Taken by surprise
I’ve lost count of how many times groups have proven that taking and sharing photos connects people, deeply. To each other and to their purpose.
But this one took me and the photographer, Edna, completely by surprise.
Edna loves where she lives in Melbourne’s south-east. She also loved the task I set them for ‘homework’ between week one and week two of the community panel. I asked them to take a photo of one thing that means ‘liveability’.
She knew exactly what to photograph. She walks past her subject almost every day. She’s fascinated by it. It has brought her joy and hope in the face of the changing character of her beloved area.
‘We always loved the look of the area,’ she told me. ‘Small houses with gardens. It felt like a village. You knew your neighbours.’
But she’s noticed a dramatic change over the past few years. And it’s unwelcome.
‘Lots of little houses were being sold and demolished,’ she said. ‘Huge mansions have been built, right up to the road. There are no gardens left.’
‘Why aren’t we preserving the greenery, especially with climate change.’
‘And there almost no chance to talk to the neighbours,’ she added. ‘People drive into the garage and straight into the house. Nobody says ‘hello’ over the fence anymore. It’s all kind of locked in.’
So, she took a photo of her subject the next day and got on with her busy week as a diabetes educator.
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Edna was so excited to share her photo the following week. She paired up with fellow panel members to look at their photos and ask each other, ‘why do you think this means ‘liveability’ to me?’
Edna’s photo drew plenty of comments. Here’s her subject:
And then Edna met the owner, Vishakha. She was on the same panel!
‘You could not make this up,’ Edna said. ‘The stars align!’
Vish (as we came to know her) thanked Edna for noticing her home.
‘I’m so pleased that you appreciate the way that we built it.’
She explained it’s a multi-generational home that features a magnificent mahogany tree in a central courtyard. It was designed by her husband, Gaurav Rajadhyax, Director of R Architecture.
‘We loved the trees on the block. We designed the house to keep them.’
Music to Edna’s ears.
‘If everybody does small things, I think we’ll be able to save our world,’ she said.
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Photographer Edna with houseowner, Vishakha at a Panel session
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Edna and Vishakha gave me permission to share this story.
If you’re curious about Vish’s home, check out Mahogany House.
And you can walk through it if you watch Grand Designs Australia on ABC TV and ABC iView. It features in episode 3. The season starts on 10 October 2024.
Thanks for reading this far!
Stay (fl)awesome!
#connection #liveability #workshops #community #sustainability