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Island Roots Auckland Ways.
This one's for the Brown brothers and sisters who want to be one with themselves, their culture, their identity, their roots. This is Island Roots Auckland Ways.
Hey girl, welcome to Alan Roots Auckland Ways. We are back for another week.
Hey, hey, how are we? I'm really good? Thank you? How are you?
I'm good. I'm feeling good because we're wearing like the Bombers.
Yes, well, it's kind of an easter egg into our guests this week is They have the incredible Jeffrey aka South Sides on the podcast. I'm wearing a one of the newer that is quite new recording from South Green with the purple glittering.
One thing about you, you're gonna you're gonna be on those releases.
Yeah, I am, And I'm.
Old.
That's old, like a few years old, like our first year of UNI.
But it's so sad.
That's crazy.
Oh but how jeff has grown over these years you'll find out right now.
Welcome back to another episode of Island Roots or Good Ways. Please welcome everyone's favorite creative and money religion, Jeffrey okays south Side, the south.
Side, The South side, I think maybe.
Yeah, the elusive Jeffrey, because we don't.
See south side. We see south side, we don't see Jeffrey.
Yes, those portraits you posted of your south recently, that's like some of the only pictures of you on your page, right.
Yeah, because you always ask and I'm like, I'll just send you mind from like.
Jeffrey is like Banksy? Is it Banksy?
Yes, you don't really know.
Yeah, the person behind the as rich as Banks, you're the brown Banks.
Oh how does that make you feel? Is the like not that you're like super anonymous, but as you not showing your face intentional or do you just.
Know just insecure?
You know what real?
Your camera sho. I think that's like for a lot of topers.
Let the works speak for itself.
Yeah, yeah, nice.
Well, I don't know how you stick away from Yeah, what kind of podcast? I think the mental health podcasts?
Yeah, we like to the Light.
Oh gosh, Jiff and I used to work together at the university. Bro, those are some good ass times.
There, some fun times, and I don't know, yeah, chapter it was just a fun five years five years because I studied three years at eighty and then I worked five years at eighty So I was you were there for eight Yeah, I was in the eighty dungeon man. I was a fun dungeon Dungeon.
Girl, Jeffrey. Every episode we share what we love about home. So whenever home is to you, weever you feel most grounded, I might be somewhere that's not your physical home. What feels like home to you and what do you love about it will start our first And what I love about home this week is getting picked up by the girls. Oh, it's an experience. We went out the week just gone and I was doing the picking up, which is very weird to me. I'm not the passenger. I'm the passenger friend.
So now I'm doing all the driving. But Alyssa, you are still the passenger friend permanently. Permanently. Yeah, are we really ruling out driving?
I think.
I have a license, Okay, not even a learners. I got a Hop cards.
I got a Hop card, and I have a passport. Nice at least I can leave the country.
Uh.
Yeah, just the experience of getting picked up for a night out, but also getting ready. Like one of the girl's Dora she took she brought her digital camera and she just took a picture of my beard which has like freaking wine and other things and makeup, and like that's just such a getting ready with the girls girlhood.
I love it.
That's what I love about home this week? How about you, Alissa?
Well, I mean this is not what I love about home, but getting ready for Layers, which we all went to just the week and just gone. Alex was like doing my hair in the mirror, and I was like, this is like the big siscill little system moment. I've always wanted a big sister to do my hair. And it made like it's so what you're saying, girl hook coded. But what I love about home. Jeffrey and I both throw a money dealer, so I had tried to like
a money dealer based thing. And I think I want to say weymouth Foodber, Have you ever gone to my mouth?
I just mean the last week.
Yes, I'm getting a one soup, six chicken nuggets, and a regular fries. That's what I get every time. So I'm going to say way Mouth Foodber, Yeah, I.
Love it was good special, Yes, one soup, it's the best.
I thought you're going to talk about a different but.
I don't think there's an experience. But I think I did when eighty dollars on the slots. No responsible gambling.
What we do condone is a one timele soup.
Ye yeah.
Nice home Home.
I think at the moment it's the war between the bakeries.
Oh my gosh, I feel like, is there a war in your TikTok come?
It's trying now, just like I don't know because.
Speak your ship cake, because I.
Think people just so like love the bakeries. Yeah, I mean, it's all subjective at the end of the day. Like I like playing food anyway. If I'm making food that home is like playing and it doesn't taste good. But so when I'm eating out, like everything's usually nice. But I feel like Alfson's like pretty nice at the bakery.
Alfson Bakery Yeah yeah, yeah.
Their butter chicken pies are good.
I love. That's the only thing I eat there.
Yeah, and then everything else I don't know because I haven't tasted.
But have you gone to clean and Bakery?
I have gone to Clean Bakery.
How do you write that?
That's all right?
You know, like people eat there?
Yeah, and it's a bakery.
Yeah yeah. And apparently like Alfreson's old owners Avenue bakery.
Yeah people say that eating but yeah they.
Say they're lining up in the morning.
Yeah, seeing the line. But I've definitely gone like I don't.
Know, Oh you've been to TIFFs?
Yeah? How is it nice?
Any different from Alfriston?
It's a bakery, right yeah?
Yeah?
Like how good can it be?
Yeah? Yeah?
With love and respect. But I am also not like the biggest advocate of like cleaned and bakery. I think because I'm not getting the right things.
Yeah. I think people just love their cream donuts.
Yeah.
I don't like cream, so I'm never getting a cream donut?
Am I black tolerance? Yeah?
Oh it's a lose lose for us, isn't it.
I love cream donuts. I'll go and try.
Cool for us so much? What do you look like?
What do you look for in the pie? Like? What's the measure of a good pie?
Just like anything that's not bland?
I just I'm not even like a pie person. Yeah, I'll just give the chicken avocado sandwich. Oh nice, just because they're like four dollars fifty yeah, and they're pretty huge.
Nice. I do like a chicken. I'm a big butter chicken pie. But I don't I don't really like pie, do you know, Baker? Actually do really love the one by all my train station, oh at the end of Russel Road. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I think because it's nostalgia.
Is that the one near the laundromat?
Correct?
Yeah?
Yeah, yeah, I really loved that one.
Wow.
I literally could talk about this for a very long time. We have speak seven minutes, So.
Sorry about that, Lisa.
You could take it away so much.
Geffree, I feel like you do one hundred thousand different things. Can you best describe what you get up to slash what you're my heir is as a creative? That's a good question the entire CV.
Yeah. Well, I like to say I'm fun employed at the moment.
Love So it's.
Just yeah, I get the opportunity to kind of do heaps of random stuff, which is real fun. I mean, not all of it pays, but I think to sum it up, I'm just a freelance photographer at this point. Yeah, so yeah that's me.
What was your journey into photography?
Like?
What was your light bulb? I love this, this is what I want to do moment.
Well, school was like fun if I win?
Can we ask what school you went to?
I went to Alphaston College. Yeah, so I think at the time it was like the new like the newest public school. Yeah, and yeah, we have a logo looks like the EDDI dass like it actually does the diploma to get my YUI and then study graphic design, which naturally kind of want to do everything like take the photos, do the design. And then I think maybe in the last years of my UNI it was really kind of
became a hobby. Then I was doing it for my friends, and then it kind of naturally moved into my friends having businesses and like kind of works that they were doing and then would bring me on. So it was really kind of time to build relationships, yeah, and then slowly doing more and more and then kind of yeah, then I kind of figured once I started making money off her that it was a viable job option and I could kind of make a little bit of money.
Yeah, this sounds like a very natural progression, was there, Like, like, was that the case or were you working towards being where you are right now? Well?
I think yeah. I mean for a lot of people, at the end of UNI you kind of realize you hate your degree, Oh you never want to do it again. But I kind of done it and used my degree five years after when I was working at AT and then I just kind of got sick of it. And then I knew that I enjoyed doing photos, but it was kind of it took me a while to figure out how to make money from it, but suaded it was doing a lot of my personal projects, and yeah, it's kind of blossom from there.
Do you have a favorite, like personal project that you've worked on.
Yeah, probably my favorite project is the front Yard, so absolutely iconic. I feel like that was kind of the one thing that it was a catalyst for all of the work that I got after, Yeah, which is pretty cool. And I think, especially when you're getting jobs, when they reference your own work to kind of recreate is kind of the best position you want to be in as a photographer because then you're comfortable, you enjoy what you're doing, and then you're getting paid for it and sometimes quite well.
Yeah. I feel like when I was younger, because I was quite creative with acting and stuff, people like, oh, there's like no money in it, but I feel like if you are actually good at it, actually go quite far. Yeah, which is why I'm not acting. What was their journey into freelance, Like is it. Do you have moments where like I got no money?
Yeah, I'm like to my dad, can I pay my ward next month?
Because people are either really good at paying invoices or sometimes when you're working with the companies that only pay on like a certain day of the month, and so it can be so frustrating, very uncertain, and.
I think it's it's kind of you really have to have not the heart, but like the drive to be like that person. I'm still not that person, but but yeah, some people pay. Smaller organizations are really good sometimes because they just pay like the week of whatever. Some like council ones will pay thirty days after delivery of service.
So yeah, that must be tricky some week when you're like, you know, trying to pay bond or like pictrol or things like that.
Yeah, well only recently. Picture. I just got a car like this year and I got into a car crash.
I saw that I wanted some message because I am a car crash victim but perpetrator. Yeah.
Hey, like you were driving recently and Marena literally almost killed us. It was like did you see that car? And I was like, I'm the best.
I'm not supposed to see ship.
Are you okay?
Though?
That's really awful.
I rear ended someone sells my fault and then what was it busy?
Yeah?
Kind of was it? No, it was in green lane.
I was gonna say I could excuse it if it was, because I feel like people in Ringwa are crazy when it comes to driving drivers. Just wait, this is not to do with driving.
Ben.
You recently put on your story something about like a dog a dog like, just resonde it with me, because money dealer is just filled with straight dogs and it's really scary.
Yeah.
I've been trying to do my tin k steps. I love that, but you just can't walk around like south in general. The more you the dogs are out on their tin k steps as well. I don't know.
I just can't drive.
I don't know. Maybe it's like a whole conspiracy to get people to buy gym membership.
City for.
Oh Man Jiff. Do you see yourself staying in freelance work for a while.
Yeah, I think at this point I gave myself a year to like figure it out, beautiful, and then if I really want to do I actually in you to a job the other week, and then I was like I don't want to come back like one you've left like corporate nine to five, like in an office, and you're creative, like you try your best to like not ever stay out of it. Yeah, not because there's anything wrong with it, but mostly because is the freedom to
like do a job at like on a Thursday afternoon. Yeah, that'll pay you like well enough to like sustain you a little bit. But yeah, I think the freedom that freelancing gives me is probably the best pro in that situation. But the cons come with it. Yeah.
When I think about your photography, you must have come and it's a conversation with so many people from various walks of life. It's one of your favorite parts of the job, connecting with people and like hearing their stories.
Yeah, I think that's the main part of why why I enjoy doing photography, especially the kind of round that I do photography in. Yeah, the connecting with people so like the best part because you might have not known them like beforehand and you're just rocking up to their house. But like I think, especially as a specific photographer, it's like you kind of know how to navigate that. Yeah, taking off your shoes at the door, you know, like rereading them or like things around that nature I think
have really helped me. But yeah, I think people are the best thing about the job.
You know, what does your own family think about your creative career.
They're like, why do you take betters of us?
See did you go to someone family photos?
They were, Yeah, yeah, I'm the designative family photographer now. But yeah, I mean my family they're real. I think there's quite a few of us that are freelancing. So nice a cousin, a videographer, So shout out to Carlin his heaps. But I think people like him have been like really good to have in the family. So there's different kind of pathways to like making money and the success in that as well. Yeah, yeah, but they're all good. They just are. He's asking why there's no portrait.
Walls in the house not filled up.
It's just out of my friend's art.
If one of my favorite things that you've done is with love from South Cool. Yeah, I am lend it such a cool project. And am I right that it initially started as just like jumpers with the area code?
Oh well it actually started at UNI.
Oh okay, cool.
Yes, it was kind of my final year project and it was I was doing. I think the purpose of it was like making postcards from South Aukland, so that's so cool. Making it a destination so kind of where to eat were the sharp So yeah, it was start off was that, and then after UNI kind of picked it up again in its area code crew next part. I sold like six hundred of them around the world somewhere,
So it's kind of cool seeing that. I think some of my friends saw it in like Melbourne or in Australia and I'm like, oh cool, that's how powerful, like the connection is to home.
Yeah.
Absolutely, And my flatmate recently celebrated her birthday and her best mate got her a Creunick and conversation to me, my flatmate was like, man, I've always wanted one of these, Like this is such a dope gift. So for your products to be referenced in that way, it's.
Yeah, yeah, I mean it's really cool to see. And I think the simplicity of it, like seeing the numbers is really what community is about. Like yeah, and having you know, like seeing someone with a even a two seam five like threats and netmakeout two five MANGI like those are real cool to have as well. I think those things are like signals for people. They're like, well from the same place. Yeah, that's cool, And I think, well he need is like a nod and it's kind of.
Like a mutual like yeah, so cool. It's kind of transitioning into like an online archive in some ways, Like what's kind of the motivation behind that?
Yeah, well I think yeah, I think we'd love some from South as if anything like a creative kind of archive. So a lot of photography. So I've been on the Auckland Libraries here its collection with site and it's so cool, like your scroll for ages, Yeah, you're just looking at
images from the past on things, you know. Now there's a cool image of Mangi Bridge being built, like all the construction and I kind of skip pass all the war memorial stuff, but seeing like Pacific people and especially like people protesting issues that were protesting still today like nuclear and the Pacific people already doing it there, teachers strike.
So it's really cool. Like and if you're ever like have the time to scroll on that site, might even find your family because school photos like school sports teams on the as well.
Free y.
Yeah.
One thing that I recently found because I'm doing a lot of research for the Coppa but that we're doing a Payton Great South around like the history of Great South Road and the building of Great South Road. But there's like a function where you can search what your street name means, so like you like what the background is. So there's like streets and money Dealers. I'm like, why the is that called arts? Like what does that? And it's like named after the developer who like made, I
don't know, built the houses on the street. You know, like it's just cool stuff like that. And I feel like the photos and from South learning more about like your sense of place are so important to understanding like the history where you're from. They help you kind of build your identity around like these things. But my favorite thing is looking at like old pictures of money Dealer. Yeah, like shit, it's changed so much much.
Yeah, we had like an open roof. Yeah it's like oh yeah, so if you look about like all the windows and went there, it was just kind of open sky, so almost like a shopping plaza. Yeah, kind of like maybe botany outside would be like but it was really cool. But then there's also further as like competitions of women like hanging washing.
Oh yeah, yeah, what's that is?
Like this is the world's fastest washing?
Oh so bad.
I think that game has been played at like baby shows. I've gone yeah and a.
Baby it's really yeah, And Sophomore.
Is still there?
Girl?
We I love Do you like South?
I love South?
We have a bonding.
I love.
UNSSA. Can't shut the fu up about.
The I think it was rated like the bit Smaller New Zealand what yeah.
By people who live in money.
Yeah. I was going to say, I think.
My favorite thing is last time I went there. I was going for a run and then I was like, no stopping at Crackerjack. Why not? And I had my running based on looking like an idiot And this guy comes up to me and I was like, Hey, how much did you pay for your vest? And I was like, oh, it was really expensive, Like I don't want to say blah blah blah. And he's like how much was it? And I was like oh. He was like, oh, price is not a not an issue to me. And I
was like, so why are you Jack? Example, I told him how much. I was like, oh, this is how much it. He goes, Oh great, I'm gonna go back. I want to keep my weapons in it. And I was like, oh, I make sure to run running this. I don't have any weapons is water, water and my ear pods, Like, please don't bother me, sir. It's the kind of you know, the high caliber of people sophomore.
The best caliber, the caliber on the topic of the two SUCs, even what else do you love about money to I just love that.
It's like people don't care truly, not that it's yeah, but like you can walk out and your hair is not even done. Driving today, I was like, oh, and then I looked at him. I was like, oh my god, My here's so bad. And I was like, I'm just in real life. Yeah, I don't know. And you know, it's like the not the nicest looking place and there's always signs on the ground, but it just feels like home and you never want to be away from it
too long. I was getting homesick, and yeah, it's just being I think the familiarity of everything is really nice and just the it's actually like real small competer like mango.
I would say, you know, I would say money that was huge because you guys have got like sub suburbs, you know, what I mean, like the gardens.
I wouldn't count like the gardens as money.
If you've got to turn the left at the exit. Yeah, it's sha.
What are the gardens like?
What does the gardens.
The gardens, botanic gardens, the park? Yeah, that's the gardens, Like that's all that side yet so not even money do well?
Like geographically speaking, yes, but vibe wise, it's not really true. I would would you agree? I plead it would just check me out with like high school and people be like, oh yeah, have from money and then be like go to the house. Cool, this is not reallyware.
We don't have stairs.
What do you mean he's not a dog back.
I have a question for you guys. So would you consider MANGOI Bridge proud of Mangoty.
No, that's MANGOI Bridge.
Yeah they even changed the name.
Okay, yeah, period, I see where from now there's the gardens like your Mangy the bridge Yeah yeah yeah, but it's nice to walk around.
It is quite nice walk.
You have to close us off. You work with a lot of young Pacific creatives and helping them get their start and find their passion and what they're good at. What would be your words of advice to anyone listening and right now who may not want to take up photography per se, but as wanting to delve into the creative side.
I guess key piece of advice is just to start, regardless of like what equipment you have or what gear you have. I think it's all on the ideas. All the fantasy camera stuff is like extra and you don't really need it in the beginning journey. Like I didn't have a camera un till I was in Uni, so I didn't even take photography because I didn't have a camera. So it was kind of I wish I had figured it out but earlier. But I think, yeah, key things
just to start. I think your lived experiences are the ideas, and that's the best part about who you are. You can always pull from that, pull different things, and that's the thing that you have, and that's your power, which I think is key for people hiring because they want Pacific and Moldy like people and their ideas and they're happily pay for it. So there's work out there. You just got to start.
Actually one more Christian before Christian as well.
I have it's the same one. Oh wait, I was just gonna say, like you saying that these people out there who actually want us. Have you ever experienced any pushback from people being like your stuff's too like Puss Speaker?
N good because I think for myself, like everything's online, so when people approach me, they already have an understanding of who I am and when I capture, so it's always catered to my style or the work that I do. I think I told someone that I'll only do Pacific or South Aukland stuff, so there's the only stuff that help me up for which is great. But there should be more people like in the pool, yeah, to now take on those jobs.
So yeah, I love that. My question was would you even leave the South Side?
Oh? I think no. I think by the time I'll be able to afford a house, south Side would be central anyway. Yeah, yeah, I think.
No. I don't think so.
I think I've been asked like would you move to another country, like yeah, for the experience, like maybe the residency for a few months. I'll be traveling because my brother is a flight attendant. I have to pay my fee every time shopping and painful fire.
So I was gonna say because one of my first I think you had this video that went viral and you're listening to they don't know in New York. Oh yeah, that was fair that.
It was a good time. New York is probably my favorite place outside of I love that.
What do you want to go to New York?
Of course?
Yeah?
Yeah, And I think it's because of my favorite song is at least cause you don't know my name? Oh great, Yes I don't know, but it's just that's New York to me.
I'm like, oh my gosh, listening to that in New York experience.
Wait, I have one last Christian. Do people even think your name is south Side? Yeah?
They never know.
Mind real, most of the time they don't know. They're like, are you south Side? Having it layers?
Oh yeah?
And then I was like, I always it's always kind of embarrassing, but I'm final with an album. It's almost kind of you like have your nickname or yeah, but yeah, people always like East south Side and like, yeah, it's actually very embarrassing to like, I cant believe said the south Side.
No.
I can just imagine people emailing you be like cure, I hope this email finds you out, and you've.
Been like, oh my gosh, before we are, before we move on. Oh no, let's move on.
Let's move on.
Do you want to explain the game?
Okay, So everyone knows Jeffrey is famous for these pacifica portraits, these incredible portraits of Pacific families, primarily just outside there, like family homes, eh and taking portraits of the family altogether and just incredible. Started during COVID, right, yeah, COVID. Yeah. So we decided we would channel out inner south side energy and take portraits of each other outside of our workplace, and we want you to judge them, please, Jeffrey, okay,
and you have to pick which one is better. So there's like a lot of things like we've considered the framing. We've considered the lighting, the lighting, the way we're like sitting, and the composition, all these technical things I don't know actually anything about. But if we're thinking about phones, and we've taken pictures of each other, so it's not how good the model is, it's how good the photo is. Okay, Okay, okay.
Okay, Alyssa's walked over to kay. Okay, how like do you want me to judge it? What do you want me to go by? One?
Categories. We'll judge by lighting, yeah, framing, yeah, and then like what are the things you consider when you're.
Like all those things?
All those things okay, and then maybe like best.
Overall Okay, okay, maybe I'll pick what I like about each one, and I.
Picked the best one nice Okay, yeah, okay, I feel like he's got a Simon kel no, no, noo.
Maybe we'll start with lessens one. Yeah, model one out of ten, that's good. I think I really like symmetry, so I think having Mariner in the sensor is like really like kind of my style and research research. And I think you've used like the background elements as like a framing element, so that's real cool. And then Mariner's one, Oh it's great, great, it's great. Disappears okay, cool, and Mariners one. The lighting is really good, like overcast is
really good for even lighting on your face. If you ever wonder why these bags under your eyes because the suns.
Of you that's right.
Yeah, I like the how close you are, but I can tell you're tour because you're up here like that.
Yeah, I hate like that.
And yeah, the background elements are cool. You can see Melissa's body like shape really well against the other background elements. So I think the best photo, it's actually pretty close. I think there's things in here that are changing both, but I think maybe oh yeah, oh no, that's.
Oh my gosh, this one.
Yeah, wow, you it's actually pretty good.
Yeah.
I think if Marina was wearing something a bit lighter than you could separate the background.
Yeah.
Otherwise, yeah, maybe just a little bit closer period.
But your one's all good. The lighting is good, Okay.
On the story, I think maybe just more space on the bottom.
Yes, and you're too tall.
Yeah, you have to go to the eye level.
That's what I always forget. And then Alissa like an eye level bit unless like the photos and I've got this my child.
That's so good.
You always eat with your photos of me too. Yeah, well, time to go now.
Indicated Jiffrey, thank you so much for joining us.
Thanks for having me.
We had so much fun.
Honestly, the man, if you need some photos, if you have heaps of money, money.
It's like four Cluster, you're gonna pay.
On time you wants to pay on the day before.
No text, and thank you for joining us and Akland ways don't forget every other day reels up on the I Glans Auckland waits.
And also on.
Happened.
We shall see you guys there, okay, period Bye