CLIENT: Fleurieu Living Magazine

I’m heading to the launch of Autumn 2020 tonight… so here are some photos from Summer 2019/20. Oops, a bit behind…

I love working with Fleurieu Living Magazine. Exploring, meeting new people, having laughs, telling stories…

Fleurieu Living Magazine Summer shoot with Elise, Domenic and Scout...

Sounded like a great idea. A fashion shoot on at Sellicks Beach, surrounded by the red-orange rocks, then a couple of pics up near the massive cactus on top of the cliffs.

Somebody forgot to tell the wind what we were doing. Trying to marry up the wind and sun to be in the right direction was a bit of fun...

But. We had fun. And we got some really great shots. I loved working with Elise and Domenic (and their van Scout). They know how to pose in front of the camera and they are also really awesome, chilled people. Check them out on Instagram here. https://www.instagram.com/elisecook/

Check out the pics used in Fleurieu Living Magazine by picking up a copy yourself! It's a great read and very pretty. :)

Discovering Jo Eastaff with Fleurieu Living Magazine

One of the best parts of my job is the discoveries I get to make. Of places and people. Recently I met, and photographed the home (and studio/gallery) of Jo Eastaff. She lives in a charismatic home at Middleton.

I could not get enough of the views, the art she produces, and all the little things to see around her home. Her bathroom (and toilet with hand-washing water recycled to flush the toilet) is pretty wow too. It is a true reflection of who Jo is. Creative, fun, social and very talented.

I had to concentrate on taking photos as it was so easy to talk to Jo. We shared common interests of the love of the beach (which was right out the front of her house), need of travel and creativity in work and life.

Here are some of the pics I took in the hour or two I was there. As I said… I had to drag myself away from her coffee and biscuits, goggling the surf and chats. ;)

Inkwell Wines and Hotel California... stolen a piece of my heart.

Inkwell Wines and Hotel California is in McLaren Vale. I went to photograph it for Fleurieu Living Magazine recently. Made from shipping containers, my camera (and I) love all the architectural design and vineyard views, snapping away in the cellar door and on the viewing deck above.

But, it’s when I go down to the micro hotel of ‘Hotel California’ that I’m audibly going ‘ooh’ and ‘ahh’. The baths hook me. Deep, freestanding and open to the views of the vineyard. There are only 3 suites, so the likelihood of someone seeing you taking a dip is, well, lower. And hey, all part of the fun?

www.inkwellwines.com

Inkwell releases single vineyard wines which express the "fingerprint of place" from its iconic Mclaren Vale vineyard winery. By fermenting without additions, we produce age-worthy wines that retain natural freshness and intensity. We are the only winery in McLaren Vale to produce estate-only wines in this way. But, we keep things simple: one tractor, one de-stemmer, one press, small fermenters and one dog.  We've removed as much of the “man-made” from Inkwell’s sustainable wine-growing and wine-making as we sensibly can so you can share in the fruit of our special site and labor for years to come.

My old stomping ground... Victor Harbor.

I had a photo shoot around Victor Harbor recently. I was very excited. I spent my late teenage years in Victor Harbor and hadn’t spent much time wandering the streets since. I wanted to see how it has changed. And boy, has it changed.

Now there are juice bars, health stores, coffee shops, funky plant stores where plants are named along with the old favourites like the lolly shop and cinema. The main street (Ocean St) has had an upgrade and now has artwork and seating areas while the whale tail in Warland Reserve still draws the crowds. I remember doing ‘mainies’ (doing laps of the main street) down here in the 90s, and now I’m sipping on double-shot lattes.

It still has the country feel but with the little niceties of quirky cafes, protein bar, wholefoods bulk store, and an outstanding collection of coverture chocolate that looks more like artwork than a treat.

I also went for a drive... as everyone does when down here. Out to Encounter Bay, to the Bluff and further out to Middleton. To check the waves of course. It's what I do when I'm down here. A day well spent at work.

Check out the map and story in the current issue of Fleurieu Living Magazine.

Leonards Mill with Fleurieu Living Magazine

That one time when on a shoot, I got adventurous. And ate pigs head. (It’s the crumbed balls and actually tasted ok).

A great place to eat while on a day trip down at the Fleurieu Peninsula. Just make sure you book first. I went down with Fleurieu Living Magazine and photographed staff, food and venue. Here are some of the pics…

www.leonardsmill.com

Helicopter rides... and bucket list ticks.

What's on your bucket list?

I was showing a friend my list the other day and stopped in my tracks when I saw what #1 was. 

First on my list was "Helicopter ride". I stopped in my tracks because just a few weeks ago I did exactly that for work. I went on a winery tour via helicopter around McLaren Vale. 

I met Paul from Helivista at Fox Creek Wines, had a chat about photos then prepped for the tour. Paul took the windows off so I could get better photos while I wondered how I would go sitting in a flying bubble with nothing between me and the ground a 'major ouch' distance below. Before long I was strapped in, waiting for the chopper to 'warm up' so we could buzz up into the air. Guess I'd find out soon enough.

Headphones and buttons made it easy to communicate while flying, as opposed to shouting at each other and coming back with no voice. But I could never get the hang of pressing the button before talking. It seems I talked quite a bit to myself while Paul kept gesturing for me to press the button. You'd think I would remember after a few times - but no. Oh well, most of the time it was just 'ooh' and 'ahh'. 

The tours are customised, so we went to Sellicks Hill Wines and Serafino with a fly over the coastline. The water was clear, and we saw pods of dolphins splashing about. Turning around to get a closer look, the helicopter angled on its side so we could look straight down to the ocean. As we passe Maslin Beach and saw people wandering up and down, Paul joked that I should put the camera away. 'Ahh, come on, live on the wild side!' 

Seeing the land from above gave me a new appreciation. I have always loved driving through the area, but seeing it from a new angle is mesmerising. The lines of vineyards meshing with roads and rows of trees with houses dotted like odd grapes. 

Did I get anxious or fear to have the doors off? Not once. I only wish I'd done my jacket up from the start. It gets breezy and cool when you are up high and have the air cutting past you - even on a warm, sunny day. 

Should you do it? Absolutely. Ok, it's double the price (or something like that) to just a helicopter scenic ride, but I think you get a lot more value out of it. And you can make a day of it. www.helivista.com.au

In my pic above you will see a few other bucket list items. I am about to tick off Cuba next year too. Exciting!

Check out the little video I did along with some of my pics...

Fleurieu Living Magazine: Summer issue

The launch of the summer issue of Fleurieu Living Magazine was last night. And it's looking pretty cool. I did a lot of photography this issue, and loved it. Here are some photos I took on the shoots - some made the cut in the mag, some didn't. 

To get the lowdown on the stories - go buy yourself an issue. Or, be cheeky, and grab yourself one from a Qantas Club lounge. :)

Fleurieu Living Magazine

The cover of Fleurieu Living Magazine - about to celebrate their first birthday! Celebrating Fleurieu life and unique features, it's now in Qantas lounges throughout Australia (along with newsagents and other venues). I am so proud to be contributing in this fabulous publication. GO check it out!