I've known Natalie for just over a year, we met randomly through friends of friends. Discovered that our birthdays were only a week apart and thought it was the Leo connection that kicked things off, we even had a combined birthday celebration last year. We got talking some more and tried to figure out why we met, strange topic of conversation? I've always believed that you meet people for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
In Nat's case, I think it was for a reason... for her to share her story and to help me with my new creative direction.
So what's Nat's story? With her permission - in short: she arrived in Sydney from the UK about 3 years ago, looking to gain some further experience in law after completing her degree. She had some unhealthy eating habits, and although athletic, had never pursued a sport in earnest. She became open for change and stuck through some amazing work in the legal industry. She opened her mind to healthy eating, changed her food habits and embraced the challenges faced when living away from close friends and family. Fueled with the right foods she committed to being sharp and fit. She overcame her fears with courage and self determination, and in turn learned a lot about herself - she transformed. The image below tells her story.
Nat's a fighter or warrior in the old sense, a real fighter with determination and courage. A nice coincidence that she boxes to keep fit and enjoys that zone or flow where things stay still (meditation). A tattoo on her back in Hebrew, a reference to Matthew 7:7-8 says, "Ask and it will be given to you, seek and you will find, knock and the door will open, for he who asks receives, he who seeks finds and to he that knocks the door shall open". I've transferred that tattoo to the concrete pillar in the image as its a pillar of Nat's life journey. She's the Hero of her own journey.
PS. Nat left Australia this week and is on her way back home to the UK to embark upon her next life chapter.
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1. Your next piece of work is going to be your best - it's the motivation to keep doing the work [Jeremy Fish]
2. Be Busy. Be Hungry. Be Silent. Be Bold. Be Afraid. Be Prepared to Fail. And Persevere. [Andrew Denton]
3. As artists we are story tellers [theme from all speakers]
I've always had the intention of story telling through my images beyond the documentary aspect. So to kick off this new direction here's the first one, you've got to start somewhere, right?
This was a fun day back in September - I was invited by Darryl from Xorigin.com Video Production to shoot some stills for a music video project he was working on with Iluka (Nikki Thorburn). Darryl was shooting with mix of DSLR and some old school 8mm film, we setup shop at the Australian Aviation Museum in Bankstown. This image is part of her virtual cover presence.
Have a look at Darryl's handy work and Iluka's latest music video - Delores and the Business Man:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2y_r5VspJUI
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