a day in the life – Surry Hills

People keep asking, now that the 52 Suburbs ATW exhibition and book are underway, what am I going to do next?

While I am keen to do another project (I like projects, can you tell?) I’m enjoying being de-focused for the moment – as well as working on other people’s projects and earning some of the folding stuff.

A few weekends ago, for example, I was commissioned by a client to capture life in Surry Hills.

Do you remember my blog post about this inner-city Sydney suburb from my first 52 Suburbs project three years ago?

Back then I was amazed how much it had changed from when I used to hang out there as a 20-something (the Hopetoun etc).

But this time around I didn’t expect it to have changed much in the last three years – but it has.

Despite the change, however, it remains one of the more interesting corners of Sydney.

I wandered around, happily snapping away, doing my job – not talking to anyone much but having a lovely time imagining what was going on inside their minds.

Here are some of the images – and just for fun I’ve added the possible thoughts of the subjects therein…

 

shoes

 

 

 

 

'end of a long night'_7am_Taylor_Square

 

 

 

 

woof

 

 

 

 

like

 

 

 

 

decoration

 

 

 

 

love him not 2

 

 

 

 

winter

 

 

 

 

socks

 

 

 

 

3stages

 

 

 

 

lost

 

 

 

 

at least the sun is shining

 

 

 

 

who

 

 

 

 

so

 

 

 

 

ah well

 

 

 

 

love him not

 

 

 

 

serious

 

 

 

 

pins

 

 

 

 

bike

 

 

 

 

And finally, a last thought from me…

 

diversity 

 

 

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts about the place – and any other thoughts you’re keen to share on this almost-wintry sunny Sydney afternoon.

 

the 52 Suburbs Shop is open

sign-writer

 

Unlike the new shop in the image above that was getting ready to open its doors (snapped for a client last week) the 52 Suburbs Shop is an online, virtual affair.

I’m starting out small with just a few offerings – book, postcards, prints – but who knows where it could end up (beer coasters anyone?)

Just click on the SHOP tab in the navigation bar above to pre-order the book (if you live in Australia it’ll arrive on your doorstep early October) or, for immediate gratification, order some postcards.

I’m still setting up the facility to order prints – check back in a few days time if you’re interested or email me any time (52suburbs@gmail.com).

SPOILER ALERT: If you’ve ordered a book and you’d rather wait and be surprised, avert your gaze – I’m about to show you the front cover of the book…

Not easy to choose what should adorn the front cover. In the end I decided on something very simple – a single image that I don’t think I ever posted on the blog. I was photographing these beautiful threads woven around a tree in Delhi – a religious ritual – when a man gently stuck his head around to try and work out what the woman with the camera was doing.

It summed up one of the central ideas of my project – photographing things other people might never consider beautiful or worthy of a photograph.

Anyway, here’s the original image:

 

COVER_shot

 

And here’s how it ended up as the cover of the book:

 

FRONT_COVER_BOOK

 

 

 

FRONT_COVER_BOOK_2

 

The print run isn’t huge so if you’re keen to secure your copy of the book with the man on the front wondering what on earth I’m doing, click on SHOP and order!

 

Order my first book online

Buy the 52 Suburbs Book online

Find out more about the Sydney book here

Sponsors

Advertisers

EnglishItalianChinese (Traditional)GermanFrenchHindiTurkish