Dead Fairyland

Hello world, 

For today, something sad yet beautiful. Left outside unwatered, this fairyland withered and died, but left the sad beauty behind. 

("Dead Fairyland" taken with a Lomo LC-A+)

Where do all the fairies go?

Till later world. 

City on Fire

Hello world,

Just as the lady in Sweeny Todd was singing, today London is on fire. Do not get alarmed and run screaming out of your houses; because of course I do not mean it literarily. I probably would not be here typing away if that were true. What I do mean is my first time using redscale film. 

("City on Fire" taken with a Lomo Diana F+)

This is one of my favorite pictures I have from London. There seems to be fire everywhere, the clouds look great but creepy.

(Both taken with a Lomo Diana F+)

See how the graffiti looks like is fluorescent, shiny. In reality, it was just white.

And here is just a special photo of “Princess and the Frog.”

 ("Princess and the Frog" taken with a Lomo Diana F+)

Till later world. 

The Blue Hat

Hello world,

Here is a photo from Thailand. A photo of a man, a boat and a blue hat.

("The Blue Hat", taken with a Nikon D300)

When I look at this photo, it just makes me want to sit back and relax. All worries gone, just the hat and dreams left.

Till later world. 

Flower Power

Hello World,

Seeing as we have great weather here in London, it really feels like spring is coming. Here are some flower photos that really bring the sun, spring and happiness into life :)

(All taken with a Nikon D300) 

Hope ou enjoyed my flower power! :) 

Till later world. 

Obama in Camden

Hello world,

For today, I have photos of Obama in Camden. Now don't get too excited, it is not the Obama that runs the U.S., but rather, a cute little one posing for the camera.

(Both taken with a Diana F+)

Till later world.

Balls

Seeing as it is Friday today, I thought something different was necessary. Balls. Well, I know a person who has this thing for collecting balls (something Freud would have a lot to say no doubt) and so one day, I felt it necessary to capture their obsession. Here it is:

(Taken with a Nikon D300)

Have a great weekend with your own obsessions =) 

Till later world. 

"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine"

Hello world, 

Here in London, the weather was simply beautiful today! What better day to have a happy, sunny photo? 

(Taken with a Nikon D300)

This photo was taken in my favourite place on Earth, Źwiartówek. Źwiartówek is a tiny village in the east of Poland. There is a house, a yellow house with a red roof. This house has a garden. The most magical, charming garden full of raspberries, herbs, flowers and cherry trees. That is where this elegant bee was working away on this two-cooured flower.

What is your favourite place? 

Till later world.   

Squares of Berlin

Hello world,

Today is all about straight lines, edges, and a face. The Berlin Holocaust Memorial stretches across a vast area, keeping the memory of so many. It consists of blocks of different sizes, forming a wave. Walking around it, between the sea of blocks is really an experience.

Here is my dad's head, sticking out behind one of the blocks.

(Taken with Lomo LC-A+, Berlin 2011)

Till later world.


P.S. Today, I have enrolled in an online photography course so hopefully there will soon be an improvement in my photos! =) 

Dragonfly Aperture Fun

For today, something light. Insect light.

During the past December break I have been playing around with Aperture 3. This is a program for Macs with which you can edit, retouch and organize your photos, among many other features.  Seeing as I had a lot of time on my hands, I decided to get the feel of it simply by experimenting one night. So, here is what I ended up with: three different interpretation of the majestic dragonfly. 

On my trip around the islands of Indonesia in 2008, I got a little bit, well bored, with the tour guide’s tales and wandered off. Then there it was. A handsome, elegant dragonfly. 

Personally, dragonflies creep me out a little when they fly. They look like tiny little helicopters, but at the same time, they are one of the most beautiful insects.  

This is the original photo. 

(Taken in Indonesia using the Nikon D300)

Just by playing around, with no real knowledge or experience, I managed to create three different photos using one master picture.

Till later world. 

People

Funny creatures, people. Seemingly different across flats in the same building, countries and continents, but really, when you look at the person, and not their culture, way of life, religion, all are pretty much the same. Driven by emotions, laugh when happy, cry when sad. Slaves to their inner urges and needs.

Now personally I can’t say I am a big fan of people in the general sense of the word. I find most people irritating and things they say mostly pointless. However, I absolutely love observing them in their day-to-day tasks. Now and again, you get a person who really inspires and perhaps even changes your look on life.

Taking pictures of people is not an easy job. You need to get the aperture just right, and all other technical shenanigans. The toughest part though is getting the person ‘right’ themselves. Portraying what the person wants us, the photographers, to portray.

For today, I have dug up some of my favorite photos (isn’t it strange that I don’t particularly like people but my favorite photos are that of people?) A small island in Indonesia, a little boy sitting on a wooden terrace-like structure, waving. Waving to strangers passing by and every now and again saying “hello”. This really is one of my favorite photos. Not in the technical sense, but rather the good, warm memory that it brings back to me.

(Taken in 2008 using a Nikon D300)

Here are two more shots taken of children on that same island. A young student, who was playing with her classmates and turned around for that short second to see who all those weird people were, and a little kid sitting on the stairs nibbling away on some sweets.

(Both photos taken in 2008 with a Nikon D300)

Moving away from Indonesia to Thailand, to a floating market to be more precise. Floating markets are the perfect blend of colors, attractions and business (I will write a full entry about them in the near future, but for now let us concentrate on the people). Just to quickly put you in the scene, this floating market consisted of a water labyrinth lined with water-level shops selling shoes, masks, and other ‘souvenirs’. Sitting in a canoe like boat, you are tempted by smells and sights of all sorts of food, which is sold by ‘chefs’ on other boats like yours.

This lady was taking a break on the side of the canal, a break from selling the amazing banana fritters.

(Taken in 2011, Thailand, using the Nikon D300)

And now to finish off two of my favorite ‘people’ photos. One digital like the others, the second analogue

This digital photo of a woman, a captain of the boat was also taken in Thailand on the floating market. I don’t know whether it is because I have always loved ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ or something else, but this lady looked to me like a pirate queen. She was the captain of captains. Proud, beautiful and agile, this lady was everything. She had it all.  

 (“The Pirate Queen” taken with Nikon D300)

However with analogue you sometimes just do not know what you will get. One night in Bangkok (“and the world’s your oyster”), I was just fooling around, snapping random photos of my sister just for fun. When I got the film developed and my photos printed (I am yet to learn the skill of film development) I stopped at this photo. Now I don’t know what it is about the photo, the celestial-like appearance of the white hair, the soft, enchanting light in the middle of the frame, or the expression on the face, but all I know is that I really like this photo.

(Bangkok, taken with Lomo LC-A+) 

All in all, people may be irritating at times, say unnecessary things and get in your way, but really, they are seriously interesting creatures. 

Hope you all enjoyed it!

Till later world. 

Lazy Day

It is Sunday today. A day of rest, anticipation of what the coming week will bring and of course a day of doing all those things you should have done before. For those organized few, may you have a terrific Sunday. Be lazy, be merry, and be “happy like a hippo”*!

 (This is a photo taken in the Berlin Zoo using Lomo LC-A+)

Till later world. 

*Please note that this quote is taken from a movie I recently watched with my family, “Along came Poly”. 

Saturday!

It’s Saturday everybody! I wish you happy partying, relaxing, or whatever it is that you are doing this Saturday evening =)

“To us and our good fortune

Be happy be healthy, long life!

And if our good fortune never comes

Here's to whatever comes,

Drink l'chaim, to life! “*

(Photo of a champagne bottle in an ice bucket taken with a Lomo Fisheye)

What are YOU up to this fine weekend?

Till later world.

*Fiddler on the Roof (1971)

Happy Mistakes

Happy mistakes in analogue photography are a thing of beauty. The effects from mistakes can be quite remarkable. Of course some may ruin the photo, but usually if you just look at it from a different perspective, leave the ordinary behind, you will find something special.

(Photo taken in the Berlin Zoo using Lomo LC-A+)

The mistake in this photo came about from a wrongly wound film in the camera. As a result it can be viewed either horizontally or vertically, giving odd views on the reality. Vertically, the elephant is standing on top of a wall with rodents, looking fierce and powerful. Horizontally, the photo depicts a rodent habitat, with an elephant magically suspended on a vertical wall, sideways. In photos like these, you really can interpret them in whatever way you wish you. Let your imagination run wild!

P.S. Don’t forget the random pigeon on the right =) 

Till later world. 

My love for Lomography

My love for lomography and the vibrant photos that come out from using different films first begun at Christmas 2010 when my sister got me the Lomography Fisheye (watermelon edition). A year and a bit down the line I have acquired many more cameras, developing my skills and creativity. 

Starting out with my fabulous fisheye, I took pictures of just about everything. Of course, some of them (if not most at the beginning) did not come out as well as I would have hoped but then there were those few that made my weeks. I think that’s what I love most about taking analogue pictures, that not all are perfect, but when you do get a good picture, it blows your head off. 

(Two things I love :P taken with the fisheye camera) 

Lomo LC-A+. Ah the colours! This camera is capable of making any old, boring scene rich with colours and effects. The feel of the pictures, mood and atmosphere is always alive, no matter what film and setting are used. This black (well depending on what edition you got) beauty can take pictures at night, morning, sun or no sun due to its built in sensor (it opens the shutter automatically for however long it needs to be opened). All you need to do is set the ISO of the film and snap away! 

(Monkeys at the Berlin Zoo taken with Lomo LC-A+)

My Fujifilm Instax Mini camera brings be photos here and now wherever I am. The photos are a brilliant credit card size that I can take with me on my trips, day to day or simply hang above my bed. Great for taking portraits of people.

What I really love about shooting with my Lubitel 166+ is that I have to do everything myself to get the photo I want. I need to set the aperture, the shutter speed and the focus. I then get to use the skills on my digital camera, having learned what ISO, shutter speed and so on are all about. 

My beloved Diana F+ (CMYK edition) was lost during a very special night out in Hong Kong. May it rest in peace. (Or hopefully someone has found it and is using it to spread the love for LOMO :)) 

(Colourful chairs of India taken with the Diana F+)

Overall my experience with film cameras has been exciting and rewarding. Exciting in that you never fully know what the photos will come out like and rewarding when the photos come out exceptional. I have recently been rummaging through my parents’ cupboard and found the remarkable Nikon F70 which I now plan to explore.

Those of you out there reading my blog, do share your photo stories, digital or analogue =) 

And this is the girl who got me into all of this =)

(This photo was taken in Bangkok, on our way to the Bangkok Lomography store. The street had Lomography stickers up until the store, leading the way to the photographer’s little paradise.)

Till later world. 

Hua Hin

With Valentine’s day behind us, the single people of the world can go back to going for lunch by themselves without getting weird looks from the waiters, while those who shared the day with someone special can go on living like it’s Valentine’s everyday. 

Staying in the analogue spirit, today let us travel to the far lands of Thailand (of course for some of you not so far at all), Hua Hin to be more precise.

Situated just over 200 kilometers south of Bangkok, Hua Hin is full of life. With tattoo parlors for the daring ones, fantastic sea food restaurants along the beach and spontaneous rain falls that fill up the streets with water, this city welcomes all those who need to get away from their day to day lives.  

Massage saloons line up the streets, intertwined with nail lounges, the city lives for tourists. Keeping this in mind, it is not a city without spirit and history. Hua Hin offers the chance to buy just about anything and everything at its great night market, go back in time while visiting the handsome railway station, and relax and unwind in one of the many bars of the city. With the warm water, great scenery and charming little restaurants Hua Hin’s beaches can make any bad mood go away.

Perhaps one or all of the things listed above are the reason that Hua Hin has become one of Thailand’s most famous retirement places. 

Till later world. 

Analogue Sandomierz

Hello again,
I seem to have grasped the blogging basics and so I thought I would start my blogging history with an analogue (film) photograph taken this summer with my beloved Lomo LC-A+.

This is a photo of Sandomierz, a Polish city popularised by a television series about a priest who also acts as a detective in helping solve different cases of crime. What many do not know is just how beautiful the city really is. From the mystic underground passageways, through to the old and loving atmosphere of the city, ending with an astounding view of the Vistula river making its way humbly at the foot of the castle, Sandomierz is a fascinating place. Although small in terms of area, the city offers more than expected.

Till later world. 

Hello people of the world

Hello people of the world,
I would like to welcome you all to my blog. A blog which I have just started today because I really felt like it. Seeing as I am becoming more and more interested in photography, I have decided to write this blog on said subject. Although I am by no means an expert or any sort of authority on the subject of photography, I do hope that you will enjoy my photos, posts and hopefully my journey to becoming a professional or at least a semi-professional photographer when the time comes.

For now, sit back, do whatever it is that you are meant to be doing and wait, for soon I shall grab the idea of blogging and blog away!

Till later world.