The Airport

In my hand I hold a handful of white spaghetti, which I intend to be able to listen to my music through, while the Federal Police stand watch over the thoroughfare, occasionally glancing over to the 14 people asleep between two baggage carousels, in their sleeping bags, blankets, and various assortments of attire to keep warm. One guy is wearing shades while he sleeps, another's towel (which will serve as tonight's make-shift blanket) allows his toes to protrude from the comfort of the warmth, one gentleman even nominated me as his alarm clock and so I went and woke him up a few minutes ago... He is still asleep despite my attempts to prove myself valuable as an alarm clock.


3:28 am. 2 Hours to go.

I am sitting in Perth Domestic airport, and there are quite a few people asleep, within 10 meters around me as I get my nerd on lol.

In all honesty, I'd rather be doing what they're doing, but I am wide awake, and there are no signs of getting shut eye any time soon. So I spent the last hour or two trolling through my Temporary Photos folder in Lightroom, and I do believe that I had deleted 500(ish) photos, to leave me with around 300 piccies, only to have to troll again, until I get the elite of the elite images. I mean, there are photos from over 2 months ago still sitting here. Terrible really...

Here is what I found. Back in June, whilst visiting my lovely lady, I was driving back to the city along Toodyay rd. As the sunset set fire to the sky, and ignited the clouds with color, I was captivated with what my eyes took in. The sunset had literally set the sky alight. It was so vivid and rich. I truly do love our Australian sunsets.














Venturing even further back than the last one, but this pre-dates to the very first of June. I had this idea for a little while of getting a photo of a flag blowing full pelt with a slow shutter, and see how it turned out. And, I was quite happy with the result of the image that resulted.







Then, on the complete extreme of dates, we have a picture from last night, by the river lol. I have just walked back from the city over the narrows bridge, rather than just jumping on the ferry or the bus. I had been walking for a while, and just been stopping where anything took my fancy, and taking photos of the life passing me by, and as I was getting closer to nan's place, I saw the Jetty, and thought I'd give it a crack. Turned out pretty good if I may say so myself :)

There you are all. My plane is now only half an hour away, and my belly is aching (not just for food though ;).

See you all when I have a new car :)

Adam, My Musical Mate

Adam



This seems to be a name that I am getting familiar with while on the streets meeting new & interesting people. This time, Adam was a musician. Rather than being a life-defending, witch-watcher, who's name I was not certain was actually Adam, this Adam was a Geography-teaching, ciggy-smoking, unemployed, uneducated tiger.


To quote him: "City Of Perth! Thank you for supporting an uneducated and unemployed Tiger!"... And your'e thinking, "The guardian of life might be telling the truth as opposed to this guy..."

I know, but I could not help but instantly love this dude. From the moment that I heard his Reggae-Punk echoing through the streets, and his haneously raw voice being broadcasted to the ears of passers by, my spirit lifted from the frustration of trying to get "that photo" and fell aside as I was captivated with how this complete stranger could just be a person being a person with no regard to what anyone thought of him. He was Adam, and he was in a Tiger outfit, and he was cool.

At first sight of him, I stood back to get the photos that I wanted from afar, as his presence on the street drew my attention away from sign that summed it all up perfectly:

"Hooray For Everything"

This guy was just that. He was a statement of 'Hooray-ing For Everything'. Everything about him said just that. I mean, He was in a tiger outfit, he couldn't sing, he was sweating from being in the sun, and he was passionate about being himself.

Anyway. Let me begin today's visual story ...

I spot this guy, and I would say I am about 20-30 meters away when I decide to stop and get snap happy. I stopped behind a bollard. You know one of those metal things popping out of the ground? Usually at about waist-height, and as round as your fist? Yeah. This was my hiding post. I know... I am thinking the same thing as you. I have this knack for thinking that because I have a camera, and the person looks a little bigger through my viewfinder, that they cant see me.

... Retard ...

I look down behind me. Look up to this singing human tiger. Think: "Hmmmmm. Billy.... You are a stealth boss now arent you? Shucks."

Luckily, he didnt care. These two dudes walked past, grabbed a seat on the bench he was on, and started chatting with him. Straight away, he swapped music for people, and began talking. These guys bailed, and I seized the moment. I walked up to him, extended my hand and said "Dude, I haven't got any cash, but you are the man".

He looked at me... 

...and kept singing.

I mean... I am like a meter away from him. Its not like one of those situations where I think that because I am hiding behind a concrete stick, that he cant see me. I am right in front of him.

Whilst still singing, he leans forward, as if to say "Huh?". I think to myself, "I dont want to repeat myself word-for-word..."

"I dont have any cash, but you are the man"... Smooth..

He stops, shakes my hand, and keeps on singing his renditions of Sublime. I keep taking photos.

Stopping for a break, he asks if I have got enough photos, and if not, that I will need to take a spell, so that he can have a smoke. So, I head over to him, and get chatting. He continues to inform me that he is a Geography, History, English, and Sos teacher, and the he does this in his spare time for kicks. 

He tells me about his Mrs. and how the turtle tattooed on his left wrist is for her and a sign that they will never be apart, and tells me about how good we have really got it, and that we really don't go without anything. He tells me how they lived in a tent for 3 years while traveling around Europe and NSW, and how while Hitch-Hiking, they would carry a sign saying "Home", and when asked where "Home" was, their response was, "Where are you going?".

He tells me about how people are good at heart, and about the time when he met a guy called Michael Gabrielle while breaking into his house, and that Michael had been left with nothing after a 10 year law suit, and even with nothing to his name and being broken into, Michael still extended an invitation to Adam to bring his sleeping bag around, and that he could stay at his house if he wanted to.

He tells me how life is simple. He tells me about how we have got everything we need. He tells me about how we are well off. He tells me how we will always be able to have 3 squares a day. He tells me how there is something valuable in everyone. He tells me about how he would spend time with homeless people just to learn from them, and by the end of our conversation, I ended up telling myself that Adam was someone that I could learn so much from, and that Dale Carnegie's quote, "every man is my superior, that I learn of him", was re-enforced through my meeting of Adam.

This man is an inspiration, and although he lives in a tent with a sign that says "Home", with a lady who represents a turtle on his wrist, sings deformed reggae in a tiger suit, and hangs out with homeless people to become a better person, Adam (wether or not that is his name), has inspired me to be a better me, and to learn from whoever I can as often as I can.

So... To Adam, and all that he is. 

Hooray For Everything.

The Adventures of Billy & Ariff - PT2

BOOM! and thats how my day started.


Then, after that, I went and met up with Ariff. After our considerably odd manner of meeting the day prior, and the lingering recollection of that ever-present 'oh-crap-you-werent-meant-to-turn-around-yet-ness', all the awkwardness of meeting someone new and so, not having anything to talk about was absent. Today became pretty easy after such a unique way of meeting 24 hours earlier. Piling into the car (yes, the two of us piled into the car...), we made quick haste to Freemantle.


So picture this. We rock up.




Thats all.




Haha, nah but seriously, we arrive, and there is just people everywhere. People crowding the street, and performances all over the place, and I am quite impressed with the ammount of people that are here for our arrival. Ariff was the man. I was really impressed. He would just walk up to people, and snap off a photo whether he was like 2 meters away from them, or 20 meters away. He owned that joint. I'm like, "Thats it bro! These people are here for us anyway! Do your thing!"


I'm glad that I didnt mention this to him, as the Freemantle Street & Performing Festival sign had eluded me until this point, and so consequently, I very quickly changed my stance on the reason as to why all these people were present at the same time as we had arrived.


Walking into the front of the fruit & veggie markets, I was just keen as a mung bean to take some photos. I saw something that has potential to look cool. So, with the slickness of James Bond, I swung that camera off my hip, and snapped a glorious image. I shall name it after the very first thought that I had after taking the photo:

"Why the hell did I just take this?"

Your thought too? Glad we think the same. I can very vaguely remember turning around to Ariff, and I think there was even a little bit of confusion on his face too lol.


As we progressed through the markets, with the wisdom of a dolphin, I put my "find weird looking people" glasses on. And THEN! I spotted this:

I took my "find weird people glasses" off, and Blow me dead! Nothing changed.


Now! It might not be a wierd looking person, but it comes close. That could eat you if your'e not careful. The golem-like foot was different, but such shock as soon to be recompensed with something not unlike a soothing balm. Scouring aorund, to see who was going to fall victim to my stunningly rugged good 'looking through my camera' abilities, I spotted a young man playing his violin, simply making his earning.


So, with the serenity of a canary bird, I captured what my eyes took witness of as this boy played his violin.

I have to admit. I was tempted to ask him:
"Have you been playing for more than 45 Minutes?"
"And whats more! Have you spoken to the Office?!"


But I'm not an ass, so instead I gave him some money cos my lil bro plays violin too, and he looked like a real softie.


Feeling good about myself for good deed that I had just done, Ariff and I began walking out of the veggie market, into the rest of the market. Now, for those that didn't read PT1 of the Adventures of Billy & Ariff, there is a photo of a gentle man attempting to sell me the big issue. I genuinely was not expecting to see two of these salesmen in two days. I was quite taken back. So with the precision of a Gorilla, I slinked into a corner, and waited for the opportune moment.

My Gorilla precisioness paid off.. As I am sure that you will agree, and if you dont, then you should.


For this guy (who was right behind us after taking the photo of the Big Issue dude), I used the intelligence of a mighty ox to plan how I would capture the duo singing thier folk songs. I saw them like 5 times, and man, they were cool. The guy looked like he has some form of aspergers syndrome or something lol. But hey! He was cool. 

Just after leaving the markets, we went outside, and the first thing I spotted was this bloke miming. I was drawn to him like a obese child is drawn to a lamington. He was my fav. And so, the intuition of a canadian beaver within me has decided that I will put 2 pictures of him up here. One of him Scaring me, and the other of Him scaring an innocent little girl. His attempts to console her were to no avail, and she ran back to Her dad. Oh well...

Just after seeing this guy, I noticed a substantial crowd all surrounding this area. Ariff & I went and checked it out. You know those performances where all they do is spend their whole time hyping the crowd up, and by that time, nobody cares how many nations this show has been to, and how many thousands of people have heard you recite this memorized speal, cos the fact of the matter is that you are boring as hell. And so, the confusion of a gender-confused confusion animal, (very rare) caused me to spot this picture of this acrobatics chick doing her thing. I have to admit. She was a little manly... Kinda put me off a bit.

After listening to this chick rant on for a while, Ariff & I gave it legs, and just down the street, I mean maybe 50, 100 meters, was this performance. And this was unique... I have never really found a hippie performance that isnt just plain old weird. These guys were dressed munted, kinda prancing all over the street like pitsy horses, and just doin their thing. Which was not doing ANY thing for me. But each to their own... And one who was to their own was that little girl in the back ground. Man! She might have been small, but in prancing the pitsy horse world, she would tear you a new one!

This guy was watching the hippie performance. And it looks like he had the same thoughts as I did lol. 

After being engrossed in the hippie performance, Ariff, and his faithful assistant (me), saw this guy just down the road, and he actually was really entertaining. He really was a cool dude, so I got this photo with the serendipity of a meerkat.

  

Just beside that guy's performance, I saw this dude leaning up against the bus stop, and I used the pretention of a lemur to get this photo. I thought it was cool anyway!

Just across the road from the Stripy Red & Black dress-up guy, I noticed these guys. If you have a look at the guy that was performing, and you can see the Nova banner? Just over the left of that. Anyways... They looked like they were pimps, but with no pimpage-ness going on. They had the attitude, but lacked the style. Sorry guys. But they just looked cool.

After snapping my pimpage guys, who lacked in pimpageness, we wandered down toward the end of the festival, where there was a couple playing some music. So, these couple were some of my favs too. They just played blues, and MAN! They were good! They had a nice little crowd of people surrounding them, and it was just as good as any live entertainment that you could get. The chick was hilarious. It was almost like she couldnt help but just groove when she started playing. She would stomp her foot, and all that other gear that goes with a really cool blues duo. Yeah. She was awesome.

Ok. If you look in the back ground of this photo, you can see the 'Detour Ahead' sign in the corner? On the opposite corner to that (diagonally) was where the Blues couple were playing. Just so you can get a feel for where abouts we are in our little story. 


So after noticing this guy, and with the slyness of a triceratops, I slinked into the shadows to get this photo, and found out that this guy didnt like his photo being taken, and told me to "go forth and multiply". First time ever lol. Next time, I'll try the earthworm...

So, we kept walking after we reached the end of the road, we just kept walking, cos we figured that there would be much more to see with everything as it was in Freo at the time. We walked down a few side streets, and on one of these side streets, I spotted this guy (with, of course, the steadiness of a giraffe). See if you can find him:

We wandered into a very life-less train station, hoping that there would be something to be had, and with the grace of a turtle's insight, I saw this guy reading the paper at a train station that was having no trains that day... Go figure...

In the train station, I saw this sign. I saw it as an opportune time to record this phenomenon. (and that one was with the compassion of a baboon).

Doubling back from our wander to the trainless train station, My green tree snake intuition led me to spot these guys sitting down here. And her green tree snake intuition spotted me too? :O

Now just up the road was this kid. He was just chillin. Nothing special. He just looked cool, and looked like he has the ladies under control... Good work Buddy.

We decided that we had been around, and walked far enough for that day, and, as we were leaving it started raining, and I saw this girl, and I was like. "Yeah..." So I took the photo.


Yeah...

So there you have it. I am terribly sorry for my all-over-the-place-ness with this post, but I wanted to get it out there while I had the opportunity to do so, and it ended up taking ALOT longer than I anticipated. I may get back on here, and give a bit more of a clean-up. But we all know that it probably will never happen.


There you have it!


The Adventures of Billy & Ariff.

The Adventures of Billy & Ariff - PT1

Ok! Let me walk you through my day.


I'm back on the Streets right? Now, just for those who havent already worked it out, I do this "Street Photography thing" for kicks, and my personal pleasure, and for no other end. I just enjoy it. So, I'm back out there, and I am 'street combing' all the people for possible photo opportunities. Again, the day is drawing to an end.


By this time, I have run into a guy, selling "The Big Issue" who would do better at convincing me that I should start to use sand paper to wipe my bum,

Got talking to a frenchman, who I just ended up agree with (not exactly sure what I was contracting myself into),

And tried to get a photo of an interesting looking dude... But I failed... So I got a photo of his feet... *grin sneaks across my face, with a hint of satisfaction*:

Your'e looking at this, and yes. I laid down on the ground to get a photo of this dude's feet... But "Damn! You say! That is a fine photo of his' feet!"






But! The coolest run-in that I had on this day, was with a man that I now have the privilege of calling a friend. So, I'm snapping up a picture of this busker. Right?:

Yes.. Laying on the ground again... and yes people looked at me funny...

And I'm showing this dude my pics, and I spot a guy out the corner of my eye bending waaaay down on one knee to get a photo of that bronze statue on Hay St. So, I think "Cool". The light is beautiful, the dude looks pretty interesting, and the statue is an Icon of Perth anyways. Perfect photo opportunity. I slap on my ninja shoes, and kinda sneak-run up behind this guy while he's taking this photo, and just as I start to bring my camera around off my shoulder, he turns around.

And you know there is that moment of real awkwardness, and kinda 'Oh-crap,-you-weren't-meant-to-turn-around-yet-ness'.

In my mind I'm thinking "Please be co-operative mate. I'm trying to get a photo of you."

He's looking pretty rugged, and looks a little dangerous. Even got a bit of a Mediterranean kinda look going on with his hair pulled back into a tail. Does this phase me? Not at all. I'm a man. I think "this guy doesnt intimidate me at all", and so I man up, and say:

"Oh. Sorry dude... Ahhh crap..."

Haha. So, I (with my quick witted-ness) make it not so awkward, and get talking about photography (obviously a passion that we both share). Turns out, hes a really cool dude, and he was just out doing the same thing as I was. All the way from Malaysia, and on a working trip. Just out taking photos of anyone, and everyone, while he had some time off. 

This kind just blew me out aye. I was so surprised that someone else would be out doing the same thing as me at the same place, and that of all things, we would cross paths! So anyways, we end up hanging out for the rest of the day, and drove over to the other side of the river to get this shot with him:

I get talking to him through out this, and we're both learning heaps from each other. I mean, the thing that impressed me most with Ariff is his passion for photography. Of his own admission, there is still so much to learn for him but man! I tell you what. That guy is inspiring! He is just so passionate about photography that is puts me to shame.

So, yeah. That is about it. My meeting with Ariff Abu. A foreign friend, with a fellow interest. Very cool guy to meet, and I am privileged to have met him, and the small impact that he has had on me and my view of photography was quite significant.

So. Without further ado, I give you Mr. Abu:

PT 2 (Freemantle) to come soon

Printing Prices

The BSP Price list is here.






Standard Photographs*


Prints:
19"x 11" - $70
29"x 19" - $100


Canvas:
19"x 11" - $160
29"x 19" - $240
39"x 29" - $350






Panoramic Photographs*
Dimension is for width of the photograph, as height varies


Prints:
23" - $90

31" - $110

47" - $140

Canvas:

23" - $140

31" - $170

47" - $320

Framing, and other sizes can be done upon request.




* Print only. Frame/Matting not included.
   Postage not included
   Canvas not framed/stretched

The Soul of The Streets

My Second Day on the streets was set for the 23 of April 2011. I was making my way to the Murray & Hay Street Malls yet again, to capture the City's vast expressions through the faces of the 1.6 million people that inhabited it.

The Murray & Hay St Malls, just over 300 metres long is home to a vast face of the City of Perth, and the houses the heart of this State's capital. Personally, I find it quite easy to look over my photos, and think "Oh yeah. Thats cool", but then I get these moments (very similar to this moment now), where I get to look through another set of eyes, and see people as individuals, and I begin to see people for who they are, and that through the people's conversations, style of dress, piercings, frowns, smiles and even stances, you can begin to grasp a bit more of who they are as people.

The coolest thing, is that in the same breath, you can step back for a moment, and take a glimpse of everybody collectively, and see the people as a whole, and witness those who make up the city. Almost to say that each person has taken part in creating a facet of the City which they inhabit. Such a simple thought (and in all honesty, when I take a moment to think about it, it is kinda gay haha), but it inspires and excites me to think that I can take the life and vitality that I see in someone (whether that may be in a good way, or bad) and in that moment, in that split second I have caught it in my hands forever; and although that somebody may think that they are insignificant, and seemingly another passer-by, they have, simply just by being apparent, and by being in a certain location at a certain time, they have taken part in expressing who they are, who the city is, and who we are as the nation of Australia.

Without further ado, I give you the face as I have grown to know it (so far) of Perth, Western Australia.