LightVision

New light source

G’day lightseeker, it’s been a while and there’s plenty happening at Wildlight. I’m excited to say that this is the first edition of LightVision–a must see news feed from the editor’s desk at Wildlight. It’s a terrific news source to learn more about Wildlight’s great Australian content, find out more about the people at Wildlight, our talented photographers, read our opinions and find out where to see Australian visual art. We’ll also have discussions on copyright and licencing, and hilarious promotions, interviews and updates on the whereabouts of our photographers. Because its dynamic, you can keep coming back to LightVision by subscribing to an RSS feed. Just click here to stay focused.

Featured collection

We know you’re always looking for new stuff, so we’re giving you an instant replay of some of the most recent additions to our library. There’s a big mix because our photographers have been active around Australia, committed to providing up-to-date content of Australian people and places. Here’s a mid-year sample covering the Gold Coast, RF and RM images of Melbourne and a great spread from the still warm North Coast of NSW. And just in today, amazing shots of the Illawarra, including the spectacular cliff hugging bridge along the coastline above Woolongong. Click here to see the collection now

Meet the team

There are actually real people behind the brand, Andrew, Jean-Marc and Ernst, the pug. Yes we really are ‘two and a dog’. Young fathers, except Ernst, who’s had the chop! We work in Redfern - the Paris end of course. Jean-Marc, he’s the Frenchman writing lines of code to make the whole show work, he has been busy virtualising our business so we can spend more time on the road meeting you. Meet the team now.

Exhibitions and new books

Wildlight photographer, Richard Woldendorp, has just released another quality hardcover book, Abstract Earth: a view from above, coinciding with a new exhibition at the S.H Ervin Gallery at Observatory Hill, Sydney. I went to the opening and the images were breathtaking. The unique abstract perspective afforded from the air caused many observers to guess several times before understanding the subject of the images. The exhibition runs until 3 August. Next month you’ll find out how you can win a complimentary signed copy of Richard’s book, which sells for $49.95.

Burning question
Does licence duration really matter for brochures and annual reports? I received a call from a corporate graphic designer here in Sydney who had this burning question which has been unanswered for so long. The question came at a good time as we are soon to begin the process of simplifying our licence calculator; do I hear a collective sigh of relief? He felt that the total print run was more important, and that the duration was an unrealistic component in the licence. We had recently licenced a package of nine Richard Woldendorp aerials for a corporate brochure. He felt that after the initial mailout, the finished product sat in the client foyer for an indefinite time or in a box under Wendy’s desk, slowly collecting stiletto heel damage. I have to agree with him, it’s unrealistic and unenforceable to track the licence beyond a one or two-year period. Is the end-user going to pulp the brochures just because the magic time period has expired? Are we all that organised that we send a Google calendar reminder to ourselves? Then what happens when a person leaves the company? You can see, and most probably agree that having a fixed time period for brochures and DM in general is unrealistic and should be removed from the licence.
Have you got a questions about licencing which has been bugging you? Email me.

Get in step with our Walk on the Wildside promo.

To take advantage of this once in a lifetime offer, just purchase a licence worth more than $7 before the 17th of July and you could walk down Oxford Street–darlo or paddo end, no matter–with ERNST the Pug. As you’ve undoubtedly read in Our Team, he’s a ‘deal clincher’, but out of the office he’s a chick magnet and man puller. He’ll make sure you’re the center of attention, he pulls old and young, guys and girls. Act now and we’ll even wash him before the big day! You’ll be striking up a conversation with the person of your dreams before Ernst sniffs his first pole! He’s deaf as a post and completely motivated by food, so carry a dried pig’s ear in your pocket for his undivded attention.

We do have a lot of fun here at Wildlight, today was no exception. Today, we changed our 404 error page! Yes, it will be a remarkable milestone in our business. After 4 years of loyal service, the cow eating kelp has grown too long in the tooth. A new and exciting image really let’s you know you’ve arrived at the wrong place. The picture by Grenville Turner was shot on one of his many travels around Australia. And, as Jean-Marc pointed out to me, are some of the only opportunities that we actually get to see our unique marsupials.

Wildlight photographer and founder, Philip Quirk has embarked on his longest panorama yet - photographing Oxford Street, Sydney from Queens Street to Hyde Park! An incredible undertaking that will document one of Sydney’s most famous streets. The final work will be an amazing collection of over 100 black and white images taken with a 5″x4″ Linhoff camera shot on Tri-X film, then printed on fibre based paper. Sounds like an archival dream, both technically and for future generations as a significant document of Sydney in the early 21st Century. You can view and purchase images from Part One of the project from Josef Lebovic Gallery.
When Phil first told me about the project, I was immediately taken aback by the scope of the project, there’s a huge number of individual images to complete, and because it’s shot on a large format camera, each one is very detailed. It also poses many technical challenges, such as keeping consistent lighting, dodging prams and large Mercedes 4WD’s that block his view at the critical moment.

So look out for Phil when you’re on Oxford Street!

Grenville Turner has just returned from an incredible adventure to Antarctica on a Aurora Expeditions voyage which follows in the footsteps of Ernest Shackleton. Grenville photographed some splendid landscapes and larger-than-life wildlife. Check out the feature page to see the whole feature collection.

Grenville has been shooting for 30 years and said it was one of the best trips he has ever done. Not hard to see why- the lucky devil !

To see more of Grenville’s amazing images then click here.