I met LJ out one night while I was in downtown Vancouver checking out my friends band. LJ is a homeless man who survives on the street by selling his artwork to passers by. Finding materials in back alleys and dumpsters provides him with a new blank canvas everyday on with which he can express himself. During breaks in the concert I came outside and we got to spend about three 10 minutes sessions chatting away getting to know each other while he continued to work on his latest piece. He kindly allowed me to document with my camera his progress and in essence his way of life. Here are some of the shots;
Le Movember Show is a fundrasing exhibition I am involved in to support Prostate Cancer Canada. Here is the background story behind the mo month;
The idea for Movember was sparked in 2003 over a few beers in Melbourne, Australia. The plan was simple – to bring the moustache back as a bit of a joke and do something for men’s health. No money was raised in 2003, but the guys behind the Mo realized the potential a moustache had in generating conversations about men’s health. Inspired by the women around them and all they had done for breast cancer, the Mo Bros set themselves on a course to create a global men’s health movement.
In 2004 the campaign evolved and focused on raising awareness and funds for the number one cancer affecting men – prostate cancer. 432 Mo Bros joined the movement that year, raising $55,000 for the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia – representing the single largest donation they had ever received.
The Movember moustache has continued to grow year after year, expanding to Canada, the US, UK, New Zealand, Ireland, Spain, South Africa, the Netherlands and Finland. In 2009, global participation of Mo Bros and Mo Sistas climbed to 255,755, with over one million donors raising $47 Million for Movember’s global beneficiary partners.
So come down and check out the incredible art work on show if you are in Van City :) It’s at the Ayden Gallery in Tinseltown until the 12th of December.
Once upon a time I had 24 hours to spend in Beijing City while I waited for a connecting flight back to Aus. I took the opportunity to head downtown and document with my camera what I could in the short time span available to me. Trying to visually represent China accurately in 24 hours is next to impossible. But I tried my best to capture what I saw as raw and pure. I attempted to capture the somewhat traditional aspects of the organized chaos that surrounded me.
I particularly liked hanging around the back alleys near my hostel. There is so much life teeming in these narrow streets. I felt like I had escaped the big city for a split second, then one turn would lead out to a busy road and I would have to wind my way back into labyrinth.
Within the 24 hours I managed to see the gardens surrounding Jingshan Hill, walk around the Forbidden City, stroll through Tiananmen Square, drink a beer or 2 with the locals and watch a few games of ping-pong in the public park. I am fascinated with the Chinese culture, and this taste of Asia only left me wanting more. Within a few years I will return and spend months soaking up the culture and learning from it what I can. I can’t wait for the experience. Life beckons.
Once I returned to Australia my next goal was to share the images that I had taken in Canada with my friends, family and the general public back home. It was always my intention before I left that I would hold a solo exhibition to showcase the work. If you didn’t get a chance to see it click here for the details.
Many thanks to a lot of good people along the way who helped to make the exhibition a complete success. I had an awesome time exhibiting my work and I felt humbled by the great turnout.
Below are photos and a video from the opening night thanks to my good photography friend Mr. Beasley. Check his incredible work here: http://www.jeremybeasley.com.au/
Here is the selection of 13 images showcased for the Canadian Streets Exhibition which were chosen out of 7500 photos that I took during the month of July last year.
1. Welcome to Vancouver
2. Our Sunset
3. The Boys of English Bay
4. Untitled
5. Existence
6. Chinatown
7. Life, on the Street
8. Canada Day
9. Fairgrounds
10. Sign of the Times
11. Granville St.
12. Untitled #2
13. Dream, Life
(prints are available for purchase – contact mail@daletidy.com for sizes and price details)
During the last few days on the east coast of Canada I road tripped around parts of Nova Scotia with my good friend Jackie. She took me to places like Peggy’s Lighthouse, Luneburg and the Digby Tides. As well as a few other local spots where she grew up. It’s always nice to have a local show you around, it gives you a unique perspective that is hard to gain from being an outsider looking in.
Nova Scotia is a beautiful part of Canada, It’s probably not given enough credit, with sites like Whistler, The Rockies and Niagara Falls it quickly drops down the list of must see places. I’m glad I got the chance to see it when I did.
Thank ya to Jackie and her family for the amazing hospitality! After eating out pretty much the entire trip it was nice to have a few home cooked meals :)
I had made it to the most eastern point of my journey; Halifax. 7000km on road and rail across Canada had brought me here. Having just watched the movie ‘Into the Wild’ my little adventure seemed to pale into insignificance. But all I know is that I finally got the chance to experienced Canada and in doing so had the time of my life. Plus with more of Nova Scotia still to come I was in a good spot.
“I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong. To measure yourself at least once. To find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions. Facing the blind death stone alone, with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head.” -Christopher McCandless
Perhaps one day soon ill get the chance to experience something so profound. But for now I will appreciate the warmth and comfort of a hostel bed.
Caught the train up from Montreal to Quebec City alongside an amazing sunset. Arrived in the city at night time with the Summer Festival sadly coming to an end. There was a great atmosphere about with kids playing in the streets, teens drinking under the starry nights sky while the adults mingled in the bars and restaurants. Enchanting lights guided me through the back alleys as I wandered around aimlessly enjoying the warm summer evening.
The next 2 days were just as chilled. Caught the ferry across to Lévis to watch the pink sunset, strolled around the citadel and drank a few beers. Travelling can be a tough gig at times.
Also as a random fact Quebec actually recorded no murders in 2007!
It was time to catch up with a good mate Big D for a contiki reunion, so Montreal was the next stop. One of the best cities in Canada in my opinion, it has a lot going on plus the historic city streets make it a beautiful place to go for a walk and sip on a few brews. Definitely one of the most photogenic cities I have ever been to and had an awesome time walking around photographing all of its aspects, in particular the outstanding architecture and design elements within the CBD. Cheers to Trump and Annie for housing me, had an absolute ball!
