GRAHAM & ROSIE
Narrandera, Australia - October 2006
Graham and Rosie are lamb and organic produce farmers on Arcadia and Oakvale, properties near Narrandera in the south west of NSW. Their lives involve adapting to the conditions and getting through to the end of the day. They are surviving the on-going drought by utilising biological farming methods and adopting a sustainable business model by selling their produce locally.
The couple reflect grand optomism in the toughest of times. Witnessing the laborious tasks they endured gave me an appreciation of the effort performed by them - and other farmers around the country - so consumers can have food on the dinner table. Apart from the long drive to see friends in neighbouring towns, or the odd visit from Graham’s parents who live on the ajoining property, the couple mainly rely on each other for emotional support and companionship - assets just as vital as water - for survival in times like these.
I first met Graham back in 2000 when he was holding parties out at his property under a program called Danceplant. These free events promoted environmental conservation with a party atmosphere, whereby participants planted trees - to reduce the effects of soil salinity - and afterwards were treated to food and entertainment. Graham and guest performers would bring out the turntables and percussive instruments and blasted out some jungle beats late into the evening.
Graham is the only farmer I have met with this unique lifestyle: during the day he is busy rounding up sheep, but come night time he will be creating some electronic music.
I first met Rosie on a chance encounter when the couple were visiting Canberra back in early 2003. At the time, Rosie had just uprooted herself from her British homeland and relocated to the farm. She has since commited her time to harvesting a native seed bank in order to preserve the indigenous vegetation in the area.
On the technical side of the project, I encountered many problems including:
- exposure problems; I should have used a red filter or polariser to knock out the bright, cloudless sky. I used a yellow filter but this was not enough to darken the sky in some cases.
- not bringing enough of the appropiate film stock; the bulk film roll ran out on the first night I was loading up the canisters and I had to resort to pushing the exposure on my remaining black and white film and buying some cheap colour film as back up.
- carrying too much photography gear can be tedious at times; I should have carried less equipment and just focused on the story before me.
Technicalities aside, on the whole the project broadened my world views. I went out there to simply witness a different lifestyle and wanted to capture it so others could learn about Graham and Rosie’s experience. I feel fortunate and thank them for letting me witness a part of their lives and allowing me to photograph some intimate moments. I would have liked to continue the project but I had to return back to work the following week.
During my stay, I learnt a great deal, not only about documentary photography - how to tell a concise story from just using a sequence of pictures - but I also learnt about how to approach people in an open manner. I realised that in order to know more about somebody else’s life, I must also be willing to impart as much of my own personal experience and thoughts.
To view the series, check out the slideshow in the photo album.