WAGGA WAGGA

I came across an incredible storm on my drive from Dubbo to Wagga. It was terrifying not knowing the road, especially when I saw a sign on the road warning of frequent flooding.

I drove through with branches dropping on the wind and hail smashing the windscreen – praying it wouldn’t break. Of course I loved every bit – stopping to photograph every few metres!

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Brett Chalker and Phillip Robinson (Robbo) in Wagga were both so keen to do the Imagine Me workshop that I detoured and added Wagga to the rural workshops specifically for them. Both Brett and Phillip knew some things about photoshop, but had no previous training.

Once a truck driver and having survived an extraordinary road accident, Phillip is fairly house bound. Phillip is lucky to have a wonderful wife and surrounded by children and grandchildren who mostly all live in the same street. Phillip spends his days scanning and retouching old family photographs that he is including in an autobiography that he is writing. The photoshop skills he has learned are incredibly useful to him for this hobby.

We created the image of Phillip playing a banjo – he posed pretending to hold the banjo that we downloaded form the internet.

Phillip Robinson

Brett Chalker

Brett Chalker, once a professional, is now fairly house bound also. He is very computer literate and a keen amateur photographer also. We discovered that he also has a natural talent and inclination for creativity in both visual and written pursuits.

Brett had the idea for many years of a visual metaphor with his physical being like a can – the contents of the can (and the contents of his soul) are intact and unchanged while the outer can itself (and his body) have been damaged.

We used this concept to create his portrait, placing his face inside a crumpled can.

Thank you Wagga Wagga!