Connected?

This street photography series began as I was wandering through NYC and ran smack bang into Times Square. Unmissable. The people. The lights. The advertising. The excessive use of electricity screaming – buy Nike, buy Coke, buy buy buy buy.

I was incredibly overwhelmed and sat down to take it all in. What I noticed, was that most people passing through the square payed no attention to it at all. Mobile phones drew their attention in a far more absorbing way. This is in no way unique to NYC, it happens in my own city and I’m sure in most cities in the world. But it did make me think – with all this technology making us more accessible, more responsive and more available, how connected to the present moment are we?

The series progressed and I was particularly interested in people engaging with their mobile phones when there was a lot of other stuff going on around them, or when they were working or multi tasking. I’m not criticising it – I do it. It’s just interesting. The more you look for it, the more you notice every second person oblivious to their surroundings and connected to some other moment and place. Connected to technology, disconnected from everything else.

I totally get it – being connected. When we’re on our way from one place to the next, why not make the most of catching up or continuing to work. But when do we rest? When do we stop, look around us, reflect? My clearest thinking used to happen on long bus rides staring out the window watching worlds go by. I just wonder how or when do we get a chance stop and take things in when we are always ‘connected’. What do you think?

Reflecting and moving forward in NYC

This is an extremely sensitive topic. I’m not going to say much, except that the location is the World Trade Centre, New York City. Ten years on, it was for me, a moment of reality and reflection.

NYC, inspiration and giant meals

Something happened on this trip. I had a revelation. Nothing dramatic – actually it could very well have passed me by if I wasn’t paying close attention. I can’t even explain it in words, but it is clear to me in the way I am shooting.

I made a decision to only bring my camera and a 50mm lens on this trip. It set me free. I had my camera on me, in fact out and being used, most of the trip. There is something about a smaller set up, without an entourage of lenses and endless options that meant I just shot with the only option I had. I saw everything within the frame of that lens and if it didn’t fit I simply moved closer or further away. Simple. And I never once longed for a different lens. In fact, I loved that I needed to move, get involved, get closer.

Below is really just meant as a snap shot of the trip. Nothing more. They are a journey of inspiration, wandering, the conquering of giant meals, the endless search for “gourmet” coffee, and the absorption of all NYC has to offer. For those wanting something less disjointed, I have 3 series of images that I have come back with, but they will be posted in good time. For now, here’s some adventures we had and I’ll show you what caught my eye in greater detail in coming posts.

Want to know where or what any of the below photos are? Just ask…

 

To explain a couple:

The girl in the Yale jumper and yellow gumboots is Australian playwright Amelia Roper. Caught up with her and did a couple of portraits at Yale before she took off to Boston, then Russia for performances of some of her plays. Very talented, check her out here.

The shot 5th from the bottom is a religious group singing for our redemption the day before the world was supposed to end.

The shot below the guy looking at the paper mache art is the only shot not taken by me – From left to right – New York photographer Tema Stauffer, Me, Ali (my wife)

Miranda & Mick

There’s something to be said for only inviting a handful of people to share your ceremony. Everyone gets to huddle in close and almost feel like a part of the ceremony rather than just an observer. Mick and Miranda had 16 close friends and family join them at Crittenden Winery, then moved on to Pink Alley to party with a bunch more after that.

Workshopping the workshop

So I’m developing the first of what will be a series of workshops and thought I’d do a post to give you a sneak peak on what I’ve been working on.

The first workshop I’ve been developing is about portrait photography using natural light. It seemed like the best place to start, because if you don’t understand natural light you’ve got little hope of getting a great shot using it.

As I was planning the workshop, I really wanted to keep it simple and highlight just how much can be created if you take the time to understand the fundamentals of light.

In a nutshell, this is what you want to be thinking about when using natural light:

ITS DIRECTION

Question for the light: where the hell are you coming from?

Question for yourself: Where do I WANT it to be coming from?

ITS QUALITY

Question for the light: Are you hard light or diffused?

Question for yourself: What do I WANT it to be?

 

Believe it or not, the lights answers are right before your eyes if you just think to ask the questions.

Your answers based on these questions will dictate the mood of your shot. So all you need to do is think about your subject, decide what will work for who they are/what they do and then you have your answers. Easy right?

I stood in one room for an hour and a half and watched the light coming through the window change. As it changed, I worked with it to create a bunch of different shots.

How many different moods / images do you think you can create from the window light in one room?

Here’s two of my favourites.

Join the workshop in Melbourne on 11 June 2011 to find out how many I came up with and with help, get a grasp on this thing called light and see how many more you can create! Email info@michelledunn.com.au for more details or check in on facebook in the next few days for the full low down. Oh… and you’ll be learning about WAY more than just light…

The way we love.

We’ve all been to a wedding or two in our lives. What is it that makes some go off more than others from a guest point of view? Ticking all the boxes might make sure you can say you’ve done it yourself, but does it show everyone you love exactly why you’ve chosen to do it with this particular person?

If you think about the whole concept of marriage – the commitment to align your life alongside an entirely different mind/body/soul from yourself (however similar your interests or values) – does it feel a little like the impossible to you? I love it when I get the privilege to shoot a wedding where the couple gives us a sneak peek into their lives and lets us in on the reasons they believe it’s possible. It’s part of the reason I’ve also been on a journey setting up www.idotoo.com.au.

 

 

Cynthia & Zac

 

See, I love weddings that explode with a couples coupleness. Like creative couple Zac and Cynthia’s artworks that guided the way to their out-of-the-way wedding. The heart shaped logs for the bridal party to stand on and the antique bath tub growing from nature filled with drinks for the guests.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Crusader & Rowland

Respected members of the gay community Crusader and Rowland, who after being together for 15 years decided to join “The Wedding” in a public declaration of their vows.

 

Their choice to read their own words of commitment to each other (without the interjection of a celebrant) really made it their own. And the stories from their “children” highlighted the impact this couple has had on people in their lives.

 

 

Piroj & Viren

 

Piroj and Viren were able to fuse their Indian heritage and Aussie laid back nature in a colourful celebration and by meeting up early in the day for a few snaps it gave them time to sneak in a dance rehearsal before they headed off to join their guests for an uninterrupted afternoon at their ceremony and reception. I knew I’d love sharing this day with Piroj & Viren when I met them both in Melbourne for a pre wedding shoot.

 

 

 

Hyejin & Ilya

 

Hyejin & Ilya have one of those fairytale love stories, involving travelling across the world to risk your heart and declare your love. There was lots of charades played with Hyejin’s family who flew in a couple of days before and so many giggles that went along with it. They both created a ceremony mixing traditions of Ilya’s greek and Hyejin’s Korean backgrounds.

 

 

 

Gemma & Matt

Gemma and Matt run a candy making business together. They love it. Can you tell?!

These are all weddings I’ve shot in the last few months and each couple has inspired me in their own way to celebrate my own relationship and continue to build a world that we are truly excited to live in – even if it looks different to everyone else’s. And after creating my own wedding in 2009 with my partner, I can tell you it’s loads of fun to throw your own spin on things! One big tick, outside of the box.

Pedal Power

As a mad keen snowboarder I love sport that involves speed. But as a somewhat lazy person when it comes to fitness, my exercise is more incidental. I ride my bike to get somewhere. But I’ll always ride over walking, because it’s faster. In peak hour, I’d rather ride than drive, because it’s faster. So that’s me, speed and purpose.

 

Mitch is 17 and full of speed and purpose. He might be going round in circles, but he does it with such determination it’s great to watch. On the day of this shoot we were at the end of 3 days straight of temps around 40 degrees. As soon as we finished, while I was sweating just packing up my camera gear, Mitch was on his bike sneaking in some extra training before his race that night. Gotta love someone with that much drive… or should I say pedal power?

Portuguese Tarts

Tonight’s dinner party inspired me to crack out a new recipe – Portuguese Tarts. Let me get this straight from the outset. Cooking is new to me. And I am driven to cook more because I love to eat, rather than because I love to slave laboriously over ingredients, carefully measuring and lovingly mixing, only to have all that hard work devoured in minutes. So I have delved into the world of cooking because I love to eat, but also because I’m easily bored. I can’t live on the same 5 or 6 meals rotated weekly.

So, along came the Portuguese Tart. Maybe my version of these little heart attacks aren’t quite as pretty as they could be, but my god they were delicious.

 

Explorations

As a kid I loved exploring. Under the house, with it’s secret passage that you could access through the workshop was awesome. Through an old pipe that would leave me covered in orange slime was the best.

But I’ll put it out there – I’m also a huge chicken. I can’t watch horror movies. I jump at my own shadow.

So why would I jump at the chance to explore an abandoned building?

Because the kid in me still loves to imagine the stories a disused building has to tell, with it’s aching structure and brittle beams. The light that leaks it’s way in through cracks and the gamble of every footstep you take. The straw that broke the camels back.

This building has been explored many times. The floors are speckled with pidgeon shit and the stench of rodent fur is putrid in places. As our eyes adjust to pitch a makeshift loungeroom becomes evident. Is there someone in the mound of material on top of the mattress? It takes a few seconds to trust we are alone.

The walls are filled with artwork that could only be completed with the time allowed by being hidden. Away from the laneways of imminent discovery where graffiti is a common Melbourne practice. We settle in to this urban gallery and enjoy the treat.

Debuting Frankie Alibi & the Fugitives

There was a whole lotta leadup to this gig. Shooting the promo pics was great fun and seeing them plastered all over Melbourne in the oddest of places was bloody great too. And while Frankie was about to see if he could pull off something he’s never done before, I was looking forward to seeing if I could pull off something I haven’t done in years.

Shooting bands was how I first got into photography. Living in Edinburgh, I used to catch the train across to Glasgow for nights of gritty grrl rock. I’d shoot a role of film, crash on someone’s couch then catch the train back to Edinburgh excited to see what I’d captured. Usually a whole lotta blurry colour, but I thought it was awesome. You might miss the gig the way everyone else sees it, but you get to see it in a whole other way. I love it.

And can I just say, you Fugitives smashed it. What other band could sell out a 300 capacity venue on their debut gig, when barely anyone has heard of them, let alone a note of music? I guess Melbourne was aching for  a 12 piece rhythm & blues band full of some of Melbournes finest musos and fronted by the one and only Frankie Alibi. Where did he come from? He’d have to be the love child of James Brown & Elvis, if they had’ve hooked up and were able to procreate.

So anyway, great gig. Here’s how I saw it if anyone missed it or wants to relive it. Complete with fingerprinting at the door, booty shakin’ to the sounds of support band the ReChords and a bit of cop action at the end to finish things off.

Anyone looking for a band photographer? Contact me here or join me on facebook. Ace.