I think I take photographs because my memory is so bad.. It is a strange process to look back at your year of work/play. A photograph takes me straight back to the moment it was captured; a moment that may have been stressful because of the rain, surprising because of the outcome or wonderful because of the new friend you made.
Below are my favourite ten shoots from 2014 that overflow with memories of new friends, old friends, tricky failure, roads crossed,success, adventures and personal triumph! Certainly in no particular order.
Dick Diver album cover: Last shoot at the ever wonderful Patti building. Dick Diver good friends that are very tricky to photograph. A very casual shoot unlike how I usually approach a portrait session!
Contained:Singapore : Contained is a series of 32 photographic portraits produced during my two-week residency at
Tropical lab 2014 in Singapore.Although Contained refers to personal stories, its ultimate function is to point beyond them. By
capturing the point at which the personal intersects with the political, the project sets out to
provoke the underlying tensions and reactions to the overtly controlled patriotism in Singapore. The 32 portraits feature strangers I met on the streets of Singapore. I requested that each subject
wear a “I love Sg”T Shirt that was made in China, imported to Singapore and purchased with
Australian dollars. Lasalle School of Art.
DasBoot As part of the Next Wave Festival, Das Boot was a car boot sale with a difference. Instead of the usual Bric a Brac seen at car boot sales, this one had items of Visual Arts from emerging and established artists in the boots of cars.
I collaborated with my dear friend and art director genius Esther Justin to create a "taxi Cab" confessional. What unfolded was some really intense, funny and dark confessionals from our 100+ visitors.
Frankie Magazine: Portraits: Its always such a pleasure when the lovely people at Frankie Magazine ask for my photo taken services. This year they have sent me all over Melbourne shooting lovely people from actors to lovers and everyone in between. These two are from an article looking at "how we met". We shot the portrait in their front room of their North Melbourne house.
Courtney Barnett: A day of portrait taking, road tripping and coffee drinking for the wonderful and talented Courtney Barnett. Its so exciting to see her musical talents rise, rise and rise. Look out 2015.
Chopped Festival for Levi's: I spent two days photographing Chopped, a drag racing where it started in the dirt! Hundreds of cars and bikes rattled by the sounds of 25+ bands belting the roots of rock music to thousands of Rockers, Petrol Heads, Hipsters & Greasers. Best of all it was in Newstead - right near my home town.
Masters project:My Real Estate Through photographing self-portraits at 15 of my prior homes I examined my experience of place
and memory through a personal mnemonic travelogue. It was one of my final projects for my MFA at RMIT.
Newend Lookbook: This was for a new and dear friend Cathy Tipping; who has designed a beautiful collection of minimalist fine jewellery. The shoot is a collaboration between some creative women including Cathy Tipping, art director Elise Santangelo from Holiday and of course Seala the face of Newend.
Nicole Da Silva for Diva Magazine: A really tricky yet rewarding shoot for Diva Magazine/UK. Nicole was super nervous about shooting something "sexy" - it was all about gaining her trust via hundreds of email negotiations. In the end we had a great shoot and I was happy to hear she loved the pics.
Film love: Finally a snap of my mother and my stepdad Russell. This was taken on my first ever camera; Canon AE-1. I have recently started shooting on film again - its such a different experience to digital. It allows mistakes to happen and surprises to be had. This was a casual snap on as we went for a walk on their property in Yandoit.
Happy 2014 and hello 2015 - I look forward to seeing what you bring.
