LightVision

Wildlight on the move…

Andrew — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 02:14:10 +0000

CHANGE OF ADDRESS & TELEPHONE NUMBER

Wildlight Photo Agency (Exikon Pty Ltd) is moving from Redfern to Double Bay (a.k.a Double Pay) as of 23 December 2008. Editing the analogue library and sending back transparencies has advanced us further down the path of virtualisation. We don’t need the space and expense of a large office.

Please make a note of our new address and telephone number:

Exikon Pty Ltd
Wildlight Photo Agency

P.O. Box 1606
Double Bay NSW 1360
Australia

T +61 (2) 9043 3255

There will be NO FAX - hurray!

Opening Night Pics: No Standing Only Dancing

Andrew — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 02:30:51 +0000

Here’s a selection of pictures from the HUGE opening night of the No Standing Only Dancing: Photographs by Rennie Ellis exhibition at the NGV in Melbourne. The night was a huge success with up to 400 people keen to share the positive vibe. I over heard comments such as “I could have been anyone of those people (in the photos)”, such was the positive connection that punters had with Rennie’s images. Others said “it’s been so long since I came out of an exhibition feeling happy and so full of hope!”. The exhibition has been expertly curated by Susan van Wyk - the Kings Cross room is a stand out! You can see the exhibition at the Ian Potter Centre in Federation Square until 22 Feb 2009. The NGV has produced a book of the same name in conjunction with the exhibition, with essays by Susan and George Negus, it’s a must have. If you want to go a step further you can purchase a unique collectors item. The Rennie Ellis Photo Archive has commissioned a limited edition print run of 100 books, specially bound in linen with slip case, containing an original black and white print Dino Ferrari, Toorak Road 1976. Buy one now before the edition runs out.

[Show as slideshow]

Grow the Mo Deano!

Andrew — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 07:09:04 +0000

We are throwing our facial support behind Wildlight photographer, Dean Cox, as he participates in Movember. It’s a month long charity event raising awareness for depression and prostate cancer in Australian men. Participants need to grow a mustache of their choice. Which style will Dean choose? Handlebar, Dali, Fu Manchu, Imperial or Hungarian…so many to choose from. Most importantly, what will his wife say when he goes to bed with a snood on?
Dean, send a a progress pic, we need to see the mo!

LightVision Edition:004

Andrew — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 23:24:11 +0000

Taking Stock

Just like the stock market we are shedding stock as quickly as the Aussie dollar is going through the floor. Difference is we are doing a careful cull…of images and not a panicked sell off of ridiculous assets that no-one understands.

I was always proud and thought it impressive that the Wildlight analogue library contained a whopping 300,000 images. With some of the best names in the business, it’s an archive with great depth and top quality imagery. Despite this abundance of cellulose resources, we are hurtling towards a business model which embraces virtualisation. In these bleak economic times, automating labour-intensive business processes is a big saving for a small business like ours. So picture an office with loads of filing cabinets labeled ‘empty’. Feels good - my eyes are wrecked and at the end of the day, seeing or talking about image-making has me reaching for the Stoli. We are keeping the cream of the crop and sending the rest back to photographers. What do we do with the edit?…edit it again…and again - hopefully, we’ll have a few thousand survivors to scan - sigh.

We haven’t been the only ones hunched over a light table waiting for the chiropractor. The Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive has spent the last five years editing 500,000 images of the late Melbourne identity, Rennie Ellis. Wildlight is proud to represent his images in our collection, and now you can see them at a well deserved major retrospective of his work at the National Gallery of Victoria - it’s going to be very retro - I just finished starching my safari suit for the opening night!

Exhibitions

No standing only dancing: Photographs by Rennie Ellis

Editing half a million analogue images may sound like no easy task, and not a quick one either; This is what faced Manuela Furci and Kerry Oldfield from the Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive when renown social documentary photographer Rennie Ellis, suddenly passed away in 2003. The last five years have been spent carefully editing Rennie’s archive going back to the early 1960’s. The reward of this dedication has culminated in a major photographic Retrospective of Rennie’s work at the National Gallery of Victoria. This exhibition covers the 70s and 80s - an exciting time for Australian photography - and a period of great change in Australian society, fortuitously captured by a gifted social documenter like Rennie. His memorable work covers public events, private moments, wild parties, beach life and hilarious facets of the Australian cultural fabric.

No standing only dancing: Photographs by Rennie Ellis will be on display on Level 3 of The Ian Potter: NGV Australia, Federation Square, Melbourne from 31 October 2008 – 22 February 2009, 10am-5pm, closed Mondays. Entry is free.

Truth and Magic in the Age of Photoshop by Richard Woldendorp

A lovely counterpoint to the social documentary genre is another breathtaking exhibition by Wildlight photographer, Richard Woldendorp. It is no less real than Ellis’s images, however the abstract nature of Woldendorp’s images cause the viewer to believe that some manipulation has transpired, yet it is all entirely natural.

Truth And Magic In The Age Of Photoshop is on exhibition at Boutwell Draper Gallery, 82 - 84 George Street Redfern Sydney from 22 October - 15 November 2008. Wednesday - Saturday 11 - 5pm.

New Collections

To coincide with the NGV exhibition we are showcasing three feature collections from the Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive, many of these images are included in the retrospective and can now be licenced through Wildlight.

Wildlight has been a standard bearer for high quality commercial photography in Australia for more than two decades and we will continue to build our library based on iconic classic images of well known photographers as well as contemporary material that meets the needs of our clients whatever their business - all available online.

Peel and Post with Wildlight

Andrew — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 12:33:26 +0000

Some people really like licking stamps, I don’t. Thankfully most are self-adhesive. Most exciting though, is the 55c stamp featuring The Rocks Precinct by Wildlight photographer, Philip Quirk. Also in the Tourist precinct stamp issue by Australia Post is the Luna Park Maxi card by Wildlight photographer, Rennie Ellis. So stand in the queue at Aussie Post and peel back a layer of Australian society - social observation has never been so easy!

Portraits from a Land Without People: John Ogden

Andrew — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 11:48:15 +0000

We’ve been very privileged to participate in a new book compiled by filmmaker and photographer, John Ogden. With a working title Portraits from a Land Without People, it’s sure to stir the pot. Oggy has researched hundreds of thousands of images of aboriginal Australians dating back to 1847. The book comprises 300 powerful images which describe a pictorial history of Aboriginal Australians. Wildlight is proud to have contributed seven images to the book by David Moore, Penny Tweedie and Carolyn Johns. The book is scheduled to be released in February 2009, with proceeds flowing to the Jimmy Little Foundation, to help improve kidney health in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. To see a multimedia slideshow and interview with Oggy by the Sydney Morning Herald, then click here. I’ve been trying to get John Ogden to join the Wildlight library for a year now, but he seems to be distracted by this book…good luck Oggy!

Exhibition: Truth and Magic in the Age of Photoshop

Andrew — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 05:04:34 +0000

“I do not alter my photographs through Photoshop because I want to convey the beauty of what is there, without interference. There is so much beauty out there it does not require manipulation” says Richard Woldendorp.

See Richard Woldendorp’s extraordinary abstract aerial exhibition Truth and Magic in the Age of Photoshop at

boutwell draper gallery

82-84 George Street Redfern Sydney

22 October - 15 November

You can licence images from the master of aerial photography here at Wildlight.

B2 bloody curious

Andrew — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:17:57 +0000

A fascinating and quite unexpected discovery at the PictureHouse Sydney 2008 tradeshow did present itself rather perplexingly in the unisex toilet block at B2 Studios. All manner of derrière delights could be experienced just by sitting down on the throne. And futuristic command module it was, complete with a control panel which would instantly retire the space shuttle program. A picture is splashed a thousand words…

PictureHouse peters-out

Andrew — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:03:54 +0000

The build up to PictureHouse Sydney 2008 was huge, pity the attendance wasn’t there to match it! I’d like to say a big thank you to those new and existing customers who visited the Wildlight/Photo New Zealand stand - it was great to see/meet you. All the exhibitors put on a good show and made a lot of effort for the droves of picture buyers who never came. More networking was done between competitors than prospective clients -it’s called exploring Co-opetition opportunities. The venue was great, B2 Studios, but the location for a trade show was not ideal. Advertising for the trade show should be readdressed, perhaps exhibitors need to pay more to achieve a better, locally sourced mailing list and more print advertising. Food, coffee and wine were excellent - the Wildlight stand was strategically positioned opposite the cafe/dining area - awesome! I think a more careful location for the show needs to be considered, and maybe the exhibition needs to be part of a larger trade event catering for advertising/designers. It will give the organisers plenty to think about before they leap into it next year. Asked if we would do it again for 2009, well, it depends…

Our stand looked great, thanks to Nick and Peter at DisplaySource for printing the Wildlight banner. Rob Lile at Photo New Zealand gave us great marketing support and sent their banner and quirky promo card quick smart.

Rennie Ellis Print Competition Winner

Andrew — Wed, 15 Oct 2008 12:31:14 +0000

Firstly, Jean-Marc and I were really disappointed that we didn’t win the print, all our ballot rigging would have had George Dubya (and Jeb) and Bob Mugabe cheering, instead, fairness won the day. And what a fair and impartial hand to draw the winning card from the lucky dip bowl - the lovely Gabrielle Haumesser. This cool, framed Rennie Ellis print of Bondi Beach, complete with Certificate of Authenticity was won by, Linda Brainwood - freelance picture researcher. Congratulations Linda! She was thrilled, and her wall will be thrilled to have it hanging there too!

Many thanks to Manuela and Kerry at the Rennie Ellis Photographic Archive for contributing the artist proof. Special thanks also, to the guys at Acme Art and Framing Gallery in Surry Hills for doing a fantastic framing job in such a short time. The expert advice and archival materials used were first class.