So, I hope you all had a Merry Christmas, and shared the day with those closest to you, and had a very safe New Year.
They don't call Melbourne : MelbBurn City for no reason. The past few weeks we've all been meeeeellllttting - not unlike that wicked witch. After discovering 50+ sunscreen I've been spending a great deal of time at the beach. Swimming in the ocean! It's great, I love it - i've got some photos I might post later on that subject.
I did go to Kustom Nationals this year - though only for a day - and honestly I think I took 10 photos, if that. I found it a little uninspiring this year. There was a time I'd shoot for hours, finding different angles, cars, people. This year, i just didn't feel it, maybe it's because we were up at the crack of dawn to drive there, and had to drive back before night fall. Or maybe it's more to do with the fact that I was feeling uninspired all together.
Anyway all this, "I feel so uninspired", got me thinking, what does inspire me.
So, I've started a few new projects and one of them is working with film. I studied photography when everything was on film. There was a hint of digital and i think photoshop may have been up to it's 2nd edition. There was no way a girl like I could afford a digital camera. Besides, I loved film, though I was very curious about digital manipulation.
Fast forward in time, I'm shooting with a digital SLR - like most people, though I am feeling like a Granny, hating on all the controls. So I figure, why not go back to what I love. Digital will always be in my life, and I will continue to work with it on a few projects, but at the moment I will be spending alot of time reacquainting myself with an old flame. Believe me it has been fun.
I took my old Canon AE-1 Program out of the cupboard, went to Camberwell Markets, and searched the internet for new cameras that will fit with what I want to do. Since then, I've bought a number of cameras, some as cheap as $10 - an awesome Olympus trip that is nothing more than AMAZING!!!
I've also just bought a Canon QL17 pretty in Black, and a few Yashicas - I got addicted to the Yashica, and I'm not finished with them yet, I want one more ( I don't know when it will end)
Not only did I buy up a few film cameras, I also bought a new digital camera - "WHAT!" I hear you say "that makes no sense". But I couldn't resist, a good friend was upgrading, so I also now own a Fujifilm x10.
Which brings me to my weekend.
It was a pretty busy one, where I found myself packing up to 3 cameras to leave the house (not including my iphone). Some may think this is over the top, but I needed each one. Besides that I need to test them all, and work out how to use them - to be at one with them, all.
On Friday night I went to Kustom Kommune for the Dragon Wolf Press Zine Launch.
We got there a little late, it was coming on dusk, so I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to use my x10.
It's a pretty rad zine, get one if there are any left, I also meet Nick, the guy who producers it and he's a pretty rad guy.
Here are some photos from the night. There aren't many, this is because I've never really used this camera, and had to adjust myself to it. They are a little graining, and due to low light the focusing isn't the best, but I still like them alot.
I'll post some more photos from my new "film" project soon, and maybe some other fun ones too.
If I don't post for awhile it maybe because I'm trapped under a huge pile of cameras - so maybe send out a search party.
Ps : I am going to Europe later in the year. I was tossing up between the US and Russia. I thought about it long and hard. A very dear friend will be in Russia at the time so, it looks like this time Russia wins. So keep a keen eye out for my blog posts and photos on instagram, it's going to be amazing!!
PPS: don't ever let anyone tell you that you shouldn't follow your dreams. 2014 and beyond will be great.
