Black 12; On set Beautiful Youth Day 3

Greg finals on Tas wearing Stolen Girlfriends Club and Cybele

Sakura standing by wearing Cybele

Emiliene hair finals, wearing Stolen Girlfriends Club

Ariel wearing Glassons beret, Juliette Hogan

Above: Greg and Jannine at work with Mary wearing Alice Howard.

Below: Black Fashion Director Rachael Churchward

having a thoughtful moment.

Russ Flatt shooting at Kakamatua

Same crew; photographer Russ Flatt, fashion editor Rachael Churchward, hair editor Greg Murrell and make-up artist Margo Regan, different location and models. Kakamatua is a pretty Pohutakawa-laden harbour bay just short of Huia on Auckland's Manukau Harbour where the tide goes out a long way, and comes in very fast. It's also a handy 20 minute walk to our chosen location from the carpark so Greg Murrell and myself now have extra long gorilla arms from carrying flash unit batteries, but it was well worth the walk. Jannine @ Ryder was hair assistant. Models today were Tas and Ariel @ August, Sakura @ 62 Models and Mary and Emiliene @ Visage.

Black 12; On set Beautiful Youth Day 2

Greg Murrell adjusting the hair piece attached to Frankie's brushed-up 'fro

Sabine in make-up

David; model, and temporary photo assist

Attaching (and removing) hair pieces is harder than it looks

Hair pieces, sequins and a little more fluoro sparkled in the bush at Waiatarau yesterday for the second day of shooting our Beautiful Youth story for Black 12. Photographer Russ Flatt and fashion director Rachael Churchward teamed closely with hair editor Greg Murrell and make-up artist Margo Regan to continue themes and stories over the two days of the weekend and across eleven models. Models for Sunday were Sabine @ August, David @ 62 Models, Michael @ Vanity Walk and Frankie @ Visage. Here's a few close-up images of hair and make-up. Day 3 this Wednesday at an obscure and slightly-difficult-to-get-to-beach...

Black 11 - On Set - Blacklist

Over the past week, whilst on deadline, we have been shooting a number of nice final images for our Blacklist section with photographers Stephen Tilley, David Shields, Marissa Findlay and Daniel Max. Today we are shooting a retrospective Zambesi shot with Marissa, Georgia Fowler, Greg Murrell and Amber D. Rachael Churchward and Atip W have put together a hero retrospective outfit and as you can see above Atip decided to try it out first although it obviously won't look like this... The picture of Rachael blow-drying a silver jacket below is for our Karen Walker Resene paint story...the new range is something else with a bunch of hot metallics that are perfect for customising clothes as well as painting your kitchen...

Black 11 - On Set - Street Life

Ajoh, our favourite last top model, with make-up by Amber D

Levi surveys the burgers and wonders about "Mermaid Dollars"

Believe it or not Commerce Street in Auckland's Britomart district is an interesting place, even at 7 o’clock on a Thursday night. Multi-national food outlets dot either side of the wide-ish thoroughfare, there is a metallic carpark centre-piece and The White Lady, open for almost every day since 1948, lights it all up with her fairy lights and quality burgers. A good place for the third part of our shoot thought photographer Russ Flatt, and by and large it was. Then the er, freaks came out. In the case of Freaky Glasses Guy (below) and his impressive ensemble, it was a welcome intrusion. The Churchword commented that the combo of outfit, glasses and particularly the positioning of the eyewear on his head was a styling moment that she could not have thought up herself. Street magic.

Freaky Glasses Guy gets in the picture with Lewis

Rachael fits Ajoh into the Alexander Wangs

Angus pulls a pukana and (below) Russ Flatt's lens action...

Black 11 - On Set - A Rural Moment

Michael Whittaker glamours the town while lighting assistant Dan Max waits for Russ Flatt

Here is a snapshot of our shoot yesterday with Michael Whittaker and Natalya D (both at Clyne). Russ Flatt, Rachael Churchward, Greg Murrell and Amber D are shooting a story over three different days in as many locations with nine different models. Yesterday meant a trip to Puhoi although we have to admit that after 10 minutes of trying to use the pre-paid booth to drive through the new tunnel, we couldn't, it was broken, so we went round the old way over the hills. Here are a couple of sample images from one location in the iconic town. Thanks to Vicotria Bell and The Dennerleys.

Black Hair Editor Greg Murrell and Rachael Churchward do their final checks on Natalya

Rachael styling the lovely MAW dress on Natalya

In our experience, great NZ male models like to climb trees. So it was with Michael Whittaker yesterday...

A local waka!

Black 11 - On Set - Michael Whittaker & Stella Maxwell 2

Really good models know how to act a little when it is asked of them. So when Michael and Stella were asked for a little 'chemisty' by photographer Craig Owen, they didn't have too much problem creating some. Shot on a Sony Cybershot DSC-T900 and cut to the Eels Fresh Blood. We thought this was apt as Michael is a huge True Blood fan - as we are.

Black 11 - On Set - Michael Whittaker & Stella Maxwell

We are currently into day four of a five day shootathon and yesterday's beauty/fashion shoot with Craig Owen lived up to expectations. Stella Maxwell and Michael Whittaker where equally awesome as solo portraits as they were together. We will post a video a little later today from the shoot which quite simply says "chemistry" in a modelling sense. There is no doubt that these two have huge futures internationally - together they are dynamite. All images Grant Fell on a Sony Alpha 700

Hair Editor Greg Murrell preens Stella

Make-up artist Stefan Knight checks the shot with Craig Owen

Michael at work on screen

Michael at work on set

Black Fashion Director Rachael Churchward checks the Ruby Mariani outfit on Stella