Photography | MagentaDot Brands

Lindsay McKenzie, with his restored 1970 Rambler Rebel SST in royal blue, leaning against the driver's door, showcasing the culmination of a 33-year quest.

A Journey Through Time: The Quest for a 1970 Rambler Rebel SST

January 31, 2025 / magentadotbrands.com / 1 Comment

For Lindsay McKenzie, the pursuit of owning a 1970 Rambler Rebel SST Coupe was not just a whim but a decades-long odyssey. The Rebel SST, revered among American muscle car enthusiasts, is celebrated for its unique blend of style, performance, and rarity. With its 304 V8 engine, the Rebel offers a potent mix of power and character, encapsulated in a design that stands out even among its contemporaries. Its right-hand drive configuration, a special feature for this particular model built in Kenosha, USA, adds a layer of exclusivity, making it a prized possession in the classic car community.

Three-quarter front view of a restored 1970 Rambler Rebel SST in royal blue, featuring chrome details and vinyl roof. — *Classic Beauty: The front profile of the 1970 Rambler Rebel SST, where mid-century classic charm meets modern restoration.*

McKenzie’s story begins in 1983, under the dim lights of a Friday night in Timaru, where a dark blue Rebel SST with a “For Sale” sign caught his eye. The car, with its vinyl roof and black interior, was in surprisingly tidy condition for its age. However, the absence of contact details meant McKenzie had to return later, only to find the car had vanished by Sunday. What followed was years of inquiries and searches, all in vain, until the car seemed more like a ghost than a tangible goal.

Restored 1970 Rambler Rebel SST in royal blue, showcasing its classic design and powerful 304 V8 engine, parked in a scenic outdoor setting. — *Revived Royalty: The 1970 Rambler Rebel SST, as fast as she is pretty reborn in royal blue, narrates a tale of passion and precision. A testament to the enduring allure of American muscle cars.*

Bearded man in grey marle t-shirt with 1970 Rebel SST design stands beside New Brighton Pier, pointing symbolically towards Chile.

Revving up a Classic Rambler: The Making of a 1970 Rambler Rebel SST Tee

January 23, 2025 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

Living in a small New Zealand country town, my friend and client, a Freezing Worker with a passion for restoring classic American muscle cars, especially those from American Motors, approached me with a unique commission. His project was to immortalise his cherished 1970 Rambler Rebel SST on apparel, inspired by an advertisement from the April 1970 issue of New Zealand’s Reader’s Digest.

Concept Development

The brief was clear—to recreate the black and white ad of the Rambler Rebel SST in colour, but with a modern twist suitable for today’s fashion. The first step was understanding the nostalgia and the essence of the car’s era. The brief to maintain the advertisement’s simplicity yet enhance it with a contemporary touch to resonate with both car enthusiasts and fashion aficionados.

The 1970 Rebel SST, one of the coolest muscle cars to come out of AMC… she’s as fast as she is pretty, and looks great on a grey marle t-shirt.

Reviving the spirit of 70s American muscle on New Zealand shores. This custom print of the 1970 Rambler Rebel SST, complete with the iconic American Motors logo, is captured beside the robust New Brighton Pier. If this pier were a freeway, it would take you all the way to Chile’s west coast!

Bearded man wearing a navy blue t-shirt featuring a 1967 AMC Marlin in a 1960s Grand Prix poster style, beside New Brighton Pier.

American Motors Marlin: From shutter to screen to t-shirt

December 4, 2024 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

Hey there! I’m just starting a project that’s close to my heart as a child of the 60s and a Graphic Designer. It involves a big, flashy 1967 American Motors car, the Marlin. This two-door fastback car produced by American Motors Corporation (AMC) from 1965 to 1967 is not your everyday car. The automakers really wanted to make something special, something that stood out. That’s how the 1967 American Motors Marlin was born. It came equipped with a powerful 343 cubic inch V8 engine to boot, which was a statement in itself. It was initially launched as the Rambler Marlin in 1965, but in 1966 and 1967 it was rebranded as the AMC Marlin.

1967 was the last year of production for the Marlin and is considered by many to be the most desirable due to its culmination of Marlin styling and beautiful proportions.

Man in navy blue t-shirt with 1967 AMC Marlin graphic standing next to New Brighton Pier. — *Marlin Magic: This navy t-shirt brings the sleek design of the 1967 AMC Marlin to life, set against the iconic, concrete expanse of New Brighton Pier under a clear blue sky.*

1928 Essex Super Six right hand side front three-quarter view

From Photo to Art: The 1928 Essex Super-Six Experience

December 3, 2024 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

Welcome to a journey where the past meets the future, where the classic lines of a 1928 Essex Super Six four-door car, whose chief selling point was “affordable luxury,” intermingle with the art of modern graphic design. I recently had the incredible opportunity to photograph this rare American vintage beauty in the car park of the historic Richmond Workingmen’s Club in Christchurch. Note that the gallery of images from the photoshoot is at the foot of the page.

Capturing the Essence:

A classic 1928 Essex Super Six four-door car photographed head-on — The 1928 Essex Super Six was designed to be an affordable luxury car, making it accessible to a wider range of car owners. It was equipped with a powerful 153.1 cubic inch inline-six engine that delivered 55 horsepower, providing ample power for its time.

Surface Active: The New Zealand Nature T-shirt Company

September 28, 2021 / magentadotbrands.com / 9 Comments

Retrospective: The New Zealand Nature T-shirt Company—Surface Active, 1986–2021

South Brighton, Christchurch, September 2021

Pleased to announce Chrissie Terpstra and Shaun Waugh, the design pARTners behind Surface Active—The New Zealand Nature T-shirt Company—have opened their second, New Zealand based online store.

Global store: Use Code “PERFEC” for 5% off.
New Zealand store

A coolie steps off a wooden cargo boat gangplank. These magnificent Makassar schooners called Pinisiat at the port of Sunda Kelapa, Jakarta, Indonesia.

The right picture: Batavia, old harbour of Jakarta

August 28, 2019 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

Sunda Kelapa, the old harbour of Jakarta, whispers tales of a bygone era.

Known as Batavia until 1949, the port was a centre of trade and cultural exchange; students of Captain James Cook are generally cognisant of Batavia’s prominence in the first voyage story. In this post I’ll take you on a visual journey through Sunda Kelapa, using this captivating location as a springboard to explore the art of choosing the perfect image.

The practice of self assignment can be one of a photographer’s most useful exercises. It is a highly personal experience in which the photographer becomes his own audience—there is no client to please, no specific requirements by which the photographs will be judged. It serves as a way to test your abilities should they ever be offered the “dream” assignment. This is an opportunity to make mistakes and learn from them. Some good images may be captured in the bargain. The purpose beyond any such practice should be to move beyond the ordinary, to break the photographic cliché.
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Auto Restorations website homepage after redesign, showing Automotive Dreams marketing slideshow and table of links to website feature articles and pages.

Energise an image heavy website

April 9, 2019 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

Energise an image heavy website by design

AUTO RESTORATIONS, 52 STEWART ST, CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND

Links to PDF of New Zealand Classic Car magazine cover story on the 1963 Ferrari 250 GT Lusso

Making it to the cover of Classic Car magazine, the superior quality of Auto Restorations’ work speaks for itself in this 6 page cover article (linked).

Established in 1973 Auto Restorations has a story to tell. Every year it must mobilise new car restoration projects. To do this it relies on existing clientele, affluent, discerning people who might already know of the company by word of mouth, prestigious Concours D‘Elegance ‘First In Class’ wins, the publicity that generates in classic car enthusiasts’ media, their advertising, website and brochure—sales brochures, basically—designed to showcase the superior quality of the work they do. Showcase the process of restoration, the completed works, among them some of the most refined and rare cars in the world, and do it justice with advertising and promotional material that has the maximum effect and gives the impression to their select international clientele of an organization worthy of trusting one’s precious, valuable car to.

Well crafted and well made custom built motor cars, widely regarded as some of the most rare and beautiful, are the results of the restoration process, a process which varies.
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Four of Auto Restorations skilled workforce wheel a custom body Delage Roadster into position in the carpark.

Informal portraiture at work

April 6, 2019 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

Informal portraiture in the workplace using available light

AUTO RESTORATIONS WORKSHOP, STEWART STREET, CHRISTCHURCH 2009–2012

When shooting informal portraiture avoid distraction from the most important purpose—getting photographs. These photos were shot and photo composites produced 2009–2012, they offer a historical profile of Auto Restorations during that time soon after Allan Wylie stepped up from the Mechanical Shop floor to the role of General Manager. Pictures of their employees on their redesigned website, and capabilities brochure in print helped Auto Restorations transform from a faceless company to people that their customers can relate to. The highly specialised, high value personal service that Auto Restorations’ workforce offer to customers is an advantage that they have over large companies, their multiple international Concours D’Elegance awards attest to this. Good photos of their skilled workforce reinforce this.
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Pomeroy’s staff group photo. Halloween Party 2008.

Pomeroy’s Petrifying Halloween Party 2008

March 29, 2019 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

Pomeroy’s, that pit of petrifying pestilence! Be afraid—be very afraid!

POMEROY’S FIRST HALLOWEEN PARTY, FRIDAY 31 OCTOBER, 2008

Galleries of good social event photography should be an energetic expression of the real event, which was such a great time. The photos need to do justice to it by conveying all of the paranormal pestilence and deadly energy of the night, and the sense of place, a Halloween Party in Christchurch’s favourite old English pub.
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Friendly “Meet the Staff” articles — more than a mug shot

March 26, 2019 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

The Pomeroy’s Press welcoming “Meet the Staff” profile articles are more than a mug shot, going above and beyond showing the pub staff’s faces is important and beneficial to improve connection with patrons.

People pictures add life to The Pomeroy’s Press

March 25, 2019 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

What nicer way to illustrate Pomeroy’s Old Brewery Inn’s “social capital” as a local English style pub, between 2003–10, than to picture their local clientele?

Excellent design conveys care

March 22, 2019 / magentadotbrands.com / No Comments

POMEROY’S ON KILMORE BOUTIQUE ACCOMMODATION, CHRISTCHURCH

Excellent design conveys care, craftsmanship, professionalism, it is beautiful to see and fun to do

THE BEST DESIGN—design that moves people’s hearts and minds—has something more. It expresses a concept, a great underlying vision that combines imagination and wisdom. Without a great concept, it is fair to say, design is only superficial decoration. A great concept is what gives purpose to the communication art of design. The design of Pomeroy’s on Kilmore Boutique Accommodation’s brand and corporate identity components, from signage to print & web, to bathroom products is all about vision—the art of imagining and thinking and seeing a world that does not yet exist, and that needs graphic design to bring that to life.

Pomeroy’s on Kilmore boutique accommodation signage

Entrance to Pomeroy’s on Kilmore Boutique Accommodation.

Pomeroy’s on Kilmore Boutique Accomodation custom bathroom product range packaging.

Pomeroy’s on Kilmore custom bathroom product range packaging.

“Pomeroy’s and daughters and son” is a family business, having welcomed lots of guests through its doors over the previous eighteen months, in 2007–8 Steve and Victoria Pomeroy decided to complete their plans to fully refurbish, upgrade and rebrand the colonial villa, formerly known as Pomeroy’s B&B from 2006. Snug, comfortable Pomeroy’s on Kilmore Boutique Accommodation is centrally located next door to Christchurch’s own historic, English-style pub! Managed by Ava the atmosphere is private and personal, complete with delicious continental breakfast, what more could you ask for but their fantastic value tariff? Steve’s career in construction and Victoria’s flair for interior design came together in a great luxury b&b concept that positioned Pomeroy’s on Kilmore as a top of the line B&B.
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