Abstract, hammer and tongs with Mad Dog and Garth

I've had some enjoyable commercial projects lately - specifically for a national hotel chain and an international truck manufacturer - but with Spring here it's been good to get out and get some more personal projects in the mix.  Rejuvenation and growth is what that's all about.

So I've been a little more assiduous about attending meetings of the Dunedin Photographic society.  I decided to enter a print in their latest abstract competition after hearing a talk there by Frank Pawluk of Aoraki Polytech.  That was a great creative kick to the head, since I haven't really done much abstract work before.  I learnt to see so much more in abstract work, and am pleased to say my early attempt took first place on the night.

Meanwhile, down at my favourite photographic haunt, Dunedin Gasworks Museum, Blacksmith Nate Savill was holding some master classes with the assistance of Peter Mason, so I popped down to get a few shots of the boys in action. That's Peter on the hammer and Nate on the tongs.






Peter just happens to be a regular at another of my haunts, the Dunedin Muso's club.  I've been itching to get two of the club's members into my studio for some time.  Graham "Mad Dog" Dooley is club president and Garth Cambpell a dedicated volunteer.  The two go together like whisky and mayhem.  You just need to see some of the out-takes from our very short session to know that.

Garth first:

   

And here's Mad Dog:

   

Its characters like these that make Dunedin special, and combined with some of the city's dramatic nocturnal spaces, they helped make some great pictures.





We had so much fun we're going to do some more, so there's going to be a Mad Dog and Garth series, where I'll introduce some more of Dunedin's special musical characters. I've got a feeling it will get very interesting.