Introducing the first in the series towards my new project, The Kombi Sessions.
So as many of you know, I ride in a 1976 VW Kombi, it’s the only way to travel… at least the only way that suits my lifestyle anyhow. I’ve had my Kombi for 3 and a half years now, something I’d dreamed of for many years leading to today. It’s perfect for me, it’s not a show van… its simply how I live my life. Everything I ever need can come with me, my 9ft longboard, my camera…there’s probably more stuff, but those are the key things.
Well anyways, a few months ago I had the thoughts to start a new project and have just started putting it into progress. The Kombi Sessions. A series of photojournalistic portraits of South Australian Kombi riders. For now, it will be a blog series, but I would love to turn the project into an exhibition down the road, (potentially The Shimmer benial next year). If you ride in a VW Kombi and would like to get involved, please tell me.
The Kombi Sessions. No.1. Meg
Meg and Chip
Kombi: Jerry Sunshine Swell
A 1976 T2 Kombi
I caught up with Meg at Morialta, South Australia, it was a beautiful late winter afternoon. We even had a little sun! Here are some of the questions I asked her
Lee: Hi Meg, it’s so cool to see you and meet properly (we met on the road having a conversation through windows in slow moving traffic. I was just coming back into Adelaide from a photographic road trip to Port Lincoln, Eyre Peninsula). Thanks for coming!
Meg: Hey, yea, wow it’s so beautiful up here, the weathers amazing… This is Chip, he’s excited! (Pup)
Lee: Yea, Morialta is such a lovely spot. So, do you have a name for the Kombi? Male or female? Mines kinda both, depending on its mood, ha.
Meg: Yea haha well actually mines both too. Jerry the gender confused kombi, she actually has three names. Jerry Sunshine Swell (from my niece)
Lee: How long have you had her?
Meg: Around 2 and half years, she’s my second Kombi.
Lee: Nice! I’ve had mine 3 and half, pretty much soon as I arrived into Australia 4 years ago. Are you from South Australia originally?
Meg: Yea I was born in Adelaide, its lovely, the hidden gem of Australia!
Lee: So you have a small business don’t you? I saw your page, you sell clothes and other cool things right, from the Kombi? That must work nicely.
Meg: Yea, she draws lots of attention.
Lee: Do you do the Adelaide markets?
Meg: Sometimes, but I try not to do too many as I prefer to just pull up to a beautiful little, set up and sell from there, like beaches and parks.
Lee: Nice! must be cool in the summer?
Meg: Yea, gets busy… I’m actually starting to run low on stock now from my last trip to India and I’ve been on the road in Australia for a while. I’m doing lots of travel within Australia now, as I have Chip, he comes everywhere.
Lee: Nice, he’s awesome, super excited!
Meg: He’s having so much fun out here.
https://www.facebook.com/roaminkombi?fref=ts
Lee: Tell me a bit about the artwork, it looks great.
Meg: My friend Gem did it, she’s amazing! It was her first one, she had never worked with spray before, so a nice challenge, she did amazing.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Gem-Williams-Art/607140502699322?fref=ts
Lee: It’s very cool!
Meg: Yea, I’d like her to do more soon hopefully, I’d like something here, this red part, I feel it needs something there, maybe some birds.
Lee: Do you like dragons?
Meg: Na not dragons, unless it’s the luck dragon from the never-ending story!
Lee: haha, yea awesome, that would work!
Meg: I’d like the roof done next, theres nothing there at the moment.
Lee: Yea, so it looks like it was originally a similar colour as mine?
Meg: A little lighter, more yellow, yours is more olive
Lee: Yea, nice!
Meg: Hey can I quickly change out of this jumper… I never wear pink!
Lee: Well you do today, it looks good! haha a yea sure…
Lee: One last thing for now.. in a few words, your next road trip?
Meg: North! Sunshine and waves 😀
I had a few more questions for Meg, but I’ll save those for the exhibition pieces (and book). If you’d like to be involved in the Kombi Sessions, please give me a shout to info@leeknowlesphotographer.com I can’t wait to hang out!
Keep in touch on social media and like the Facebook page here
https://www.facebook.com/thekombisessions
Heres more of Meg, Chip and Jerry Sunshine Swell
