walk me to the water.

More arty, less party. So, remember how I said that 2012 was...

Sun, 29 Jan 2012 11:15:00 +1100

More arty, less party.

So, remember how I said that 2012 was my return to art and creativity? I’m working on a few different projects at the moment, and all of them seem to be completely entrenched in journey and persona. I’ve also been summoned by the photography gods for a whole bunch of new jobs, which, after such a lengthy break from the studio, tells me I’ve got my priorities just right.

I plan to have my first solo exhibition this year, a mixture of visual mediums, but in the mean time, I’ll be sharing my visions and messages with you via the web.

Here is my first. A new photo blog, Re-flects. It showcases the muddled, dirty, distorted view I have of myself. I hope that you like. Please follow and share if you do.

http://re-flects.tumblr.com

x n

The Shadow Electric. The Shadow Electric is the long overdue...

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 19:05:00 +1100

The Shadow Electric.

The Shadow Electric is the long overdue baby of a great pal of mine, Jay Raynor. Having shared a workspace with Jay over the past year, I’ve seen witnessed some of the hundreds (no, make that thousands) of hours work put into applications and proposals and planning. Last week, Jay’s hard work could finally be acknowledged by the rest of the world (well, Melbourne’s film loving elite, at the very least), with the launch of his baby, The Shadow Electric Open-Air Cinema, at the Abbottsford Convent.

The space is incredible, with an abandoned school building transformed into a very handsome purpose built bar. Films are digitally projected through a window on the top level of the building onto the big screen in the schoolyard’s quadrangle. I was lucky enough to be invited to attend the launch as official photographer, and was thrilled to be there to capture the event. Highlights, above.

If you’re in Melbourne over summer, be sure to visit. Not only does the cinema boast a credible program, Sunday afternoons feature a cruisy DJ set, drink specials and free table tennis all afternoon. Bliss.

2012. I’ve been away, but it’s a new year, so now...

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 18:23:53 +1100

2012.

I’ve been away, but it’s a new year, so now I’m back. Less party, more arty. That’s kinda my new year’s resolution. We’ll see how that goes.

Braidwood.

Thu, 18 Aug 2011 15:26:00 +1000

Braidwood.

Harmony. Braidwood Theatre. 12-08-2011. If you click on...

Tue, 16 Aug 2011 11:25:00 +1000

Harmony. Braidwood Theatre. 12-08-2011.

If you click on these, please give them some time to load, they’ll be crispy-clear but it does take a moment (or two).

PS. Tumblr sucks. Moving soon.

Weekend. This weekend was an epic adventure. On Friday...

Mon, 15 Aug 2011 13:12:00 +1000

Weekend.

This weekend was an epic adventure. On Friday afternoon, I flew to Canberra to visit my sister for a pre-birthday hang. Mega hangover in tow, I somehow managed 3 hours sleep, a half day of work, a trip on the skybus and a bumpy plane ride before arriving in the nations capital, just in time for sunset. After a delicious laksa pitstop at the famous noodle house, Danielle and I collected our roadtrip companion Blair, and so began our roadtrip to Braidwood for the Harmony show.

Braidwood is small and pretty. The show was held at the Braidwood Theatre, which turned out to look and feel more like a scout hall. By 9:30, the main street was asleep, bar the theatre and one pub, which we hit up for some BYO; Blair a 6 pack of Coopers, myself a bottle of cheap shiraz. As expected, the barflies enjoyed poking fun at us (my “what’s your wine list” was an obvious give away, as if our brogues and Nudies weren’t), and the barmaid was extra hospitable, providing plastic wine glasses when she heard I planned to swig from the bottle, out of a paper bag (which I did anyway).

Booze was sorted and seats taken, we suddenly realised that we didn’t have enough petrol to get back to Canberra, and there would be no petrol station open in any ghost town on the way back. So, we drank up and began brainstorming. We entertained the idea of syphoning petrol (Tom’s suggestion, except he couldn’t help as the Harmony van ran on diesel, for which he was extremely apologetic), but we figured that stealing locals’ petrol would bring really, really bad karma. Next, we tried to scab lifts from familiar Canberra folk. No luck. We then tried to hit up newly familiar Braidwood folk for couches to surf. Between bands, we made heaps of new friends, including the lovely bleach blonde ponytailed Johnny, who had “swags” and “a living room” for us. Sadly, sub-zero temperatures didn’t really suit a share house living room campout. So, we resigned ourselves to the idea of sleeping in the Theatre’s bathroom, as it was warmer than the car (it had a heater!). We figured that was a safer option than chancing the drive back to the next town (you’ve seen Wolf Creek right?!). So we sat back, enjoyed some awesome bands, sipped our cheap booze, chatted with heaps of great people, watched a middle aged man spray paint a fuzzy penguin on a street sign, and of course, (I) took plenty of photos.

Drunk and happy, we figured there had to be a motel room for us to stay in somewhere in town, so we wandered the streets looking for a spare room at the Inn, and we finally found an awesome place to stay, Torpy’s Eco Hotel. Yeah, the sheets had blood splatters, but other than that it was super comfy. Highlights were Blair’s New Orleans stories and the window boxes filled with fake flowers (I would have expected an eco hotel to have real flowers, but whatever) and the heralded portable egg poacher that was nowhere to be seen.

It was a blessing to be stuck in Braidwood with no petrol, because it meant that we had a whole afternoon to wander around the town. It’s a really gorgeous place, with a great mix of people and a really interesting, arty vibe. Good food can be found here, and people jam out on the street on the weekends. But the best thing about Braidwood was (and still is) the amazing vintage treasure trove and record store hidden away in an old house on a residential street. The husband-and-wife owners of the bazaar have the most impeccable taste. Her collection of vintage home wares and trinkets kept me entertained for ages, that was until I found the staircase to heaven. The record store upstairs, Champion Vinyl (yes that is really its name), blew my mind. Easily the best collection of records I have ever seen (in particular, the selection of 1980s-early 1990s Aussie punk, new wave, indie, rock n roll and synth pop was especially good). If you’re in Canberra, it is worth the road trip. I was too poor to buy anything, but expect to hit that store with a wad full of cash some time in September (even worth the 9 hour roadtrip from Melbourne).

The sunny drive home was spent marveling at Champion Records and devouring way too much sugar. Thankfully, the tank was full and we made it home in time to cook a yummy pudding and watch the dogs get smashed. The rest of the weekend was chill, with more food, more television and mandatory photo ops at the Carillion and Skyspace at NGA.

All in all, a memorable weekend.

As usual, highlights. Enjoy.

Urns, Black Goat, 06-08-2011 Long overdue.

Sun, 14 Aug 2011 20:43:51 +1000

Urns, Black Goat, 06-08-2011

Long overdue.

Weekend. So I’ve been really busy. I got a day job to pay for...

Fri, 12 Aug 2011 15:26:00 +1000

Weekend.

So I’ve been really busy. I got a day job to pay for my travel addiction and am working all day and night on my numerous projects. This is cool because I’m on my way to becoming a “highly productive” person, and working in a real proper office means I get to send stupid cat photos to a whole floor of people. But the best thing about working hard all week is that weekends count for so much more than they used to. So, I’ve been living it up. This past week I saw good bands, hung with good people, met good new friends and ogled some ridiculously good arms (my favourite pass times, perhaps not in that order). Pictorial highlights first, and some videos next.

Urns. Debut Show. Black Goat, Melbourne, 06/08/2011. PS. ...

Thu, 11 Aug 2011 12:59:56 +1000

Urns.

Debut Show. Black Goat, Melbourne, 06/08/2011.

PS. Currently saving for a flash gun and nice new lens, my standard kit just aint cutting it these days.

Light, colour, clarity. 15-07-2011.

Sun, 17 Jul 2011 20:12:47 +1000

Light, colour, clarity. 15-07-2011.

Work. From the photos and stories posted so far, it may seem...

Mon, 11 Jul 2011 11:14:00 +1000

Work.

From the photos and stories posted so far, it may seem that I went to Indonesia to party. Well, party I did (pretty damn hard might I add), but my main priority was to work on my business concept with my partner Julie. Our time in Bali was spent mostly on fun and friends, but our days in Bandung and Jakarta were spent in meetings with production staff, visiting workshops, speaking with lawyers, conducting research and interviewing local entrepreneurs.

Despite countless late night adventures and hangovers while in Bandung, our production manager Fanny arranged a day trip to Kings Fabric market, where we picked up some amazing vintage style Japanese cotton prints, double chiffon and 50s style gingham, followed by frequently scheduled and re-scheduled meetings with inventive and inspiring designers and advisers, and visits to local (and not so local) production houses and workshops. Our patient and extra-gracious host Niza did well to ensure that we were fed (burbur ayam and super spicy nasi goreng were morning favourites) and rested well enough to cope with our hefty workload.

Within 4 days, we managed to reconstruct our business concept, design and order samples, and, most importantly, gain a good understanding of the complexities of setting up and operating a corporation in Indonesia. We were also really lucky to meet some incredibly talented designers in Irma, Mamat and Abi, who flesh out our killer production team.

We also worked hard in Jakarta, visiting shopping malls and local boutiques to scope the market, and went to see indie bands play as a fun and convenient excuse to research current hipster fashion trends (and of course, stare at countless babes- Jakarta really is an unbelievably attractive city). Our entrepreneur friends, including the ever insightful bar owner Anton from Treehouse Kemang and the legendary Sammy, an Indonesian rockstar who makes up one half of the Jakarta merch shop Howling Wolf, gave us some sage advice on marketing, rent and red tape.

First-hand exposure to the manufacturing process was an invaluable experience for Julie and I. We learned that we have so much more to learn! Specifically, we now know what it takes to design garments for manufacture, and I’m particularly excited about my plans to further develop my skills in illustration and technical drawing so that we can be much better prepared next time. We were also reminded of the keep it simple mantra, and aim to adhere to it more closely from now on.

I can happily report that while we failed miserably at making our flight home, we did meet our business objectives and now, we have a really clear idea on how get started on our new business.

Overall, success. Above, proof of us working hard.

Stranded. Missing your flight home sucks a lot. But luckily we...

Fri, 08 Jul 2011 18:02:00 +1000

Stranded.

Missing your flight home sucks a lot. But luckily we were in Bali, so there was plenty more fun to be had. Such as:

Warm sun, blue skies, kites, pyjama parties, dress ups, hook up stories, d+ms, production lines, cute shoes, ketoprak, es kelapa muda, cocktails, swanky beach clubs, sunsets, in-house DJ (thanks Kas!), crazy junk food (eg. chocolate burger ring style chips), best friends, bike rides, bike crashes, mega babes, smooches, more beers, and some really, really noisy kitties (to our delight of course).

Here are the best bits.

Transit. So, on Sunday afternoon, Julie and I were meant to fly...

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 21:36:00 +1000

Transit.

So, on Sunday afternoon, Julie and I were meant to fly back to Melbourne via Singapore. Thanks to sheer and utter laziness, we didn’t make either flight. Considering the hassles of rebooking and the additional hundreds of dollars spent on replacement flights, we decided to stay a couple more days in Bali with our friends.

While at first it seemed a blessing; more pretty sunsets, extra hangs with our buds, 6 more Indonesian meals (excluding the mandatory snacks of course) and loads more Bintang (heh heh heh for those who understand), our belated departure ended in disaster. Numerous hours were wasted on useless airline websites trying to rebook our flights, resulting in a big nasty grey cloud that ruined our plans to hallucinate on the beach. Then, on their way home from a day trip to Ubud, Julie and Bianca wound up in hospital when their motorbike crashed in Sanur just hours before we were due to fly.

Somehow, all of this drama was worth it. I got to see beautiful street and temple decorations for the upcoming Gunalan ceremony and best of all, hands down the most beautiful sunset I have ever witnessed at Petitenget beach. And, thankfully, Julie and Bianca came away from their bike crash almost entirely unscathed. However, Julie and I both vowed to never travel overseas at the time of an eclipse ever, ever again.

In my case, paying for a replacement flight proved harder than necessary, and required booking an overly complicated route home to take advantage of my frequent flyer points.

The result? Bali - Darwin - Sydney - Melbourne, with a transit time of 23 hours and 45 minutes. Darwin airport is fucking rubbish, and while I had planned to sleep and edit photos, at my Dad’s insistence, I changed my plans and got on a shuttle to check out Darwin city.

Darwin is more like a big small town than a city, reminding me a lot of Mildura, except that it is situated on a waterfront, complete with man-made lagoon and rich military history. I took myself on a walking tour in the midday sun, hoping to soak up as much vitamin D as I possibly could before returning home to freezing cold Melbourne. I saw impressive architecture and some stunning scenery, but, as always, it was comparing the cultural differences between cruisy Darwin and my overly sophisticated hometown of Melbourne that held my attention.

So, in list form, here are my observations of Darwin town after 3 hours wandering the “CBD”:

Men carry around 2L bottles of flavoured milk.

Women wear Canterbury rugby tops in place of shirts under their suits.

Everyone has nice legs.

Sushi comes with cheese.

Men don’t shave their legs (thank god).

There are lots of old people.

Everything is really expensive.

The architecture is uniquely Australian.

Everyone says hello and will chat for longer than necessary if you stop to talk to them (which is nice if you aren’t in a hurry).

Darwin radio enjoys playing late 90s grunge and alterna-rock a lot.

And above, in pictures, angles of beautiful Darwin town.

Enjoy.

Wrap up. I’m home. This time, I’m going to blog...

Thu, 07 Jul 2011 21:32:00 +1000

Wrap up.

I’m home. This time, I’m going to blog backwards, by theme. A mixed bag of memories.

Enjoy.

Indonesia. So, I know I said that I would be all over this thing...

Mon, 04 Jul 2011 16:46:58 +1000

Indonesia.

So, I know I said that I would be all over this thing once I hit Indonesia again just over 2 weeks ago, but I guess I lied. I love blogging, but business meetings, hangouts, food safaris, road trips, naps, parties, internet-less couch surfs and a million other really great reasons have kept me from posting since I got here.

The above might have kept me from blogging, but thankfully, nothing has kept me from shooting a massive stack of photos. Like, thousands. I’m tirelessly editing now and will chuck a large number up on facebook, for friends who wish to catch a glimpse of Julie and I doing more than the necessary amount of the aforementioned. Pictured, us with our Bandung masters.

I should be home by now, but sheer laziness resulted in Julie and I missing our flight back to Australia. So, we are making use of the extra hundreds of dollars needed to return home and chilling in Bali a little while longer.

See you when I see you.

Tattoos This weekend was pretty uneventful, apart from the bit...

Tue, 31 May 2011 22:46:56 +1000

Tattoos

This weekend was pretty uneventful, apart from the bit where Jackson and I drank beer and gave each other matching homemade tattoos, accompanied by a turn of the century emo soundtrack and serious hypothetical discussion about tattooing dogs and sci-fi inspired sexual fantasy.

Most fun in ages. Enjoy.

I wonder where this came from, and how it made its way to my...

Wed, 18 May 2011 20:52:54 +1000

I wonder where this came from, and how it made its way to my doorstep.

Photo

Tue, 17 May 2011 19:51:30 +1000

First weekend in May. This weekend was full of food, friends...

Mon, 09 May 2011 15:32:00 +1000

First weekend in May.

This weekend was full of food, friends and fun. Unfortunately, a flat camera battery kept me from capturing the shrieking laughter that happened when I (finally) caught up with old work friends Sarah and Phoebe. A couple of the best girls I’ve ever met, we contained ourselves to a few glasses of wine and some yummy table delivered buffet tapas, but were as loud and silly as ever. Conversational highlights were all courtesy of Phoebe, including gossip on football stars, TV execs and, of course, disgusting sex rumours, the best (and worst) involved MnMs and an STD. Safe to say, I don’t think I’ll be eating MnMs again any time soon.

Next up was a Persian feast, hosted by my good buddy Reza. He went all out in providing a killer spread, Iranian styles, complete with sumac, You Tube wedding video soundtrack and Iranian decorations (a solitary poster stolen from an Iranian grocery store). Company was great, with the lovely Dan and Cara in attendance, along with my best (only) brother Nick. Food was delicious (the dessert, essentially deep fried syrup, blew my mind), but the viewing was even better. We learned about the art of prostate milking, and how Dave Mustaine is a fucking psychopath (if you didn’t know that already). Awesome night.

Sunday was Mothers Day, so after waking up too late to make mum breakfast (she woke up at 5am!), Nick and I cleaned while she napped, before spending 5 hours slaving over a stove to create a wonderful feast worthy of my wonderful mum. While the polenta went down a treat, hands down highlight was the choc-coconut pudding cake with ice cream…a big success! Stay tuned for adaptations of this recipe, choc- orange and choc-mint are up next.

Flying (Part 3). While the plane ride was amazing, the trip to...

Mon, 02 May 2011 10:47:07 +1000

Flying (Part 3).

While the plane ride was amazing, the trip to Essendon Airport was just as exciting for me. Mid last century, Melbourne’s International Airport was based at Essendon, but by the late 1960s, when jets became too large for Essendon’s small runways, a new airport was built in Tullamarine. Essendon has one lonely terminal, and it retains much of its original modernist features, with its original signage and aqua colour scheme, complimented by white walls, wood grain accents and laminex floor.

On Saturday afternoon, the terminal was near to deserted, which got me daydreaming about how it would feel to have arrived there in the 1950s, how exciting air travel must have been in its early days and how special it would feel to be one of the very few to be able to afford to fly into Melbourne, waved off a brand new jet plane by a glamourous hostess. Or, how, as a young teenager, it would have felt to be part of the hysteria that welcomed the Beatles as they waved to the enormous crowd from the terminal viewing deck.

Essendon Airport. Enjoy.