Cam Cope in Mauritania for Portrait Equality

Have you ever been travelling in a developing country, taking photos of beautiful kids and their families, and so wished you could somehow extract a shot from your camera and give it to them?

It’s happened to me a lot on the last project and even if I promised to send them a print, you had to wonder if it ever got there, and that’s if you actually remembered to do it, or didn’t lose their address.

Well, a little while ago I was contacted by someone who’s worked out a clever solution to this frustrating and often saddening problem. Through her project called Portrait Equality, Tasmin Brown provides nifty instant cameras and film to photographers travelling to developing nations and remote communities, so they can provide portraits to local people along their journey.

Tasmin Brown in Vanuatu for Portrait Equality

You don’t have to be any great photographer to get your hands on one of these free instant cameras – you just need to be visiting places where the residents would benefit from the program and keen to do it.

I think it’s a fantastic idea and can’t wait to do it myself. But seeing as I’m not about to leap off anywhere soon, I’m thrilled to at least be able to help by opening Portrait Equality’s second annual gallery show and auction of family portraits taken in developing nations or remote communities.

All the details are on their website but essentially, here’s the deal:

Wednesday April 2 – Mary Place Gallery in Paddington – 6-9pm – free tickets (and drinkies)

I’ll be opening the exhibition (of some really beautiful images taken at the same time as the instant camera snaps) and then enjoying some of their wine, along with you hopefully! You can also find out more about participating in the project on the night.

WINNER OF MY LITTLE IMPROMPTU WIN-A-BOOK COMPETITION

Speaking of participating, thanks to everyone who headed into my exhibition at Kinokuniya Books over the last fortnight and stuck a sticker on the world map locating their favourite place in the world. Some great entries but I couldn’t go past this one:

“Sydney, because I feel at home here and it always feels like the world is visiting”, Yani

Congrats Yani! (I feel like I’m on a game show) Please email me so I can send you out a copy of 52 Suburbs Around the World: 52suburbs@gmail.com

Okay, that’s about as much news as I can handle for one day. But I really do hope you can make it on Wednesday April 2 – great cause and free alcohol – a winning combination for sure.

It’s been a year since I finished 52 Suburbs Around the World – time to get cracking on a new project very soon methinks.

But as much as I’m keen for new, I’m still enjoying celebrating 52SATW.

On that, I have two things to share.

First up, if you happen to live anywhere near Dubbo, NSW, guess what? The entire 52 Suburbs ATW exhibition that was at the Museum of Sydney has travelled there – to the Western Plains Cultural Centre to be precise. All 100+ prints and the AV component too, until the end of this month.

And secondly, for those closer to Sydney, there’s a smaller version of the original exhibition on at KINOKUNIYA Bookshop, for the next two weeks.

Kinokuniya is opposite the QVB, in the Galeries, 500 George Street. Head up the escalator to Level 2 and you’ll see a world map drawn on the glass window outside the store – directly inside is the exhibition, in what they call the Wedge Gallery.

After printing around 15 of my favourites from the project (with the lovely Ben above) I got busy this week preparing the space. My gorgeous and talented artist bro, Guy, came along and drew the world map for me, which I then added to with city names …

We hung a close-to life-size print of Coco and I (taken by Casandra Anguita Deep) to welcome people into the exhibition …

Aside from the images some of you may be familiar with from the MoS exhibition, I added a few more, like the ‘love’ print on the right below …

And I had considerable fun playing with cardboard and Posca pens …

GIVEAWAY

To add to the fun, I’m giving away a signed copy of the book.

All you have to do is visit the exhibition and write down your favourite place in the world in the book provided – as well as stick an orange sticker on the world map and explain why you love that place. (So I know you’re a blog follower, just add the word ‘blog’ after your entry in the book.)

Whoever leaves the most intriguing/weird/wonderful reason for loving a place will receive a copy of 52 Suburbs Around the World.

You’ve got until the close of the exhibition – 18th March – to make your mark.

TALK

I’ll also be giving a talk at Kinokuniya next Thursday 13th March, 6.15pm – a good time to unofficially officially open the exhibition.

So, in summary:

– Exhibition – Dubbo, at Western Plains Cultural Centre – Until end of March

– Exhibition – Sydney, at Kinokuniya Books – Until 18th March

– Talk – Sydney, at Kinokuniya Books – 6.15pm, 13th March

 Oh, and Coco and I will be at Kinokuniya this weekend, around midday, if you happen to be swinging by.