Adelaide Sunsets

Daylight savings is finishing this weekend, so I took a few shots of the last summer sunsets before they're faded into 5pm darkness...

The Gawler Line Project: North Adelaide

Welcome to the first edition of The Gawler Line Project. This is a personal photojournalism project that I plan to undertake weekly (time permitting). I have been living with my sister for a while and working in the city, and my daily commute now encompasses the train. Trains featured a lot in my life in Europe, but I'd never really caught one in Adelaide. They simply didn't go past my house and I didn't know anyone along the lines.

Now it's a different story - The Gawler Line and I are becoming quite close, so I thought I'd look deeper at her stations and what goes on around them. Train windows are whole new take on the world. You get back fences and industrial yards to peek over and into, and you don't have to stop for anyone. I like that.

North Adelaide
The first stop out of town on the Gawler Line, North Adelaide, sits between the golf course and the suburb of Bowden. Incidently, Bowden is the location of my first home as a child, although I don't remember a lot of it because we moved when I was 2.

I heard from my Uncle who lives down the street from here that there was some kind of homeless person's bookswap under the overpass, so for my first project I went down to take a look. This is supposed to be photojournalism, not actual journalism, so I wont talk about it much. Besides, I don't know much about who started it or who uses it, so let that be a wonderful mystery to solve another day. May I present, the Bowden Bookshelf...

If you're ever walking by, be sure to take any unwanted clothes, books or magazines and drop them off. Someone else could benefit from your unwanted items. Or if you're looking for a new read or some cheaper-than-Op-Shop-chic, give Bowden a try.

Once Upon A Time

In the interest of accountability to no-one in particular other than people who aren't me, I would like to present the first few complete pages from A French Safari, The Book.

I've been meaning to get this finished and printed and now that it's been 2 months since my return, I am kicking myself in the backside to hurry up. Not only do I want something to hold and smell and show off, I promised my Nanna a copy for Christmas and it's got to be ready before Easter (or at least to the printer by Easter).

It will be printed by Blurb, a self-publishing company, and it will be available for public sale after I review the first copy. With more than 200 pages, it is full of my photos, recipes and all my writings over the year. The hardest part has been selecting the pictures to include - I haven't made the final list, so if there is a favourite and you promise to buy a copy, I will include it for you :)

So without further ado, a sneak peak:

Not for Lack of Trying

It's been a while since I last wrote anything, but not for nothing to say. Quite the opposite, but it's just finding time to sit and think and get something out.

I've just finished my first solo week in my new job, bringing my total graduate employment history to 3 weeks. And it's not even that busy, I'm just full of ideas and trying to work out where to start. Then there are the other 16 hours in the day and they have their own demands.

I want to see my man. I can't do that very often so I want to call. I want to lose myself in my hobbies. I want to practice my French and I want to start on Chinese. I want to plan my stall at the market, I want to see my friends. I want to sit in the sun and read and I want to cook something nice for dinner. I want to travel again! Yes, me me me, I want I want...

8 of those 16 hours are for sleeping, and fitting everything else in is increasingly hard because I am constantly adding to my list of I Want and even finding time to write them down before I forget them is tricky! I've taken to answering emails and reading my book on the train, and writing in my diary as I am walking to work, head down and all over the footpath because I'm not watching my step. I can't look at a computer for too long outside work because I just end up with 26 further things I want to do thanks to all the possibilities it presents.

I look at this blog and I remember the other thing I want to do, which I'm halfway through. It's a book - of photos and stories and all my thoughts over the year, and it's really important. But the important things are being buried beneath the boring things and I keep digging it up but before long it's gone again.

Somewhere under the I Have To pay this bill.

I Have To send this out.

I Have To go to work.

Eat.

Sleep.

Go to work.

I Have To sort this all out.

Progress Report: Lime Tree

I thought I'd post a mid-term report on my Tahitian Lime tree project for Souvenir Foto School.

3 weeks into my 6 week study of this tree, I can report that the caterpillars have taking a strong liking to my subject, but have been dismissed and Operation Recovery shall begin momentarily. Today is not so sunny, and it's getting colder so we shall see how the change in weather affects my tropical friend.

Be sure to return in another 3 weeks for the next - ahem - exciting chapter. It doesn't do much, but it sure is pretty!

Two of a Kind

I found this cute little statue in Corky Saint Clair, a great independent design shop in Melbourne's Degraves Underpass. It's underground off Degraves Street, between Flinders Street and Flinders Lane (also the home of the Platform Artists Group).

Immediately I thought of my favourite photo I took in London, and suddenly an outrageous idea was formed... I could print out my photo, frame it, and display them together!

It's poetry without words.

Vandal or Van Gough

Sometimes I like pink and flowery things, and sometimes I roll my jeans up and live on the edge.

A selection of Melbourne Street Art - as seen by me last Friday. The complete gallery is available on Flickr.