A man standing in front of a no standing and stop sign down an Alley in Melbourne CBD, Taken by Matthew Maguire

Recently, I had the pleasure of capturing the essence of Victorian musician Stephen Black. Stephen discovered my work through an Instagram ad and reached out, seeking a grungy aesthetic – a style that happens to be my absolute favorite in portrait photography.

We started the session meeting on Collins Street in the heart of Melbourne’s CBD. I arrived a bit earlier and scoped out the area for unique lighting and cool backgrounds, which is a task that led me down a lot of random alleyways. Stephen rocked up in a black denim jacket, a material that carries natural light in funky ways, especially when it comes to black and white photos.

Stephen's request for candid shots allowed me to employ my street photography skills, capturing him organically moving between shooting locations. To maintain a raw and authentic feel, I focused on the narrative and his body's movements, resulting in captivating motion blur in some action shots.

Man with beard walking through Chinatown on a sunny day wearing a denim jacket

A man with a beard walking through the streets of the Melbourne CBD under construction trestles. Taken by Matthew Maguire

A photo of a man from behing walking past a marble building with bright sun. Taken by Matthew Maguire

The lighting outside St. Michaels church was perfect so we took a moment to shoot on the stairs, I had Stephen sit however he felt most comfortable, this can be hard with a camera facing you so as he sat down I took a second to prepare my camera, clean the viewfinder, and set my settings up to alleviate some of the pressure he might have been feeling.

A photo of a man standing outside of The Craft Squire in Melbourne CBD. Photographed by Matthew Maguire

I knew I wanted to shoot around Chinatown, I love the grungy environment there. From the overflowing bins to the smoke-filled air. It is perfect for photos. Along the way we made a few stops when I saw cool lighting or a background that caught my eye. It was important for me during this shoot that I find environments that would complement Stephen's choice of shooting style but not overshadow him in anyway. I made sure to use a shallow depth of field for most of our shots except for the photo taken outside The Crafty Squire. This photo was taken using the harsh light created by the sun as a frame. I wanted to try something a little different and decided that a wide-angle shot could break up any sort of monotony in the series. He is still very much the subject of the image, but it takes a bit of searching to find him.

Discovering Stephen's penchant for cigarettes, we incorporated this into the shoot, attempting to use smoke to add a touch of mystery. Despite the wind dispersing the smoke quickly, we achieved some striking images. I asked Stephen to take his jacket off so we could mix the images up and I found that the white shirt underneath would shine super bright in the sun. This took us into what I fondly call Creed-inspired-shooting (I feel like listening to the band creed while viewing the following photos is appropriate). Standing on a traffic island, I framed Stephen with passing cars, capturing three distinct yet basic portraits. This shoot allowed me to explore various genres of portraiture, from environmental to creative, adding a layer of artistic expression beyond traditional portraits. Post-production was a meticulous process, given the complexity of some shots. Each image underwent multiple treatments to achieve the desired tone and coloring. The collaborative nature of this shoot, with someone who trusts my creative vision, made it a truly enjoyable and rewarding experience.