Australia part 1.

I wrote a blog about this once already and some sort of failure made the whole thing disappear. It was so frustrating that I haven't been able to bring myself to write it all again. I guess I'll try to start over. Australia was incredible. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart for helping me get out there. My trip began with Titania flying into LA. She had a 10-hour layover, so she just came and hung out at my apartment, we got lunch, and I finished packing. We made our way to the airport that evening for an overnight 16-hour flight. I got stuck in a middle seat, but I was so excited I didn't even care. I watched 4 or 5 movies. Slept the best I could, and eventually made it down unda (to Sydney). 

A photographer friend of ours picked us up and brought us to where we were staying. From here, everything is a whirlwind. We did a few photoshoots, caught up with old friends, wandered around the city, visited Botany Bay and the beach and.. then it got really cold and rainy. Just as I was about to give oz the middle finger, it was time to fly north for Zoefest. Titania and I boarded a flight to Cairns and were immediately greeted by several photographers and a few other models also attending the event. Perhaps now is the best time to describe exactly what zoefest is. Zoefest is an art photography festival (organized by a retired model turned photographer) who found those time restraints and being self-employed makes for a lonely industry. She created a fine art event to bring artists and models together for 10 days and have everyone focusing on just creating art and making friends. In a field where people often only work together once and never speak again, this creates a totally different environment. The creative aspects are amazing. We are all shooting in unique and exotic locations. Truly some of the best images of my career have come from this event, and some of the most precious memories and experiences in my life. I feel so incredibly fortunate to have attended this multiple times over the years. It is not a lucrative venture, but it is so fulfilling on a creative and emotional level. Some of my best friends have been made at these festivals. So yea, getting back to flying into Cairns. One of the attending photographers picked Titania and I up from the airport, and then we drove up to the Daintree area of Australia. Amazing. Beautiful. I was so in love immediately. I was also painfully ignorant, haha. 

As we're driving along the coast I'm saying how beautiful it is, and how I want to shoot in the ocean, and the Australian photographer is laughing at me and saying I'll be the only one. I look at him confused, and he responds that there are crocodiles all along the ocean in this part of the country. It is very dangerous and even on the non-croc infested beaches, there are dangerous jellyfish everywhere this time of year so I wouldn't be advised to go into the water. Well shit. After a trip to the grocery store, a stop so I could look at kangaroos grazing, and a pretty long drive, we made it to the home we were staying in. It was incredible. Lush grounds, beautiful rivers in the front yard, and the most stunning home you've ever seen. I was housed in the guest house with 3 other models which we immediately deemed the party house. Every night we stayed up in the hot tub, the other girls drank (I'm not much of a drinker), we stayed up chatting. The internet connection was horrible so we were forced to enjoy each other's company, lol. I'm going to stop this here and write more in a bit. I'm afraid I may lose this blog, so I'm going to post this in parts. 

Xoxo Carlotta