This collection of photos was for an assignment where we had to create a photo book about Auckland. I initially struggled a lot, as I had a lot of ideas that were all over the place and not at all cohesive. 

Eventually I realised that I needed to reel it all in and focus on one specific idea. I decided to take some photos around my dad’s back yard because I create my best work from what I know/am very familiar with. 

I decided to shoot at the same time (afternoon to late afternoon) and in portrait (apart from the one landscape photo) to ensure everything would look consistent. 

I noticed a majority of the photos had a sense of stillness to them, so that helped me with the selection of images. There were some shots that I liked but didn’t use, as it didn’t fit with the still feeling that the rest had.

I was really happy with the end result, and I’m glad I was able to pull back and make something that really tells a story. I named the book Utopia after a Lykke Li song that I heard which is also about family and has a similar feeling, but also because my dad’s garden is his own little utopia for him. I got an A for this, which I was also really happy about.