IN THE DARK...

I first met John Laham at a magazine event in 2015. He was walking around taking photos of people with his very funky little camera and he approached me and asked “Let me take your photo”. I said sure but then I noticed he didn't have a flash… and didn't use any lighting. I was taken aback by the image he captured and the quality of that single shot. I was incredibly impressed. We connected instantly and developed a bond like no other, as they say - great minds think alike.

Fast forward to December 2016, we had a brief meeting to discuss a potential photoshoot or two at his apartment in the luxurious Highgate Building in the city.

Both with unique abilities to get creative without hesitation and strong boldness, we came up with a few concepts for a shoot and decided time was of the essence and we could not wait to get it done as excitement took over.

I organised for my dear friend and make-up artist Kerrie Jane Bailey to meet me at the apartment on Friday evening to do my hair and make-up and as we waited for night fall. John made me a delicious coffee and we spoke of our experiences in the industry and had a few laughs. We get along like a house on fire and the elements of a professional partnership mixed with a beautiful friendship is delightful.

We then moved up to the quiet and dark observatory on top floor of the Highgate building with luscious views over the cityscape.

John wanted to turn all lights off and shoot in the dark! How is this possible you ask? Well the man is a genius…. I can’t give away his secrets but it worked like magic and the images came out like an opal out of a rock. He uses the simplest techniques, no clutter, no accessories no foolishness just a man and his camera and a $5 torch to capture the real essence of a person in his photography.

The ‘less is more’ methodology seems to work for the both of us, as this is also my personal mantra. Simplicity is the key to the most elegant styles and images and boy did we capture them.

Of course, he was lucky enough to have such an inspiring yet humble model to pose in front of his lens – I always keep my pose true to myself, no acting required.

The photo shoot took less than an hour and as we high five'd and hugged at the end of a revolutionary shoot, we were planning our next! Expect to see more beautiful images coming from John Laham and Lena Kasparian in 2017.

To be continued...