The year that was, 2008.

Burlesque dancer, Proud Galleries, Camden, London, Nov 2008: An amazing night, I even impressed myself with this photo


Stockholm, Sweden Sept 2008: Lone pedestrian


Paris, France March 2008: Where I fell in love with a city for the first time

It has been one incredible and rewarding year, and I can honestly say I have learnt a hell of a lot. I always have valued travel as the best education money can buy, but this is the first time I can actually see and feel that these experience are starting to sink in a shape my perspective, morals and values - for the better. Can't wait for the next 12 months and the adventures they bring. A few pictures I captured on my travels:


Winter Wonderland, Hyde Park, London Dec 2007: Had just arrived in London.


Ostuni, Italy Sept 2008: Amazing people, amazing town.


Black Keys, Brixton Academy, Nov 2008: Crazy, hazy, blurry.

Inked in Berlin

Always wanted a tattoo, not sure why, I can remember being 11 or 12 and my brother and I sitting at the dinner table discussing what we would get if we could get a tattoo, and my dad very firmly stating no child of his will ever have a tattoo. Woops. My intrigue into getting inked never waned, but luckily dad's stance on tattoos did and he still considers me his daughter.

As for the paper plane, not sure why, but this is a graphic I've always liked, i've noticed I do like things linear and simple. I could make up some deeper meaning to do with travel, or creativity, but I would be lying, for me it was more about aesthetics and the physical act of getting a tattoo.

If you're ever in Berlin and feeling like a touch of ink, drop into Loxodrom Tattoo, 23 Kastanienalle. Really fun, friendly parlour with a warm and welcoming atmosphere and most importantly, brilliant tattooists.

GONZO

"The edge. There is no honest way to explain it, because the only ones who really know where it is, are the ones who have gone over." - Hunter S Thompson

After reading Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas as well as interviews and editorial pieces on Hunter S Thompson I can fully appreciate his quote. Now that was a man teetering on the edge. What a manic and crazy life.

I ACTUALLY DID IT!

....Not without hitting some seriously painful walls. It all started aching after about 10km, but it was great getting to run through the heart of Stockholm to an enthusiastic Swedish crowd.

Knocking back those cocktails along with a 4 course Swedish feast had never been more deserved.

All up I completed the 2008 Stockholm Half Marathon (that's 21km) in 2 hours and 14 minutes! That was good enough for me.

Go on, ask us....

Some very smart and clued in friends of mine have a company that specialises in understanding Gen Y in the workforce and how companies need to harness and utilise this unique group of people. I was fortunate enough to be asked to look after the development of their new website. Collaborating with the web designers at Vapour, we've created a look for Ask Gen Y that is original and contemporary, giving Ask Gen Y its own flavour in a world where websites often seem to flirt between 2 extremes - boring corporate websites lacking personality or ones that try too hard and miss the mark. The challenge was to create a website that demonstrated a clear understanding of Generation Y and their characteristics, while appealing to the senior management of large firms, who tend to be Baby Boomers or Gen X. I think the result is something unique, engaging and informative for all generations......see what you think.

Visit www.askgeny.com

I WANT TO RIDE MY BICYCLE

Recently I decided I wanted to invest in a bicycle, but not just any bicycle, it needed to have character. I've always like my bikes a bit retro, a bit old school. Other than Ebay I had no idea where to start looking until a friend told me about Bobbin Bicycles. They're a London based company that specialise in importing old school Dutch bikes that are built for cruising, and that's what I like to do, I like to cruise.

The company was started by an English couple who met in Amsterdam while studying art and fell in love whilst riding around the Dam on their bikes, so once back in their homeland they decided to continue the romance and share the love with their fellow Londoner and that is how Bobbin Bicycles blossomed.

Check out www.bobbinbicycles.co.uk

GOOD TIMES

Commercial for the Melbourne Comedy Festival Roadshow I worked on along with mates Ben, Jess and Connor back in 2006. Not bad for minimal budget. The actor we used was great too - many of them are his own heckles. Was fun shooting it too - my first shoot as a 'creative'.

Agency: Grey Worldwide Melbourne
Creative: Ben Keenan, Connor Beaver, Sally Cunningham
Producer: Jess Smith
Creative Director: Ant Shannon
Client: Melbourne International Comedy Festival

Rich kid jealousy

KIDS JUST HAVING FUN

This crew of Melbourne trustafarians (trust fund babies) are having a crack in front and behind the camera, and good on them I say. The content is mildly entertaining - compared with London TV it's worthy of a Logie (Australia's answer to an Emmy, but really shit and tacky, yet considered high profile to the glossy mags and tv stations).

Actually I've decided to upgrade my mildly entertaining review to you know what, if I had a crew mates who were up for doing it, i'd totally rip off the idea, then I would try and claim it as my own and sell out to the right bidder, some cool brand like Levis or Ipod who are trying to tap into this hard to rech market and let them use it for product placement, or some guerilla type advertising shite. They say is imitation is the highest form of flattery so there you go.

Frozen Grand Central


FREEZE!

A group of artist/actors/freeze frame extraordinnaires mess with peoples minds at Grand Central Station.

Almost looks like it was done in post, but as you watch it you realise it must be real.

Love it!

IT WILL BE MINE, OH YES IT WILL BE MINE

When I saw a Nissan Figaro 1991 for the first time, parked in a side street just off Regent St, London, it was love at first sight.

I don't know what it is but I just love them. It's retro but modern, or something, all I know is that I want one.

MOUTHING OFF

Went to the London heat for the UK beatboxing championships at the Carling Academy, Islington. Watched some fully sick boys get their freak on, it would've been good to see some girls throwing down the beats and giving the boys what for, but none the less it was non stop entertainment, the crowd was cutting sick. Check out http://www.ukbeatboxchampionships.com for the grand final info - it's going to be a mofo of a show.

Above is a video about Shlomo, probably the world's best human beatboxer. He pulled together a groups of individuals from beat boxers to singers to create a vocal orchestra with all instruments and sounds produced using only one instrument - their mouth. Just fucking incredible.

However this guy below I must say comes pretty close to beating Shlomo at his own game - the mind boggles.

RIPPING IT AND GRIPPING IT

The Apollo Kids are turning wicked tricks all over Melbourne. With a sound this big it won't just be Melbourne scensters who will be kicking it to these jams, i feel a global sensation coming on.

I challenge you to try and sit still through this mix. You just gotta D.A.N.C.E.

Click on the headline to give your ears what they've been yearning for.

THE FOLLOWING CONTAINS IMMATURE AND INAPPROPRIATE CONTENT

A snapshot of how loose the crew in Meribel, France got over new years. Good times a plenty, in between plenty of stacks on the slopes.My stacks werent quite as hardcore, but next season, just you wait.

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SKILLZ TO PAY THE BILLZ

Some well wicked work my mate Connor Beaver did for the Melbourne based band Dukes of Windsor and their single 'The Others' from their debut album. He was the brains and the braun behind the whole production, clever kid. The song got heaps of play on Triple J, then once mixed by TV Rock went on to get heaps of overplay on commerical radio. This film clip aired on the likes of ABC's JTV, Rage and Video Hits, and has been nominated for a few music video awards. Watch this face....

SHORT & SCARY

Just a random adventure I went on one day back in 2004 when I was between uni lectures. I managed to find myself in the tunnels of Melbourne's railways, near Flinders St station. The footage was taken on my old digital camera a Pentax Optio with 3.2megapixels and 3 optical soon, with the function to make 30 sec movies, not a second more. The ambient noised are pretty cool and the fact that the 30 secs ran out just as I was about to look behind a corner make it seem like it cuts out at the crucial moment. Truth is it actually did get pretty scary down there. Especially when I came across a body covered head to toe in a blanket (see image). Thankfully he coughed, so once I realised he was alive I bolted.

JUMP FOR JOHN WEST

My mates Ben, Connor and James managed to train their goldfish Roger to jump out of the bowl and catch a piece of airborne tuna on a cracker. But only John West tuna, none of the home brand catfood. What can you say, the fish has tastes. This golden guy shits all over Nemo.

TEENY WEENY TOWNS

This crazy photographer based in Melbourne has the knack to take large scale pictures of mainly urban landscapes and manipulate them to look like they're miniature. The results are these visually compelling images of familiar landscapes (at least to Melburnians) that look at it from a completely different perspective. I've never seen anything like, definitely a big fan.

Check out his work at www.cityshrinker.com

GARAGE PROJECT

An idea my mate, Lauren and I had for Scotch tape, creating the Scotch tartan, that is synonymous with the brand, out of its very own Scotch tape on a large scale poster. Imagine the impact if this was done on a outdoor billboard.