I started shooting through my B&W film in Australia. Before New Years, I dropped off the first 3 rolls in Dunedin where a local enthusiast could develop B&W films, and now I finally got them back.
Looking through these shots is rather confronting… I have been so forward-focused that I haven’t really stopped to reflect upon the fact that I lived in Australia for a year. I lived out one of my dreams. Yet, at the end, the day I left Perth just felt to me like any other day in Perth; taking the train down to Fremantle and sitting in the park…
But now I am reminded of the fleeting moments in which these photos were taken, and nostalgia comes knocking. Last year was a roller coaster. Last year was both easy and difficult, exhausting and refreshing, confusing and enlightening. Last year was a good year.
Via In Zed
It is common to joke about “going and joining the circus,” but it is very rare to actually go and join the circus. I am very happy to be included in the small percentage of the population who can say that I have joined the circus.
It all started, (as many great stories do,) on a beer run. The Aotearoa Circus had set up camp across the street from the bottle shop, so Jack and I ran over to see how much tickets were. We hailed Mary, (haha) who happened to be the right person to talk to. She could tell that we were travelers, and suggested that we help them tear down the tent after the last show in return for free admission. The ringleader, Damo, gave us the “OK” and we were set. While driving back to the orchard, we decided that we’d travel with them for a while.
We ended up skipping our free show to instead organize the van since we left the cherry orchard in a hurried and unorganized fashion, and the car was a wreck on wheels. However, when the show was over, we ran over to get started. Tearing down a circus tent is certainly no holiday. The people are very friendly, they’re like a big family in a way. Which is awesome. I am trying to hand out as many disposable cameras as I can to my new friends, to see what photos and different perspectives we end up with. They’ve also told me that I can photograph the circus show as much as I like, which I am looking forward to!
We offered to travel with them and continue helping out, and they gladly accepted. Apparently they just lost a few “roadies” this week, so our timing was perfect. We’ll help out with setup/teardown and dishes and meals, in return for food and beer and a free place to stay. If we help tow one of their trailers, we get a bit of fuel money too. Definitely worth it, I think.
We are headed west, to Fox Glacier, which is a destination I wanted to visit already, so woohoo! Can’t wait to see where this adventure leads.
Well, the Canadians have moved on. This was taken on their last night on the cherry orchard. Hard to think I only knew them for a month… seems like so much longer, because we did so much together. It has been one hell of a month.
This is perhaps the most satisfying photo I’ve ever taken. (And not just because it was a chill day with cool people…)
