Salvo’s PAPG Shoot

This month’s Perth Amateur Photographers photowalk was another Salvo’s challenge. The objective was to group the photographer’s into teams to dress our assigned model within a $50 budget and 45 minutes preparation. Most of my group consisted of men with no knowledge or confidence in fashion, so that duty mostly fell on me, which I was thrilled by. This model is Lauren Miles, whom I have enjoyed working with on previous photowalks. As a trained costume designer, I wanted to capture what I had noticed about her usual style. I wanted Lauren to have garments that she might get further use out of. I wanted bold colours, I went for a warm autumnal pallet to go with her hair. Lauren has a cool tomboyish style, with a bit of a 70’s vibe. I went for a long skirt, and long coat, to pair with her own long boots.
These two looks came together easily and fit Lauren perfectly, serving to lengthen her silhouette, rather than drown her in fabric.

There was a second challenge, one I put on myself, these photos were all shot with a children’s camera, a “My First Camera 50”. I pushed it to its limit, but to my surprise it handled most challenges I threw at it. These photos have a dreamy quality to them. I did very little editing on them, except for slide 6, I needed to cheat that shallow depth of field.

Beth Blakely’s team did a good job in selecting vibrant, eye-catching dresses. I think the boho look suits Beth and her long wavey hair.

I love Kiara Roberts . The best model. If there’s something to climb, she will climb it. If there’s a prop, you bet she’s gonna use it!

Sorry Tiffany Knuckey, I only managed to get two good shots of you! I don’t know what it was, maybe the stripes confused my camera.

And finally, all the girls together.

Onwards to my next photography challenge!

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Cosplay – The Early Years

It’s not a Thursday, but here’s a throwback to my dorky self in my late teens and early 20’s when I was just entering cosplay. Now in my mid-30’s, I want to take my work to new levels. I’ve had a good run with cosplay, and I will probably never give it up entirely. But I want to slowly phase out all of my fan projects. I’ll complete what I have in progress, but I’ve got lots of original concepts I want to bring to life. I’ve lived a very unique life and I have a unique creative voice, I feel I am wasting it imitating more successful artists all for the sake of clicks and likes.

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Rocky Bay Waugal Cave

On my days off, I like to go exploring, be it of the natural or urban variety; Waugal Cave is somewhere between the two. It was once a place of cultural significance to the indigenous Noongar tribe of Perth, but now it is trashed. It was used by Europeans for lime burning, the toxic process of making quicklime/calcium oxide. These days, the homeless have been using it as a shelter, and kids have used it as a canvas for graffiti. There has been no effort made to protect or preserve this site, so my attempt with these photos is to at least capture the cave in a moment in time for the world to see. Take only photos and leave only footprints. Maybe I can generate some interest in getting the council to take better care of this place.

What became apparent as I explored this cave, was that I was not alone. No, I didn’t encounter any other humans, nor vengeful spirits, but there were bees and birds creating their homes in and around this cave. All life forms seemed to be in agreement, this cave is an excellent location to plant their roots. But once the bees and birds depart there will be naught but a nest or a hive that remains, and these will soon be dissolved back into nature. Where as humans plant their roots through plastic and paint and other toxic chemicals that will continue to exist far beyond their usefulness, if they were ever useful to begin with. The remains of animal habitation can be beautiful in their own way, but the signs of human habitation are ugly, toxic, unnatural. And yet it is our nature to create these things.

What a strange animal human is.

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Skatepark PAPG Shoot

The first Perth Amateur Photographers Group photowalk for 2026 at the Leederville skate park. This was my first attempt using a film camera since high school. I quite like the results and the challenge. It makes me nostalgic for my own past. I think I will continue to experiment with this medium.

Models (Instagram):
@ej331995
@alison.milham94
@misty_eligon
@sanj_ranasinghe
@_flower._.hashira_


And a cameo from myself and Miss Ivy. I drove her back to the same location on another day to get shots of her.

I also did my first graffiti that day, there was an artist there painting one of the walls, he let me borrow a paint pen so I drew my logo. We ended up sharing our stories of our traumatic brain injuries. You can make friends where ever you go. Find common ground with anyone.

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Johnny Silverhand – Cyberpunk 2077

Johnny Silverhand cosplay 1.0
As a kid, I would make a new costume practically every week, but as an adult, I have a select few costumes that I continually revisit and refine. Of course, as an adult, there is the trouble of finding the time or motivation to do so. Generally this manifests in making last minute alterations before an event, as was the case here. I spent all of last week making the foam cyborg arm for @pox_eclipse cyberpunk themed Prompocalypse. It’s nowhere near accurate at all, but hey, it got the job done and it got compliments. I consider it the prototype for the better one I will eventually make.
As mentioned in other posts, I am rebelling against this commercialisation of cosplay and raising the expectations on costumes and photoshoots to such heights that it kills the fun.
I took the best photos I could and then spent this afternoon editing them into Cyberpunk backgrounds, careful to match each lighting environment as best I can.
Perfect? No. Fun? Yes.
Let’s see if I can top these with the 2.0 version of the costume.

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Chester Bennington – Numb Music Video

I’ve finally replicated Chester’s military blouse from the Numb music video. It was months of research and work. I illustrated the designs myself (get them here for your own use). I would have liked them to be screen printed on for greater accuracy, but I couldn’t find a company willing to do a custom single item order. The decals get the job done though.

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Switch – The Matrix

Switch closet cosplay for the Matrix and Animatrix 35mm screening @therevivalhouseperth last Saturday. There were only a few other people in black trenchcoats that night. I knew I’d be the only one in white.

I have seen a digital screening of the Matrix before, but it does not compare to 35mm. The colours were so rich and deep, it looked like an oil painting. It was great to have a tour of the projection room in the intermission. Revival House is passionate about film preservation.

I’ve been having fun with the closet cosplays recently. Feels good to get back to the way costumes used to be. I am getting tired of the unrealistic standards of modern professional cosplay. It’s wasteful and lacks the fun that costumes are meant to have. I’m considering doing professional photoshoots with my less than accurate costumes.

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Greyhound PAPG Shoot

Another challenging shoot with @perth_amateur_photographers. This shoot was a collaboration with @freethehounds, a charity that rescues greyhounds from racing. I forgot my flash and there was very little lighting in the studio, so I had to learn the limits of my built-in flash on the fly. I have many more photos, but this set here is a series of portraits. I find these to be the strongest of the series as they show the greyhounds not as an accessory but an active agent within the photo.

Models:

Eden @edensalvador

Kiara @parahnoiid

Lauren @lauren.miles_modelling

Louise @stargirlie888

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Urban Exploration: The Abandoned Chinese Mansion

I have just returned from my trip to China. Just kidding. Believe it or not, these buildings are found in Perth, Western Australia. A Chinese millionaire was attempting to recreate a slice of home when COVID hit, forcing him to abandon the place in order to care for his family in China. There are no public details as to why he couldn’t return. But it is a great shame because these buildings were so close to completion. It was nearly sold in September of last year, but for whatever reason, the sale fell through.

Now the property sits abandoned, without even any gates to keep people out and sadly, it seems many have used this place as a wreck room, a rubbish bin, a toilet. It’s astounding to me that anyone could look at such a wonderful place as this and feel any inclination to vandalise it.

So what I have tried to accomplish here, as best I can, is an act of archaeology or preservation. This was a beautiful place and I want the world to be able to see it and enjoy it, before it is erased from this Earth entirely. But here’s hoping another eccentric millionaire comes along to complete this anachronistic wonderland and maybe keeps it open to the public.

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