Arts

FOREVER THE

MOMENT . 1991 getty images Axl Rose and Stephanie Seymour, Graham Shearer captured the essence of Australian beauty and all its authenticity. Now, he sees a world that has finally opened up to all kinds of diversity.

Words Anna Harrison

ou remember. A fresh faced, bushy- about the fashion business watching I was born in Perth, Western Australia, Y browed Alison Brahe. A tousled haired, and working with some great Japanese the most remote city in the world. I think big-toothed Kristy Hinze. A steely-eyed photographers. I loved the whole process that as Australian we are not bound Sarah Nursey with burnished cheeks-for- of creating an image; starting with the by traditions – we grab what we like weeks. In the 80s and 90s Dolly magazine concept, getting a team of makeup and and discard the rest. I was infuenced was as young and quintessentially Aussie hair artists and fashion stylists, choosing by anything and everything on my as we were – its bright, beachy cover girls the and following it through to travels around the world and gradually as sticky in our memories as a melting the fnished product. I was hooked. developed my own style. Calippo running down our sandy fngers. How has the industry changed over time? If you were to describe the essence of your Graham Shearer’s images captured us, I fnd that the fashion industry has style in three words what would they be? Australia – how we were and how we stagnated lately, dictated by economic It’s hard to describe your own work. I’m would like to imagine we were. Born and reasons and not as free creatively as not so good with words, which is why I raised in Perth, WA, Shearer’s natural ability before. It’s for that reason I’ve started take pictures. Three words ... Timeless, to visually defne that classic Australian doing my own projects which are evocative, pure. sensibility catapulted him from Dolly to ironically mostly landscapes or nudes. You’ve worked for many international Vogue, and pretty soon he was shooting You started out shooting on flm. How did clients over the years and traveled major international editorials, advertising you fnd the transition into digital and what extensively – aside from Australia, where is campaigns and celebrity portraits. A 30- do you prefer shooting on? your favourite place to shoot? year career as a fashion photographer When the light is right, nothing beats Pink Sands, Harbour Island in the will take you places, show you things, and shooting on medium format flm. But Bahamas is one of my favourite places having shot beautiful women in beautiful I’m not a purist – a good image is a where I have done many photoshoots. and bizarre locations around the globe, good image, no matter what medium It’s a mix of pastel coloured wooden Shearer has a story or two to tell. He chats it’s shot on. The digital era has made bungalows, turquoise water, friendly to RUSSH about getting bogged on remote photography accessible to the masses locals and the beach is an amazing light beaches, fghting off wild baboons, and but it’s now a saturated market, and pink because of the coral in the sand. setting fre to Chanel. together with Photoshop, has made the What is your idea of beauty? playing feld much more even. I come I see beauty in everything. It’s a feeting Your career has spanned over 30 years and from an era where everything had to be moment: the way a girl crosses her is still going strong. What initially drew done on camera and the lighting had to legs or the fick her hair, a shadow, a you to photography, in particular fashion be perfect, because flm has no latitude refection … A great photo is when photography? and there was no room for error. I fnd you can capture that moment. Being a I started shooting small Super 8 flms I am now highly suspicious if a shot is commercial photographer is like a good and stills when I lived in Bali in the 70s, over retouched! craftsman being able to get that elusive where I met my French wife Pasha who You’re responsible for some of the most image where all the elements work had a huge infuence on my career. She iconic shoots and covers for Australian together: hair, makeup, lighting, clothes, was a fashion model at the time and had magazines in the 80s and 90s that really mood, background all work as one and been working in Tokyo. We travelled to capture that authentic Aussie-at-heart feel. you are drawn to notice this image as Japan and I started working as a model, How does the spirit of a place, particularly a whole not just the single elements. It mainly to pay for new camera gear and your home country, inspire and infuence captivates and transports the onlooker. my travel. That was where I learnt a lot your work? Holds their attention.

ABOVE Kristy Hinze, Madame Figaro, 1998. 52 53 ABOVE AND RIGHT , Vogue Australia, Broome, 1989.

54 55 The most memorable moment? “Being bogged on a remote beach in Broome, WA, with the tide coming in and having to swim a crocodile infested river with Elle Macpherson to get help.”

How do you think the overall cultural Demanding huge blocks of ice to around Australia in a week. It was a perception of beauty has evolved and be delivered to Icebergs pool in game changer at the time, using more of changed over the last three decades? Bondi in the middle of summer with an Australian outside feel, a much looser Over the years, Australia has evolved (then married to way of shooting with lots of movement, into a multicultural society and come a Rod Stewart). It was extravagant, but different to how things were being done at long way. When 30 years ago when we I got away with it at the time. Shots the time. It created some controversy – the tried to get an Asian girl on the cover weren’t that great! editor resigned after that. of Dolly magazine (Annette Quay), it Shooting in Sicily with Megan Gale while Who would you absolutely love to shoot that created much controversy. Even getting dodging the paparazzi. you haven’t already and why? an African American (Loraine Pascal in On the roof of the Printemps building I would love to photograph Kate Moss. Australian Elle) or Aboriginal girl in a in Paris shooting couture dresses for the I saw her in the streets of Paris once and magazine editorial in the 80s and 90s Madame Figaro – we discovered that the she looked just like any other kid, nothing involved much heated debate. I love model was afraid of heights. special, but she has that amazing ability how the world has opened up to all Accidentally burning a priceless Chanel to transform her look and adapt to each kinds of ethnicity. Beauty is so much dress on location in the sand dunes where situation. She is unique and has a strong more diverse than it used to be. the background was set on fre and I presence in front of the camera. There have If there was anything you could change made the mistake of putting too much been very few models with that ability. about the industry, what would it be? petrol on the canvas. I was banned from And lastly, why do you continue to do what I worry about magazines disappearing shooting Vogue for three months after you do? What keeps you going? completely – I would like to keep the that – good shots though! I am not a person who stays too long in print form of magazines from going Having to drive a topless kombi (no the past or looking back at what I have totally online. Now everything is so location van in those days!) in a game park done, that’s probably why it has been hard instant and it’s gone just as fast. Nothing in Kenya for an English magazine that had to fnd the right images for this article. I permeates. no budget whatsoever, so we had no guide will always look forward to the future Having been in the game for as long as or protection, and having to fght off a with some optimism. But saying that I you have you must have some great stories. family of wild baboons from getting into guess I will have to have a retrospective What are some of your most memorable the roof of the van. exhibition sometime soon. But looking moments on set? Working with doing back at my body of work I feel I was Shooting Nicole Kidman in Malibu in a swimwear shoot near the Atlas incredibly lucky to have grown up in the 90s for Elle magazine with Tom Mountains in Morocco. She was wearing a business in its infancy, developed my Cruise supervising closely, bare chested those pink Chanel bikinis and the locals own style and contributed to the iconic and hair in curlers. were going wild. It was freezing and Australian fashion look. I will always Being bogged on a remote beach in about to snow and they offered us mint look forward to the future with some Broome, WA, with the tide coming in teas and pipes of hashish. optimism, and still get excited by putting and having to swim a crocodile infested For one of my frst big editorial shoots together a good team and doing a shoot in river with Elle Macpherson to get help. for Australian Vogue we did a crazy trip some exotic location. ABOVE Follow Me Gentlemen magazine, Hawaii, 1989.

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