DO YOU KNOW OF A GREAT REDHEAD OR ALBINO FOR TANIA'S LATEST SERIES?

Meet 12yr old Otto Flaherty of Tamarama. Do you think he looks bored? Well he was pretty bored, and that's what Tania delighted in capturing. Tania said "I am so accustomed to photographing people looking very happy and presenting their very best side, that it was a nice change to capture 'normal adolescent' behaviour. Otto is wearing a shirt his mum got him in Guatamala (which he had never worn before and wasn't too impressed with) and his old fluoro board-shorts which are his favourite.

I bumped into Otto and his dad Tim when we were photographing a family at Tamarama Beach. Otto's vibrant hair and features were like a beacon and caught my attention, as I had been eagerly looking for redheads to start my new portrait series." If you know of any redheads or Albino folk that have a unique look, and would like to be considered for upcoming concepts please ask them to email a pic to tania at info@niwaphotography.com accompanied by a little personal info. Tania is interested in writing about the heritage of each redhead she photographs.

Otto is the only one in his family to have red hair. Otto's mum Jacinta Lynch said her background is Danish/Polish and Irish and husband Tim Flaherty is Irish. "We used to argue who was responsible for red hair both claiming about three or four generations back there was a redhead but of course we are both responsible as you need two recessive genes to make a redhead. It is thought that redheads will die out in about 100 years as less people with the recessive genes are meeting up."

NEW PORTRAIT SERIES OF 'ARTISTS AND THEIR SELF PORTRAITS' BY TANIA NIWA

Tania has started a series of portraits of artists and their 'painted self portraits'. Here Tania has captured expat New Zealander, Stephanie Brown of Narrabeen (pictured). Steph who is a former production manager of Niwa Photography is a full time professional artist who has been accepted into a number of high ranking national exhibitions including the 2010 Salon des Refuses at Observatory Hill (selected from all Archibald entrants).

Stephanie has titled this photograph 'My former Self'. Steph's self portrait shows her at the beginning of her career in 2008. Now in 2010 Steph has really established herself quickly with acceptance into highly ranked exhibitions and so many commissions to keep up with. When Steph worked for us she really had no idea about how gifted she was. As a team we worked on creating individual vision boards and setting goals. This is when Steph started being drawn towards her true calling as an artist. Tania commented, "I know that three years ago there is no way Steph would have even wanted me to photograph her as she was so shy. She was happy when there was no attention on her. Steph is now a very strong and quietly confident artist, as you can see here."

PAINTING CREATED OF TANIA NIWA BY ARTIST STEPHANIE BROWN

Tania has been very lucky to be asked to be have her portrait painted by talented former employee Stephanie Brown www.stephaniebrown.com.au. 'Steph' worked as Production Manager for Niwa Photography a couple of years ago, until she became a full time professional artist. Steph has chosen to portray Tania's important New Zealand Maori ancestry. You can see Tania's Tribe's sacred Maori Meeting House called "Owae Marae", sitting before the rise of Mount Taranaki and spiritual representations of her Grandmother Miriama Niwa who died when Tania's dad was 9yrs old. Directly below her you can also see Tania's Great Great Great Grandfather Te Porikapa, a warrior scout for the pacifist Taranaki Tribe. Te Porikapa had a full facial tribal moko (tattoo).

Tania said she is deeply moved by what Steph has achieved in her portrait. "It has taken me a while to get used to seeing myself larger than life and with an intense gaze but I am also very humbled that Steph wanted to paint me as being someone who has influenced her. Seeing myself in this painting has been a very confronting and maturing experience but has brought home to me the central importance of heritage and place in my own life. What Steph has encapsulated really does reveal who I am and where I am from."

Steph set out to create a dark, dramatic and intense portrait of Tania. The artist commented that it is always a shock in the beginning to be confronted by oneself. Steph explained, "The painting is about being away from New Zealand but still being connected to culture and family. It's those moments of reflection we remember with a slight ebb of melancholy, pride and longing. New Zealand has a moody, dramatic undercurrent that can cut right through you and I've intensified the drama in your eyes and forehead and find the culture within and around you." Narrabeen based ,Steph is originally from Matamata in the Waikato of NZ.

Niwa Photography Tailored Workshop

Recently Tania Niwa ran a tailored workshop for an avid photo enthusiast Joslyn Davis. Joslyn is a member of the North Sydney Camera Club and wanted the experience of photographing portraiture in a studio environment under Tania's guidance using my models with French/African/German heritage.

NIWA PHOTOGRAPHY HAS NEW STUDIO SPACE IN BROOKVALE

Niwa Photography are enjoying their new space on Old Pittwater Rd in Brookvale, with lots of space to have an indoor shooting studio. Tania has been busy photographing all sorts of portraits, and is now also offering funky, fun studio portraiture that will appeal to the 17 to 35 year age bracket. See images above of Swimwear Designer Sophie Daly of solbellow.com. Sophie trained with Tania when she was at University.