When researching the work of photographers on the internet I
found photo documentaries on topics such as poverty, children, protest
movements and people’s rights. For my Folio I would like to capture a modern
Australian phenomenon that is happening at this very moment and is being driven
by the rise of the “Australian coffee snob”. Having grown up with parents who
cannot function without their double shot espressos, I know the difference between
a good and bad coffee. Therefore I wish to capture a day in the life of a
Barista also known as: the person behind the coffee machine, and a modern day
God. I hope to capture the importance of the Barista and the coffee itself, to
the daily rituals and lives of their customers.
I have chosen to focus on one cafe for my photo documentary.
It is known as “2 before 10” and is located at 2-50 Alinga Street, City West
Canberra. At this cafe there are 3 baristas that rotate throughout the
week with duties such as roasting the coffee beans, extracting espressos,
frothing milk and creating designs on a morning cappuccino. These Barista’s are
a group of friends who met at University and who now run an increasingly
popular cafe. I, as the photographer want to capture the entire process of
making a good coffee from the roasting of the beans at dawn through to the end
of the day. Through the lens I would like to explore the relationship between
the Barista and the loyal customer. To do this I would like to be as discrete
as possible, using no flash, no tripod---simply holding my camera in my hand. I
would like to get as much natural lighting as possible using both portrait and
landscape formats to capture the atmosphere in the cafe.
I would like to photograph the Baristas and coffee drinkers
from dawn until closing at 2pm. I will do this over a two week period, at least
3 times a week so that I will have a variety of pictures to select from for my
final documentary.
During the early morning at dawn the owners (Baristas) start
up the roasting process for the day creating their own coffee blends. I will
aim to catch the morning rush of regulars, stopping by for their pre work
coffee fix. I think it would then be interesting to see whether it becomes
quieter throughout the day and capture the Barista’s life when they are more at
ease and have the time to speak to their customers.
I am excited about this project because my family are
regulars at this cafe, I have an interest in hospitality and Australia’s coffee
culture is continuing to evolve. Coffee is a major product and crop that is
used, traded and loved by almost everyone throughout the world, which I believe
makes it worthy of a documentary.
Just two little coffee quotes:
“A morning without coffee is like
sleep”
“Behind
every successful woman is a substantial amount of coffee”
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