Pick your favourite pics please

Just over two months since we touched down in Sydney and one month since the final project post I’m here to say – Hey, how’s it going?

Actually, it’s more like HELLO EVERYONE! I MISS YOU!!

It’s been weird not checking in with you once a week so it feels very good to be back once more I have to say.

What have Coco and I been up to since I last posted? For Coco it’s just been life as usual really. She’s slipped back into things as if the project never happened. School, friends, etc, as well as cuddling up with our beautiful pussycat, Tommy (while we’ll never forget his brother, Jinx, we’re so happy to have at least one of them back).

 

Tom and Coco

Tom and Coco

 

Interestingly, the only aspect Coco’s been struggling with is sleeping – after 13 months in strange cities, apartments and beds, where she was as happy as Larry, she finally gets back into her own bed and has been freaking out a little. Bad dreams, talk of being kidnapped, that sort of thing. (Makes me wonder if she saw something on TV recently – while we were away, we never turned on the box but now that we’re back, it’s on quite a bit. Just watching the nightly news can be enough to make any kid anxious I reckon.)

As for me, I’ve been busy just trying to re-enter and adjust to life without a major, obsessive all consuming project to attend to. Although last year was a marathon, I knew exactly what my week looked like. Now it feels very fragmented and all over the shop. A photographic job here, Coco school stuff there, endless lists to be made and acted on – or not (as I sit here, there’s a heap of lists sitting in front of me happily gathering dust).

When my brain starts to feel fried I throw myself in various ocean pools. Which is where I snapped this lovely lady…

 

mermaid

mermaid

 

(… and where I wish I’d had my real camera on the day I watched a Muslim woman walk into Bronte pool fully clothed. Aside from wanting to photograph her, I really wanted to talk with her, to find out how it felt to be there amongst the Speedo clan – which reminded me how my camera is so much more than just a tool for recording an image, providing me with an excuse to inquire and discover.)

But as of about, ooh, NOW, I really need to get my act together and start to focus again. Because in just over three months time, 135 images from the project will be sitting on the walls of the Museum of Sydney.

The challenge is choosing those 135 images from the thousands that appeared on the blog (I haven’t counted but I averaged 45 a week so 52 x 45 is 2,340. 2,340!). I will get some help from The Museum of Sydney in curating the exhibition but still.

And then there’s the book. I’m going to self-publish one but I still need to decide how and what – as in small or large, as many pages as the last one or half the number? And with whom. And is it even possible given that it would ideally be ready for July 20 when the exhibition opens. And that’s before I’ve had to choose all the images.

Plus I need to choose some images to print as postcards and prints for my wonderful Kickstarter supporters.

All of this has been swirling around in my head and I don’t appear to be making much progress. So, eek, eek, eek.

Yeah. Then a small but friendly light bulb went off in my head and I thought, why not ask my lovely blog peeps. They might have a favourite few images and some ideas about what sort of book they’d like to see come out of this.

So, if you’re willing and able, here’s what I’d love to know:

1. Book – Would you buy one? If so, would you prefer it to be small like the last one (half the size of an A4 sheet roughly), or bigger, more of an A4 or even A3 size? If it’s bigger, there would be less pages – for example, 150-200 instead of 500+.

2. Images – There’s a short-list of 34 images below. Could I please ask you to choose your favourite one (or five, or ten, whatever you feel like). Obviously I need more for the book and exhibition but I’m just after the absolute top favourites at the moment. (If you have a favourite that isn’t below, please let me know too.)

This should only take a minute – just go with your gut and list your faves by number in the comment box (or email me if easier).

I really appreciate this everyone. Really.

Okay, here are the images…

 

 

1. fringe dwellers

1. fringe dwellers

 

 

 

 

 

2. eat and be merry

2. eat and be merry

 

 

 

 

 

3. floating fish

3. floating fish

 

 

 

 

 

4. hidden

4. hidden

 

 

 

 

 

5. lattice like

5. lattice like

 

 

 

 

 

6. through the car window - the flower seller

6. through the car window – the flower seller

 

 

 

 

 

7. it's a child's playground now

7. it’s a child’s playground now

 

 

 

 

 

8. smoke and rubble but at least the washing's done

8. smoke and rubble but at least the washing’s done

 

 

 

 

 

9. eyes the colour of the Sea of Mamara

9. eyes the colour of the Sea of Mamara

 

 

 

 

 

10. burnt sienna

10. burnt sienna

 

 

 

 

 

11. cold and wet - perfect Spring weather - if you're a duck, 1

11. cold and wet – perfect Spring weather – if you’re a duck

 

 

 

 

 

12. the watcher

12. the watcher

 

 

 

 

 

13. water water everywhere but not a drop to swim in

13. water water everywhere but not a drop to swim in

 

 

 

 

 

14. ice cream truck time again

14. ice cream truck time again

 

 

 

 

15. scales

15. scales

 

 

 

 

 

16. 'men will let you down but the Lord will look after you, always' - Flossie

16. ‘men will let you down but the Lord will look after you, always’ – Flossie

 

 

 

 

 

17. bird on a branch

17. bird on a branch

 

 

 

 

 

18. They share nothing, But a predilection for dots, Is that not enough?

18. They share nothing, But a predilection for dots, Is that not enough?

 

 

 

 

 

19. Eight arms apiece, Like eight petals on her obi, Infinity rules

19. Eight arms apiece, Like eight petals on her obi, Infinity rules

 

 

 

 

 

20. autumn

20. autumn

 

 

 

 

 

21. "it’s my hobby” – Emiko in her mother’s kimono

21. “it’s my hobby” – Emiko in her mother’s kimono

 

 

 

 

 

22. day fades quickly into night in the Japanese autumn

22. day fades quickly into night in the Japanese autumn

 

 

 

 

 

23. the inspiration for his hair do? - Teruaki

23. the inspiration for his hair do? – Teruaki

 

 

 

 

 

24. crowded Kyoto - last chance to see the autumn leaves

24. crowded Kyoto – last chance to see the autumn leaves

 

 

 

 

 

25. patchwork

25. patchwork

 

 

 

 

 

26. visiting from Tokyo to play dress up - Yuika

26. visiting from Tokyo to play dress up – Yuika

 

 

 

 

 

27. from Tokyo’s man-made mountains to Kyoto’s high-rise

27. from Tokyo’s man-made mountains to Kyoto’s high-rise

 

 

 

 

 

28. woven

28. woven

 

 

 

 

 

29. windy Welly

29. windy Welly

 

 

 

 

 

30. flying back to her adopted home, Auckland - Elizabeth, originally from Samoa

30. flying back to her adopted home, Auckland – Elizabeth, originally from Samoa

 

 

 

 

 

31. recent arrivals and the original ones

31. recent arrivals and the original ones

 

 

 

 

 

32. and more recent ones - Nadia from Ethiopia

32. and more recent ones – Nadia from Ethiopia

 

 

 

 

 

33. successfully transplanted onto NZ soil

33. successfully transplanted onto NZ soil

 

 

 

 

 

34. water colours

34. water colours

 

 

 

 

 

Okay, that’s all of them. So just please leave a comment with your feedback – about the book, or fave pics, or both. You’re too fabulous and you know it.

 

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