Dubai Dreaming

Off the back of the Wolgan Valley project, Emirates have seen fit to fly Linzi and I to Dubai for a three night stay at their flagship resort, Al Maha. We had the pleasure of travelling the 14 hours from Sydney in the luxury of their new A380 business class. Definitely something to set the old class of business firmly in the past.

Dubai really is a city of contradictions. A metropolitan building site sprouting unique and varied skyscrapers straight out of the desert. 

Iconic amongst them is the Burj Al Arab, the sail like hotel sitting on its own little island a few meters offshore. Billed as the world’s most luxurious hotel, one doesn’t get further than the throng of tourists at the front gate without a lunch or dinner reservation. 

 As much as I found the gold arabesque interior on the tacky side of opulent, it was as equally impressive on the inside as it is on the out. Towering atrium, glass elevators, shimmering gold doors and wall sized aquariums.

 

 I found myself mesmerised by the water feature dominating the foyer with a captivating dance of jumping spurts and perfectly synchronised arcs.

Retail is clearly a big feature of life in this 50 degree heat. Boasting the world’s biggest shopping mall for one and the only mall in the world with its own indoor ski slop for seconds. Pretty wild.

A city linked together by a labyrinth of freeways that seem to have no logic to their destination and no way to escape.

 
Jumerah Beach Hotel as seen from the Burj Al Arab

Wolgan Valley's newest Ad

I opened The Good Weekend last Saturday in The Sydney Morning Herald to be greeted by Emirate's latest advertising offering for Wolgan Valley. The new ad features a massage under the trees deep in the Australian bush that I shot at the end of last year. It was all part of a very major production my team from The Photo Studio and I undertook on behalf of Dubai advertising agency Insignia.

The project was broken into two stints. The first in the lead-up to the opening on October 1st and the second 6 weeks later. In all we produced a massive 150 images for the resort for use on their website, collateral and now the mainstream advertising.

The wooden deck is suspended over the creek that is home to the very reclusive and somewhat bizarre Australian native platypus. Hence the name of this tranquil spot, Platypus Deck.

For me its one of those photographs that captures a scene of luxury and tranquility, just like the headline says, without actually showing the resort. Sometime less very definitely is more. Its the third time now that a luxury resort has asked me to come up with a signature image using this concept. The first was back in 1994 when I launched Banyan Tree's original landmark property in Phuket, Thailand. That was followed in 2001 by Novotel's Daydream Island on The Great Barrier Reef. Now Emirate's 6 Star Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney completes the trifecta.

 

 Novotel Daydream Island

 

Banyan Tree, Phuket

B&W Party rocks the Piano Bar

My studio had a bit of fun recently with our little portable studio out on the town. This year's Black & White party fundraiser was held at the elegant Piano Bar over looking William Street last Thursday. A glittering event populated by a bevy of beautiful women and stylish men, all there to help raise much needed funds for the Habitat for Humanitie's Haiti Appeal. And as a fitting contribution The Photo Studio was there with its Mini-Studio capturing the glitz and glamour of the guests. Guests were treated to their own mini fashion shoot followed by a bit of creative enhancement with the retouchers. The final result was an Ultrachrome print that I'm pretty certain is holding pride of place somewhere at home. Thanks to a great team that made the night something quite unique.

North's New Website

Finally I have a new website up and running. http://www.northsullivan.com/  and not before time I know. For those of you out there with an interest in the life and times of this wayward photographer, I have posted a few of the more recent projects on this renewed site, together with those much loved from previous projects.

One of the highlights for 2009 was Wolgan Valley Resort and Spa, Emirates’ new $100million luxury destination just west of The Blue Mountains. The perfect place to chill out in the Aussie bush. We spent a very full couple of weeks at the end of last year capturing the resort in all its glory. If you are in Australia and saw the ads in The Weekend Australian and the like, that was mine.

Australia Day was also a bit of fun, chasing the Navy’s new NH90 helicopter up and down the Harbour. Quite some machine at AUD$90million a piece. Its a while since I had the chance to fly down Sydney Harbour on a perfect blue day and this was one to remember. Hovering over the Opera House and looping around the Harbour Bridge is just an awsome experience.

And 150 Locals is there. The big portrait project I took on with fellow Glebe photographer Tom Psomotragos. It was a chance to capture some of Glebes colourful identities culminating in an outdoor exhibition to celebrate the suburbs 150th anniversary. I really love the Grand Portrait genre. Thanks to colin at CR Kennedy I had the splendid H3 to capture the wonderful folk in literally all their glory.

With this blog I hope to be dropping the odd morsels of North wisdom on the unsuspecting public from time to time. What and when is a complete unknown so I guess you’ll just have to check back occasionally to see.

In the meantime, check the new site. http://www.northsullivan.com/.