Busy With a Mixed Bag
September started quietly with flu and a visit from my brother, whom I hadn’t seen for about ten years as he had been living in the UK. I was nervous to have him stay as we had only spoken over zoom as a group with my sister whilst our ma was in hospital dying. The time before that was a few Christmases’ past where he had been drunk and deadnaming and misgendering me. However, the visit was well received, and we had lots to talk about and share. Having a parent pass sobers you and apparently my brother has been abstemious for some time, so he seems to have matured a lot (he’s seven years younger than me).
On the 14th of September Michael and I drove to Cornella to do a canola walk with our cameras. The day was beautiful and sunny with nary a cloud in the sky and despite the stupid amount of people in the fields, you could take images with no people in them. The fields closed to the public at 6pm, so we missed sunset in them, but I was happy with the images, nonetheless.
Cornella canola field. Image by Teague Leigh.
The very next day, my support worker and I went to Clifton Springs to visit the old marker of the mineral springs and then to spend sunset at the Clifton Springs jetty. That was the plan anyway, however, we were inundated with 60km/hr winds (or more, it was bad at the very least). So, I decided not to take out my tripod and filters and called quits early to go get hot chips and sit and eat them in the car overlooking the beach. I’m not mad about it.
Clifton Springs Jetty. Image by Teague Leigh.
On the 23rd to the 25th of September we had Michael’s parents stay with us to help Michael get ready to open their new shop, The Little Bookroom. The bookshop was a flurry of volunteers, and I even came in and stickered books and cleaned, helping where I could. By the end of the week, I was all peopled out.
I had just enough time to edit my Clifton Springs images before heading to Fiji on the 29th of September! Fiji had never been on my radar before; however, Michael’s family invited us and I’m very glad we accepted as it was so refreshing to lay next to the pool every day and do nothing except play boardgames and nap during the hottest part of the day. One day the entire family took the boat to Malamala Beach Club, which I highly recommend if you have a few extra dollars to splash.
Michael and I did hire a car for the day on the 6th of October and drive to the Coral Coast to do the 2hr hike around the Sigatoka sand dunes. I had been apprehensive before undertaking the hike as a local Fijian had told us that the Fijian rugby 7’s team trained at the sand dunes, so I was thinking I would have no hope with my level of fitness, but once I got up the first steep incline it was relatively easy to navigate the hard grey sand; I’ve actually found the sand dunes at Australia’s own Wilson’s Promontory.
Sigatoka sand dunes, Fiji. Image by Teague Leigh.
Once back in Naarm, Michael and I went to a rave where I drank too much caffeine (it gives you wings), so that I could dance all night. I do not usually drink caffeine, so I gnashed my teeth together and ended up cracking a tooth! A costly venture as I had to rush to my dentist for antibiotics and a referral to an endodontist (scheduled for the end of November).
Despite my pain, on the 10th of October my support worker and I travelled to Ballarat to walk around the divine Lake Wendouree. I have been here several times in the past and am sure I will venture here many more times in the future.
Lake Wendouree, Ballarat. Image by Teague Leigh.
I had to soldier on through the pain as I had a client on the 17th of October. The end of year Power Pop dance recital was so queer. I loved it! With a drag king as MC and plenty of queer energy throughout the night, I was enthralled. Events like that make my job so much easier, I love what I do, every event, but events like this are on another level.
Power Pop dance recital. Image by Teague Leigh.
The 25th of October was the official opening/ 65th Birthday celebration for The Little Bookroom. Michael’s shop is a testament to their love of all things children’s books, and the launch was a huge celebration of authors and illustrators, featuring 27 across the day including the current Children’s Laureate Sally Rippin and renowned illustrator, Shaun Tan.
Shaun Tan at The Little Bookroom. Image by Teague Leigh.
To finish the month off, on the 28th of October, I was blessed to be asked to photograph the play The Last Sunday in June, which is currently showing at Chapel off Chapel in Prahran. What amazing talent this play showcases. It’s on until the 8th of November.
The Last Sunday in June. Image by Teague Leigh.
That’s all for now folks. I am again unwell, some mystery illness giving me sternum pain, so have a GP appointment for Wednesday. Hopefully all is well, and this is just a remnant of a cold I had a few weeks ago.
I appreciate your ongoing support and am always looking for new followers and supporters, so do please tell all your networks.
Be kind to yourself and to others, unless they're nazis, then kick those creeps in the crotch.
Steam engine A2 964. Image by Teague Leigh.
We started out traversing the Edgars Creek Wetlands, then did a lap of the lake itself. The whole excursion didn’t take very long, but it was a rewarding trip with plenty of various birds sighted, plus there was a weir, and of course the steam engine.
Edgars Creek Wetlands. Image by Teague Leigh
I bought another filter from Nisi for my wide angle lens that I purchased with the help of my ko-fi supporters, and I put the lens and the camera in to be cleaned at the amazing Vintech Camera Service Centre who cleaned my babies in a matter of a couple of days. They discovered that my secondhand camera has a scratch on the sensor, but at the f stop that I use, it will not be an issue.
I also created a new logo and have a new business name! I have moved away from TLeighs World Vision to World Vision Photography. This website is still a work in progress, making sure it is up to muster as far as accessibility is concerned, which is my top priority with the website. I've been told the colour scale I used wasn't accessible, so I'm reconfiguring that to pass the test and now it is more monochrome.
The second half of the month has been much busier with the advent of the three weeklong Midsumma Festival. I am always keen to take Midsumma on as a client as it equates to a third of my annual salary.
The first event is always Carnival on 19th January. Much like Sydney Mardi Gras’ Fair Day, merchants and community groups come together to celebrate the rainbow community. Over 100,000 people usually attend the openair event. Local and National performers grace the multiple stages and give a taste of what the three weeks of Midsumma entails.
Rainbow Racquets Squash members at Carnival. Image by Teague Leigh.
This year I was assigned the Sports Precinct and the Garden Bar area. I love capturing the diversity of the community and the Sports Precinct is a fun day of activations, rainbow sports teams, and the famous Queerlympics.
Queerlympics at Carnival. Image by Teague Leigh.
At 36 degrees Celsius, and a shift starting at 1030am going until 9pm, it was a long day, and I did get a bit sun-touched, despite slathering myself in suncream.
No rest for the wicked though, my next Midsumma shift was photographing the Queer Playwriting Award Showcase at Gasworks Arts Park on the 20th January. The showcase highlighted four finalists as they read an excerpt from their new plays. Not to be biased, but my favourite was from Danish Sheikh, “Much to do with law, but more to do with love”. This play focuses on repealing the sodomy laws of India and dealing with a system that doesn’t necessarily make it easy to love. Danish surprised me with his humour and grandeur of ego (for comedic effect). I laughed out loud multiple times whilst taking images. EDIT: Danish won the Award, so will get to produce it in conjunction with Gasworks and Midsumma.
Danish Sheikh. Image by Teague Leigh.
On Friday 24th I took a break from Midsumma to photograph another client, one I have photographed before – Tony Yap. This time, Tony curated Trance Zones – Ritual Performance, collaborating again with multiple dancers in an experimental and transcendental style. I find these performances to be gripping, yet difficult to shoot due to the lighting and the chaos of the movement, especially the free-for-all at the end where all dancers take to the stage in a trance of movement and music. I love shooting this chaos as I love the challenge of trying to capture the movement!!
Tony Yap and dancers. Image by Teague Leigh.
Lastly for the month, on the 25th January, I want to mention going to see a reading of a work-in-progress play “The Placeholder”, by my friend, Ben MacEllen at the Abbotsford Convent. I want to make note of this play because it left everyone in the room spellbound and excitement beyond compare. For information about the play I’ve included the link above. What I want to say is this: once it reaches production and asks for financial support, do yourself a favour and back this play. This play needs to see the masses and the masses need to see this play as it is life-altering. Not just for trans people, but even those people who don’t think they are transphobic or homophobic, but really are, plus all the allies all over the world (yes, I see this touring!). I was transfixed and now consider myself a cultist of this play!
Following on from the previous month, Midsumma work continued with Pride March on the 2nd Feb. For those uninitiated, Pride March is Naarm’s largest march for the rainbow community that goes all the way along Acland Street in St Kilda.
Pride March. Image by Teague Leigh
It was a fiery hot day of around 36 degrees Celsius, but thankfully I was stationed near the Pride Centre so I could duck out of the sun occasionally. The same day I also photographed another event, so it was a big day!
Shortly following the March, I got to photograph a lesbian play “Day For It” on the 4th. It had some lovely moments and was superbly acted throughout by the two actresses, Anna Lindstedt (who also co-wrote the play with Sally Q Davies), and Roz Hammond playing off each other.
Day For It. Image by Teague Leigh.
On the 7th I was honoured to photograph a dear friend, Mama Alto, in her De-Flowered performance. Mama Alto is a sensational and award-winning jazz and blues singer, and this performance included all songs about sex! It was quite the treat.
Mama Alto. Image by Teague Leigh.
Rolling right along on the 8th I photographed “The Queer Kingdom” staged reading. This play, written by Tom Ballard, is all about Emperor Dale Parker Anderson who declared a small island “The Gay & Lesbian Kingdom of the Coral Sea Islands”. The reading was raucous, and I highly suggest you go see it when it is staged in the future.
The Queer Kingdom. Image by Teague Leigh.
The party didn’t stop there for the Midsumma shenanigans. The very next day was VIC Pride, which is a street festival in Collingwood’s “gaybourhood” complete with live music, roving accts, window activations, and DJ’s, not to mention all the local vendors getting into the LGBTQIASB+ spirit (spirits quite literally flowing in the streets). VIC Pride is sponsored by the Victorian Government and is the last event of the Midsumma Festival (although VIC Pride was only meant to run for four years, so we have to tell the government to continue to sponsor it).
Vic Pride. Image by Teague Leigh.
After a lot of exhaustion, I finally got to go on my own adventures with my support worker on the 19th of Feb. I have tried a couple of times now to find the old pier pylons in Altona but have been unsuccessful. This was another attempt at finding them. So, we started out near Seaholme and walked (and drove) to Altona pier but still could not find the photo op. Still, there were pelicans hanging out in a rowing boat and plenty of wind surfers, so the excursion was not a loss.
Altona Pier. Image by Teague Leigh.
To round out the end of the month, on the 28th, I was hired to photograph the Summer Residency Exhibition opening at Yarra Sculpture Gallery. You may or may not recall that I have actually done this residency and exhibition in the past, so it was a nice full circle moment for me. The YSG residency gives people living with disability a residence to work on their art for a number of weeks, so it is vital that the program continues to run for future artists.
Artwork by Tamar Dolev. Image by Teague Leigh.
Next month is looking a lot quieter, but that is another blog post entirely. As always, thank you for supporting this independent artist and keep telling your family and friends about me and my blog post so that they too can support independent art, especially art that strives to help the planet through a positive path to change.
I will endeavour to get the next blog out the first Sunday of the month, but am also not making any promises. Maybe my “thing” can be that my blog is one of the most reliably unreliable blogs on the web!
Question of the month: What tips and tricks have worked on you, to teach you new life skills?
Be kind to yourselves, each other, and the planet.
T.Leigh
