We recently spent an delightful afternoon photographing John Hyde in and around his electorate. John’s been representing for the people of Perth in WA’s house on the hill for over a decade now. Inner urban isn’t what it used to be  - John’s seat takes in the CBD as well as the rapidly changing residential areas from East Perth to Mount Hawthorn. Kings Park too. 
Photography of political candidates has long been a very conservative affair involving the application of far too much hairspray and far too little reality. Art director Ray van Kempen was after a fresh look that emphasised John’s intimate knowledge of the electorate as well as his active engagement with its denizens. Armed with a small retinue of extras and stylist Liz Carberry we confounded the baristas and bus drivers of Beaufort Street before wrapping at James Street with a twilight city backdrop. As John noted Perth turned on its best for us.

Geoff (not his real name*) from Dessein Graphics had been using stock photography for their award winning coffee packaging work. He wanted to take the client to the next level though, yep, commissioned retro photography.

On the face of it this was a great little shoot; Café Corporate had four fresh new blends of the hard stuff and they needed to shift units. Their clients are big business’s food and beverage purchasing officers, demanding buyers. Geoff cooked up a look, well he called it a “strategy”, whereby each of the blends would march forth under the banner of a workplace character of yesteryear. We’d shoot the characters in an appropriate location with old things scattered about, retro props and suchlike. Sounds sweet huh?

“So, Geoff,” says I “what’s the plan on the talent front?” Geoff says the client, his sister and his daughter are going to be the talent. What is the sound of a sinking heart? Can you just play that in your head right now? Bloody hell Geoff.

I wouldn’t have bothered telling this story if it didn’t have a happy ending. Tony, Jess and Annie, yes the actual real life boss of Café Corporate, his daughter and his sister are some of the best talent I’ve worked with, professional or non. One drizzly day last spring we all got ourselves off to our retro location (Associated Shopfitters’ recently vacated 70′s offices in Malaga) and in a disturbingly short period of time walked away with great performances in the roles of The Boss, The Secretary and The Tea Lady. I never really understood where The Captain fit into the scheme. I guess Tony’s lifelong passion for tall ships and the docks got the better of him.

* actually Geoff is his real name, I couldn’t resist though…