Portraits for Individuals and Families.

"We like to be as happy with the photographs as you are"

Groups, Individuals or Families arranging private events can commission us to create a set of images of posed Portraits and candid photographs to provide a lasting memory of milestone events. We can work on location or at a home. We specialise in using natural lighting to produce classic images and we can produce black and white photographs for that timeless look displayed on the walls of your home. 

We prefer to undertake a needs assessment with clients to establish the boundaries and expectations before the event and this may include lighting and venue checks to ensure we are fully prepared. Our artisan approach means taking the time to ensure the image brief is met. Collecting the images required means we need to know in advance if the final images are to be printed or sized for splashing around social media or both.

We know how to use our photography to make small events look bigger and we take the time to gather images that include everyone. We expect you to arrange the photo permissions and inform your guests that you have a photographer in attendance. We are always happy when the client lets us know in advance who is not wanting to be photographed so we all avoid misunderstandings! 

Our packages are tailored to meet the needs of our clients and our fees are flexible. We do not charge by the hour, so we do not rush in and run around and disappear in a cloud of dust. Our fees are based around the time taken to create the images plus the time required to do editing of camera proofs that includes variables such as preparations for printing, colour touchups and resizings for social media.

We provide fee paying clients with a complete set of edited camera proofs and curate a gallery of the best images for your convenience and viewing pleasure. 

Community Events for Organisations.

We understand that photographs are an important way to document community history and our media coverage is an important way to make sure after an event the issue is seen and heard by decision makers and influencers in the public policy making sector.

We have a Sponsorship Program to document public events to highlight issues of public importance, especially if we support the issue, run by Not for Profit or Volunteer Organisations. To support the Ummah, we choose to promote Muslim businesses who share our values. We do charge a fee to photograph arts festivals and cultural events run by large funded groups or for profit organisations. 

Please note, we do not do candid photography at rallies or public events as we know it is important to obtain appropriate consent and our editing process smudges out the faces of background people to protect privacy.

It is impossible to collect images of everyone at large public events so we try to collect images that represent the event to support the organiser's mission. See our Palestine Rally Photographs in our Archives above. We do charge a fee to cover festivals for large funded organisations. 

Pet Photography

We understand that your fur babies are not just pets, they are members of your family and photographs of them provide lasting memories that of their lives with us. It's not just an excellent way to spoil yourself but good photographs are a big way to mitigate the future without them. For dog lovers, we will consider undertaking commissions of your fur baby. For cat lovers, we understand you know how difficult it is to get a good cat photograph and we're willing to work with you to collect an image package of the little people who rule your homes with rods of fur.

We like to undertake photography in a relaxed and low stress environment ergo in these days we prefer to cover events where alcohol or other substances are not on the menu. We can do weddings but for health reasons we are not currently providing this service. We would be prepared to provide our image making skills at a Wedding for people who like our particular photography style, support our mission and wish to utilise our photography service in conjunction to the main event photographer.

In the past James was a Board Member of the Brunswick LETS group in Melbourne so we are happy to discuss requests from Members of Community Exchange Systems.

More information can be obtained by contacting us through the Contact Us Page above. The CADT website is at www.caer-awen.org 

Al-Falaq Photography's mission is to provide an Artisan Muslim Photography Service with an Islamic Centre for Teaching and Learning (ICTL) to help both non Muslims and Muslims alike to gain a deeper understanding of Islam. 

Al-Falaq Photography is brought to you by copyright owner CADT Photography. CADT Photography, Est. by James Rendell in 1998, is a Family Owned and Operated Art Studio with an Interest in Health Policy, Culture and Community Development. The CADT website is at www.caer-awen.org 

James' Undergraduate Degree a Bachelor of Arts with a Double Major in Religious and English Studies from ECU. The academic practice in the Religious Studies Department was the phenomenology of religion including the the Abrahamic traditions and a focus on Research Methods, Psychology and Education. Thus James' initial contact with Islam came from an academic reading of the faith.

James completed a Post Graduate Diploma of Health Promotion at Curtin University in 1993 and has worked within the Health Policy, Research and Evaluation areas within the NGO and Charity Sectors. James was employed as a Health Promotion Officer with the Asthma Foundation of Victoria and a Research Assistant in the Centre for Teaching and Learning at the University of Sydney.

James began a journey into Photography when in 1998 he was given a professional level Nikon film camera in exchange for some pretty groovy house furnishings when leaving the Emerald City aka Sydney.

After a few years of events and landscape photography, in 2002, James completed the Graduate Diploma of Communications (Photomedia) at Edith Cowan University (ECU) in Mt Lawley and was accredited as a Journalist with the Media, Entertainment and Arts Alliance. 

At university the focus was on film processing and the then emerging digital photography industry. James' Portrait image making is informed by the work of August Sander (Germany), Dorothea Lange (USA), Diane Arbus (USA), and Alfred Stieglitz (USA) while his landscapes are inspired by the work of the great Ansell Adams.

 Upon graduation James invested in a Nikon D70 and embarked on a journey in making images of people and landscapes that involved travel as a photojournalist around Australia and overseas to Asia, Europe, South & North America and New Zealand where he completed the Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages at the English Language Academy at the University of Auckland.

According to the date stamp on the photographs, James' journey into Islam "proper" began in 2007 in the Cordoba Mosque in Spain. As is the case with many reverts this led to a practice of Islam that was at first in isolation, until he returned to Western Australia, and Mashallah, being in one spot for long enough, was able to connect with other Muslims to begin a journey inside a community. James now knows that  "anyone" can walk into a Mosque to pray and this website is a result of that engagement.

This website will provide Islamic resources, such as a Salat in English Salat that is being "designed" for non Arabic Reverts that you can see on the menu on the right and Links to other Muslim Community groups. The lived experience of reverts is very different to those who are brought as Muslims and so it is hoped that this website will provide some humble assistance for brothers and sisters who are new to the faith or seeking a deeper understanding about Islam.

Above: This is our first Landscape Gallery. James' style is influenced by the great Ansell Adams and his archives include images from Europe, Asia, Australia, North America, South America & New Zealand.

Like many people in the World the response to the Covid pandemic had a huge impact upon James.  The Events and Community and Photography activities that CADT was involved were forcibly ceased and James' found himself "retired" like many others. Thus Al-Falaq Photography is James' "un-retirement" in which he seeks to have a deeper engagement with Islam and a more balanced aka part time practice of photography.

In regards to Fee based Photographic Services, James is able to undertake private commissions for portraits for families and individuals plus Parties and Events for businesses and community groups. James does not currently undertake large wedding photography commissions though he is known to take along a camera to weddings he is invited to.

We're not for profit in orientation. Any fees we receive for our photography services go to maintaining our websites and providing our News and Community Events Photography. We're hoping to purchase a new camera before the end of the World, so get out your cheque books today! 

For those with an interest in symbology, the Seagulls in flight images from Norway and Scotland were chosen for our first gallery here, below, because the Seagulls, are like the new Al-Falaq Photography, and we're all winging it!