SUNDRUNK Photo Zine

I recently purchased a FlashBack camera on the suggestion of one of my students. We were talking about media death in my entrepreneurship class and Kodak came up on the slides, he pipes up and says “Hey Amy! Have you heard of FlashBack? I think you’d like it!” And he was absolutely right. I have been so excited by this nifty piece of tech.

It looks like a film camera, it acts like a film camera but it’s digital. You can only take 27 photos at a time and then you can unload it into their app. I hate apps with a burning passion. This app however is actually useful and the UI is pretty cool! The standard FlashBack settings is that you have to wait 24 hours to see your photos. I did this for my first roll because I wanted the full experience, but after the fact I got rid of that because I wanted to see my photos ASAP.

I love film, I love a disposable camera, I love the grain! But it’s expensive (fair) and the waste upsets me. I always felt bad when the lovely folk at FotoFast would crack open a dispy like a crustacean at a crab shack and bin it. But I could also never commit to a reusable camera due to overwhelm. At the end of the day, I want to be out there taking photos, I want the experience to be exciting and streamlined and straight forward, and fast.

I’ve never considered myself a photographer per se, despite the fact I used to take all of Forge’s merch photos, I’ve been paid to take photos for other people and I enjoy the medium - but for me I see it as just another creative outlet and expression. I used to love taking photos of people in apparel, or I’d line up shoots when I had time to do someone’s hair and then take photos too. Lately, I’ve been so drawn to houses and places and colour and light. 

I grew up in Bulimba. Before you start thinking I have generational wealth coming out the wazoo let me let you in on a secret. When my parents bought there in the 80’s it was a dump. Hard to imagine now in someways, although, the current faltering commercial real estate on the main strip doesn’t make it feel like it used to in its prime. Back when the Oxford152 had a ball pit for kids in the front, and every handful of years would go through yet another stylistic overhaul to remain relevant. Back when the Cinema Cafe on the corner and Citrus Cafe were open until late to capture the post movie goers who wanted to unwind and discuss with a night cap. Back when the Bulimba Festival used to take over the entire street for a whole day party with food vendors, live music, bars, camel rides, vendors of all kinds having a great time from 10am until late at night. Pancho’s Pizza across from the park, a staple for Friday nights and anytime families wanted to get together, throw the kids on a plastic coated table and BYO a cheap bottle of white. Next to the video store with the VHS tapes and the naughty corner where all the porno tapes were, behind a hippy looking earth toned beaded curtin. If I knew what I knew now, I would have spent so much time photographing that strip and many others. Houses that were beautiful and were consumed by newer developments when the person who owned it passed on. Lots split and large, greige brick things erected in the name of modern architecture. The flattening of a style that isn’t profitable to make anymore.

Have you noticed that every new building features the same ingredients? Rendered curves, archways, plant boxes with spilling over vines in a half hearted attempt at biophillic design, a pick and mix between white, grey or red brick, some kind of steel plating / vertical powder coated geometric lines to create visual interest. Ever since the Calile went in at James Street I feel like everyone forgot any other style of architecture and went “that right there, let’s make it all look like that”.

I’m not all doom and gloom. I don’t mind taking photos of things that are repetitive or cast light in interesting ways. But it has inspired me to try and capture these moments in time. I find I have conversations with my parents often who have seen so much change over even just my lifetime, conversations that usually start with “remember when x y z was over on x street?” And it rolls into all the places that have been changed and we have no visual recollection of them anymore because at the time, it felt like they were going to be there forever.

Often times when I’m easily racking up 10K steps wandering around suburbs I start to feel a sensation close to drunk. When the light is in my eyes and on my face, starting to sweat from my fast pace walking around to find the next cool house or plant, when I’m in a flow state. It’s just me and the camera and the keys to my car where I sometimes forget where I left it because I manage to somehow get so far away from it... I leave my phone behind because I don’t want to think about that thing. I want to get away from it! I want to feel like time has stopped.

I think I would like to continue this small publication, I had also toyed with the idea of opening it up as a collaborative piece, but for now, this is what it is.

SUNDRUNK is available now :)