The Driveway Project was a free community photo project in Kununurra and Wyndham in April and May 2020, to inject positivity into people's daily lives, in the midst of the uncertain times with lockdown from covid-19.
Inspired by Francesca Fuga Photography in Darwin who gathered the idea from a photographer in the US, I made a post on the Kununurra community Facebook page to gauge interest.
Well... from here things went nuts! (In the best way possible). I was flooded with enquiries and that kickstarted our version of The Driveway Project.
I thought you may enjoy some fun facts from the last few weeks:
150 homes photographed
5 weeks for the project
Every afternoon from 3:30pm - 5:00pm for the best light (the sun sets early up here, about 5:00pm at the moment)
10 minute time slots for each photo, allowing about 3 mins to get to the next house, equalling 5-7 minutes for photos at each house
Lets crunch numbers, and yes I went through each photo and tallied these:
213 kids / babies
(8 of these babies still inside their mumma)
112 dogs - yep, I know! And this wasn't even all of them
25 chickens
8 horses
5 cats
2 ducks
1 goose
1 poddy calf
1 bunny rabbit (named Dave)
1 goat
1 sprint car
50 of the houses were rural / out of town houses
35 mozzie bites (from chatting after dark following the last houses each arvo)
1372 dog hairs on my dress
2 pairs of sandals now binned from dusty driveways
Some cool things that happened and were learnt along the way:
Pretty much every single house owns minimum of one dog
I want a poddy calf
Beautiful pockets of sunlight for a photo can be found anywhere
I met some amazing new people
Neighbours met neighbours, as they didn't realise who lived around them
People who were stuck at home felt more connected to others than ever
Seeing a snippet of someone 'at home' or out of work makes you feel closer to them
The Driveway Project became the most anticipated part of people's evenings
Many people told me it was the highlight of their day when the photos were posted
I got to visit some beautiful rural properties that made me envious
There's something magic about Wyndham sunset light
People LOVE chickens
Dogs will sit and face their owners when posing for a photo, then wonder what they have done wrong
Lots of people who once lived here were following along with the project
- It made them emotional and very much homesick
I still find it impossible to shortlist photos
There were many people who have never even been here, who said it looks like a place they would like to live
I should have let people know I was aware of the broken passenger mirror hanging from my car
Bribes to kids are totally acceptable (and encouraged) when on a tight timeframe for photos
Great things can come from difficult times
I learnt how to use Google My Maps to map out my path for each arvo
People were sad when I let them know the project was nearing its end
There's nothing wrong with getting a snap in your work clothes after you've just arrived home - capturing life as it is, is important
I felt sad when I couldn't accept any more houses
The project was capped at 150 to ensure it ended on a high note
Action shots on a trampoline will never, ever get old
The power of capturing images, a moment in time, is incredible
Spreadsheets are super important
One of my favourite parts was actually hearing what everyone's favourite images were
Almost every kid asked 'why do you have 2 cameras?' - then stopped listening when I began to explain why
I love Kununurra and Wyndham (oh wait, already knew that one)
Neighbouring dogs love to run over and join in other families' photos
No one likes wearing shoes (who does?)
One of the most important things that came out of this project: You don't have to wait for the perfect time to have a photo taken, no need to wait until you have your hair done, you lose weight, the gardens are pruned, the leaves are raked, the house is renovated. This moment will never come again... Don't miss out on capturing it.
The response I received from the community was a bit overwhelming if I'm honest. I love taking photos and capturing moments, especially when it can benefit others as well. I was simply enjoying snapping away and working on a cool project! Which resulted in an outpour of amazing support from everyone who was involved, even those who weren't.
I can't thank everyone enough for your positive messages, emails and chats in the street - it's been so lovely.
So, it seems the goal was reached... positivity officially injected!
