1800km, 16 sets, five SGs and nine hopefuls from four states (nearly five) over three days. I'm pretty sure it's Australia's biggest ever SG shootfest.
So first of all, huge thankyou to @countessa for directing shoots, wielding the reflector, editing/prepping the sets, and being the best wife ever. And big thanks to @lizziesky and @vorpal for helping to organise the weekend. You kids are legends.
And fuck was it an awesome weekend. @countessa and I drove down from Canberra...an eight hour drive each way listening to Welcome to Nightvale and Radio National and 8-bit keygen music. Countessa wasn't impressed that I insisted on driving, but I hate planes.
We booked a gorgeous little cottage to shoot in, and @lizziesky was good enough to let us stay at her house where we met @soho_ and @tails_, two new hopefuls.
Saturday
First things first: Tea
That's me with my tea while @aubreyx gets ready for her shoot on the spiral staircase.
I wasn't the only one straight into the tea. This is @tails_, who shot her first set on the Saturday with Lizzie. You should follow her so you don't miss it when it comes out. She's not on the site yet, but as soon as that sets up she'll be here. And she is a rad lady.
You should also follow @lizziesky. She's just had her first frontpage set (of @emmameow) and she is banging out gorgeous sets all over the place. You definitely do not want to miss them. Here she is with @bettierose666:
Our first shoot was @aubreyx on the spiral staircase. We had a lot of trouble with the light (Melbourne's weather is awful. Dark one minute, darker the next). But we made it work with Countessa playing Circle Technician and the set has turned out beautifully. Previews to come.
@aubreyx being spectacular:
That's @bettierose666 in the background there.
Meanwhile Lizzie was shooting @bettierose666
That's @vorpal helping out with makeup and posing.
Here's a preview of @aubreyx's set:
She really is spectacular, and she has become an amazing model.
Next up we shot @peggysue. I don't have any candids of this handy, so I'll just go straight to the preview:
So much colour and life in this set. I'm so happy with the photos. Peggysue is amazing to work with.
After that we moved outside, cuz it was midday and Melbourne's light was fading fast. I have a flash, but I really prefer to use natural light.
Next up @vorpal!
What a beautiful set, and what a beautiful lady.
I was meant to shoot @countessa next, but unfortunately it just got immensely dark. I felt like we were in London. We got a few shots in and the reflectors just weren't transmitting any light and I'm really dismayed that we weren't able to get a shoot done of Countessa this trip. Luckily, she's just had a set out, has another in the queue, and another we haven't submitted yet. Next shootfest, we'll definitely get a good set done.
Anyway Saturday night we all went into town for an SGAU meetup. It was awesome to finally meet @alchemy333 and catch up with @walk_this_way who I haven't seen in well over a year since he left Canberra (Melbourne has a habit lately of stealing all my friends). I like Melbourne well enough, but give me Canberra any day. Melbourne has far better Greek food though. Walk_this_way kept filling up my beerglass and got me a hangover that lasted most of the next day. Fuck. I wasn't even drunk. But that's paleo diet for you, it wipes out your resistance to alcohol. Good times.
Sunday
Another early morning start and half hour drive later, we were at the cottage shooting @christina. Christina is just one of the most exceptional models you will ever see. This was the fourth set I've shot with her, and everything just went perfectly. The light was perfect, and everyone was in a groove from the day before. I'd been ready to shoot outside, but the light was so beautiful coming in the window that we shot inside.
Pretty sure that is Sunday morning.
Preview from @christina's set. Wow.
Next up we shot the stunning @electra. She can't access her account until Monday when her set goes into MR, but you should go and follow her anyway. This shoot was only her second time modelling and she absolutely nailed it. What an incredible lady, and I'm so happy with the photos we got.
I really can't wait for you all to see this set.
After Electra we shot @twitchling out on the veranda drinking tea:
Lizzie shot this behind the scenes in the middle of the shoot. I'm down there in the corner yelling 'stop stealing my model!' haha.
Preview shot:
She reminds me of @vivid in a few of these shots. What do you think? Either way it was a great shoot, nice and cruisy and relaxed, and I'm very happy with the images.
After Twitchling was our last shoot for the day: @soho_. This was one of the cruisiest and most relaxed shoots we've ever done. @soho_ is great at what she does and just moved effortlessly from pose to pose looking awesome all the time. And that corset. Wow.
Preview shot:
@soho_ is an awesome lady, and she's promised to come visit us in Canberra, because she's never been before!
Monday
Finally, on the Monday we had the awesome pleasure of working with the ceaselessly awesome @maddame, shooting her first set in ten years. I have to admit I was a little bit nervous going into this...MadDame is not only a professional photographer, but she is one of the most boundlessly creative people I know, as well as being SGAU royalty from way back. If you haven't already, you should check out some of her creative genius at Damed Magazine and Mad-Dame.com.
This is just a sample of her amazing and varied work in Damed Magazine.
We travelled out to her studio with @aubreyx (who was an excellent circle technician under @countessa's expert direction).
Anyway, here's a preview from this set. Holy dooly this was a hot set. MadDame knows how to pose and move and writhe and you are going to enjoy this set.
I also met up with some dear friends who I haven't seen in ages. One of them was a school friend that I haven't seen since the 90s. We used to pick on him for being short, but I always suspected his giant feet meant he was going to be six feet tall. And so he is.
We also had morning tea with the awesome @quarie_glitter who I've really missed since she moved away from Canberra. Her art is just mindblowingly good, and I want to link you to it, but I'm not sure there is any way I can. It is both photorealistic and just exceptionally and transcendentally beyond photorealistic. Hyperreality? Something like that.
Anyway here are a few other behind the scenes shots from the weekend (mostly pinched from @lizziesky, some from Instagram).
(There's a photo somewhere of me and this fella having a cuddle. I can't remember who took it though. 'fess up!) He also took a time lapse of me shooting Peggysue which is awesome. @vorpal can you post a copy somewhere? :D
@bettierose666 and @vorpal making friends
Me shooting @aubreyx
@lizziesky shooting @katerowegc. She's another new hopeful that you should definitely follow. This is her second set, and I will not be surprised if her first set goes straight to the front page.
Lizzie also shot new model @ryleymunster, but I don't have any candids of that to show you. She's got her membership going, so go and follow her and make her welcome to SG.
When we found that ladder though....Everything got awesome haha.
Me and @countessa shooting @soho_
@christina and Ashley perving on @electra
There was a lot of this...
...and a fair amount of this
and it was really the best weekend ever.
We'll be submitting these sets over the next few days, and they'll pop up in MR in around four months. So set your countdown timers and get your comment fingers ready so we can get some more Aussies onto the front page.
And keep an eye out for Lizzie's sets too. She has a bunch of them coming soon, and then she has a whole bunch from this shootfest too.
