Out of the Blue - In the City Summer 2010/11 Photoshoot

A case of the Casey fever

Casey Donovan - what a doll. Perhaps it's my sense of pride, but I always get my back up a little when I'm sent to cover the celebrity yarn.
Aloof air in place, I was ready to show this 20-something diva that not all us mere mortals get stars in our eyes in the presence of fame.
Half an hour later I walked out of the Canberra Theatre Centre feeling like I'd met a kindred spirit.
Eloquent, media-savvy and just plain lovely is Casey Donovan. I kept having to remind myself all through the interview just how young she was, and again that night when she treated a VIP crowd to a rendition of Heard It through the Grapevine. I'm not sure how someone with such a set of pipes can be so down to earth, but I hope the lesson sticks after this particular brush with fame.
See the full article in In the City summer 2010/11.

Cream of a very tasty crop

The delights highlighted in the 20 Summer Treats spread in In the City summer 2010/11 made our mouths water; perhaps none so profusely as Dieci e Mezzo's macaroons.

French pastry chef Eric Menard whips up the mouth-watering treats at the premises on a daily basis.

Slightly crunchy on the outside but soft and chewy on the inside, the gentle tang of the creamy fruit filling will drive your senses wild. 

There are four summery flavours to choose from in these brightly coloured and perfectly rounded French delights:  Mandarin, strawberry, passionfruit and pistacchio.

At $4 each, they're the perfect treat to enjoy in the shiny new setting of Dieci e Mezzo at the bottom of ActewAGL House on the corner of Bunda and Mort Streets.

Make sure you partake of the article in In the City summer 2010/11.

Out of the Blue: in front of the lens

 Lesley Johnston, Make-up Artist


Predominantly involved in fashion and dipping into freelance television and celebrity event make-up, Lesley has been working with make-up since 2006.
For Lesley, it’s not just the creativity of make-up art, but the opportunity to work with a diverse range of people that keeps it interesting; “Every woman is different in what she needs to feel beautiful and I enjoy finding out what that is and showing how to achieve that look.”
Keeping “obsessively” up-to-date with current looks for each season, Out of the Blue was her latest project; “For this shoot my inspiration was drawn from the colours and looks of summer,” she says.
“Golds, teals, greens and a strong brow. Also I deliberately broke away from the old ‘eyes or lips’ rule to do both colourful eyes with bold lips – this is just one of the new looks coming for the next season, expect to see it more and more in the coming months.”
Email: lesleyaajohnston@gmail.com or visit www.lesleyjohnston.carbonmade.com


 Eleanor Daly, 22 Out of the Blue photoshoot Model



Born and raised in Canberra, Eleanor is about to begin her final semester of a law and commerce degree at ANU.
In between, she works at a wine bar in the city on weekends and at a café in the city during the week.
Beauty and brains are mixed with a laidback outlook; “I am not sure what I will do with my degree but I am crossing my fingers that an amazing job awaits.”
The last of the models to join Out of the Blue, she loves her lifestyle in Canberra City.
“Living close to town makes life easy,” she says.
“I am really excited about the coming summer and looking forward to the longer days. This summer I am going backpacking through Southeast Asia. I hope it will be a mix of adventure and relaxation.”


 Carla Brown, 23 Out of the Blue Photoshoot Model



Taking advantage of Canberra’s changing seasons to split time between the beach and the slopes has been a big change from the Northern Territory climate Carla grew up in.
“I love how Canberra City has become a great place to go out for dinner and cocktails with friends and also a bit of dancing,” she says.
An aspiring medical imaging student, Carla likes to live life spontaneously and try new things – the very attitude that landed her in Out of the Blue; “The In the City shoot was a lot of fun, although we experienced a variety of weather changes throughout the day, which kept everyone on their toes,” she said.
“The best part of the day however, was finally being able to cool off in the pool for the last shot after a long day shooting in the sun and heat.”


Tess McGinness, 21 Out of the Blue Photoshoot Model

Currently signed with the biggest PA agency in Sydney Grayboy The Agency and working as a singer, dancer and actress, Tess aspires to travel next year and take classes in America and Europe and intends to move there permanently to pursue the many job opportunities in Los Angeles or in London.
A firm believer that “everything happens for a reason”, however, she adheres to her mother’s adage; “you can't arrive before the journey”.
Originally a Canberran, she came all the way home to appear in Out of the Blue.
“It was such a highlight for me,” she says.
“I worked with an amazing crew, gorgeous models and had the privilege of wearing some amazing summer pieces. It was great to come home and work with some outstanding homebred talent. Canberra holds some incredible artists.”

Delightful dwellings

In the natural course of writing for a magazine like In the City, one creative leads to another. One success story leads to another. One fashionista, one business heavyweight, one philanthropist and so on.

As such, we have no fear of running short of ideas for articles. High-flying lawyer Emma Hlubucek made an appearance in our spring 2010 photoshoot Urban Clique, during which we stumbled onto the concept for this article. A glimpse of her plush apartment in the heart of the city was all we needed to be inspired.

Emma's ambition spills over into all areas of life, and her immaculate apartment is testimony to that. We were inspired by her pop stylings and forraged about the city to find out how readers could channel a bit of Emma.

Make sure you check it out in In the City summer 2010/11.

Do you live in the city? Are you proud of your pad? Think it might be a candidate for My Home in the city? Write to us and send some pictures of the quirky features, interior pizzazz, decor, design, art or architecture. We'd love to share your interior design finesse with our readers. 

He won!

Meet the ACT Local Hero 2011. Alan was nominated by our very own Joni Scanlon who, while interviewing him for In the City Spring 2010, was moved by this man's remarkable dedication to the Salvation Army. We followed his progress closely: from making the short list, to the finals and finally, to his victory. Cheers went up in the office, but none so loud as Joni's, who was lucky enough to attend the night.

"To see him accept the award in front of a packed hall full of admiring people was such a wonderful experience," she said.

"He was gracious, thankful and just a little bit cheeky in his acceptance of the award."

Rapt that Alan was recognised on such a  prominent platform, Joni said the acknowledgment couldn't have gone to anyone more deserving or humble; “Alan is an approachable man, with plenty of time for everyone," she said.
"He loves a chat and is deceptively observant of the comings and goings around him when he collects.
"He is passionate about the work the Salvation Army does and truly cares."

So if you happen to visit the Canberra Centre any time soon, make sure you swing by Alan's way, say "hi" and a hearty congratulations.

Coco didn't make the cover

Coco the dog was not actually part of the plan.
I know, hard to believe - she just seems made for this shot. We spotted this designer canine tottering through Glebe Park enjoying the warmth of the day and simply couldn't resist her. A big thank you to the very obliging owner who let us borrow her for a shot or two - the camera loves her! So much so that this was originally our cover shot.

We first envisaged the lovely Miss Luton and her boyfriend Daniel Saunders enjoying an urban bike ride through the city. The shot just wasn't working for us, and when some early showers began to rain on our parade we moved the show to this beloved green space.

By then the rains had stopped and there was this angelic, post-sunshower light filtering through the canopied pathways. It resulted in the shot that bumped poor Coco off the cover (but we still love you, girl).

Civic Pool never looked so good

Conveying that feeling of immense freedom that signals the end of another Canberra winter, this season's fashion shoot was entitled Out of the Blue.
On the day of the shoot Civic Pool was flaunting its summer appeal - sun-soaked skies and water glistening with a hundred-thousands sparkles played backdrop to this season's latest looks.
Add three gorgeous girls, the colourful ensembles of head stylist Miled Achi and his precocious assistant Lisa Tea and the photography of our Rohan Thomson - and you're onto a winner.
Get the full picture at the Gallery.

Yes, they are from the same family

Marijana                            Ana                                   Diana


Oh, I know. And here's the clincher: they not just beautiful, they're vivacious and successful, too.
Irritating, isn't it?

What makes the cut?

Still swimming in the progressively muted glory of the previous issue, it always comes as a bit of a surprise when the powers that be announce it’s time to start the next.

An small clutch of people from each department – advertising, editorial and design – is invited to the Boardroom. We use this room because the table is big, and made of wood and makes us feel pretty awesome.

The quarterly brainstorm commences – we go around the table, each presenting our ideas for content. The advantages of working with such a diverse body of people always reveals itself at these meetings.

We just had the In the City summer 2010 launch

Wow. It seems like just yesterday we were putting the spring issue to bed. All I can say is:

Photography in motion

The Intellects



The Rebels



The Artists

Meet our "Clique"

On the search for Canberra's elusive soul

It was kind of like vintage shopping - we had to know where to look, and do our fair share of foraging, but the gems that formed our 'urban clique' were definitely there. That's the thing about the people of Canberra - there is so much more to it than meets the eye. Individuals form the fabric of a city's cultural landscape, and in the process of creating this photo shoot, we discovered that Canberra has a very rich and eclectic tapestry of people.

Hot off the press!

In the City has just arrived back from the printers and is sitting on pallets out the back of our dock ready for insertion into Monday's paper!

Behind the scenes

Photoshoot Spring 2010

A mammoth team of hairstylists, make-up artists and assistants all came together to orchestrate two crazy days of shooting. Take a sneak peek behind the scenes.

Do you recognise this man?

I was highly emotional when Joni Scanlon returned to the office after her interview with the protagonist of the article entitled Silent Salvation. Joni is planning on nominating Canberra's own Alan Jessop for Australian Senior of the Year.

The gentleman returns

The latest edition has the usual mix of interesting feature articles, including one that ties in perfectly with the launch of this blog.

Secrets of the Urban Clique

There is so much happening in our city that we can’t fit it all into In the City magazine - hence this blog.

The other reason we launched this site is that, at some point or another during the process of compiling the magazine, all the people who contribute to its content will have just a little bit more to say about a topic. For example, there was a lot more to the concept of our photo shoot than meets the eye.

In the City SPRING 2010

The spring 2010 edition of In the City magazine hits the town on August 30. We're chuffed with our gorgeous cover shot. Taking a photo that says 'spring' at the tail-end of a Canberra winter is no mean feat - but lucky for us, the courtyard garden at the NFSA is pretty and green year-round.

This is only the third edition, but this fledgling magazine is very quickly gaining momentum. The mag has won two awards and has been bumped up from tri-annual to quarterly – so the next one is only three months away.

Aimed at helping everyone get to know the city a little better, the magazine provides a guide on great eats, fashion and fun in the city’s eclectic suburbs. Stay tuned for news, a calendar of events and competitions that will be exclusive to the blog.

Shot on location at the National Film and Sound Archives
Photographer: Rohan Thomson
Styled by: Miled Achi
Models: Alex Tandl and Kate Prowse
Hair: Cataldo's Hair Salon
Make-up: Ben Veenkamp

Kate's cover look

Thanks to our friends at MAC Cosmetics (Opening September 11, exclusive to Myer Canberra Centre) we transformed our gorgeous cover model Kate Prowse using this season's beautiful berry trends.

1. MAC Pro Longwear Concealer NW25, $32.00 2. MAC Pro Longwear SPF 10 Foundation NC35, $54.00 3. MAC Superslick Liquid Eye Liner Signature Blue Dark navy with soft pearl, $30.00  4. MAC Eye Shadow x 4 – Palace Pedigreed $72.00 5. MAC Mineralize Blush Pet Me Light yellow pink with soft pearl (Frost), $43.00 6. MAC Lipglass Docile Dirty lavender with pearl, $34.00 7. MAC Lipstick Superior Sheer lavender pink with dazzle pink pearl (Dazzle), $35.00 .

Fit for a cover?

The search is on to find the perfect outfit for Kate to wear on the cover of the spring edition of In the City magazine... The tall, leggy brunette is the perfect fit for the season's hottest trends.

Clothes, bling and shoes!

Our office has been turned into a makeshift fashion cupboard as we prepare for our massive photoshoot. Clothes, shoes and accessories have all been sourced from our friendly retailers in Canberra City. We have some outstanding pieces from sass&bide, Soho Dezigns, Mimco, Myer and Saba to name a few...