In 1996 I was comissioned by Australian Vogue to shoot portraits of the writer Frannie Hopkirk who had just written a book on her late brother the artist Brett Whiteley. She lived four hours west of Sydney - traveling over the Blue Mountains to a small village between Bathurst and Orange was to become something I did with a religious fervour on as many occassions as possible for the next three years.
The session for Vogue in 1996
We were immeadiate friends. I can still remember our first conversations and listening to music..This Mortal Coil, Dead Can Dance, Popol Vuh, Mascagni..
Hill End 1998
Frannie and I started working together. The picture above is from a feature on the famous gold mining town ‘Hill End’ which has been frequented by Artists since the early 1940’s.
Tim Storrier and I photograph a homage of the painting by Russell Drysdale of Donald Friend
Donald Friend by Russell Drysdale
Cybelle - Hill End. The Church from the Drysdale painting is seen here again.
My good friend the artist Peter Wright a resident of Hill End (Rest in Peace)
After so many years I still think of Peter often.
Frannie in her garden in Milthorpe
A 5x4 Polaroid from a fashion story I shot for Australian Vogue at Frannie’s home. All the pictures in the background are by her brother Brett.
Such was my need to be there at times I would fly due to schedule commitments.
Grove Farm was another story Frannie and I worked on. It was the oldest house in the central west of N.S.W. complete with a sinister gun turret in the roof.
Grove Farm
Ray Auld - Hill End
Brett Whiteley’s Charcoal Sketch of Carcoar
Carcoar
Another picture from the Australian Vogue story shot at Carcoar
Bobby Frazier photographed in Hill End pub-1998. He was buying a carton of beer to take home as there was a new local cop who was nicking everyone for drink driving..waiting around the corner from the pub..basically breaking down all social exchange between the locals.
Hill End
Shiralee Seaman - Hill End
Luke Sciberras - Hill End
Cybelle at Grove Farm
Merina - Hill End
Warry’s Cottage - Hill End
The Church at ‘Burnt Yards’
Burnt Yards
Art Curator Gavin Wilson - compiled the book ‘The Artists of Hill End’ photographed in ‘Warry’s Cottage’ Hill End
This book is a crucial historical document
Cybelle - Grove Farm
Patterson’s Curse
Pub local - Hill End
Having A Clear Out - Milthorpe
Eva - from a Fashion Editorial we shot at Hill End
With the artist Kevin Wright’s Totem Sculptures
Eva - Hill End
It was a difficult decision to leave Australia with all this experience and understanding but Eva couldn’t stay in Australia any longer due to visa issues so we made the decision to move to Madrid.