Modewest

88 Stars

It’s been a while since I last did portraits. I arrive at the hotel at 9.45am. It’s too early and I need to wait for my subjects to get out of the lecture. There are 88 of them. I have been hired to photograph an astrophysicist convention in a well known Blue Mountains resort. These are probably the most intelligent portrait subjects I’ll ever...

Know Your Customer

Have you noticed that when you buy something from an online bookshop you’ll soon receive their suggestions on what to buy next? There is a huge push in the consumer contact industry to collect metrics, preferences and tracking data to capture buying trends. Merging and cross-referencing data across various platforms helps companies build their individualised customer profiles. The purpose is to provide customers personalised...

Basics of Essential Oils Part 2: Topical

In the last issue of Modewest, we explored the healing properties of essential oils on the body and mind from the simple act of smelling them—the aromatic benefits of essential oils. In this issue, we’ll look at how essential oils can soothe muscle aches and pains, reduce skin irritations and sores and provide other healing benefits through topical application. What are essential oils? Essential...

The Zero Inbox

A couple of decades ago written communication was slow, but ‘snail’ mail and fax allowed us to think about our response—and we could get things done while waiting for a reply. From the 90s onward email has taken their place. With the constant barrage of spam and marketing emails, as well as our personal and business correspondence, managing our inboxes has become a stressful...

The New Residents

When I arrived to photograph the house in Leura, the new residents were sipping champagne in the upstairs kitchen with the architect and the ever-jovial building company boss, my employer on this job. Everything in the house was new. It had no curtains, no personal belongings. The owners had just been handed the keys and may not have felt the house belonged to them...

People Matter: The Formula for Business Growth

There is a hackneyed old phrase we all have heard—it is trotted out often enough by business owners, advisors and managers. “Your people are your biggest asset”, they chant in unison. And who has not rolled their eyes at the sound of yet another hollow platitude that makes not one iota of difference to the lives of staff and business owners? Greg Mitchell, Principal...