After completing over 100 lockdown locals portraits, requests for a book and more portrait sittings kept rolling in so here I am asking for your help.

This is your chance to buy a book, a print, or even your own lockdown locals-style portrait sitting. 

Over the next four weeks, with the help of some fellow Hurlstone Park creatives, I will be laying out a 240-page hardcover book in the hope that we reach our financial goal.

The book will comprise all 100 portraits along with an introduction explaining the project. We’ll include key dates in Sydney’s Lockdown 2.0 and explain the restrictions locals were under in areas that were dubbed “LGAs of concern” at the time.

The book will be a time capsule, offering a glimpse of a life that was in some ways difficult, and in some ways unexpectedly beautiful.

It will cost $16,500 to create 250 environmentally conscious, beautiful hardcover books, printed in Australia.

If the project doesn't raise $16,500 then you won't be charged, and the book won't be printed. If the project raises more than $16,500, I will make a taxable profit. 

Making money is, and never was a reason to do this project, however it would be a lovely bonus after three months of lockdown, during a period when I couldn’t do my normal work as a photographer.

Visit my website http://caraodowd.com/lockdown-locals to see more of the portraits.

More about the project...

What began as a way to keep a camera in my hand and help a stranger to smile during lockdown, has evolved into a coffee table book.

One morning a few weeks into Sydney lockdown 2.0 I set a studio up outside my house in Hurlstone Park, NSW and offered strangers COVID-safe portraits as they walked past.

I would take people’s phone numbers and text them their portraits that night. The portraits were meant to be gifts to strangers, nothing more.

The following week the rules changed, and people needed to remain masked for their portraits. I thought this would be the end of my project, but as the weeks went on I was surprised to find more and more people arriving in my street for pictures.

As the collection of lockdown portraits grew, the small project evolved into a way to document the wonderful people and pets of our small Sydney suburb, Hurlstone Park.

I thought it would be fun to paste them up around the neighbourhood for people to find whilst out on their allocated one hour of exercise a day. I’ve slowly covered our neighbourhood with the faces of the people who call it home and in the process, the project has brought locals and me so much joy.

Please spread the word about the Lockdown Locals project by sharing it with your friends and family through social media and word of mouth.

$16,500 is how much it will cost to print (in Australia) and deliver 250 environmentally conscious, beautiful hardcover books.

If the project doesn't raise $16,500 then you won't be charged and the book won't be printed.

If the project raises more than $16,500  I will make a taxable profit. 

Making money is, and never was a reason to do this project however it would be a lovely bonus after 3 months of lockdown.