As part of her fundraising efforts for the Leukaemia Foundation’s U.G.L.Y Bar Tender Challenge, Walcha barmaid Bek Harrison has teamed up with photographer Stef Cook to produce a calendar featuring local talent.
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“Bek approached me to photograph her calendar of semi-nude locals,” said Stef.
“We are currently half way through the shoot and I am amazed what people are willing to do for Bek. She has lined up a good mix of man candy and beautiful ladies of all shapes and sizes. As nude posing is a new experience for most of our models, we had some great laughs along the way, setting the scenes and developing the poses. Everybody has been amazing so far, as it isn’t easy to expose yourself to a stranger in this way. I would like to thank everyone involved for ‘bareing all’ for us.”
Stef recently moved her photographic studio from the family property into town.
“I have been doing family portraiture work in my home studio at the farm, but always dreamt of having a designated space somewhere else,” said Stef.
“We spent the last four weeks renovating the premises on Fitzroy Street, which we had to do mainly at night, as we have a three-year-old daughter. After a couple of all-nighters, the studio is finally open for business, and I just love how it has turned out.”
Stef says she fell in love with portrait photography while working in a pharmacy in Hamburg.
“I always enjoyed people watching and my work at that time gave me that insight into people’s lives and personalities.”
After travelling and a short time spent living in South Africa, Stef moved to London where she met her future husband Hugh while working in a market research call centre.
“He stole my heart, we moved in together, and I enrolled at the University of the Arts,” Stef said.
“I worked as an assistant for a female glamour photographer and a music photographer. During that time I also started working with bands myself and shooting gigs. Hugh was working as a guitar technician for touring bands, so I got to tag along, and shoot behind the scenes. “
In 2008, the couple were married and decided to relocate to Hugh’s hometown in Sydney where they lived for two years.
“Then Hugh’s dad asked us to move up to Walcha, to run his cattle farm ‘Gleneagles’,” said Stef.
“As neither of us comes from a farming background, it sounded like a joke at first. We gave it some thought and decided to give it a shot. That was in 2010, and we’re still standing.”
Out soon, the U.G.L.Y 2017/18 calendar must be pre-ordered from Bek Harrison before November 12.
Vanessa Arundale
Everyone has a story to tell and I like to help them do it.
Everyone has a story to tell and I like to help them do it.
