merry new year!

hey all- hope you had an awesome christmas and new years- i just returned from falls festival. amazing tunes once again.. too many to name but seriously. karen o blows my mind and jamie t i love you so.
photos later.. for now, i must bathe.

these kids... cutest ever.
And he's going to have his hands full with that little lady.

so im pretty much tough as...

So whenever I tell people I was assisting on shoots and things, I think some people think its all glitz and glamour... Its about 5% glitz and glamour... 95% hardwork. And I love it. I think I learn more every time assist than can possibly be taught in a classroom.
I also find, especially when I'm assisting guys, that they feel I can't lift/do as much as a guy would be able to. Now, for those of you who don't know me, I grew up helping Dad out on the farm, I had two brothers, and I'm not the smallest person.. so I can definately hold my own, and occasionally put some of the boys to shame. These insinuations, however do wonders for my competitive streak where I must, at all times prove them wrong. So after a day of assisting on tuesday I ended up leaving with this sweet as bruise (I look really hardcore) and some epic sunburn. Not a makeup artist in sight!
All in a days work :)
Oh, and look out for Simon Schluter's story on Melbourne's pools in the M magazine liftout of The Age!
Adios.

Elgin St

One of my work in process folio projects this year, focusing on the culture of fitzroy, and youth culture in general:

Elgin Street, Fitzroy, is situated in the middle of the current epicenter of Melbourne's alternative culture. An area filled with significant galleries, boutiques and little off-beat bars and cafes, which bring artists, students, musicians, and grunge lovers in droves. This unofficial subculture, over the decades, has grown from Nick Cave drinking at the Punters Club; only for young kids years later to move to Fitzroy, trying to live that same Rock Star dream. This is the place for the edgy crowd, for the artists and dreamers. A place where if your tights aren't ripped you must be from the other side of the river, where pass outs from pubs become permanent tattoos, where 'Savers' replaces Myers, where pouring half finished beers on your mates head is a greeting not a fight and where black clothes aren't reserved for waitresses or funerals.

The Manhouse, as it is known, in Elgin Street, fits the mould. The boys, who are known for throwing a good party or two, have it down pat. The invites are made, valuables taped down, the DJ booth set up, a bathtub of beer and goon are out the back. 88 Elgin Street's door is open for all, and they're ready for another Saturday night.

The place is filled with op shop outfits and designer-disheveled Gen Y. Unwashed, but perfectly cut and groomed hair styles on guys who proceed to scull a beer, while Petite Girls with tattoo's enter carrying a cask of goon, and stylish guys with faux glasses roll cigarettes on the couch out the front.

This story isn't about extremists, or hardcore addicts. It isn't about the outlandish 'wild child', or the social implications of designer drugs and alcohol. It's about an average Saturday night in Fitzroy, that any kids that side of the river will experience on any average weekend throughout the year. It's about the Manhouse being your house; it's a look at Fitzroy, and the art of the house party.

inspire-emulsion

Tobias Titz has been a huge inspiration to me since I first saw his polaroid series 3 years ago. ''the people being photographed have the opportunity to be creatively involved as they scratch their statement into the emulsion of the negative.'' Such a beautiful idea- I really hope someone keeps making this polaroid film so he can keep adding to the project!!

inspire- documentary

ericamcdonaldphoto.com
saw one of her documentaries on burn magazine and love her work.

as the dark sets in

Just some images from a small series I had in the Ballarat International Foto Biennale.

inspire- two is company

I had a lovely tea drinking session, and catch up with the incredibly talented Jo Duck today when she told me about this guy-

www.johnlauriephoto.com
He's a Melbourne based photographer, and I just love his documentary feel, how he pairs his images, the use of natural light, compositions and his fresh take on food and still life photography. Not to mention he has an awesome website!

inspire- black white red blue

I've been trawling the internet to get inspiration for my next project...
Anyone who knows me will tell you I'm never satisfied. Never quite content.
I always have a few projects on the go and thats the way I like it.
For the past few months I've really been pushing my documentary work,
but I might have a small (more editorial) shoot coming up for thaw magazine and I'm so pumped to get stuck into it.
I'm thinking I'll pull out the film again.. maybe muck around with composites and double exposures. I've played it safe for a while and I'm aching to really experiment!

So its been almost a year since I thought it would be a good idea to start this...
Not sure what happened.. life I guess. Its been a crazy year.
Maybe this time I'll actually use it.