a little technicolour adventure

Well, hello! Long time no blog, huh? I really miss checking in here – like, really – but the last few months have been crazy.

One of the things keeping me busy aside from photography jobs was a quick trip to Hong Kong just over a week ago (well, south China actually). Having had two printing disasters with my 52 Suburbs Around the World book, I was super keen to avoid a third.

So I headed up to spend five days in a printing factory in south China, doing what’s called a press check, to make sure the colour reproduction was spot on.

I took Coco with me because, you know, we’re joined at the hip (and yes, okay, I have an irrational fear of leaving the country without my daughter, I admit it). Actually, I was prepared to get over my own paranoia – but Coco insisted she wanted to come. She loves an adventure no matter how much I downplayed it – “Coco, five days in a factory, eight hours a day, nothing to see or do – you really want to come?” Yep.

So off we went. It wasn’t a cheap exercise of course but it was well worth it. I made hundreds of small changes to the colour reproduction and by the end of it, was completely tuned into seeing the world in CMYK – cyan (blue), magenta (pinky purple), yellow and black.

 

magenta, cyan and yellow - checking colour in our hotel room

magenta, cyan and yellow – checking colour in our hotel room

 

 

 

and K - black

and K – black

 

 

 

Coco did an amazing job of entertaining herself for the five days. She read books, chatted to everyone and had fun with my iPhone, using an app to pimp the pics we shot on it.

 

pimp my pics :: 1

pimp my pics :: 1

 

 

 

pimp my pics :: 2

pimp my pics :: 2

 

 

 

After five days we thanked the lovely people who worked at the printers and hopped on a  ferry for the hour and a half trip back to Hong Kong.

 

ciao China

ciao China

 

Seeing as we were up that way, we stayed the weekend in Hong Kong and had what was approaching a normal holiday. Hell, we even did a few tourist things, like catching the Star Ferry across the harbour. Although the harbour takes way less time to cross now because of all the mad land reclamation, I still love the 120 year old ferries. Even if I was still seeing the world in CMYK …

 

Star Ferry :: 1

Star Ferry :: 1

 

 

 

Star Ferry :: 2

Star Ferry :: 2

 

 

 

Star Ferry :: 3

Star Ferry :: 3

 

 

 

Star Ferry :: 4

Star Ferry :: 4

 

 

 

Green isn’t a CMYK colour obviously, but in the spirit of Christmas …

 

Christmas colour

Christmas colour

 

 

 

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas!

 

The book is looking fantastic – it’ll be delivered to everyone who pre-ordered it in January, and I’ll be launching it some time then too. Stay tuned!

Aside from that, our little technicolour adventure has made me even more curious about China than I already am. If the air wasn’t so toxic (it’s as bad as you imagine) I’d even consider a project up there – 52 Suburbs China!

Speaking of projects, I’m still brain-storming ideas for my next one. Nothing has won my heart yet but you’ll be the first ones to know when it does.

Merriest of Christmases to those that celebrate it and Happy Holidays to everyone else.

Love from Coco, Tommy (da cat) and me, and see you in 2014.

 

  1. katya says:

    merry xmas you 2 crazy kids you…..xxxx

    • Louise says:

      Crazy is good though, right?! x

  2. Vivian S. says:

    Merry Christmas Louise, Coco and Tommy! Really looking forward to seeing the book in January. Best wishes… xxxx

    • Louise says:

      Thanks Vivian! x

  3. pat drummond says:

    Have missed you!! Happy Christmas to all

    • Louise says:

      Oh, that’s lovely, thank you! x

  4. Gill says:

    Hi and merry Chrissy to you both! Thanks for the update too

  5. Kim says:

    Maybe 52 festivals would be a good trip. Everything from funerals to film festivals and city celebrations and religious feasts. It would be a magical book

    • Louise says:

      It would be amazing, you’re right. But that’s big. I may need a slightly less ambitious idea!

  6. Helga says:

    Best wishes from Berlin, have a great time and hope to see you some times again here!!!

    • Louise says:

      Helga, hello! It was so lovely to meet you and spend that afternoon with you in Berlin – and you’re in the book too – as is your building! Merry Christmas, xx

  7. chantal says:

    What a lovely christmas surprise to arrive in my mail box – it made me realise how much I miss my dose of ’52’ :)
    Merry Christmas & happy 2014 to you three XXX

    • Louise says:

      I miss ’52-ing’ too! I really do. Will see what happens in 2014. x

  8. Olivier says:

    Thanks for the nice photographs.

    Just one question : why not print in Australia ?

    • Louise says:

      I’d love to be able to print here but sadly it’s hugely more expensive to print locally. Otherwise I would in a flash.

  9. Jo says:

    Oh L! While you were in a factory in China. I was doing the fabric equivalent in India… Not documented a beautifully at all, alas ;-)
    Thanks for all the insights this past year – can’t wait for more… And if course the book! Love getting something that I have been able to dip into the ‘birth’ of! So special
    Happy Xmas and Happiest of adventures xxx

    • Louise says:

      Mmm, fabrics in India – love to document that! I’m so happy you’ve enjoyed the adventures of me and my small fry, thanks for coming along with us. Enjoy Christmas! x

  10. Peter McConnochie says:

    Have a lovely Christmas – can’t wait for the book to kick off a fantastic 2014!

    • Louise says:

      Thanks Peter. Hope you’re out of the weather up there. x

  11. Helmut says:

    Beautiful to hear from you!
    Merry Christmas from Vienna.

    • Louise says:

      Make a snow angel for me! Thanks Helmut. x

  12. Di beachtropic. says:

    Lovely to see you. Merry Christmas.
    Di xx

    • Louise says:

      Nice to see your name pop up Di. Hope you had a lovely day. x

  13. maggie bernaldo says:

    Louise ~ great to see your posting & great photos ~ Christmas Day I wish you a serendipitous New Year ~ we will await the next creative outcome. MaggieB

    • Louise says:

      Serendipity, bring it on! Thanks Maggie, right back at you. x

  14. Lorraine says:

    Happy New Year. Busy, busy and forgot to pree order.
    Will eagerly await news of its release.
    Have used some of your pics to illustrate urban character differences in Sydney in my teaching of Geography. Love your work.

    • Louise says:

      Thanks Lorraine. As soon as the book is off the docks I’ll be hollering about it!

  15. Joel says:

    You could do fifty-two shades of grey. No need to worry about colour printing, then. =)

    • Louise says:

      Yeah, but there’d be all those different shades to get right … x

  16. Toni Mostyn says:

    Lovely to hear about your latest travels and looking forward to the books release!! Merry Christmas.Ha ha, I like Joel’s comment above.

    • Louise says:

      I’m looking forward to it too! Thanks Toni, x

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