It seemed surreal to be standing in the middle of in an entire village made of marble. But these weren’t palaces or majals. The inhabitants of this marble village in Rajasthan, India are desperately poor and lack basic amenitites like running water and electricity in their homes. Traditionally nomads, these families chose to set up their homes in the middle of a dusty industrial zone so they could repurpose, re-use and upcycle the waste from an adjacent factory to build dwellings. I visited the village with I-India, a not-for-profit organisation in Rajasthan, India. The dedicated staff provide education and support to some of Rajasthan’s most desperate children, feeding 3000 kids a daily meal without which their bellies would remain painfully empty. I-India provides services to this area. I-India set up a school for this community, as there were no educational facilities available to them in the area. To see the basic facilities that these children learn in with such gratitude was so inspiring. Read about it HERE If you’d like to read about […] Read More
Last week I was in Port Macquarie to photograph the launch of Energy Forever’s first 100 percent community funded and owned solar panel system at St Agnes Early Education Centre. This not-for-profit organisation has spent years rallying in the local Mid North Coast community to raise funds for this incredible project. It’s wonderful to finally see the results of their hard work. The 72 panels are split over 4 roof faces to best cover the load at the centre. The DC from the panels is converted to AC grid power. I fully support what Port Macquarie Hastings Sustainability Network and Energy Forever are doing for the community and the environment which is why I photographed the event for them on a pro-bono basis. If you have skills that you’d like to share with the organisation, get in touch via their Facebook page. To see more of my work with not for profit organisations please visit my website Read More
I’ve photographed at the Birpai Local Aboriginal Land Council in Port Macquarie a number of times and I always love returning to this welcoming space. The centre is set amongst the bush with native plants endemic to the area, which local Birpai people can demonstrate many traditional uses for. Every time I’m there, I learn more about the local culture of our First Nations people, and about the Birpai/Dunghutti country that I’m so lucky to live in. I was photographing for a not-for-profit organisation, FCAN (The Financial Counsellors’ Association of NSW Inc). FCAN was in Port Macquarie for a conference with volunteers and suppliers from across the state. They were treated to cultural performances and demonstrations from local indigenous children and women. The sting ray dance performed by the ladies is always a highlight – it’s so serene and calming. Following the dances, everyone (including me) learnt traditional weaving with Trish. The same technique can be used to weave jewellery or baskets, using the lomandra grass. After weaving, Rhonda walked us around the garden to learn about plants and their uses. Lemon myrtle was one of the local bush foods used to make these delicious deserts. […] Read More
I didn’t realise we had arrived at the school as the car pulled up outside a small shack in the middle of a dusty community. I was with I-India for an NGO photography shoot, a small grassroots organisation based in the desert city of Jaipur, India. As I’ll explain in another blog post, a series of coincidences had lead me to contact I-India and offer my services as a volunteer photographer. Due to changing financial times, the not for profit organisation has seen a decline in donations from its international funders over the past couple of years which means they will probably have to cut up to 30% of their projects in the next year. On the ground, this means that hundreds of vulnerable children will go hungry. I met some of these children. They are as innocent and loveable as any children I’ve met, but the fact that they were born into poverty in India means that their fate is very different from that of children where I’m from, Australia. I-India has saved them from child labour, child marriages, homelessness, begging on the streets and more. The organisation’s dedicated staff runs a range of truly […] Read More
How do you say goodbye when your friend has died? This world has lost a beautiful soul and it’s too late to do anything for him. But I at least wanted to share these photos with his family and friends, in the hope his cheeky face will bring a smile to theirs. My friend Simon passed away after a tragic series of events. Soon his body will turn to ashes and return to the earth and atmosphere, but his energy will remain with those of us who were touched by his presence. I met Simon in Newquay, Cornwall UK when I was living there, travelling in my late teens. I lived in a hostel by Fistral Beach with some of the best people I’ve ever met – a bunch of surfers who gave me the best summer of my life. Simon, a bodyboarder, was one of them. One day a letter had arrived in the mail box for a “Mr S. P. Ankers”. From then on Simon was lovingly known to us as Spankers. We had a solid summer with 30 or so good friends living together, creating endless good times. One of these was the […] Read More
I was thrilled to receive a parcel from Profile Books in London, opening the packaging to see my photographs on the pages of Vivienne's new book, GET A LIFE! The Diaries of Vivienne Westwood.
Vivienne and I are both fervent supporters of Cool Earth, a UK charity which is saving rainforest in Papua New Guinea, Peru, and D.R.Congo... Read More
I photographed Tash's set at FotSun and was mesmerised by her massive energy. When you are in the midst of someone doing what they were put on the earth to do, who is beaming with life and exploding with enthusiasm, it's impossible to look away... Read More
If I had known how beautiful Vanuatu was I’d have been there years ago. We have photographed resorts and hotels all over South America and Central America, but this was our first time in the gorgeous Pacific Island nation of Vanuatu. James and I headed over to Vanuatu to shoot Aore Island Resort. Just 2.5 hours from Brisbane, we found ourselves in another world. We took a quick boat from Espiritu Santo Island to Aore Island, where we were greeted by palm trees, crystal clear waters, smiling local staff and beautiful bungalows. Time slowed down. At night the group of female water drummers amazed us with their sounds. They were followed by the traditional bamboo band with their super upbeat island music and dancing. The little girl, pictured below joined with women for water drumming. She was amazingly skilled for a two year old, and stole everyone’s heart. Below: behind the scenes. Me looking for details to photograph in the morning light and James getting a mojito ready to be photographed. Read More
If you live anywhere around Port Macquarie you would have seen this smiling face in newspapers, on billboards and signs around town over the past few weeks. Everyone seems to have spotted Peta’s photo somewhere. I had the pleasure of meeting and photographing Peta Pinson for her campaign for Mayor. A really genuine, kind hearted person, I’m sure she will make a great Mayor if she is voted in. It was another opportunity for me to discover more of the gorgeous, tranquil locations in our local area. We started out with a studio set up in her office in Wauchope then Peta took me to some of the beautiful locations she’d chosen around the Port Macquarie area for her location shots. We finished up as the sun turned golden over the marina in Port Macquarie. Good luck with the campaign, Peta! Read More
Congratulations to Sue and Coast Front Realty for your success at Port Macquarie Business Awards 2016!!
I first met Sue a few months ago. Even at our first meeting she was overflowing with ideas about opportunities, volunteer projects and professional pursuits. Her energy and enthusiasm is contagious. Read More
It was such a pleasure to be part of the Aboriginal Model Search in Kempsey. The model search is travelling around Australia looking for new indigenous talent to be represented in the fashion industry. I sponsored the Kempsey event as it is in my local area, near my home town of Crescent Head. As well as offering a major prize of a Model Portfolio Shoot with me, to the lovely Ada (below on the right), I invited three outstanding entrants to an Indii Swimwear casting and modelling tutorial with Nancy (Indii designer) and me, in July. I’m looking forward to working with each of these gorgeous girls, and sharing the photos with you, so stay tuned. Below are more photos from the evening. See photos from my last Indii Swimwear shoot in my Fashion Portfolio. Please get in touch if you’d like your own Model Portfolio Shoot, via info@alicaifoxphotography.com or 0429 211 567 Read More
More of my adventures working with UK charity, Cool Earth in PNG. Including lots of photos and a video of me surfing planks of wood with the kids Read More
I am so inspired when I meet someone who is truly going above and beyond for the benefit of others and the greater good. Kids in regional areas of Australia aren't always given the opportunities that exist in the cities and metropolitan areas. Nancy Pattison, entrepreneur behind Indii Swimwear is passionate... Read More
The Kempsey region is rich with indigenous history and culture. The local aboriginal elders have fascinating stories to share which enrapture my imagination about what came before me on these streets, rivers and fields. Emily King recognises how important it is for these stories to be shared and recorded, and has been working on a project, “Wiriiynakayi Ngunngun Dunghutti” – Dunghutti Stories from Yesterday, which was funded through Kempsey Shire Council. The Dunghutti are an Aboriginal group whose traditional lands lie in the Macleay Valley, on the Mid North Coast of NSW. As a Crescent Head local, I live within this area and it is important to me to learn about my local history, culture and people. The aim of the Dunghutti Stories from Yesterday project was to record a set of stories from each of the communities in the area. These stories were told by elders to school children. The kids painted elements of the stories which became part of 13 impressive murals. The process provided a beautiful interaction between the elders and the children, allowing the kids to learn about their indigenous history. In the words of Uncle Bob, (pictured below with Emily), “It’s important for those generations who have […] Read More
Papua New Guinea has been up the top of my Travel Wishlist for years. Despite it being Australia’s closest neighbour (only 170km from Queensland), it isn’t a very popular travel destination – hence the appeal. A few years ago when I learned about PNGs rugged beauty, rich indigenous cultures and distinct lack of tourism, I started looking into how I could get there. Simply travelling or being a tourist is never enough for me – I always look for a way to add another dimension to any journey, and I love my profession so much that turning a travel opportunity into a Photo Trip is usually my first preference. I pasted photos of PNG onto my “Dream Board” – the digital pinboard where I gather inspirational images surrounding my dreams and goals. While I was busy making other dreams come true (making a sea change, getting married and building my strawbale cottage with my husband), plans for Papua New Guinea fell into place on their own. I was ecstatic when I received an email from Cool Earth, asking if I’d be available for a photo shoot in PNG. Cool Earth is a UK based NGO (Non Government Organisation) that […] Read More
