.

Rom looks out over the big blue wobbly thing. iPhone shot while scoping out locations for the wedding the next day.We ended up getting a few good shots in this spot. I'll post one later.

muddy shoes

2010-04-29T10:14:00.001+10:00

muddy shoes, originally uploaded by brendan.oshea.

After we visited Bill's final resting place, Rom traipsed his muddy shoes through the hotel. And not just a little bit. He couldn't find his room, so he wandered the corridors for like 5 minutes before he finally found it.
This was after I'd cleaned up the mess a little.

Bill

2010-04-29T10:13:00.001+10:00

bill, originally uploaded by brendan.oshea.

I was in a band in the early '80's, OK it was the late '70's (in my previous life as a musician) and one of the nice guys in the business was our drummer, Bill George. Rom used to take photos of the band back then and he also got to know Bill pretty well. We had a wedding come up in Port Fairy, and Bill lived in a small country town close by, so we thought 'hey let's drop in!' We hadn't seen him in nearly 15 years, and he would have really enjoyed a surprise visit.
Unfortunately we were 2 weeks too late.
Sadly missed by all, especially the lovely Gwen.

Petronas Towers

2010-04-29T09:57:00.001+10:00

petronas towers, originally uploaded by brendan.oshea.

Petronas Towers taken with my iPhone. Quite beautiful at night.

sunset in Samporna

2010-04-29T09:55:00.001+10:00

sunset semporna, originally uploaded by brendan.oshea.

Sunset in Samporna shot with my iPhone.
We went diving in Sipadan the next day.
I can't explain how amazing that was. If I had a waterproof housing for my iPhone I would have gone nuts with shots.
Thanks to Scuba Junkies in Samporna!

just one thanks!

2010-04-29T09:50:00.001+10:00

just_one_thanks, originally uploaded by brendan.oshea.

They were serious about this offer. I asked, and yes, you buy one shoe, and the other one is free.

Great marketing. Sandakan.

gift shop at Sandakan airport

2010-04-29T09:48:00.001+10:00

gift shop at the airport, originally uploaded by brendan.oshea.

Can't really think of a more inappropriate item to sell at an airport gift shop.

I think he's done a pretty good job with the eyes!

2010-04-29T09:47:00.001+10:00

portrait, originally uploaded by brendan.oshea.

I shot this on my iPhone during my last night in Kuala Lumpur. Nobody else seemed to see the irony of the situation.

Outside Flinders Street, Melbourne

2010-03-02T12:33:00.000+11:00

outside Flinders Street, originally uploaded by brendan.oshea.

Rom and I always wanted to do a shot with the Flinders Street clocks in the background, and we finally got the chance. Thanks Jennifer, you guys were so great!

Patrick

2010-02-28T12:03:00.000+11:00

patrick, originally uploaded by brendan.oshea.

Me and Patrick from Stillmotion down at Fed Square after the Melbourne Stillmotion Experience. Our team did pretty good with the challenges, with both our entries getting first place.

Decadence!

2010-02-19T09:32:00.000+11:00

Recent portraits of Sydney Burlesque dancer Lauren Larouge. We used an old Hollywood style fresnal light which gave these a beautiful natural glow. Hair and Make up by Nerida at NT Designs.

Petra

2009-11-29T11:44:00.000+11:00

Petra, originally uploaded by brendan.oshea.

By some miracle it stopped pouring with rain every time we stopped the limo to take a shot. And as soon as we got back in the car it started raining again. The clouds were so awesome that day.

Heathcliffe!

2009-11-12T08:29:00.001+11:00

The weather was terrible on this day, however the dark and threatening clouds added to the drama

Windy Veil!

2009-10-21T11:53:00.000+11:00

This veil had a mind of it's own. Trying to photograph this Bride on one of the windiest days of the year proved to be quite challenging, although some of the shots were interesting.

BettyBlonde

2009-10-08T14:42:00.000+11:00

Everything Vintage and embodies Betty Page! Bright red lipstick,golden locks and pin up thigh highs makes one go weak in the knees. As they say in old Hollywood “Smokin!”

Lynchian Bride

2009-09-16T16:05:00.000+10:00

Lynchian Bride, originally uploaded by brendan.oshea.

Me and Rom picked the worst day to do an outdoor shoot. We had to keep the gals inside cars until the last minute because the 50 kmh winds made their hair and makeup look like they'd just woken up after a drunken night on the town. We had to change the concept a little since there was no way we'd get a glamour shot, so we went for a kind of David Lynch/Steven Klein thing. We used 4 bare 580EXII's since there was no way to put a brolly up. Even then I had 2 flashes hit the concrete from the stands being blown over.
We tried in vain to fire a flash through a scrim but it was like a kite, and nearly dragged the wardrobe girl across town, like the cow in Wizard of Oz. Next time we'll check the weather report.

wrestling

2009-09-16T16:00:00.001+10:00

wrestling, originally uploaded by brendan.oshea.

2 580EXII's, a 430EX and a Sunpak. Me and Rom figured this would be a good double page spread for Melbourne Bride magazine. Lots of room for type and composed to leave room for the gutter. Kind of different to what they're used to it probably raised a few well manicured eyebrows. Or whatever they do with their eyebrows over there.

Blooper#1

2009-08-25T09:19:00.000+10:00

There you are, proudly standing there on you big day. Its nice to rely on your mates to watch your back.!

Chunky Move!

2009-08-20T12:49:00.000+10:00

A montage from pics that we recently shot for Chunky Move's performance of GLOW! These were shot during rehearsal.
The sequence was shot as the dancer writhes without the effects of the lighting and computer animation.

Electric

2009-08-20T12:48:00.001+10:00

Pictures for promotional material for Chunky Move's 'Glow' - an interactive solo performance in which the motion of the human body is used to trigger and control music, lighting and animation.

ringflash solo

2009-08-12T10:38:00.001+10:00

ringflash solo, originally uploaded by brendan.oshea.

Trying to get a good balance between an Orbis Ringflash and an Ezybox camera right. As little as half a stop changes the look entirely.

ringflash sisters

2009-08-12T10:37:00.001+10:00

ringflash sisters, originally uploaded by brendan.oshea.

Orbis Ringflash and an Ezybox camera right. I cranked the Ringflash up a half stop and that's all it took to get a completely different look. Hard to get any consistency with this combination, but it can look really good when you get it right.

Bridal Expo 2009

2009-06-17T10:35:00.000+10:00

We attended the Melbourne Bride Expo last weekend, and it was a great to get so many positive comments. However other people are better than us at the whole expo thing, and we're happy to get back to what we do best. Setting up a booth is harder than you think, and ours tended to look a little like the Sale section at K-Mart. If we do next year, we're going to design it our own way, and not try to be so sales-ish. So don't be surprised if it turns out looking like a 70's batchelor pad, with velvet wallpaper, bean bags and lava lamps.

Shoot insight

2009-06-04T10:45:00.000+10:00

This is all the shots we did for a recent shoot all strung together. It shows how we made our lighting, composition and posing choices, and finally how long we spent getting the expression juuuusst right!

Cold as Ice

2009-05-30T11:23:00.001+10:00

Ice Queen. Ironically this shot was taken on the hottest day EVER in Victoria. The studio had a corrugated iron roof, the model was sweating every 2 minutes keeping the make-up artist very busy. Outside, the sky was red but the model was a trooper, she kept going.

Float

2009-05-30T11:19:00.001+10:00

In between takes on a video shoot at Montsalvat in Melbourne. Ezybox and a 580EXII.

Handy use for an iPhone #152

2009-05-29T13:51:00.000+10:00

Stones Winery has to be one of the best locations in the Yarra Valley. Steve and his staff there are great. Except for the time I went back there to take a shot of the vineyard and they wanted to charge me $500 for the privilege. Anyway. But when it gets dark out there it gets dark fast, and we needed a little more light on Brooke's face for this backlit shot. Rom whipped out his trusty iPhone, set the screen to white and viola! instant mini soft box.