cambridge ...

As calendar season came around again I realized I hadn't shot much of Cambridge this year. I mean for the record it's not like I don't have you know hundreds of other Cambridge pictures but I wanted a little new work in the 2015 calendar. So anyways I took a couple of trips into Cambridge last week, & now I'm super excited for winter (& maybe snow pictures in Cambridge. So this weeks sisterhood stories post features some new pretties from one of my very favorite places! & don't forget to head on round the circle for more pretties & inspiration starting with Kay! 

ps. In case you were wondering here is the calendar cover & the you can find it on etsy!

april in pictures ...

So i have been in a little bit of a funk in recent weeks ... a combination of running injury & just some photographic "issues" ... it happens to the best of us. & in 3 days me & the little man are heading stateside for 4 weeks of hanging with the family & hopefully for me a chance to find my photographic "mojo" again! I have to admit there are a few new toys waiting for me in cali, & i'm super excited to try out some new skills & take some much needed me time. So for this weeks sisterhood stories I just wanted to share a few photos from april ... it hasn't been hugely exciting in our world but I've taken the camera out in Cambridge a couple of times & i took a landscape workshop at the beginning of the month. Anyways enjoy a little spring, a little color & a little learning! & don't forget to make your way around the rest of the sisterhood circle starting with Jessica. 

street photography ...

So something I have always admired is street photography, i mean who doesn't right? I can look at the work of Cartier Bresson for hours, drooling over the pages of his books, & i have incredible talented friends such as Rob Grimes & Sasha Holloway who can capture those instant moments, me well i don't think that fast. So i have been trying to step outside my little box, stop waiting for the people to get out of my shots (because seriously they are always in my way) & capture the moment as it's happening. But also I have been working on the "format" i shoot in. I naturally see everything in "landscape" & i feel this is something i need to work on so. 

So a couple of weeks back i ventured into Cambridge with just my Lensbaby composer pro & edge 80 lens for company, & a lot of rain! I have to say i love the results, i love the darker side of cambridge & that i actually captured people in my work! So enjoy some "pretties" here & then take a moment to work your way around the sisterhood stories circle starting with the blog of Karrie Drake. & you can of course check out more of my lensbaby work over in my etsy shop sweet dreams & honey. 

cambridge & calendars ...

So recently i have ended up in another funk ... life & the weather simple as that. & my beloved lensbaby work has taken the brunt of my dislike. I felt as if it was uncohesive, boring & well blaaaaaah (that would be the technical term). Now this i believe is a phase every artist goes through ... 24 hours of being mad at perfectly good work. So to get myself out of this little funk i got working on a calendar ... i have already designed 4 templates this year for calendars & thanks to my funk didn't like any. So not only was i making a calendar of my Cambridge lensbaby work I was making a new template. See how artist funks go? 

Well 2 days later ... not only did i love love my new template but wow did i love how cohesive & gorgeous my lensbaby work looked in the calendar. Yes we do have a tendency to swing between either end of the spectrum ... i believe it's known as the "artist temperament". Or maybe just a bad day. Anyways here is said calendar which can be purchased over at sweet dreams & honey ... in either a 7x5" loose leaf format or a 6x4" loose leaf format. 

& now that you've listened to me go on about well ummmm not much of any significance head on over to fellow sisterhood stories blogger Jessica & see what pretties she has to share online. & once you are done there you can just continue on you round the blog circle all the way back to my ramblings. Happy hump day! xx

a little old skool ...

So one of my favourite things to do right now is to shoot film ... I love that i have the chance to experiment with my mountain of film cameras (i have getting up towards 100 of them), I love the anticipation of waiting for them to get developed. Right now it's a little hit & miss & since most of my cameras are vintage there are some "individualities" to them. But it's so much fun & i will improve! 

So in taking a break from Scotland here are the results of the 3 rolls i picked up today ... happy viewing. 

camera: Zenit ET

format: 35mm

film: Lomo color 100

camera: LC-A

format: 35mm

film: Kodak Portra 160 

camera: Diana

format: 120

film: Kodak Portra 100

Anyways i hope you enjoyed my experiements ... no editing was done to these images & one day i hope to be able to print myself. I am though added some to my etsy shop "ooh pretty shiny" for purchase. 

Have a great night.

xx

going old school ...

So i admit i haven't been great at this whole blogging thing ... life just kind of you know happened! But here i am today with some pretties to share (& i have a whole lot more waiting to blog about so i should probably get on that). Anyways these are all film ... something i am playing around with right now. I have a huge collection of cameras I want to shoot with & i was lucky enough to be blessed with some free film to test out. So enough talk here are some of my recent favourites ...

These were shot in cambridge one morning in March (i think) ... it's my first time shooting b&w in probably about 10 years. But i love these. They were shot on a Zenit ET that i have discovered comes with a few light leaks but then again i did only pay £20 for it & it has a beautiful lens! & they are shot on Kodak Tri-x ISO 100. 

& here's a few from deepest darkest north west England ... The Wirral & Merseyside to be exact. Shot in the past few weeks whilst i was up there "working" (I have so very many pretties to share with you from that trip) on a Lubitel 166B on Kodak Portra 120 at ISO 160. 

I do have to admit i am loving the "individuality" that comes with shooting with my film cameras, i never know just what i will get. & with the exception of maybe touching up some "dust" these are all straight out of the camera. I can't wait to print some up for my home (maybe one day i will get to do it by hand again) & possible offer them for sale!