52 Suburbs Around the world

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

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 :: 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

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 :: 2

Star Ferry :: 3

Star Ferry :: 4

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

Christmas colour

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.