The yellow mob, the Yunupingu family (the royal family equivalent of Garma) were one of the highlights from my time at Garma. It’s a bit strange to say one family was a highlight, because all the clan groups and their dancing were a highlight. I suppose with the yellow mob, it was a special experience photographing them before the bungul because I knew of the significance it was to them and felt more of a connection with them compared to the other groups who I hadn’t photographed so closely. Today was the first day where I had the courage to go out and visit the yellow mob in their camp on my own before the bungul. The Yolngu people love their own space and each clan camp in their own area away from the visitors who camp together. Because the bungul and the preparation before hand is such a spiritual experience for them, you have to be ultra sensitive when photographing so you don’t do anything culturally insensitive or offend them in any way. After all I’m on their land.
This time in particular is a highlight because it was the first time the children really opened up to me, and I opened up to them. Up until now I felt overwhelmed by the whole situation I was in, I put a lot of pressure on myself to get the shots, to justify me winning the scholarship, and felt I wasn’t achieving that. It was definitely a huge learning experience working with the media photographers, all quietly competing for ‘the’ shot, which challenged me to go beyond the standard and capture a powerful beautiful natural portrait of the Yolngu people.
the media (above)
Winning the scholarship was a lifetime opportunity. I knew I needed to make the most of the situation, to give me the best chance in kick-starting a career in travel photography. And now was the moment where it all changed, I found my feet and felt comfortable and confident in what I was doing.
In particular the highlight from the yellow mob was a young girl named Macayla, she was such a funny girl. Other times I saw her she was very shy, but in this instant she totally opened up and was just beaming before the camera.
It was so much fun. I got her in the best mood. She was so cute. I asked her to do an angry face, and the photos that resulted of her little wrinkled nose makes me laugh with joy every time I see them.
Macayla
The highlight for tonight’s bungul was the solo dance by Crusoe Kurrdal, the guy from ‘Ten Canoes’ the movie. He’s quite a celebrity, filming a movie with Nicole Kidman at the moment, so at Garma he was a superstar, and the way of doing that in Yolngu culture is through dancing, and he is really the best at it, taking his traditional dancing to a new level. He moves so well.
Above, Crusoe Kurrdal.
I was so excited to meet him a few days before. I asked if I could take his photograph. I was so nervous, because of the huge respect I have for him as an actor and his dancing ability. I walked past him at first and thought “I have to get a photo of him,” but couldn’t, I didn’t have the courage to ask, then I just forced myself to go for it. I was that nervous I took a really blurry photo of him, but thankfully later on I got some awesome natural shots of the man who is Crusoe, just after his interview with the Discovery Channel.
That night friends Sam (from Korea) and Charlotte (from France) and I went to see the astronomy show. Living in Melbourne and not getting out into the country very often I hadn’t seen that many stars in years, I loved it. I could actually see the Milky Way. They had two telescopes set up, we viewed 4 moons of Jupiter, and a cluster star. But my highlight was lying on the rough rocky ground between two amazing beautiful girls who I had just met. It was very romantic even though there were two. I loved it. We were all pointing out shooting stars, which was heaps of fun. I love watching the stars. Our leader told us which stars were what and when it got the ‘teapot’ Charlotte asked, “What’s a teapot?” I tried not to laugh because I knew she was serious. I just said, “I don’t really know how to explain it,” and left it at that. But later I though I should have at least tried to explain, but it’s all in the past now!
