CASE STUDIES
Photography and Video
WHAT WE DO
Every person, every business, every brand has a story to share. fa tog’ra fi captures the essence of every story in its best light.
We encourage our clients to be brave with their creative choices. Our ability to create and produce powerful on-brand imagery, within budget, has led to a diverse client base spanning both the creative and business sectors.
We are collaborative, fun, honest and efficient. We don’t stop until we get a thumbs up.
“Simon Hewson was originally recommended to us by an artist friend and has subsequently been the Darren Knight's Gallery's photographer since 2008.
Simon has covered a broad range of artwork for us along with some beautiful artist profile videos. While Simon's efficiency, reliability and reasonable rates are all important to us, it is his sensitivity to the artworks and the attention he invests in getting the highest quality results that we most value. Simon understands that the care he takes with his photography must match that which the artist invests in creating the work; he shares with our artists pride in the quality of his work."
(Darren Knight, Darren Knight Gallery)
DARREN KNIGHT GALLERY
We're always happy to receive Darren's call to capture the latest show. being one of the first people to
see a new body of work is always a privilege
Brief: Capture an image that sparks interest in an artist's show-an image that excites them to engage
with the work in person.
Telling the story: In the art world, photo documentation is an integral part of presenting an artists work
in collaboration with their show. Our aim is to capture the true essence of the show,
giving the audience the experience of viewing the work.
Challenge: The most challenging and rewarding part of shooting artworks is capturing the textures,
true colour and meaning of the artworks, weather it's multi-media, painting or sculpture.
Result: We take an empathetic approach to the works to ensure we shoot from the artist's eye.
Our patience and dedication in achieving this is why Darren has been a valued and regular client
of fa tog'ra fi for over 12 years.
Blue Cork case study
Book cover photography has always been classified a ‘dream job’ for Simon at fa tog’ra fi. Having maintained a love affair with books over many years, he’s all too aware that one does, in fact, judge a book by its cover.
Brief: Shoot a portrait for a book cover that reflects both the story being told inside and the inner spirit of the subject.
Telling the story: We collaborate with both the designer and publisher to come up with an aesthetic for every photograph that aligns with the personality of the individual, the story and the target audience.
Challenge: Photographing a well-known celebrity can come with preconceived ideas from viewers, so it’s always a satisfying challenge to show another side to a familiar face.
Result: We photograph many Aussie sportsmen, which means we shoot guys with their arms crossed an awful lot, but hey - it’s a good look! We always find new ways to capture the character of the subject.
"Whenever I need a job done right first time, I know I can rely on the team at fa tog’ra fi. Simon has a great eye and always brings great new ideas to the table and his professionalism is second to none.”
(Luke Causby, BLUE CORK)
The Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace case study
One visit to the famous Hayden Orpheum Picture Palace in Cremorne and it’s no surprise it was awarded The Best Suburban Cinema in Australia for 2014 - she’s just so pretty!
Brief: Create a short promotional video to attract a younger audience and showcase the unique art deco cinema in an appealing, fun, fresh way.
Telling the story: We knew a touch of 1950’s Hollywood glam would set the right tone for the video. The concept, storytelling and styling drew from this, with an emphasis on the beautiful surrounds of the Hayden. Taking the viewer on a romantic journey through the space, we worked with a talented composer to create the original piece of music to perfectly accompany the visual.
Challenge: Our biggest challenge for this video was time constraints; all six cinemas were full of moviegoers while we were shooting - that’s a lot of popcorn to work around!
Result: Originally intended for social media promotion only, the Hayden Orpheum loved the video so much they requested an additional, shorter version to be played at the cinemas before every movie session. The result of seeing this stunning art deco gem on the big screen is a real visual treat and makes us proud as punch.
“Simon and Ilona just get it. They took our creative ideas to the next level and worked tirelessly to finesse and produce engaging bite sized digital assets. Simon and Ilona’s combined depth of knowledge and experience meant that our super tight schedule and budget constraints didn’t impact the quality of our deliverables which are intended for the international market. This entire project was filmed and produced in the final week’s of Ilona’s pregnancy and we could not have found a more professional, fun and hard working team. We are thrilled with the results and can’t wait to do it all over again with them!" (Kim Peirce, Babescrub, Melbourne)
BABESCRUB
Babescrub skincare and body is a cult, luxe, beauty brand, owned and manufactured in Australia, made using pure and natural ingredients with NO nasties-they are also freakin cool!
Brief: Create three 'How To Use' videos for a leading American retailer showcasing Babescrub’s awesome products, while keeping the brand identity alive and kicking.
Telling the story: We wanted to tell the story of how to use the products in a fun and engaging way, the last thing we and the team at Babescrub wanted was a boring to camera explanation or worse still, a video with infographics. So we threw out the rule book and created a short story of how buffing and polishing is an integral part of a Babe's life and we had a bucket load of fun with it!
Challenge: Our biggest challenge was that we had the amazing talent and the Babescrub team for just one day, so timings had to be perfect, with a shit load of pre-production. We got it done on time and on budget.
Result: A suite of videos that engage, excite and inform, all whilst keeping true to the brand!
OUR WORK
Photography and Video
PHOTOGRAPHY
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VIDEO
WHAT OUR CLIENTS SAY
A true pleasure to work with.
Alex Topp | Lateral Events
Simon is very collaborative and approachable, you always feel like he cares as much about the final product as we do.
Marijana Simunovic | Interweve Group
Very reliable and easy to work with. Very good client facing. I think you guys are great!
Fran Ree | Better Happy
Simon is accessible, knows what we require with a minimal brief, trustworthy and reliable!
Julie-Ann Wigham | Urban Growth NSW
WHO WE ARE
Get to know us a little better...
SIMON
Born 1978 in Louth, England, Simon’s love affair with photography started at age four. While other kids were eating crayons, he was busy snapping everything from weeds to Wellingtons. The camera was broken but Simon didn’t mind - it was his and that’s all that mattered.
Simon finally scored a working camera at age 10. He tirelessly photographed his family dog (R.I.P. Copper) and dear old Nan as she slept. On his 14th birthday, Simon got his first SLR and promptly moved into his Dad’s abandoned darkroom. There he spent countless nights printing black and white photos using out-of-date paper and developer.
Like the rule of thirds, Simon’s career progressed in threes; three years studying photography at Boston college, three years completing a BA Hons Degree in Photography at Cheltenham and Gloucester Art College and three years working as an assistant photographer in London.
Tired of sweeping floors, Simon moved on from assisting to work behind the lens full-time. He became the Studio Manager and In-House Photographer for a London advertising agency in 2002. Ilona worked as Simon’s assistant and soon replaced his crush on Kylie Minogue. Three years later, having gained a wealth of experience, Simon left his role and pursued a series of personal projects that took him, and his future wife, around the world.
In 2005 Simon and Ilona moved to Australia to begin their life together (and to work on Simon’s much needed tan). His career has since blossomed, establishing many creative, engaging and long-lasting relationships with a diverse array of clients. Simon’s passion persists: capturing and telling stories through still and moving images.
Awards
2010 Centre for Contemporary Photography, Kodak Salon,
Excellence In The Use Of Colour
2013 Centre for Contemporary Photography, Leica and Ilford Salon, Excellence in Photomedia
Solo Exhibitions
2012 ‘Shadowed By A Roadside’, Gaffa gallery, Sydney
(accompanied by the book ‘Shadowed By A Roadside’)
2012 ‘Playground’, Gaffa gallery, Sydney
ILONA
Ilona’s early love of all things creative was well documented on her family’s Sanyo video camera. Dad Fabiszewski would film an endless barrage of dance concerts, plays and shows as lil’ Lones lit up Central Coast stages in flashy leotards and far too much blush.
After topping her year in photography at school, Ilona pursued three talents: photography, dancing and acting. She studied Art Photography for two years before getting a job as a photographic and studio assistant. Determined to broaden her horizons, she moved to London in 2003. It was there Ilona met Simon, worked as his Photographic Assistant and then lured him back to the land of sunshine and Speedos.
Ilona worked as a Studio Manager in a Sydney photographic studio for two years before pursuing dance full-time. Kylie, eat your heart out - Simon had his very own dancing queen who wasn’t gonna stop until she had an extensive list of credits to her name as a dancer and choreographer. These include: Top 20 dancer for So You Think You Can Dance, TV show Dance Academy, TV appearances for Grammy winner Duffy and working with artists Vanilla Ice, Kylie Minogue, Jessica Mauboy and Guy Sebastian, to name a few.
Once firmly established as a hip-hop dancer and choreographer, Ilona honed her talent for acting through short courses at NIDA, Screenwise and Screen Practice in Sydney. She now draws on her extensive knowledge and experience both in front of and behind the camera to manage production, direct talent, edit videos and craft emotive, personal stories from Simon’s compelling footage.
GET IN TOUCH WITH US
Why not drop us an email or give us a call to chat about your next vision?
Thanks for visiting! Great stories are made from the most unexpected encounters, we’re hoping to start a beautiful thing with you.
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