Lemonlight

'five sense friday' on a saturday

A bit late for five sense friday, but here's mine for a super sunny saturday...

tasting:
strawberries - so many strawberries.

seeing:
the intense glittering of a gentle sea in bright, bright sunshine.

hearing:
bands at glastonbury (via the marginally more civilised, non-muddy comfort of my own home). my faves so far are florence + the machine.

touching:
ice cold cans of diet coke against my hot skin.

smelling:
bbq's. everyone seems to be having one tonight (apart from me).

taken with lubiel 2

Old (but new to me)

I love shiny, new cutting-edge deign, I also love old, vintage things (just ask the hubby... hahahahaaahhhaaa!). In the same way that I love my digital SLR (Canon 40D) I also love my pre-loved and really old Polaroid SX-70. I'm not sure it should make such a big clunky, shuddering nose when it takes a photo but it seems to work ok!

I got three of these lovely Meakin teacups for my birthday. I may pop some flowers in them (as if I've gone to the trouble of making tea/coffee I want a BIG mug full)...

I also took possession of this 1940s clothes airer - the plasic one I had was driving me nuts and was always collapsing at inopportune moments...

Random bluey-greeniness

Feeling lethargic so not many words today. Don't forget there's a few hours left to enter my birthday draw - $80 of free stuff could be yours and all you need to do is leave a comment on the aforementioned post!

faces

Everybody responds to a face. You can't not look at a face when it's put before you in photographic form, they draw you in and make you look. Here are just a few amazing portraits I've found on flickr, just try and look away!

1. drop dead georgus, 2. 38, 3. Strawberry Mouth 2,
4. Untitled, 5. cedar ~ six months, 6. Untitled

I need to take more photos of faces. Of people. I mustn't be intimidated my all the talent out there and get on with it. With this in mind I corralled my friends children and their pony to model for me, it was great fun, I took HUNDREDS of photos and I let the kids have a go with the camera too. Sometimes you can't beat digital photography...

 

 

More Shore

Some more pictures from the weekend to keep me going for the week (as I am back at work on Monday). These were the last two shots of the REALLY old film in my Polaroid SX-70. Have reloaded with fresher newer stuff and also cleaned the rollers so hopefully the next lot will look even superer...

The morning after

I drank quite a few glasses of white last night. I'm realy not a drinker at all these days (making up for my mis-spent youth) and whilst I don't think I made a fool of myself at the time I was feeling rather fragile this morning. I'm more than happy with soft drinks and plenty of good coffee to keep me hydrated these days - they don't interfere with my plans half as much.

I did manage to grab a few snaps whilst I was out and about today though - my camera of choice from my ever growing collection was my FujiFilm Instax 200. I've found so far that this camera needs lots and lots of natural light in order for things to look good. The flash goes off automatically every time so when the light is low you get the nasty flashgun look, but today was bright and so, so sunny so it didn't make a dent.

Birthday bonanza

Ok, so yesterday I hit the mother of all milestones, my 40th birthday!

I actually had a really great day. The original plan was to spend the day in London, but tube strikes and talk of chaos and endless queues made me think this wouldn't be conducive to a relaxing day in the metropolis. Instead we had a chilled out day in the country...

...and paid a pilgrimage to Jane Austen's house in Chawton...

...then tea and cakes. Very suitable for someone of my advancing years. Very Miss Marple.

Now it's actually happened I am feeling much calmer about being 40. It's probably wrong but I have a mental list of people who I still consider young and cool who are actually OLDER than I am (Kylie Minogue, Jennifer Aniston, Brooke Shields, Jennifer Lopez, Helena Christensen, Cate Blanchett). I'm going to stop banging on about the whole 40 thing now though - I've read this back and the self-pity is painfully cloying.

Apart from to say, we all know that birthdays all all about the presents and the cakes. The cake is all gone though so instead I offer you over $80 (£50) of goodies galore from my store! (I am happy to send them anywhere in the world).

All you need to do is leave a comment below. You've got until next Friday (19 June) and I'll pick a comment at random to win all the summery-inspired stuff listed below:

• Shine 12x8
• Sur la Mer - set of four 5x5 photos
• Summer Memories - a set of 6 postcards, envelopes and labels
• Magdalen 5x5

Good luck!

Getting the hang of it

I'm getting more used to my Polaroid SX-70 now.

I'm glad I started out on my Polaroid journey with a 'normal' point-and-shoot model because I'm really appreciating the newfound awesomeness that I have at my disposal. I do need to clean my rollers and I haven't made things easy by using very expired film, but nonetheless what pops out each time is wonderful, especially when you're close up to something and can manipulate the depth of field. Ooh I love new toys!

::UPDATE:: the gloves photo is now available in my shop...

Summer fruits

Camera confession #2 (see yesterdays post for #1)... I also purchased a Polaroid SX70 this week!

I know, I know.

I made my own filter so it can take the more easily obtainable 600 film and rushed out (again) to try a couple of shots. It's amazing! I love the focussing and the depth of field - it's going to be so much fun using this camera, it has so much soul!

green apples + black cherries...

FujiFilm Instax 200

I think it's time to admit that I have an addiction... to cameras! Not just shiny new digital SLRs, in fact quite the opposite (although I like them too). My tastes are now positively retrospective and (some would say) archaic. Film and negatives are once more part of my life (although the contact dermatitis I got from years of swishing around ungloved in fixer and stop-bath never went away).

Imagine then my reaction when I spy in the window of a local charity shop a big felt-tipped sign declaring "Camera Sale". I wasn't driving so I grabbed the steering wheel and directed the car and a startled husband to the nearest parking spot so I could investigate further. After lots of rummaging and remarkable self-control I decided to buy justone andafter hamding over a couple of pounds I was the proud owner of a colossal beast.

It's a FujiFilm Instax 200. As you may have guessed it's an instant camera from Fuji (who, unlike Polaroid, are still producing film). The internet finally delivered my film today - a refreshingly cheap buy compared to the ever-incresing price of Polaroid film. I couldn't wait, I had to run out to the garden and take a shot - this is hot off the press...

The colours look great (considering the failing light and looming storm clouds) and I love the wide-screen shape compared to a regular Polaroid. There's some great examples of what can be created with it on Flickr, including these...

1 NoseHill  2 Untitled  3 Day 282: Relaxation  4 Temps de chien