Postcard from Down Under

March 08, 2024

I WENT TO AUSTRALIA (TWICE)

Wow, what a lucky duck. Last year, I travelled to Australia twice! The first trip was Feb/Mar (solo) and then for Christmas (with Abe).

Today is the 8th of March. We are in 2024. It’s been amazing and strange all at once and I want to tell you everything.

These excursions to Oz were fabulous and I feel so inspired.

I’d like to return to writing blog posts (last one was October of 2022, oops!) starting with the Australia tales.

So, here’s my 1st (incomplete) story from April 2023

…in February, I got a on plane. Well, I almost didn’t get on two planes. I arrived at Pearson 3 hours before my flight on a chilly, windy Sunday afternoon (Sayanara babeee). The swimming goggles are packed. The frocks are packed (mostly Redsky dresses). I have a back pack housing one crochet project, one knitting project, two books, a block of chocolate and most importantly, one tiny little pill for sleeping (I use to be able to sleep anywhere, anytime, not anymore). The check in agent asks “Do you have your visa for the United States”? Visa? What visa? I’m going to Australia. “Unfortunately you will need a visa to transit the USA as your itinerary takes you through San Francisco. You’d best apply for it right now. You’ve got 2 hours until boarding cut off”

omg, omg, omg, I start shaking, sweating, my phone’s dying, my glasses are fogging up with heavy breathing. I hunch in a corner and try to apply online through my phone. Somehow I figure it out and now I sit and wait. Perspective, perspective, I keep thinking…..Heidi has started chemo, that’s worse….it’s ok… it’s a privilege to travel….etc. The amount of stress body odour I was emitting was not going to be pleasant over the next 24 hours of sitting in a seat with myself. I need a shower and my journey hasn’t even begun.

The clock is ticking. I start imagining getting an uber back to our apartment, missed flight, missed out. I’m heading back to cancel the trip and then…by some miracle I see the attendant running towards me waving boarding passes “It came through. You’re on the flight”

Let’s just say….I board, I get to San Francisco safely, however….another challenge. I have 20 minutes to run through the terminal to try and make my connection to Brisbane. Now….here’s the thing…terminals….they’re big. San Francisco airport. It’s huge. You couldn’t have had any further of a distance between my landed flight and my departure. Now keep in mind…it’s now about 3am Toronto time. I tried not to sleep on that 1st flight (started watching The White Lotus, bloody amazing) and I have my carry on luggage as well as the backpack. The carry on luggage is a piece of junk my mother in law gave me (last minute boo boo) and the handle decides to pull up only half way. It’s also loaded, heavy with 4 years worth of thrifties for gifties I have packed for my nieces and nephews. So now I am running a marathon (insert…more stress sweat) through the terminal in an unnatural crouched position pulling this suitcase along. There was no amount of training to prepare me for this technique.

Let’s just say….I board.

And there we are…..flying through the night, or day, or both, enjoying the cinema, enjoying the cold glass of red wine, not putting your feet up or reclining very much, not able to hear anything because that white noise is fucking loud, but that’s ok, perspective. AND….I’m going to eat that sleeping pill shortly, perhaps after I finish my bread rock, I mean roll. and speaking of rocks…god my ass hurts.

Aah, one more trip to the bathroom, fluff the pillow and let’s tuck in for a nice long siesta. I mean, I need to kill some time here. It’s 15 hours. Let’s knock off some time with some zzzzzz’s. ok, there it is, I’ll just pop it out of that foil. oh, it’s bit hard to open, the foil seal…this could be outdated…ok,…. and then, like a slow motion scene from Trainspotting, that little sleeping pill popped out, out of it’s shell, and up, and down….down, down somewhere beneath, never to be seen again…..

Like a long lost dream, I arrive safely in Brisbane. My luggage doesn’t but hey…. the gifties are intact in the shitty carry on bag. First stop, a flat white and a vegemite on toast right at the airport and it’s amazing. In true Queensland style my first afternoon is a welcoming downpour of rain and a thunderstorm (which actually I was awoken to this morning here in Toronto) and I must say, I love a good Aussie downpour.

I have 3 weeks with family spending the first half on the Sunshine Coast with my sister Heidi who has just started chemo treatment for breast cancer found before Christmas. We plan all the relax/care and comforts, retail therapy etc for her whilst I’m there and then my back goes on day 2 and Heidi laughs “I’m doing chemo and now I’m looking after my sisters bad back”

Gosh I love shopping in Australia. I love the products in the supermarket. Yoghurt with passionfruit. I love the fashion and design. Gorman. Country Road. Sass and Bide. Zimmerman. Dinosaur Designs. Check them out, they are thriving. I played dress ups with my sisters and made clothing swaps (unbelievable how many outfits I packed when I really shouldn’t have).

I also love the wild nature of it all. I took it all in. Got my fix. The ocean. The skies. The birds. The trees. The river. The pure wild joy available every day. I swam. I laughed. I cried. I dreamed. I loved. and I loved some more. and I photographed.

And I tucked Sam into bed hugged and kissed Sam every night and played cards and read The Clever Cowboy and drank instant coffee with my mum and looked at knitting patterns and watched her tend the garden and laughed with my dad and ate his pizza and drank Tasmanian whiskey with my brother in law until 2.30 in the morning in the plant room of Steph and Jayde’s mid century modern bungalow under the branches of a monster sized monsterra.

I met my 2 and a half year old nephew for the first time. Lenny. Possibly THE coolest cat I’ve ever met. Born from a frozen embryo made at the time his brother was made 5 years previous. Incredible. An incredible little person.

…And now for my second trip/story.

December 2023. With Abraham for 3 weeks over Christmas.

Trees on the mountain top somewhere near Castlemaine, Victoria.

I cannot tell you how excited I was to take my guy home (he even more). The last trip was before he turned 2 so this one he’ll remember. It was a damn long journey this one with 2 stops, bringing our door to door timing to around 35 hours. Abraham was a champ. Enthusiastic all the way stating things like “This spacecraft food is excellent!”

I spent the first 5 hours trying to snooze away the time but was jolted awake by the stand up comedy routines playing in my head. I wrote about 30 pages, probably all horse shit but at the time I thought I was a genius riffing on name theories and planning my speech for Janine Naumann’s 40th birthday party next year.

As hair brained as the journey is it’s always worth it the moment you get off the plane and squint at the sun, gork at the expansive sky and smell the dusty earth.

Jet lag works well on arrival. Early wake up which is so nice in the middle of an Aussie summer. I would lie already awake pre dawn and wait until I heard that first kookaburra before getting up to “put the kettle on”.

One of the pros to not living in Australia is that I really get the star treatment on visits and my family go nuts to see me. My sisters spoil me rotten and have ‘prezzies’ for days. I always get into trouble with my return luggage and I’m often up the night before, sweating to fit everything in to my bursting suitcase! I Love it!

Here are some more favourite shots….

lenny

morning coffee shadow

al fresco

prezzies!

sisters on christmas day

heidi and the girls

maycee turns 16

smash cake

bush walkers

sisters in the tress

steph and lenny

bush walk

brothers

cactus

kids doing face masks

feather

ice cream

bush mining

ex boyfriends

before the storm

It was wonderful for Abraham to be with his cousins and my family for 3 weeks. Despite overhearing Sam say “ I can’t wait to get my own friggin’ room back”, the 2 boys were bawling on leaving day. Abraham and I got on the 5am bus from Bendigo to Melbourne and he sobbed the whole way while I contained some other issues...

I have been doing a lot of dreaming. I find it pretty empowering to put down the ideas on paper and the new year seems likea good chance. So here we go…new goals for this year.

I want to work more like an artist than ever before. I want every photo project to feel more personal. More beautiful surprises (for you and me). I want to return to my practice of documenting with film. ‘People, Objects, Life’ is the mantra. ‘Everyday Pageant’ is another title I am brewing.

I want to be shooting more events, people related gigs, head shots, branding. Again with a personal touch. I want to dress up for all the events and wear the brooches and the good shoes.

I want to launch a portrait product that I am secretly so excited about. I will keep you posted on this.

oh, and of course, as always…I want more babies in front of my lens!

Algonquin. Erin. A Love Story.

September 08, 2022

Erin soloing the canoe (most likely in terrible footwear).

Erin paddling (whilst I complain “are we there yet”?) on Chi Bia Bos Lake, Algonquin Park. August 2022

What better place to start this story than from the park itself (Algonquin)!

I am presently sitting in my newly acquired camp chair (1st time taking a chair, what a revelation) overlooking our lake, Lake Chibiabos “Ghost Rabbit” drinking my morning coffee.

I have no idea of the time. I have already swum in the dark deep water.

Algonquin. Erin. A love story.

Erin and I have made at least one backcountry trip to Algonquin almost each year since meeting in 2011. It’s a tradition. A magical moment. A proper unwind and recharge. Sometimes with others, mostly just the 2 of us. I love it so.

This trip I had planned to bring Abraham for the first time but at the last minute he became certain of not wanting to come, so he stayed back in Toronto. I keep noting all the things he would have loved. The birds, the leeches, frogs, the forest. Nature in it’s glory. But I bet he wouldn’t have swum as I imagined.. the water drops to deep right off the rocky edge. Even I started to feel it spooky. I stopped wearing my goggles to swim the distance across. Better to close your eyes and count the strokes rather than glimpse that dark brown deep water….

I am not very good paddling a canoe and still grumble at portaging to the next lake, but trust me when I say “it’s worth it”. I have Erin to thank for that.

One year during a portage Erin came up with the idea to try recounting backwards every birthday. How it was spent? What did I remember? It became a project she went on to do. It definately got my mind off the back pain!

Another year she came up with the brilliant plan to bury a can of beer in a block of frozen ice that we would unearth on our journey home. I struggled with the lack of cold beers being able to go into the park so this was bloody brilliant! That can was cold baby when we got to it 3 days later. Another genius move from Erin.

I met Erin through a mutual friend at an art opening and a few weeks later she appeared at a summer backyard party. We immediately shared some giggles over random thoughts and then she declared “Let’s go camping”!

I had little to zero experience camping, never set foot in a canoe, had no idea about Algonquin. Curious by my new friend and a love for the outdoors, I heard myself say immediately “I’m in”.

A few months later (some time in September) I arrived at Erin’s apartment in Kensington Market with my sleeping bag and we loaded the car and drove north. There were 5 of us. I barely knew Erin and was meeting these 3 others for the first time. I don’t think any of us had much experience with this back country business. Erin was leading the pack. In writing this now I had a revelation….Enthusiasm. That’s what’s she’s got in spades and it’s a draw.

Somehow we made it across 3 lakes (that’s 3 portages) with a lot of singing, merriment and meat sticks to our site (finally) on Little Trout Lake. I’d never before seen this kind of beauty in nature. It simply took my breath away. I was hooked.

Peace and quiet.

My first time in a canoe. Algonquin Park. 2011

Erin and I met at an exhibition of photography and in this medium we shared an interest. For this maiden voyage to Algonquin we packed our film cameras. Upon return we hand processed the negatives and made a selection of mini prints in the darkroom which we gave to each lass in a hand made booklet (this took a few late nights to complete and more complaining from me “are we done yet?”)

On this trip was my first awareness of what is now another joy of nature/collecting. The mushroom.

Early on the second morning I was stumbling around the forest to squat for a pee when I saw through the ferns a most fresh and beautiful creature. The light was streaming in. She had just hatched. I went for the camera and made this picture with Erins Rolleiflex. I was hooked. Ever since I have revelled in the finding of mushrooms and hope to one day dedicate an exhibition to them.

My first mushroom. Little Trout, Algonquin Park, September 2011

The photograph above was also made on this trip. I used my Holga camera and made a double exposure. This is Jane and Erin practising “Gunnel Bobbing”. The waters were cold as we were into late September but I think they both fell off together!

I have included this print in my shop and it looks wonderful as a large print. And in blue tone is also great. See it here

In 2014 Erin and I decided to create an exhibition of photographs taken on our (at this time, only a small handful) of Algonquin trips for the annual CONTACT festival. We worked hard at editing and printing and deliberating the shots.

Gunnel Bobbing photo was used as the poster for CONTACT in the Junction! 2014

One of the images that Erin took was a stunning black and white panoramic of myself and Jane standing naked along the shoreline. For us, the chance to be comfortably nude on the trip was one of our favourite things. We coined the art “cubing”. Another topic for secret giggles!

The plan was to enlarge the image to beyond life size as it really was a stunner.

*Below, hand made book with darkroom prints from our first excursion.

Each trip we make, I not only look forward to photographing Erin but to also the making a record of ourselves somehow. When I look back at pictures she has made of me I feel grateful. I am also reminding myself to keep making pictures of loved ones. Just a snapshot will do. And perhaps….more nudes.

A print that Erin made of me which at first I didn’t really like and now I just love it.
Algonquin Park. date unknown.

Josephine Muntz. Pictured here as a bridesmaid, most likely early 70’s. most likely hand made gown.

My Mother My Muse and other Meanderings

June 03, 2022

A short story about my mum, (triggered by last months Mothers Day) . I want to chat about Motherhood, my mum and to reflect on the power of a photograph in the memory of people, time and place.

I have a little box of photographic prints of my childhood in the 70’s and I love looking at them.

But first….let’s get to Jo Croft…

My mum.

Leo. Nurturer. Artist. Sporty.

My mum grew up on a sheep and wheat farm in a remote part of NSW. Hot and dry, this was fair dinkum fly swatting territory. She was the eldest of 5 children and each morning would milk cows and perform other chores before catching the bus to school (which was a single classroom for all grades. Can you imagine?). On Friday nights, her parents would drive to the local pub and leave the kids in the car as they had a time whooping it up inside with lukewarm middies of beer (my Nanna loved her beer).

On the weekends my mum played tennis on dirt courts in the outback. I can just picture the ants meandering along the ground, the adults sipping cool sweet beverages under the shade of a single peppercorn tree with the sounds of magpies swooping above.

After mum studied what was called “Mothercraft and Nursing” in Sydney she took the best offer at marriage from my dad when my Grandfather shooed her off the farm. Johnny Croft or “Crofty” was a country boy with a great sense of fun and mum definately needed that.

Before she knew it, mum became a mum. First me and 11 months later, my sister Stephnie.

We were bustling (moving) around to various small country towns in Victoria and then NSW (dads job kept moving us). I have great memories of my childhood. A lot of outdoor exploring and running around naked. Always a sprinkler to cool off and frozen oranges to eat.

Mum stayed at home. She was fastidious with chores and seemed busy with the home making. She was a great crafty person and sewed all of our clothes. I loved a special occasion when we would visit the fabric store to pick patterns and textiles for an outfit. I recall a tartan pant and puffy sleeved blouse for my 1st communion with a matching patent leather buckle shoe that I would still wear to this day if I could! She also sewed 2 gowns for Grade 10 and 12 graduation parties. These were pretty crazy ideas but mum worked on the details late into the night. These gowns were amazing (2 words…taffeta and puff) but unfortunately didn’t really catch Matthew Skewes’ eye. I settled for Fred Jackson.

Things I have in common with mum.

Loves Coffee. Red hair. Crafty. Loves the beach.

Differences.

She likes instant. She can tan. She’s better at knitting and I crochet. Doesn’t swim.

I cried for an entire month when I left home at 17 because I missed her so much.

This is a polaroid I took of mum in her garden (also, she’s an excellent gardener) in Wagga Wagga, Australia. Not sure of the year. I really love this and have it on my dresser.

Abraham. Newborn at home. December 2015
4 x 5 Polaroid

I was nervous becoming a mother. Was I going to be as nurturing as my mother was? Would I be a sleep deprived cranky bitch?

When Abraham was born, I started planning getting him to Australia straight away. It just seemed necessary. We flew into Sydney when he was 3 months old. Mum caught the XPT train from Wagga Wagga to meet us there and see Abraham for the first time. I felt relieved to be there despite the most horrendous flight and Sydney was scorching hot. Baby Abraham was screaming and mum quickly recognized it was the heat. She settled him with cool cloths and he was giggling soon enough.

Mum reading to Abraham on our trip to Australia at the beginning of 2016.

I took an obsessive amount of photographs the first year. It was like a little art project for myself. I shot digital, film and polaroids. The interesting thing is that it actually just comes down to a small hand full of prints. It has to be a physical print for me.

I have a box of prints of random photographs from my childhood and I love looking them. Feelings are triggered. Recollection.

I already have some favourite images as a mum. I keep them close. A little portrait piece of my heart. Collection.

I have been considering the box of prints from childhood and I am dreaming of a way to offer that ‘snap’ of family life to my clients. Something simple. Something printed. A different experience from dressing in our Sunday best for an arranged session (which I also think is important) but an uncontrived ‘snapshot’ that can trigger our deep collective memory of family.

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Behind the image "Cliff Jumper" and the story of Spud and Fifi

March 28, 2022

As I prepare to launch the print side of my business (from my personal work in photography), I wanted to write something relating to “behind the image” from one of my works. I chose “Cliff Jumper” as the image because it relates to my dear friend Chad Christensen who is featured in the above image as the jumper. It’s a good one. Keep reading…

So let’s start from the beginning….it’s the early 2000’s and I am on a 3 month stint in San Francisco to shoot weddings for my Aussie boss. It’s a sweet deal. Apartment, car, freedom, anominity and a really exciting gig each weekend photographing gorgeous Californian weddings. I was having the time of my life, amazed by this incredible city of mystery.

One fine day I was sitting in a cafe reading Henry Millers “Crazy Cock” (possibly a sign for Chad to introduce himself), when I am approached by this punk meets surf meets cowboy character wearing the wildest pant/shirt combo with dyed blonde spiked hair, asking if I’d like to go to the beach later that day (since I was Australian, how could I resist)?

As I waited to be picked up on the designated corner later that afternoon, I became nervous about getting into a car with a stranger I’d met at a coffee shop triggered by reading that raunchy titled novel….and more nervous as we drove towards the ocean as Chad’s driving was reckless and hairy to say the least.

I relaxed once arriving at the very beautiful if somewhat blustery beach and a picnic was served with friends.

Climbing a cliff with a 4x5 camera in the suitcase!

There was a vibe.

As the sun began to set and the fog rolled in over Golden Gate bridge, we dispersed from the beach and I realised I was not ready to leave Chad’s company. We proceeded to stay up the entire night! Driving all over the city, taking in some crazy view points, talking about art….just the best damn night.

Exploring. Fun. Dancing. Dress ups. Get wild. This was Chad’s modus operandi and I was in!

Wigs, dress ups, dancing! This was the name of Chads game.

From the next day forward if I wasn’t working, I was with Chad.

San Francisco is one of the most insane cities. I mean, who, what, how the heck did they ever decide to build a city on such a dramatic landscape?

We never stopped exploring.

We never stopped taking photos.

Chad loved taking photos. We took alot of photos. And Super 8 film. I should find that stuff. My favourite trip was a drive up the coast to Bodega Bay. So spooky. Total Hitchcock. Windy, duney, seagull beaches.

Bodega Bay, where the filming of Alfred Hitchcock’s “The Birds” took place

The beach was Chad’s thing. He loved boogie boarding. He had this fantastic best pal, a tall German heart throb named Bodo. These 2 together never stopped laughing. And always went beaching.

The coastline around San Francisco is rough. The water is rough. It’s freezing (you have to pretty much wear a wet suit) and it’s trecherous. Don’t get me wrong….I went in. I love swimming in the ocean, but I’ll never forget the day that Chad had his Point Break moment.

The swell was massive. And it was way out. The water was deep as soon as you entered and there was an undertow. That’s what the surfers were using to get out to the break. But I swear those waves, they were ominously high.

so there’s Chad and you can just see his mind ticking “I want to catch that” and next thing he’s flying out there on the undertow towards that wall and he’s on a god damn boogie board. In a split second he’s under an approaching massive breaker. He had no choice but to turn that boogie around and try to catch this thing and by god there he is like a speck ona curtain holding on for dear life as he rides that wave all the way in to the shore.

A god damn miracle. I’ll never forget it.

Fast forward to 2010. Chad is marrying beautiful Kimmy and the wedding is taking place in Hawaii. Nathan and I fly from Toronto to be there and all the guests spend an entire week at a beautiful spot on the north shore. Needless to say, Chad is in beach party mode. In fact, this jumping off the rock happened the morning of the wedding and doesn’t that just sum up Chad so perfectly? Fun at all costs! recklessness!

I shot the images with 120mm black and white film with a plastic camera (Holga). I love the distortion of the bodies in the water. This image (above) is 2 negatives sandwiched together and I enjoy the spookiness.

I am excited to offer the featured image in my Print Shop. I am working on updates and image presentations and I can’t wait to formally share but for now…

Here she is!

My first Canadian Christmas story and other wintery tales

February 02, 2022

Almost 20 years ago I pulled an all-nighter at what I fondly recall ‘The night to remember’ (a wedding of wild proportions of dear friends in Sydney). I slumbered on the 22 hour flight recounting the previous evenings events and as the plane touched down at Toronto Pearson there was a blizzard out the window. It was my first time ever seeing snow. I was mesmerized.

I collect my luggage in which was packed a few pairs of wool tights, long johns and spencers (this is an English term for warm underthings), but missing….hat, gloves, jacket, boots. I had some shopping to do.

This expedition to Toronto was to re connect with a curious friend I had met and made whilst backpacking in Europe in 2000. Whitby was his home turf but he had an apartment in Toronto….so off we go from the airport to Dupont and Avenue Road.

I remain transfixed on the snowfall and start to wonder what it is I’ve gotten myself into with this Canada business.

I don’t think that it was just my reptilian blood that made me feel so cold that first winter. It was really bloody cold.

I quickly acquired a wool peacoat which I wore over 3 or four layers and a pair of North Face boots. Should be good. I was ready to explore Toronto.

As a companion I had my trusty cameras which I took everywhere. At this point I was photographing a lot (all with film). Actually the inspiration for this post is the colour negatives I recently processed taken at this time. Unfortunately the pictures are not very good however I love that there’s a record on film.

I struggled with understanding the city. It took forever to “get it” but I was enjoying time to myself with no distractions. The novelty of a new city in a new country with a season I’d never previously experienced, kept me in wonderland.

Christmas was approaching so we head to Whitby for the holidays……

Upon arrival to my friends family home, I’m struck by the decorations not only outside, but inside too. Even the powder room had a seasonal theme. In Australia we would throw some tinsel on a house plant and put candles in brown paper bags to line the driveway. I’m not kidding.

So this was very cute and warm and cosy and my hosts….let’s call them “Peggy & Dave” were spoiling me from the moment I walked through the door. They would do a big pot of coffee each morning and a big glass of rum n’ eggnog each night (their usual cocktail was the G & T, but this was eggnog season).

This was going to be fun….

Let’s start with the basement.

I’d never been in one. This was the place. A proper den. Leather seated couch, dim lighting, hockey on television and a fridge full of nanaimo bars and custard tarts. Wowie.

I had a lovely time that first Christmas and will recall it fondly.

I have come a long way since 2002 and have embraced winter and Christmas in Canada very much. I share some new traditions with my family here in The Junction (but that’s another blog post).

I have taken up knitting and crochet so there’s no shortage of warm scarves and hats (please, put your order in!!!) and just this year I am learning to skate (which as my 6 year old got better and better it made me want to join in).

A few weeks ago as we drove along Ellis Avenue on the way to an outdoor rink for skating, we saw that The Grenadier pond was full of skaters. Oh my word, I’ve been dreaming about this for years. Skating on a frozen pond. The conditions were near perfect with snow free smooth ice. It was a magical moment that I can refer to on an upcoming winter as one of those things to look forward to. The hot chocolate also helps.

Abraham enjoying hot chocolate after skating on Grenadier Pond. January, 2022

Last but not least in this story is about one photograph that was taken during my first Canadian winter which I really like and will be adding to my print launch coming soon.

It’s this one….

I shot this on a rainy evening with 35mm black and white film. I love the blurry car. (*note to self…pictures in the rain….that’s a great idea)!

This is now the home to Rose and Sons Restaurant by Chef Anthony Rose. So can somebody order this print for him please!

Here she is!

October. A photo document of Abraham

November 05, 2021

I’m working on a fall inspired story about mushrooms but alas, I need more time (the title is soooo good, I just want to write a novel to use it).

So here is a journal post featuring my favourite images of Abraham in the fall. There are mushrooms and then there are portraits of your babe.

Enjoy!

October 2016 was Abraham’s first fall. We went to High Park alot and I was a bit obsessed about photographing all of his cute outfits.

October, 2017. Ok, we cheated! We were in Australia!

October 2018. It was unseasonally warm!

October 2019. Now my baby is getting big! This was a glorious October. I took many pictures. And the first dress up for Halloween took place!

October 2020. What a beauty!

October 2021! Woot, another good one. This years Halloween was so much fun. The kids could actually wear their costumes without ugly jackets covering them up!

Let's talk about headshots

October 01, 2021

I’ve been thinking about headshots a lot lately and right now everyone wants one. Damn, even me!

So as I like to do, I reminisce and I get into the archives and it makes everything more enjoyable in this topic of photographing peoples heads!

Before I get into the headshots themselves I am going to get a few stories going regarding photographing people.

Let’s go back to the good old days….the wedding days. This was a fast track learning curve of getting comfortable with strangers in an intimate moment. I cut my cloth shooting weddings. I don’t know how I managed it to be honest. Totally nerve wracking. Totally thrilling. Navigating a variety of folks and their mixed expectations on such an important day. What drama! What fun! It was almost like social work or therapy.

*You have to remember, these were the film days. So if you fucked it up you wouldn’t know until 2 weeks after the day.

I recall the moment I realised that the best part of photographing a wedding was that people wanted to be photographed and you had a kind of freedom within the event to make images of people.

Couple dancing at a wedding. Nassua, Bahamas

Meanwhile….I started the practice of documenting people (strangers) at parties and events. All shot with black and white film, hand processed and printed. I felt free. I felt like an artist. I was going out at night by myself on the hunt. I sought out the weird. I even ended up on a last minute trip to India in 1999 with 2 freaky dudes (met at one of said events) as a nod to “getting the shots” (insert another blog post here)! The trip itself was so damn strange and I have the images to prove it.

Riding a men’s only train with Ben King in Mumbai, India, 1999

Winston and Ben with whom I travelled to India in 1999.

One of the most important things in the beginning of my photo journey was a having a muse. Someone to inspire image making. Someone that was a “good sport”. The original muse was my little sister Heidi. Boy, the things we did. She was 13, tall & lovely and we had a blast playing dress ups and gallavanting about pretending I was Richard Avedon and she was an Italian Vogue model.

Heidi Croft. My little sister, the original muse. 1992

Then came my university comrade, Mary Keith (*I could totally write another blog post on Mary Keith). She is the reason I have short hair to this day. The first day on campus I saw Mary directing two hefty blokes to her dorm room lugging her ginormous trunk of belongings (she was a collector). She had razer short hair and was wearing a pair of denim cut offs (which I’d never seen before), a white top with the words “chainsaw’ in bloody red across the front and a pair of Blundstones at the base of her whiter than white long legs (*I shall mention she’s Irish). I was hooked.

Recently I have been inspired to photograph people on the street (strangers) again and I’m searching for the courage that I had in my 20’s. It’s different times for this kind of thing for sure. I need to commit to that courage. I love when I see someone and I just think “ You need to be photographed right now” and I have started a hashtag on instagram which is #youlookgoodtome

Sometimes I just want to tell people how great they “feel” (if you know what I mean).

So when a client inquires about having photos taken of themselves, I get that feeling of creativity of what we can do. For certain there’s the business profiles. I like to keep it natural, no fuss.

But I like if we can do more.

A sneak peek from a recent shoot with the fabulous Laura Calder. — A sneak peek from a recent shoot with the fabulous *Laura Calder*.

Here’s my approach.

Let’s discuss your needs. Where you’d like to use the photos. What industry are you in?

Studio or location? Are we keeping it simple or can we do something a bit more. Sometimes we will style it up! It really depends on your needs but remember…. YOULOOKGOODTOME!

I guess what I’m trying to say is that having your photo taken in whatever form should be an enjoyed experience. At least that’s my take. heck, I’m nervous too. But remember, the photo of yourself today will become more significant next week, month and years.

A favourite portrait of Erin Brubacher to wrap up this post!

A good photo has a story to tell.

Swimming pools, oceans, rivers and lakes.

August 21, 2021

Damn I love swimming.

As an Australian, the water is key to daily pleasure. It’s really hot in most of Australia for most of the year and finding a way to cool off is essential.

I grew up inland and far from the coast. Fresh water was the place to be. The cool, muddy, mysterious liquid. We would spend hours swimming in a dam over mid year breaks despite the water being freezing. We learnt to water ski on rivers and dams at a young age which is still one of the strangest things I know how to do.

One year I attended a camping festival set along an inland river in the height of summer. The flies were bad, but the water was delightful. Part of the daily ritual was getting naked and covering yourself in mud. Amazing.

The norm for every town, small or otherwise is a pub, a racetrack, a bakery and an outdoor olympic sized swimming pool. It’s a daily ritual for many Australians to wake up early and hit the laps.

When I lived in Sydney during my 20’s the pool options were fantastic. The Bondi Icebergs Club was incredible. A 50 metre pool built on the side of the ocean rock cliff, filled with natural sea water. It was a spectacular place to make your lengths with the promise of a cold beer up in the clubhouse afterwards (or a dip in the actual ocean at Bondi Beach). Swimming at The Bondi Icebergs is up there as one thing I miss most.

Now, as much as I love a swimming pool, there’s really no comparing getting into the ocean.

I’m looking for a photo here which would be this scene from my childhood… myself and my 2 sisters sharing the shade of an umbrella with my dad and his esky of beer, on a beach after being crash tackled by waves for hours. Mum would be on the side suntanning reading a glossy.

This was the moment we lived for the entire year….our one month caravanning holiday to Woolgoolga on the north coast of NSW. This trip was my fathers pride and joy. The ultimate relax vacation. The caravan itself with modifications for fun and enjoyment, the actual shrimp on the bbq dinners, the board games when it rained, but mostly the swimming.

This holiday was all about the beach. All about learning to swim in the ocean. How to body surf, how to swim out past the breakers and how to read a riptide and learn when the water didn’t look safe and maybe today would be about playing tennis instead.

My dad was a strong swimmer. He got us into that ocean and coached our confidence. Years later I would show off as a young adult by heading into the ocean late at night and swimming out there in the dark. Something I would be too scared of doing now.

Abraham playing on a beach in QLD, 2017.

Meanwhile….in Canada I have found a new annual water highlight. Swimming in the lakes of Algonquin.

A different kind of swimming. It’s dark, it’s deep, it’s cold, it’s beautiful.

Once a year a special trip is planned to get into that backcountry and it is so amazing. I crave getting my body (nude) into that lake.

The trip is also about making photographs with film. The natural beauty of the water is always a recurring theme. It is a little ritual to continue making pictures on these trips. I have a few rolls from last year which may be getting processed tomorrow! I can’t wait to discover what surprises await on those rolls of film.

Gunnel Bobbing, Algonquin, 2012Shot with the Holga Camera — Gunnel Bobbing, Algonquin, 2012
Shot with the Holga Camera

With Jane, contemplating the waters of Algonquin, 2012.

Because we head into back country camping where you are quite alone and private on your site, nudity is on. It’s actually one of my favourite things to be able to swim nude. I have not yet met anyone who would not agree to this sentiment.

Having said that I do own a collection of vintage bathers and I am partial to the speedo costume, but I digress….

St. Mary’s Quarry, ON,Quarry swimming is another special experience. — St. Mary’s Quarry, ON,
Quarry swimming is another special experience.

This summer I have been doing my best to get into the water at any opportunity and to teach Abraham the joy of swimming. Tonight we are going on a boat ride and I’m sure I’ll jump in somewhere out in the open lake north of the city (wearing my bathers)!

Abraham swimming in Nottawasaga Bay this summer, 2021

I’m also considering that my portrait making could be done more with water backdrops. It just looks so good. More often than not I head to a park for the location for portraits but now I’m in the mind of the water beauty.

Keep a check on my instagram feed as I continue to post water themed imagery this week.

See you in the lake! xoxo Phillipa

Blurry with a side of flowers. My Covid Story

July 27, 2021

Nutty, nutty Covid!

You know, it’s strange. I already feel like my memory of the past year and a half is muddy and unclear…like, best to forget the hard parts and hold onto the good bits.

I actually just returned from a little getaway with a close friend that I have barely seen in over a year. We are both double vaccinated and took a Covid test before being indoors together (nutty nutty Covid).

This summer is not so bad folks. The waters of Ontario are where it’s at! (currently trying to teach Abraham to swim as the lessons we had were cancelled many moons ago).

The beginning of Covid marked the time we moved into our brand new apartment (which happens to be above the studio)! This project was over 2 years in the making so it was pretty perfect when the 1st lockdown was in order, we were setting up house!

We are still ‘making arrangements’ and haven’t had any parties yet but I’ve been practising my cooking skills to host you all soon. I must say it was a great distraction to have things to do in the new abode as the first lockdown took place.

dining al fresco on the porch. check out the table (facebook marketplace and a whole other blog post!)

brunch spread! mimosas, dutch babies, tulips, mexican textiles. when can you come over?

Having my business feel like “on again off again” switch has been hard. Being uncertain of what is the right approach and to maintain a sense of safety throughout. Photographing people is so personal. It has been confusing at times. In the beginning (2020) I would have an adaptable idea for the moment and then that seemed unreasonable, so back and forth on ideas for how to continue working.

This year I have felt more relaxed. Although I have taken a small break from the actual photography, I am planning the future. BIG DREAMS. Making new goals for the business. I have realised that portraiture is my top priority and I am also preparing to launch a new side of the business which is my personal work.

tulips. 35mm film.i love tulips in vases. this image pleases me so much. the negative is just lovely and i made this vase in a pottery class.see more here (images, not pottery) — tulips. 35mm film.
i love tulips in vases. this image pleases me so much. the negative is just lovely and i made this vase in a pottery class.
*see more here* *(images, not pottery)*

Meanwhile….this year, I have embraced parenting. Home schooling my 5 year old, Abraham, for most of this year has actually been a real joy. We created a school/play balance on the daily and I have to admit we are having the best time! I think secretly I didn’t want him to start school in the first place so I feel that I got my wish this year.

I am lucky to have the most incredible in laws (a whole other blog post) as well as a friendship with a local mum, Janine (she has THREE BOYS)! We have kept each other sane by meeting each day with coffee (or beer sometimes) to debrief, daydream and get fresh air.

danny and audrey. best in laws in town in my humble opinion.

this is janine with her 3 boys. jake (5), oscar (4), billy (1) & abraham on the side.she’s basically a rock star in my humble opinion. — this is janine with her 3 boys. jake (5), oscar (4), billy (1) & abraham on the side.
she’s basically a rock star in my humble opinion.

I do look forward to September for the children to go to school again and we can dive back into our business routines!

I am available for portraits and head shots through August which we can do safely outdoors in the beauty of summer.

Thanks for reading and feel free to share! xoxo Phillipa

Hello

June 14, 2021

Howdy! It’s me, Phillipa C….starting a blog!

I’m excited to share stories with you and thought I would begin with a bit about myself and my photo making journey.

*this portrait taken last fall by my dear friend erin brubacher (she is a whole other blog post). we played dress ups in high park (my favourite location) and I am wearing my best golfing fashion. — *this portrait taken last fall by my dear friend *erin brubacher* (she is a whole other blog post). we played dress ups in high park (my favourite location) and I am wearing my best golfing fashion.

I grew up in rural Australia and began learning photography during studies (Graphic Design) in University. I should note that the professor teaching Photography was one heck of an inspiration. I became hooked on the darkroom and spent many late nights practising the processing and printing of film. After university I arrived in Sydney and began training with a wedding photographer. (insert blog post here of my 20’s, Sydney….whoa)! It was a small successful company and every weekend we’d be driving all over Sydney in a bright red Ferrari to various gorgeous locations for the day of the wedding. We shot the entire wedding on film back then which was pretty exciting as well as stressful (waiting 2 weeks to see if the photos actually turned out). Like I said, I could write a whole other post on this period.

November, 2002, I witnessed my first snow fall as the plane landed at Pearson International. I had planned to stay for just one year, however I met and fell in love with a golf enthusiast and c’est la vie!

*a favourite picture taken way back in 2006 at the burning man festival (insert blog post on burning man)!

In 2009 I opened the storefront studio in the Junction. This was an exciting affair! We distributed hand made invitations to the neighbourhood, ordered a case of champagne and brought in Uncle George (my father in laws brother!) to cater. My high heels held up thanks to the endless glass of champagne.

hand stamped, typewritten and stitched invitations for opening night party!

For the first few years I sought weddings as the focus of photography. I thrilled at the invitation to be up close and personal with my wedding clients. Being able to creatively interpret a couples special day was like a shot of adrenaline every time. I also started photographing local families. As time went along I became more responsive to the portrait sessions I was creating and I became very attached to this new invitation to photograph children and little ones.

photographing this darling little chap along the lakeshore a few summers ago. my adoaration of children sparked..ps. My jumpsuit in this photo is seersucker. — photographing this darling little chap along the lakeshore a few summers ago. my adoaration of children sparked..
ps. My jumpsuit in this photo is *seersucker*.

When my son Abraham was born in 2015, I felt more ready to focus on portraits in my business lifestyle. I discovered that I would take pictures of Abraham in the same way I would my clients children and this solidified my connection to photographing children.

You can view my favourite portraits here

I love this photo taken on a beach in Queensland a few weeks before Abraham turned 2.

So, here we are, half way through 2021! Hoping and waiting for better news to get through Covid. I have been enjoying more time with Abraham, watching him grow (and photographing him of course). I’m looking forward to getting back to a routine with my work, meeting new families and reconnecting with old ones (old is not the right word but you know what I mean).

I’m excited to share stories here which I will aim for once a month. I’ve got some fun projects in mind with portraits and am also super excited to share some of my personal photography work which you may have noticed in the shop window…. whoo hoo… (more blog posting on this too)*

Here’s a sneak peek of that…

Claude the Sonic Manipulator. Shot with black and white film.

So for now I will sign off and get back to the playground. I hope to see you there. Thanks for reading and feel free to share! xoxo Phillipa

A favourite picture from my childhood taken on a beach holiday in South Australia in 1976.I’m pretty certain my mum sewed the hats my sister and I are wearing as well as her bikini. Also of note, my mum is a tanning redhead. Unfortunately I am not. — A favourite picture from my childhood taken on a beach holiday in South Australia in 1976.
I’m pretty certain my mum sewed the hats my sister and I are wearing as well as her bikini. Also of note, my mum is a tanning redhead. Unfortunately I am not.