PHILIP KURUVITA PHOTOGRAPHY

Jenna, Adam and Archer came to us for family portraits and had a request- Could we include their 3 dogs? We love including dogs in family portraits, there are so much a part of the family, and as Archer grows up these three dogs will be a very important part of his world.Everyone had a great day , and you can see from the pictures that everyone was totally well behaved - at least that what the pictures could say with the right editing! As with anything involving babies and puppies, not everything goes strictly to plan, and we had already talked about what we would do if the dogs didn't want to play our game. There is always the option of putting them back in the car and not including them, but both Jenna and Adam were very keen to include their dogs in the family portrait and the least we could do was try.The shoot started off with a bit too much excitement , and there were a couple of moments when it looked like we had bitten off more than we could chew, especially when Jenna was pulled flat on her back by the two dogs she was holding, but at the end of the day, you can see that we got some great images that shows the best bits of what it is like to be a family with a six month old baby  and 3 dogs.

Chatting to Rachel at My Gym this morning, and for the second time in as many weeks, I found myself in a conversation about cheese fondue!That oh so sophisticated dinner variation that took the 1970’s and 80’s by storm and then all but died out except for some isolated pockets of gastronomy.Of course the Swiss have been doing it for ever, it wasn’t a fad for them, so there was no reason for it to go out of fashion (Rachel’s Dad is Swiss)Taking about it with friends the week before, we all agreed that it was a dinner party theme that we had all enjoyed and no one was quite sure why we didn’t do it any more. All that cheesey goodness with crusty bread or boiled potatoes , and don’t forget the wine!It made me remember that when we were making  Tamar Valley Pantry, my first book with John T Bailey, John used a cheese fondue to match with Josef Chromy’s beautiful Sauvignon Blanc, and I remember being impressed with how tasty and fulfilling this simple dish was. I am sure that the very thought of this would bring back many happy memories for those of us who enjoyed them all those years ago, I think I might have to introduce the next generation of my family to the pleasures of a three cheese fondue. I've included the recipe below so you can introduce it to your family too.

50g gruyere cheese, grated225g raclette cheese, grated225g tilsit cheese, grated15g cornflour500g Josef Chromy Sauvignon Blanc3 cloves garlic, whole2 sprigs thyme20g lemon juice5g mustard powderpinch ground cloves + white pepper

In a bowl mix the cheeses with the cornflour.Bring the wine to a simmer over med- high heat. Remove from the stove.Add thyme and garlic cloves. Infuse for 10 minutes then strain and allow to cool.Bring the wine and lemon juice to the boil and add the cheese mix a handful at a time, whisking continuously until smooth and creamy.Add the mustard, pepper and cloves. Stir until the mixture thickens.Transfer into a fondue pot and serve with cornichons, bread and crudités of your choice.

You can get your copy of Tamar Valley Pantry, as well as a wide range of other cookbooks from our store by clicking here

When Nicole came to see me about a family portrait shoot, it became obvious that we should do the shoot on the farm. Photographing Jono and their two boys Campbell and William in the studio didn't make any sense at all. They were farm boys and we needed to capture them in their element. We had so many options, the cubby house, a wonderful old tree, a rustic farm gate and a shearing shed gave us so many options for locations and backgrounds, and the boys didn't get sick of having the picture taken in the same spot. There was a bit of resistance at the start of the shoot, but that is quite normal. The one thing that I can offer in situations like this is time. Time for everyone to relax, and get used to the fact that I an there, and that I am taking pictures, and eventually we get what we need.

They shed hair all over the carpet,They shake water all over you when they are wet,They drink from the toilet bowl  even though you have given them perfectly good, clean water in their own personalised bowl……but we wouldn’t be without them in our lives!!…their biggest flaw is that they live their lives 7 times faster than we do!Capture all those endearing qualities in a series of images that show what it is like to be a family that shares its home with a dog!

Tips for a successful photoshoot with your pooch:Most importantly, don’t think that you should get to the location early to give the dog a run and wear him out, that rarely works, all it does is increase the energy levels, and results in tongues out, and heaps of slobber.If you want to wear them out, a long walk in the morning is the best course of action, and then, when it is time for the shoot, keep the energy levels as low as possible.Home is always a great place for family portraits, it places you and your family in that particular house, at that time of your lives, and in years to come it will be nice to look back on not just the people but the location as well, especially if you have since moved. Home is the easiest option for including pets in your family portraits.If you are not doing your portrait shoot at home, there are a number of really good locations for doing family portraits that include a dog.We are generally looking for a quiet location that doesn’t have too much going on that could generate excitement in your dog. Arbour park in West Launceston has some nice quiet areas. Just beyond the dog park at Kilafaddy there are some nice locations which get wonderful afternoon lightand don’t forget that you can always bring your dog (or dogs) with you if you are coming into our studio for your portraits. The worst thing that could happen is that they don’t like the studio conditions, and would prefer to sit outside or in the car while the rest of the family has their portraits done, however, if they are happy, we can get some great pictures.

Quiet moments just sitting and watching baby sleep, the delight in their eyes when they see your face, the amazing strength with which they can grasp you finger.Beautiful, quiet moments, captured in black and white, which will capture forever just how tiny this little person was.

In years to come, you will look at these images and shake your head in amazement as you pick up size 13 basketball boots that are lying around on the bathroom floor.Capture the closeness and security they feel when being held by Mum and Dad and marvel at the contrasts in size and texture.I don’t believe that your newborn needs to be dressed up in cute outfits or photographed in a birds nest or flowerpot!

They are an amazing, unique, wondrous person in their own right and in some ways I feel that it is disrespectful to the person to play dress-up at this special moment in their lives.If you don’t need to be in fancy dress to have a meaningful portrait taken then maybe, neither does your newborn child.Lets just concentrate on how special they are and the love and family that surrounds them, and we will end up with images that will be meaningful for the rest of their lives.This is a fleeting moment that is passed through all too quickly.

who our family is and why the bond is so strong.

The fact that I get invited photograph peoples families is a very humbling thing for me and I take the responsibility and trust that these families have put in me and my skills very seriously. To capture the essence of each member of the family , and then to make an image that describes what it means to be a part of this family unit is a big responsibility , and over the years I have worked hard to hone my skills to a point where I can now deal with just about anything.  You can’t rattle me, not even with preoccupied Dads , opinionated 2 year olds , or 6 month old labradors    (Although I would prefer that they don’t all happen at the same session! ) The secret for me, is to engage with each of my subjects on their terms, and to give them enough time and space for their real personality to shine through - I get told a lot that I am a patient man!I believe that what we do is important, and the results of our work, the images, will grow in importance every year. In 2 years time, in 10 years time in 100 years time , the single moment captured will take on more and more meaning. It is therefore vital that the photographs we produce are made in such a way that they can stand the test of time, and that their archival integrity remains intact over time.In this age of selfies and snapchat, a beautifully shot, archival produced art print is a rare thing, but that’s okay , because the  true moments  that describe a relationship and which form the basis of memories are equally as rare to capture in a single image - its something I have been training for my whole life.

We have photographed Lilly and Poppy every year since they were born, and  parents Tracey and Andrew were keen to try out some new locations. Winter is a fabulous time for portraits, and we were looking for a  dramatic location that would capture the joys of a Tassie winter. All rugged up , with Liffey falls in full flood, there was just a light sprinkling of snow. This was more than just a photo shoot, it was a great day out with the family, with bush walks and adventures, some photos and snowball fights, and a great lunch with big hot chocolates at the end. These images will bring back many happy memories for the whole family ( and their photographer )

There are still days, as I am returning home from a shoot, when the light gets that special quality that you see no where else in the world , when I feel a certain smugness. Next year marks 30 years since Vicki and I  packed up or lives in Sydney and moved to Tasmania. Not once have we regretted our decision, and we still marvel at the clarity of mind that our younger selves had about the move all those years ago. After 4 books devoted to the amazing produce grown in Tasmania and the talented people who turn it into world class food, it was time to look at what else this island had to offer. The food is important, and the wine has been well known around the world for decades now, but all of a sudden, its the single malt whiskey, the hand crafted gins and the experiences that are woven around these fabulous products that has been bringing more and more people to visit us.A field guide to an awesome trip around Tassie! If you get to experience, taste and enjoy half the things in this book you will have a trip to beat all others.

Take a look inside here

 Happy to sign and personalise it for you if you want to let me know what you want written

“Photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again.”

~ Henri Cartier-Bresson

This is a series of posts which lay out when we think is the key moments in life that deserved to be captured by a professional photographer. Everyone has a camera or a smart phone and we are taking more photographs than ever. In fact, it is estimated that 10 % of all the photographs taken in the history of photography were taken in the last 12 months! so everyone has heaps of photographs of their lives. What you are employing when you hire a professional photographer is not a camera, or someone to operate it, what you are employing is the photographers vision, his or her expertise and experience, their understanding of light and their artistic vision. You are asking a professional to create an interpretation for you, and they will use their knowledge and experience to use the light, the location, and their people skills to coax out an expression and reaction that  shows each persons personality. It is a complex job that takes years to master, and goes well beyond just pressing the shutter button on a good camera. This interpretation is then continued into the production of your prints or canvases. The final image is often quite different to the original camera capture. There are many subtle adjustments that are made to bring the viewers attention to the important elements in the picture while drawing your attention away from distracting ones.

In April I had the pleasure of joining the Rotary Club of Tasman Peninsula on their annual fundraiser excursion to Tasman Island. Each Year the club organises a trip to this isolated lighthouse which stands just off the coast of Tasmania south of Cape Pillar.This year the weather gods were against the project and by about 10 am thick fog had descended and made helicopter flights impossible. With only a fraction of the people who had booked on the trip already on the island a decision was made to cancel the remaining flights, and to use whatever airtime was possible to get those already on the island back to the Tasmanian mainland. By the time the helicopter was grounded for good, there were still about 20 people still on the island, myself included, and we settled down to spend the night. As the friends of Tasman Island group had been on the island for the preceding week doing maintenance, we had plenty of food, sleeping bags and the 3 light house keepers cottages made for were comfortable accommodation.The fog lasted well into the night, so there was limited possibilities to take useful pictures at sunset , but the following morning we were met with a clear sky and I was able to take some images before the helicopter came to get us .The image of the lighthouse high on the cliffs ended up being awarded the Epson Signature Worthy Award at the Tasmanian Professional Photography Awards, and the portrait of Karl, who had spent time as a lighthouse keeper on the island, was also awarded a silver award at the awards.

Rotary has done a story about the excursion in the September issue of their monthly magazine Rotary Downunder, written by Rod Oliver which you can see here

Having your family portraits on the wall in your home is more than just decoration. It is an unequivocal statement that Family is important. Portraits encourage, nurture and promote a sense of Belonging  and celebrate the special  bonds and relationships of your family.   Contact us if you would like to chat about your family portrait

Your corporate headshot is how the rest of the business world will first meet you, and as the old saying goes, you only get one chance at a first impression!  Your image needs to convey in a clear and concise manner all the attributes you want your clients and potential clients to see in you. Charming , approachable, trustworthy , confident and professional are just some of the things that these people will either see or not see when they encounter your image. In the corporate world, a selfie shot with your iPhone just doesn’t do the job. Save them for your personal Facebook page and treat your corporate image with consideration and respect. There is still plenty of room to show your character, and the spark in your eyes while still adhering to a very high level of professionalism and sophisticationThe subtle differences that that a well executed professional portrait can make will go a long way towards enhancing the perception that the business world has of you.

Learn more here

Over the Easter long weekend we had the pleasure of photographing brass bands from all over the country at the Yamaha Australian National Band Championships. This is the second time that the Championships have been held in Launceston and it was a great pleasure to welcome over 3000 band members from right around the country to our city. The weather was amazing and the town was filled with the sounds of horns, tubas and drums.

The images we took over the weekend can be seen and ordered here

The Australian Good Food Guide just did a piece on my new book From the Menu Hobart

You can read it here

 https://www.agfg.com.au/blog/post/from-the-menu-hobart-through-the-lens-of-philip-kuruvita

WANTED : Grand parents and their grand kidsWe need grandparents and their grand kids to test a new camera system which we have on loan from the wonderful guys at L&P Photographics between 14th and 18th June.We are trialing the brand new Fuji GSX medium format camera system for a couple of days to bring the best possible quality to our studio portraits, and we thought, what better subjects than kids in the full blush of youth, and their grand parents who bring faces with hard won experience and a lifetime of smiles. We are offering a gift print to any grandparents and their Grandkids who are able to spend some time in front of the camera so that we can put it through it's paces, as a way of  saying thank you, and  if you want to purchase  additional images from the session, we will even offer you a further discount to make things easy for youIf you are interested in helping us out , or know someone who might, you can apply here

( and dont be fooled by the title, we want grand pa there too! )

Easter is another great time for families to get together. The weather is still fine, and the kids are relaxed having got their first term of school done.  As the kids get older, it gets harder and harder to get the whole family together so when it does happen, it is a great opportunity to do an extended family portrait.

This picture was taken in Sri Lanka probably in 1969 and shows my Dads extended family, with his parents, all his siblings and their children ( he is the one to the centre of my Mum, the only Austrian in the picture, and I am the short one next to him)

From the look on peoples faces , I don't think it was much fun at the time, but I am really glad that we have this picture. I am now the oldest surviving male in the picture, and only Mum and the Aunty to her left are left from the generations before ours.

If you want to capture your own bit of history, give us a call or leave a message here.

We all come across the same two problems every year, but because they occur 6 months apart its difficult to see how one can cancel out the other. No one likes paying any more tax than they have to, and most people aren't that fussed about shopping for corporate gifts at Christmas time. We can now offer a way to solve both of these problems at the same time! We now have a selection of 5 beautiful, hard cover books that make the perfect Christmas gift for all of your special clients. There is even a signing page so that you can personalise each one individually. By ordering your Chirstmas gifts before the end of the financial year, you can use it to reduce your tax liability and even better than that, you can tick of your Christmas shopping as DONE!

We can deliver them straight away, or hold off delivery until the end of November, which ever suits you.

We offer 25-30% off RRP ( $49.95 ) depending on the quantity that you order. Call us on 63342462 if you would like to look at the books or to order some.

because I am a photographer and not an accountant, you should probably check with your own bean counter to make sure this is going to be best for your business!!

Breakfast in bed and cuddles with the kids is a great way to start mothers day this Sunday. I bet your mother remembers when it was you giving the cuddles and making the dodgy breakfasts!.

She has been a beautiful constant in your life, isn't it time you let us capture that unconditional love ?

For May we are offering our Mum & Me session for just $50 instead of the usual $150

Book a session for you and your mum, invite your  grandmother, your daughter and your sister and lets celebrate the girls in your family.

Find out more here

The best thing about my job is that I get to photograph some families over a long period of time. It is such a joy to see the beautiful babies turn into intelligent, capable young ladies