Happy Australia Day 2015 and Happy Yabun Festival 2015

“Aussie Bloke” I met at Riverhawke Festival on the banks of the Hawkesbury River outside Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

In recognition of Australia Day 2015 and Yabun Festival 2015….A few snapshots of my Freeborn adventures on the wonderful continent of Australia.

Melbournian Hipster who I photographed at the St Jerome Laneways Festival, Australia

Meeting everyone from Aussie blokes and Melbourne hipsters to nature lovers, warm hearted families and deeply characterful Aboriginal people.

Alice Simpson-Young, a connection to nature which is positively indescribable, in Glebe, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Alice Simpson-Young, my gracious and wonderful host in Glebe, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

I made thousands of portraits during my four months in Australia on three separate visits in my life so far.

Freeborn hosts Stuart & Annette Cohen, Virginia & Bill Simpson Young & Joel Mortimer in Glebe, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

A complex society and a rich one too. Happy Australia Day and Happy Yabun to all those I have already met there and all those I may befriend in the future!

Umballa, Aboriginal man from North Queensland who I met at Yabun Festival in Victoria Park on Australia Day

Feel free to enjoy my archive blog posts in between January and May 2012 for more Freeborn Australian portraits.

Bec, Folk & Tea

Bec at RiverHawke Festival

One of my favourite little Australian sisters Bec, also known as Freeborn Exhibit B in my collection of wonderful people, is on this side of the equator, adventuring through Europe for a few months. I was thrilled to meet her in Dublin recently when we were both travelling in Ireland. Since so much of our friendship is based around folk music and tea drinking it was very fitting that we met at The Cobblestone traditional music pub in Smithfield, Dublin. I arrived to find Bec singing a cappella with the whole session enthralled by her beautiful voice.

I was then honoured to be able to play host to Bec in Brixton, London a few weeks ago and will be doing so again when she arrives back from her current European adventures. I will be making a portrait of Bec when she returns but I wanted to share this, one of my favourite portraits which I took when we were at RiverHawke Festival outside Sydney with friends a few years ago. What a weekend of fun that was!

I can’t wait to hear all about Bec’s adventures in Europe over a pot of something special from T2, the fantastic tea shop she worked in in Sydney for many years. Originally conceived in Melbourne there’s now one in Shoreditch, London, where we will be making a pilgrimage to upon her return. Bec also made me a great Spotify folk music playlist so that will work nicely and I’m hoping we can seek out a traditional Irish folk session in London too.

Josh

Josh (Joshua), is Don’s unofficially adopted son. They were brought together through the world’s kinder forces when Josh was around 14yrs old. Don was working in the social arena and wanted Josh to have the best chance in life. I have to admit that anyone coming into contact with Donald Clark will most likely end up with a better chance in life…because he’s an inspirational man! If you are ever near Sydney please don’t be shy to ask me for Don’s contact details and he will gladly have a Chai with you and his dog Cobber (and whomever might be staying with him from Couchsurfing at the time).

It took a few days for me to get to know Josh a little. He’s not the most talkative at first but as soon as we understood each other I was very pleased we got on well. As a portrait photographer I am always very sensitive to people’s different characteristics. Some people want their photo taken, others don’t and then there are some who just take a little time to gain their trust. I’m glad I had the time to gain Josh’s trust as I was and am very interested in his cultural and heritage.

I took this photo that evening when he came home from work and the kitchen was full with Don cooking, Sambath taking film footage, Sam Brown sitting with us and me as usual with camera in hand. For those of you who don’t know the tattoo on Josh’s arm is the Aboriginal Flag. I had to be a little cheeky to ask him if I could photograph it when I noticed it peeking out from under his t-shirt…but that sensitive audaciousness of mine worked out well…resulting in one of my favourite portraits from my time in Sydney. By the way the rabbit behind is from the rugby football team Sydney Rabbitohs.

Thanks for sharing your home with me brother Josh 🙂

Sam Brown

Samantha Brown (Sam), is a friend from Leeds where I used to live. When we both found out we’d be in Sydney at the same time as she was relocating to work as an Accountant, we’d said that we’d catch up for a drink. Little did we know that she would be living less than a minutes walk from where I happened to be staying with Don. She came round and I made us all Chai and Don cooked the most wonderful curry…photos to follow. It was lovely to be able to introduce Sam to one of her new neighbours so she’d have a friendly face in the area.

Vegemite in a roll anyone??