Have just returned from Melbourne where I was fortunate to visit the Edward Steichen & Art Deco Fashion exhibition currently showing at National Gallery of Victoria [NGV] This beautiful exhibition has more than 200 photographs on display. It captures the golden age of fashion and photography showing the sophistication and elegance of fashion in stunning monochrome photographs! During the period 1923 – 1938, Edward Steichen was the chief photographer for Vogue and Vanity Fair: fashion’s most influential and glamorous magazines. Steichen created photos which were imaginative portraits of style talent and glamour. His amazing and groundbreaking work revolutionised fashion photography and subsequently influenced generations photographers worldwide.

During my stay in Melbourne I also met for a quick chat with photographer Bob Van Der Toorren who operates from the prestigious Block Arcade since 1978. In the early days when he started working in photography, he once shot twelve wedding in one day! Van Der Toorren had was equipped with only one flash light from the studio that employed him at the time “due to the high cost”. On a typical wedding, he was given only twelve negative sheets and was expected to create at least eight usable wedding photographs out of these. Bob was the first ever student in the southern hemisphere to graduate with a “Associate Diploma in Illustrative Photography”. He is an Accredited Full Member of Australian Institute of Professional Photography [AIPP], specialising in portraits. An AIPP Certified Photographer, in 2013 Van Der Toorren received Honorary Life Membership from AIPP!