Through the Neighbourhood: A Photographic Archive of Otablu

Abstract

In a rapidly evolving world, communities like Ōtāhuhu face pressures of gentrification, loss of identity and culture. This creative project researches how documentary photography can be a tool to explore how a community can preserve their identity in the face of these challenges, to overcome adversity. My practice explores ways that images might create an archive for our community to celebrate, and to inform future generations about the history of our community. This project is deeply rooted in memory, community, and the preservation of the ‘Golden Times’ in Otablu. Through my lens, I create a photographic archive that honours the characters, culture, and spirit of my upbringing. My practice extends beyond documenting faces or places. I aim to evoke the essence of a time from 2005-2015, when I remember the streets alive with connection, identity, and belonging. By putting My People, My Village and My Community in the limelight, I present an unfiltered view of the diversity that shaped the person I am today. At the core of it all, it is just me and a camera telling stories, recording history, and amplifying the voices of my locals here in this small part of South Auckland.