Mark Anning is an Australian fashion, commercial and fine art photographer with more than 40 years experience working with some of the biggest names in the industry. Based on the Mid-North Coast of NSW, Mark can work to a client’s brief or collaborate with fashion designers, small or large retailers, and publishers to create images for their desired purpose. All photography by Mark Anning © 1980-2023
Mark Anning also has a MBA and years of experience in public relations, and understands the commercial requirements of photography. Mark compiles high-end composites, portfolios and lookbooks for models and fashion designers, without city prices.
More Piximix photos
Mark loves working with art nouveau, boho-bobo and classical styles, influenced by Norman Lindsay (not necessarily nudes or boudoir), and has a studio full of peacock feathers, Indian jewelry and bindis, nouveau fabrics and props to enhance the imagery. Current personal work explores the symbolism of ancient and classical mythology – The Old Ways.
We appreciate the theatre of fashion photography … the styling, posing, attention to minute details and the dress up. It is hilarious fun. We see fashion as a form of documentary – it places a ‘look’ in time and place.
Updating his photographic skills in Paris during 2021-2022 with the famed Speos Photo School & Magnum Photos, Mark has returned home and his keen to produce images that we can all be proud of. Preferably working on location, either in the street or natural environment, Mark has a comprehensive portable studio lighting kit.
During a portfolio review in 2021 with Magnum Photos nominee and brilliant feminist photographer, Miriam Boulos, Mark commented that his fashion work is “of women, for women and mostly by women. I’m the only male involved in the process”. She made the interesting observation that women come together to prepare themselves before they ‘present’ to the world. That ‘ceremony’ where women do hair, makeup and clothes is forbidden to men. That astute observation reinforces that it is a privilege to work in this industry and each day demands respect.
Mark Anning works with a female professional stylist who is there to give everyone a hand and ensure everyone feels safe. Working With Children accreditation can be shown although to be honest, we greatly prefer working with mature models. We can work TFP (Time For Prints) with models – both male and female.
All that said, its not about us … its all about the model and getting the best from them to produce the photograph that the client and public are pleased with. Collaboration is the key to successful photography. The end product must be aesthetically both beautiful and functional.
Background & training
After five years as an aerial survey photographer and navigator, and following the success of a best selling book of his aerial photography (Reader’s Digest Guide to the Australian Coast – search on eBay Australia) Mark Anning opened a photographic studio on the main street of Cronulla, a beachside suburb in southern Sydney. Mark quickly made a name for himself doing the fashion and entertainment pages for the suburban newspaper, St George & Sutherland Shire Leader, city magazines and working with the many professional models in The Shire.
Benz Bikinis, Cronulla, circa 1982-1983. These three images are the same woman, made within an hour of each other to a specific pose asked for by the advertising client so that their words could wrap around the model.
By 1984 he had moved into the city, working as assistant for well-known photographer Bob Watson on his commercial shoots (Grace Bros catalogs, etc), studying for a professional photography certificate with the Australian Centre for Photography (fashion tutor was Brett Hilder) and working with various retailers, model agencies (Chadwicks, Vivienne), fashion designers and magazines.
Naomi Watts in 1985. Photo by Mark Anning © 1985 All rights reserved
Mark Anning‘s fashion clients have included: Sportsgirl, Sussans, Grace Bros., Benz Bikinis, Jim Banks Surfwear, Piximix (TFP), dozens of small retailers and designers, and a LOT of magazines back in the 1980s.
In 1986 Mark joined Australian Associated Press (AAP) and his focus moved to wire service news, sport and documentary photography. After taking a hiatus from photography, he picked up a camera again in 2019, studied for the French equivalent of a masters in photography with Speos and Magnum Photos in Paris (still in progress) and is now keen to produce high quality assignments, portfolios and advertising.
We are looking forward to hearing from you and working with you to create those special images.
