Stargazy Photography

Life and its distractions

2011-08-03T11:04:00.000+01:00

I've been wanting to write an entry here for literally months. I've had the entry editor open, half written an entry but then found it was very out of date.

Erm. Yeah I guess I don't have anything to update really. I submitted some stuff to the yearly FADU Exhibition and hopefully something will get in... possibly two due to low entry numbers. We'll see.

I haven't really made pictures (well. proper pictures) for ages. I'm just not inspired. I feel as if a tiny little flame has gone out inside me somewhere and I'm bumbling around in the dark trying to find the matches to relight it. I guess I just have to wait until the dawn to find my way again.

I've been travelling and intend on doing more travelling soon. I've been to Southwold finally, after a car crash on the way to it kind of ruined all plans of visiting it for several years.

I've been to Germany on my brand-new shiny British passport and love how easy flying is with it now. It's awesome. Germany is awesome too. Way better than my previous Paris trip anyway.

My sister is coming to visit and we're going to visit the Netherlands. It'll be good to travel around and interesting to see how long before we stop tolerating each other :P

ArtFire have changed how they're running things so I've decided to not have a webshop anymore. If anyone wants to contact me about purchasing a print, I'm always happy to arrange something. I still have awesome print mailing boxes and everything all ready for people to buy my cyanotypes.

Instant Pictures

2011-05-31T16:32:00.000+01:00

Or "How I'm struggling with my Wants"

So... I heard about the Pioneer Program thing that TIP had and decided i wanted to join, I was basically halfway there anyway from my previous order. So I ordered some more film.

I pop some in the sx-70 and the darkslide comes out, so far so good. Try to take a picture. nothing comes out. Hrmm...
Try to take out the pack... find it's stuck. Tear apart really expensive pack of film, then discover the problem is I broke the pick-arm on it when I was doing all those cuckoo prints a few months ago. Arse. Now have a box of film unable.

Go to Photographica, meet up with fellow photographers who somehow trust me to not break their cameras (!) and by the next weekend I have a borrowed original SX-70. No tripod mount, no autofocus but I'll live.

Liked the first few shots since there was some B&W still in the camera. Put in one of the colour packs (PX70 Push!)... I'm only 3 shots in and I'm utterly disappointed. I've seen better results from 3 years out of date polaroid film :( It's just... weird all over... It's barely colour and when it is, it's the wrong colour.

In my first two pictures, I slightly overexposed as instructed. One I remembered to keep warmed up against my body. Neither reaches my definition of what colour instant film should be. There was a great deal overexposed and white, very washed out colours, just awful even after waiting 24hours like suggested for it reach its maximum level of awesome.

Taken two more pictures and it's worse than holiday snaps from the 60s. I am utterly unhappy with it and I still have another pack of this to deal with.

I hope to just get this pack over with rapidly and move onto the gray frame (for 600-type cameras... so 1 tiny mod to the borrowed sx-70, it won't hurt, honest!) photo stuff. I like TIP's B&W stuff way more and the few shots I used up on the previous pack seemed to be a bit better than the First Flush I tried a year ago.

New things

2011-04-01T23:21:00.000+01:00

(Photo from Steve Snodgrass, found via flickr)
I like the smell of my mint shower gel because suddenly I feel like it's Christmas and I'm a teenager again. I had starlight mint peppermint soap as a teenager and for some reason the smell has just stuck (probably due to context. peppermint in other contexts mean other things).

I like the halogen lights in my bathroom even though they're stupid and frivolous. It lights up the steam particles from the shower and I like watching them swirl around... even more fun if I blow gently (or hard) towards the light and watch the eddies in the air.

I've moved flat (knew we had to since last August due to landlord deciding to sell up. Very annoying, was barely in that flat for long) so things are new. No carpeting, cold floors. When I was a teenager I dreamed of hardwood floors... somehow ignoring the fact that this is actually very very cold. Lots of cold tiles too. We got lots of rugs to compensate for this.

A combination of various things made me take more or less half a year off (or a bit more?). My eyesight was failing a bit... and I was stubborn and didn't go to the eye doctors until it was time for my usual checkup. Now I've been told I have to go every year not just every 2 years. Then there was Christmas, then the whirlwind of moving.

Last Friday I had the pleasure of photographing a model... even though I thought I was nowhere near ready to do so (flat is still a mess, lots of boxes not unpacked because new place is smaller than old place, etc.) and it turned out rather good. Made my first cyanotypes from some of the negatives (I've developed three-quarters of the film so far) and I'm quite pleased with them. Mostly pleased that the model seemed to just magically fit perfect 4x5 framing. So much ease for me and everything was wonderful. Here's a few pictures.

Winter Reflections

2011-01-10T23:18:00.001Z

Snow lumps
Originally uploaded by akki14

This is how I think of Winter. It's now an alien landscape to me, enough that I can take pictures of it that look somewhat interesting. I never could take interesting snowy pictures when I'd take a camera out in the snow when I was little. They always came back boring. This is hopefully better. Nothing like 15-20 years of experience and 10 years away from winter to rediscover it in a fresh light... and there is such beautiful sunlight in winter in New Hampshire.

My birthday is fast approaching. Last year it was over the top, this year it will be more lowkey but at the same time, much warmer. Last year was being very alone and isolated in a foreign country with a foreign language. This year will be at my friend's home, surrounded with friends, warmth and most importantly, tea ;)

Moving On...

2011-01-06T16:07:00.001Z

Tracks
Originally uploaded by akki14

No, not quitting photography. Just letting everyone know I'm a little busy at the moment... first it was the holiday season and going back to the USA to visit my family and now it's busy looking for a new place to live. I knew that we'd be moving around here about half a year ago but it's different when you're in the middle of it. It's only a few weeks away. So there may not be much photography for a while. I need to pack still, need to make decisions.

A Whirlwind Half of a Week

2010-11-24T23:53:00.001Z

hold/admire
Originally uploaded by akki14

So... This Sunday, I went to a camera fair. I wasn't really looking for a camera (although I picked up a cheap fisheye camera, that's beside the point). I did end up looking at some magic lantern slides. And found an odd one that looked like a guy being strangled(the picture included in this post). I ended up realising after finding a few more slides that these were somehow medical related slides so I went through the whole box and collected up all the ones. Luckily they weren't expensive.
I realised that during my normal Monday darkroom time, I could make some negatives to reprint these slides as cyanotypes. So I contact printed the slides onto ortholitho film and got some negatives. They didn't look too promising but I figured I'd try them anyway.

Today I printed them (except for one diptych) and they are amazing. I wish I could find more of these but they seem really rare. I might have to show them to some museums in London to see if they might loan me any of theirs to print as negatives and then onto cyanotype. It's something I think the Wellcome Collection might work with me on it but I don't think they have these kinds of slides. We'll see. This could be the start of an interesting project anyway.

Feel free to visit my flickr photostream to see the rest of the photos.

British Museum

2010-11-19T13:26:00.001Z

British Museum
Originally uploaded by akki14

Will be posting some colour work from my Finetta 88 camera for a while. Enjoy.

Whoa!

2010-11-02T14:49:00.001Z

Hey, I just found out I can use semagic to update my photo blog! This may mean more frequent updates. Yay!

Ground Glass

2010-10-19T23:48:00.001+01:00

Ground Glass
Originally uploaded by akki14

It's easier to see with your eyes than photograph with a digital camera.

Been away for a while...

2010-10-14T11:10:00.001+01:00

Inside The City Cafe
Originally uploaded by akki14

I think I had a few weeks of panic about what to do with all the apples and plums coming from my allotment then a few days panic of getting the flat tidy for a flat inspection, then some more days of apple-panic and finally panic about going away for nearly-a-week in Edinburgh to go see the Edward Weston & William Wegman exhibition.

I have to say, compared to the somewhat shambles of a birthday trip to Paris, the trip up to Edinburgh was good. Did a lot of walking, lots of photoing (with the new digital compact and with the film cameras) and lots of just enjoying time out and with the husband. The rented flat was okay (though 5th floor! higher than our home-flat) and we tried to not spend too much money but I think we kind of blew it all on the farmers market on the last full day.

I took pictures for the World Toy Camera Day/Weekend even though it was so so dark... I had to put delta3200 in the holga and rate it at 3200. Then it fat rolled so I'm going to have awful lightleaks :( Actually that reminds me, I was going to go buy some microphen to develop that.

One thing that wasn't so awesome was the sleeper train and I'm glad we didn't get that back to London. It's incredibly disconcerting to list towards the foot end of the bed or towards the head end of the bed while trying to sleep. It's even more disconcerting when you're in the top bunk and the train suddenly slows down and jerk towards the edge of the bunk. Quite stressful sleeping conditions. I've heard they're better on the Continent but... not so sure anymore. It's a cute idea but in practice it's not ideal.

Trees (or where I eat my previous words about trees)

2010-09-08T23:55:00.001+01:00

willow1
Originally uploaded by akki14

After years of being bored of tree pictures over on a certain website's gallery... I appear to be making tree pictures myself. Admittedly, mine involve movement so they're nowhere near as static and certainly not Lonely Tree On A Hill genre.

All because I was trekking across the park on a particularly windy day and was intending on taking pictures of a medieval moat, not trees at all, but the trees caught my eye so I decided to try it out a little. Came back, developed, printed, and decided I liked it enough to watch the weather reports closely then go back more seriously.

I might even investigate some slower film for more long exposure effects.

More Inspiration from the Morbid Anatomy Blog

2010-08-22T21:01:00.001+01:00

Quarry 4 - toned & pencil
Originally uploaded by akki14

From this
Max Protetch Gallery is pleased to announce Borrowed From the Charnel House, an exhibition of new work by Saul Chernick.

To my own cyanotypes. Obviously they're totally different, one's an ink ... painting? drawing? and mine's closer to a photograph with delicate retouching.

I toned this cyanotype (which looked like this before) in a weak solution of green tea then added in the highlights with a white colour pencil. I think I kind of like it and it certainly looks better than the before.

Learning

2010-08-20T09:35:00.000+01:00

I happened to find a blog called Morbid Anatomy and on there is a post on The Disease of Curiosity. Curiosity was once called a sin because it was a lust for knowledge for no reason. People weren't suppose to just know things. It's always interesting to read that things we take for granted these days were taboo and sometimes things we think of being taboo are very commonplace (as I learned on the recent symposium on nudity at the Wellcome Collection. Apparently half the population committed acts of sodomy... that's the whole population so basically all the men).

I find that some things still are very taboo, though. I'm researching more and more into the memento mori items that were once utterly commonplace, as death itself was, and thinking there would be very few people who would not be at least slightly bothered by these things. Skeletons and hair from the dead. Half-face, half-skull monsters (example). I think people are okay with symbolism of death mostly, so the still lifes should be okay.

Anatomy for the layperson, my other interest at the moment, is likely to scare off anyone, especially models. I have a fabulous idea for a series but I'm trying to come up with a friendly way of describing it so I don't sound like a serial killer looking to flay people. I think I may have to say something like, it'll be similar to Anatomy for Artists books but without the flaying. Or something. And use models who know I'm harmless already. Anatomy type poses.

A few new pictures

2010-08-13T21:38:00.001+01:00

Tomatoes 1
Originally uploaded by akki14

Tomatoes
Quarry
Quarry

From my recent few days away from it all in Dorset.

Forgotten Pictures

2010-07-03T09:14:00.001+01:00

Dropping Flowers
Originally uploaded by akki14

The interesting thing about film is that you can totally forget and sometimes not recognise your work immediately.
These shots I took in Paris in January, for example, I thought were maybe my husband's because of the quality... I thought I didn't take anything more than "toy" cameras of dubious quality.

I'm at a scary place right now, for an artist. I'm not sure what my next project will be. I had been using the backlog of negatives to develop as a sort of crutch... as were the waiting for contests to get back to me. Didn't get into SHOTS mag or the local Arts Open Exhibition (which actually I'm pretty sad I didn't make. Are there that many good artists in the borough?) and haven't been self-promoting so much or printing so much. Strangely, I've gotten more interest on one of the modelling websites I'm signed up to (as a photographer).

I'm hoping that going to a symposium on nudity in the next week or so will perk me up and give me some ideas. And the allotment is giving me more still life matter in the form of gazillions of shallots. I have a few elephant garlics too. So I can still have a balance of nudes and still lifes.

Combiplan tank is here!

2010-06-30T15:54:00.001+01:00

Yay! Finally caved in and got a proper development tank for the 4x5 film. I will finally get through my massive backlog of pictures soon. Really!

It's funny all the complaints I've read about it seem to all follow the same pattern... someone didn't read and/or remember the instructions. I followed all the instructions and it seems to be fine. Not quite sure about leaving the negatives in the holder to dry... so I think my next problem to be solved is a bigger negative drying rack (also known as a sock dryer).

British now!

2010-06-29T20:11:00.001+01:00

Me with Deputy Mayor
Originally uploaded by akki14

Yup. Did it finally. And I have an awesome dress. Otherwise, not such great news. Submitted to some things and didn't get in. I suck. I have general CBA'edness too, not helped by the current heatwave. Should post new stuff sometime I guess.

A seemingly long break but a return.

2010-05-03T10:52:00.001+01:00

Twist
Originally uploaded by akki14

I've been working on the PX-100 photos for the upcoming book. On a whim a few days ago, I noticed I had put Andre Kertesz The Polaroids in my wishlist on Amazon. Hm it looks like it's a few £s cheaper than coverprice, I might get that.
When it showed up, I didn't realise it was so small. It's basically the same size and format as what I'm looking to produce but there's tiny little tweaks and such I'm considering using in my own book. Little things like numbers instead of titles, with the numbers footnoted with the titles/dates in the back.
What I didn't realise was how connected I feel to Kertesz. We're both immigrants, we both suck at marketing (oh I wish I had a wife with savvy business skills!), we like small prints and both used Polaroid as quick, easy, intimate form of photography vs. darkroom photography. For once in my life, I'm actually enthralled by the introduction of a book.
And so here is a PX-100 I took over a week ago, when I was too busy for "real photography" but enough time to eke in some instant photography.

Little bit quiet...

2010-04-06T09:24:00.000+01:00

Taking a tiny bit of time off for the long Easter weekend here. Awaiting the arrival of my PX100 to start my still life project on it, so I really should be working on the cyanotypes today. I have so much to print. Two sessions in 1 month is kind of a lot for me I've decided. I feel really bad I've not sorted out the pictures from the shoot about a month ago.
I've also started adding deadlines to the Fridays in my diary for various competitions so I can see them creeping up more easily. I'll try to submit to them early, though, so I can stop worrying about them. There's about 3 or 4 things I'm looking to submit to. Then I also have to figure out how little profit I did actually make because of the cost of the models and some materials etc that have gone away from my original small amount of profit.

In addition to all this, I should be doing more gardening at the allotment. Definitely need to plant the potatoes this week and finish planting the onion sets. Might start some seeds off indoors soon too if I can find some seed compost in an easy to carry amount.

Some more PX100 shots

2010-03-31T11:24:00.001+01:00

12 - tomatoes
Originally uploaded by akki14

Uploaded 5 more shots from the PX100 film and my SX-70.

I think this film and I get along swimmingly!

Another PX100 photo

2010-03-28T23:12:00.001+01:00

07 - daffs
Originally uploaded by akki14

This is 7 of the 8 shots in the first pack... Only one more left then I have to decide to leave that last pack alone for Polaroid Week in May or just happily use it up.

It kind of reminds me of digital photos of ambrotypes or pt/pd prints... that sort of tones and colouration.

PX100 the new Polaroid film

2010-03-27T11:58:00.001Z

05 - Spice Necklace
Originally uploaded by akki14

I'm primarily a cyanotype, large format photographers but occasionally I do love my Polaroid SX-70.
So when I got wind of the new PX100 film from The Impossible Project being available at the Photographers' Gallery yesterday afternoon, I left the flat immediately. An hour later, I had the film. A little later than an hour after that, I had my first picture.

I bought two packs because I decided I'd need the first one for testing. The main tricks is ... I really doubt it is ISO 100. Keep the neutral density filter OFF the electronic eye, don't replace it like I did. Shoot like you did normally with the standard 600 film as before.

The sepia colour is starting to grow on me a little, although I'd prefer a neutral B&W (or cool tone).

And the main result of me being impulsive is that I seem to have taken over the PX100 group on flickr. My self portrait with my packs is the group icon, my set is in the Group's news block, I'm on a few threads there... It's a little weird. I hope someone else joins in soon!

Local Artist and Chewing Gum

2010-03-27T08:53:00.000Z

London street gum artist tracked down by academics

This nice man used to paint all the chewing gum outside my old flat on Church Passage, High Barnet. His work really is interesting and I look forward to seeing his comissioned work by the Royal Society of Chemistry.

My husband vaguely told me about the story and that they were seeking him and I thought they were curious as to his methods (apparently he uses some sort of sealing method and a blow torch).

Models...

2010-03-18T09:02:00.001Z

lean
Originally uploaded by akki14

I've recently decided people aren't that scary and have been hiring models for photography.

This is my favourite from my first solo session. It was totally work the 18 sheets of film and modelling fee. I'm a bit weird like that but this one is the bestest.

Edward Weston and the Strange Relationship I Have With Him

2010-03-09T23:00:00.000Z

I've just sat here and realised that, although I list Edward Weston as one of my favourite photographers... I do not own any art books, prints or other books/reproductions of his work. I've only ever seen a few prints online and the majority of his work I've seen in real life. In Boston, when I started photography as a teenager. In the print study room, holding the real thing, priceless works in my hands with no glass in front of them.

I love my privileged life. I love that I can do these things and experience them in a unique way. As of late I probably have not been appreciating life as much as I usually do but given time to reflect, my life is wonderful.

Vintage isn't always a good idea

2010-02-17T09:51:00.000Z

So.. I've been developing my backlog of film lately and I had a sheet of sleeved 4x5 negatives laying around. Somehow something sticky managed to get into the sleet and stuck the negative down.
Had the negative sleeve been glassine (paper), this would have probably been a huge panic. Luckily, it was plastic so all I did was cut out the whole pocket, cut the pocket apart and it peeled off cleanly. The unharmed negative is now soaking in a tank of barely warm water.

Recently I've rekindled my crafty side and done more housewares creative stuff than photography. I made a slipcover for my newly acquired piano bench (hopefully going to use that to pose models on in the upcoming months) and I've been doing a bit of embroidery too. And I need to make cookies for Friday for my friends' birthday party.

I am looking to print a little portfolio of stuff from last year though. Probably very tiny, like maybe 10 images but it'll be something.

brussels sprouts stalk

2010-02-10T23:13:00.001Z

brussels sprouts stalk
Originally uploaded by akki14

Dramatic looking stalk closeups I'll print in cyanotype soon.

Problems

2010-02-04T13:03:00.001Z

David in cyanotype
Originally uploaded by akki14

Problems being coating and trying to figure out if my ghetto lighting and background system works. I think the lights and everything work (although are hot and are burning into the electricity bill).

I decided yesterday that it might well be the hake brush I've been using for the last 3 years of coating. It's blue up to where the handle starts (the whole "head" of the wooden section) besides the hairs of the brush. So thus began my approximately 3 hour hunt for a new brush. I decided to look at "proper" brushes since they're softer and possibly the graininess is from over-brushing or rough-brushing.

Today I am testing this out. We'll see if it helps things. It's quite hard to use a normal brush, though, as the brush will only take up so much liquid, it's about half the width of the hake (and twice the price) but does seem to lay down everything very neatly onto the paper. First try on my Rain negative looks okay but I'm trying it again with this same negative for a better direct comparison.

New Shop and Travelling

2010-01-20T11:35:00.000Z

Decided I'd finally move over totally to ArtFire so my new shop is at
http://www.artfire.com/users/stargazy
Not quite as much stuff listed at the moment. I'll eventually get there.
More later.

Impossibly Cute Robin and Snow!

2010-01-07T15:49:00.001Z

Impossibly cute robin
Originally uploaded by akki14

Been to Trent Park twice in the last two days. I have 2 120 rolls to develop (one from the baby Graflex and one from the Diana) and I finished off the rolls of 35mm colour in my Finetta 88 and Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim cameras.

Taking the Graflex out was a good idea since I'm considering taking it along to Paris as I think it'd take nice photos of the cemeteries. Also I don't think I'd want to photograph in that sort of weather again, it was completely snowing and you forget just how wet your cameras get with snow.

Contentness and Happiness = Less Creativity?

2010-01-01T21:35:00.000Z

I seem to have hit a phase of being so content and happy that I've been unable to do anything really in photography stuff. When I was in a previous bad situtation, photography was the only thing that kept me sane. Now that I am sane and have everything I could possibly want... nothing. Hence the quietness on the blog.
I think I may have to start setting some goals. Beyond "one day, I will develop all this film that has been sat in film holders since October".

I'm in flickrblog!

2009-11-27T08:53:00.001Z

Husband's dinner
Originally uploaded by akki14

Though not for my cyanotypes but for my lovely thanksgiving meal :D
http://blog.flickr.net/en/2009/11/27/thanksgiving-plates/

:D :D

How odd, this sounds like physautotype

2009-11-25T10:45:00.000Z

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photochrom

"A tablet of Lithographic Limestone, known as a "litho stone," is coated with a light-sensitive coating, comprising a thin layer of purified bitumen dissolved in benzene. A reversed half-tone negative is then pressed against the coating and exposed to daylight for a period of 10–30 minutes in summer, up to several hours in winter. The image on the negative allows varying amounts of light to fall on different areas of the coating, causing the bitumen to harden and become resistant to normal solvents in proportion to the amount of light that falls on it. The coating is then washed in turpentine solutions to remove the unhardened bitumen [...] "

That is more or less the process I use with physautotype except my exposures are longer and I use glass, not litho stone. How odd.

Happy Halloween!

2009-10-31T17:14:00.001Z

Side 1 - skull
Originally uploaded by akki14

World Toy Camera Day 2009

2009-10-27T23:25:00.001Z

04 - Seeds
Originally uploaded by akki14

Sorry I've been quiet lately. I did go out and photo for World Toy Camera day on the 17th. This is the best of the bunch in my opinion, from my Diana camera.

Very Odd Dreams

2009-10-15T08:49:00.000+01:00

I hadn't had dreams I remembered for a while.
But this one included Liam Lynch talking about how he loves fresh bread so much.
Also I've woken up with The Offspring - The Kids Aren't Alright stuck in my head.
I briefly remember another dream where Edgar, the new baby hamster, had basically grown up over the course of one week and he was actually loveable, rather than the jumpy nervous thing he is now.

Going to have to start planning a trip into London today for lunch with my friend.

My latest distraction

2009-10-09T09:14:00.001+01:00

New hamster Looking up at me
Originally uploaded by akki14

In the form of a baby Syrian hamster who I've now had for 2 days and still haven't thought of a name yet. He's a little bit nervous and jumpy but not too bad now. Takes treats off of me and eats them in front of me instead of pouching them so he has some level of trust with me already.

He has a very glossy coat so I think he's a satin coat... haven't decided on exactly what colour he is, some sort of grey, maybe another Heterozygous Light Grey like Johnny was.

FADU 2009 Exhibition

2009-10-03T20:40:00.001+01:00

Me in front of one of my prints (and one of Ian Leake's)
Originally uploaded by akki14

Here's me at the exhibition. I think Ian Leake and I ended up the Naughty Corner of Alternative Process Prints. I do mean that as an endearing joke, by the way! ;)

Prudes suck

2009-09-30T10:36:00.000+01:00

Especially very confused prudes.
'Violent' Geisha advert banned
Okay... This is normal Araki work. Actually it's very very tame compared to his usual stuff.
I really do not see how it looks like she's distressed (though that reminds me of the infamous OMG ANIMAL ABUSER type comments on the livejournal feed for icanhazcheezburger) nor that she's about to get sexually anything. There is no other person in the pictures besides her so unless we're taking the camera shot as her "attacker", there's no hint of sexual anything going on.

And for the record, here's the adverts. I don't find them offensive, I find them a little odd since they're suppose to be selling tiles but beyond that, it's nothing to complain about.
araki for bisazza

Honestly, if anything, she looks a bit bored.

Colours other than blue

2009-09-30T08:47:00.001+01:00

I do take pictures in colours other than black&white/blue&white. One of my favourite has been Polaroid. I learned about the cameras online. Somehow, after I learned about SX-70 polaroid cameras, the nearby charity shop had one in the window for £20. A sonar, auto-focusing one. Snapped that one up. Also snapped up its slightly more overpriced neighbour of a Polaroid 103 camera which uses peel-apart film.

Today I'm trying to think of what to do with my SX-70 and my last two packs of 600 film which apparently expired in March without me noticing (oops. Slightly concentrating too hard on working through my buckets of 35mm colour film, I think. And the Large Format stuff). I don't want to hang onto the stuff and treat it as precious then find out in another year it's starting to suck. Polaroid film does not keep as well as 35mm/120. You can't keep it for a decade. I've used 4-year-old expired film and it's come out like this

Not good. Not when I love the richness of Polaroid for photos like these

I'm currently awaiting the postman to turn up, hopefully with a big pile of developed film and prints from Spectrum Imaging. A few of the rolls were from the free expire Kodak film I received a while back via flickr so I'll have to scan those and post them to the group (I think that was the stipulation of it being free film ;) ) I seem to remember I was doing lots of macro shots on one roll.

Anyway, I should be out shooting, not typing up blog entries. Just hadn't for a while and thought I should.

Editions, Limited and Not

2009-09-24T19:00:00.001+01:00

In no way should you say "Limited Edition" if that number is in 3 digits.

Seriously.

275? 100? Not really that limited when it's for 1 print. It gets worse if you're saying that's for 1 print in that size.

I limit my ACEOs to 5. 5 is the maximum I can deal with printing all at one time.

I don't put a limit on the larger cyanotypes because in all honestly, they will probably not even get up to 5 over all my years of printing. They may be 3 prints at most, plus artist proof.

Silverfish hamsters...

2009-09-22T08:47:00.000+01:00

Yup, another weird dream. I apparently acquired 1inch long white and orange silverfish that were suppose to be hamsters. It was very weird.

Still debating if I want more pet hamsters.

Dreams again

2009-09-20T09:53:00.001+01:00

I don't think I'm able to sleep in anymore. The best I've managed is 9.30AM today and that was after waking at 7 and 8 I think. Dreams of being stung by mildly stingy bees, being back in the US with my parents and drinking hazelnut coffee and probably other stuff I can't remember now.
The bee dream is the second one in a week that involves me being in bodily pain. The last one was sometime last week where I dreamt I was in hospital and they took blood from my left arm and I was confused because I donate blood with my right arm but there was a very sharp pain and red spot/bruising right in that elbow crease in my right arm.

On the plus side I have stuff to scan from last night. And possibly to sell.

lots and lots to print

2009-09-18T23:08:00.001+01:00

lots and lots to print
Originally uploaded by akki14

A not safe for work links post (cyanotypes, nudes and bondage)

2009-09-17T10:10:00.000+01:00

Thanks to Nawa Koneko, I've discovered another historical cyanotype user. Charles-Francois Jeandel.
He was apparently making cyanotypes of ladies in bondage back in the late 1800s.
Various links I've found on the subject (this is mostly for my own research as there's a lack of cyanotype information out there... possibly for this reason that it was used much like the polaroids of the 70s-80s)
http://www.fluctuat.net/blog/eng/2180-Old-age-bondage
http://www.boingboing.net/2005/08/18/vintage-bondage-cyan.html
http://www.schockwellenreiter.de/2005/08/19.html#historischeFesselspiele
http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fr&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.encordees.com%2Fjeandel_gene.html

Quite contemporary to Linley Sambourne's cyanotype nudes.
http://www.rbkc.gov.uk/linleysambournehouse/main/linleyphoto.asp
Not many pictures online but the Jeremy Paxman series on the BBC earlier this year showed the inside of the house and specifically the cyanotype nudes (as a tsk tsk naughty victorians! sort of thing). Definitely should make a trip down there and possibly wave around a business card and ACEO or two...

pinecone & snail shell

2009-09-14T10:58:00.001+01:00

pinecone & snail shell
Originally uploaded by akki14

Finally made a new cyanotype. Really need to photo more and see if I still get light leaks. It's not noticeable on this one because it falls *just* outside the coating.

Oooh!

2009-09-13T16:34:00.001+01:00

Apparently the Film and Darkroom User (FADU) 2009 Print Exhibition (that I'm part of) has been mentioned in Silvershotz magazine.

Here's a handy flyer for you to print out to invite people to the show.

FADU 2009 Show Flyer

Interesting lifes

2009-09-11T17:05:00.001+01:00

So, this afternoon, I went out to Wood Green to do some shopping. Bits and bobs sort of thing. Some wooden pegs to hang film up with, some spring/summer bulbs to plant soon (big alliums and red tulips), hamster sundries, better thread for sewing darkcloths etc.
On my way back, I decided to get the bus. An old woman was standing looking at the same time table and happened to drop her walking cane. I very quickly pick it up for her because I'm nice like that.
That was an invitation to have a conversation apparently.
Not that it was a bad one! She had lived a very interesting life. Asked me if I was a student (that's almost becoming a compliment to my awesome good looks these days, I feel...) and I said I was a photographer.

She apparently knew a photographer because she happened to meet one, one afternoon near a lake that had beautiful spring blossoms reflected in the water and students boating upon it. It was after her first husband died so she went to meet him at the card he gave her which turned out to be a gallery near Harley Street. There she stayed with him for 10 years, during which time she met fabulous people including Iris Murdoch by coincidence though she had only known her as Mrs Bayley personally until someone pointed out it was, indeed, Iris Murdoch.

Before that she worked as an accountant even though she hated maths. She joined the army in '41 and showed the soldiers informational films, like how to identify aircraft in the sky and rifle shooting and she said she was a good shot too (!)

Then she left me with this. Keep your chin up because there's always something around the corner.

Good advice to anyone.

Tired and busy

2009-09-10T12:58:00.000+01:00

3 days of insomnia + 1 extra blanket = deep sleep but still not caught up totally.

Bit exciteable today because shortly I will be meeting up with one friend to relief him of some 35mm film he's been stockpiling and now doesn't want as he doesn't use film much anymore... then I shall be meeting up with another friend to retrieve my petzval magic lantern lenses off of him before he moves :( So sad. He's been a great friend and mentor to me for the last year or two and I owe him so much (so I'm glad he got to play with the lenses I couldn't use for a while).

On the other hand, I will be looking into making a lens board for the MPP and the petzval lenses to see if I can't manage some lovely softness.

In totally unrelated news, I'm considering getting another hamster. There's nothing wrong with Rolleikins but sometimes you just need to have TWO cages of fluff, not just 1. And we had 2-3 cages of fluffs for so long before Johnny passed away.
And it's because of Johnny that I'm unsure if I want another syrian. Purely based on my experience of hamsters over the years, the dwarf hamsters seem to die flat out, no drawn out process of being poorly for ages. Johnny was on soft food 3-4 times a day for the last 3-4 *months* of his life. During that time he lost his ability to move around and flex well so he was unable to clean himself. So during those last few months, I had to bathe him twice.

You're not suppose to bathe hamsters but he was an encrusted mess of yuck. Soft food in his fur, crusty eyes due to old age, by the time we got around to attempting to bathe him, he looked like a grumpy, glaring out of one eye, monster. The bath turned him into a slightly less grumpy, bright-eyed rumpled looking hamster which is why we did it a second time once it was needed again.

I would seriously NOT recommend trying to bathe an able-bodied healthy hamster. They would put up a serious fight and would be likely to slip out of your fingers and possibly drown.

On the other hand, syrians can be longhaired fluffballs and the last longhair syrian I got only lived 3 weeks and developed a severe urinary tract infection and died :( Even that death wasn't that peacefully quick; we managed to get it to the vets who attempted to help with an injection of fluids and antibiotics but it was too late for him. Sigh.

I think I may go to the hamster show with the same rule as usual... if there's pearl Winter Whites, they're going to be mine immediately. If not, if there's long haired syrians,that's a possibility, especially the sables who have cute faces. We'll see.

Also on Saturday I'm intending on quickly visiting the Mapplethorpe Polaroids exhibit in Oxford. Busy busy... And it's autumn so I'm turning into a magpie and picking up lots of random things that look interesting to photograph for still lifes! I just hope my camera problems settle down.

Arugh!

2009-09-08T13:23:00.001+01:00

Hello Kitty Online open beta has closed! Thanks for the heads up or anything, Sanrio. Only found out after I couldn't log in and then they bothered to post a blog entry saying it several hours later.

I shall miss HKO :( Until it comes back... Hopefully not Yet Another Beta form though. It's toying with me! :(

even weirder dream

2009-09-08T08:24:00.000+01:00

I vaguely recall this dream being longer but I remember Mr. Falcione, my high school history teacher, giving me a chinchilla curled up into a ball. At first it was real then it turned into a stuffed animal version.

Then I also had lots of Hello Kitty Online dreams of growing stuff in my farm. Boggle.

After a lot of annoyance, I've discovered my light leak problem, I am a darkslide inserting-wrong mong. And now I can't reshoot today so easily because it's freakin' dark outside! inside my light meter reading is f/11, 1second for ISO 400. Add in 3 stops on the shutterspeed for bellows factor and that's just getting silly and I may have to look up reciprocity (sp?)factors for my film.

weirder dream

2009-09-02T08:48:00.000+01:00

Dreamt that one end of my implant popped out and I pulled it out, while I was visiting my parents in the US. Then there was a huge discussion on if it was covered by travel insurance or not to have it replaced immediately or if it'd have to wait until we got back.
Doublechecked several times today to make sure it's still in my arm, which it is and i doubt i could honestly pull it out as painfree as in the dream anyway...

interesting dreams

2009-09-02T00:52:00.001+01:00

Nearly forgot to write about this but I had a dream recently that I had a small, live bird in my hand. I petted it a few times and it turned into a stuffed fabric, beaded fish.

Who wants to try to figure out what that means?

Probably means i've not been on etsy for a while and I saw lots of birds at the animal centre in Trent Park the previous day...

New Camera and a long walk

2009-08-31T22:17:00.000+01:00

I was very generously gifted a new camera by a fellow photographer on Saturday. I went to the allotment, brought home lots of tomatoes, some peppers & chilis, lots and lots of plums.
Sunday, I made chili ketchup from all homegrown ingredients except for the vinegar, sugar, ginger root & smoked paprika. And it even tastes like ketchup! with a bit of chili hotness.
Today I decided after lunchtime, I had to finally get out of the house. Walked around Trent Park for a very long time. Went to visit the animal centre again. Walked to the Obelisk, attempted to go to Ferny Hill Tea Rooms and found it doesn't open on Mondays, even on Bank Holidays! We weren't the only ones that were disappointed, we saw a small group of people walking back on our way to find out if it was open and we saw two cars attempting to park there. They really missed out on a lot of business on a very nice end of Summer holiday, lots of bright sunshine by afternoon, quite warm.

Also on Sunday I made a new darkslide for my polaroid back and tried it out on my new camera. It actually works!

And I'm not getting too bad using it either. Probably not going to use it for "proofs" but it is lovely for a few nice shots.

Sleep, project, ears

2009-08-27T09:59:00.000+01:00

I'm a bit sleepy but I did sleep better last night. My ears are feeling kind of clogged up. I noticed yesterday when rushing up the stairs with groceries that my left ear drum felt a bit throbbing and now that's being repeated after a bit of rushing around, getting fruit/veg from various storecupboards to photograph. And now the right ear is getting a bit ick feeling too. Might be coming down with something :/ But I need to get stuff done, I have to get good negatives for this project which was only 2 images from last year but now 5 from this year.

And I discovered two of my darkslides/filmholders are definitely fubared so I will need to either buy brand new ones (£46) or second hand ones (£10-£20). Actually I have another half-fubared one too. It's very depressing. Need to promote my work more and hopefully get a sale then I won't feel so guilty having to redo photos at 80p/shot or buying new filmholders.

Also, I never get any post anymore! :( It is sad.

Knackered

2009-08-26T08:21:00.000+01:00

Too much dreams and bad feelings and not enough sleep. Only thing I can remember is feeling that someone was stalking me because I had gone public with my art and it was very disturbing and fear-inducing.

Wheee!!

2009-08-25T13:34:00.000+01:00

My submission is in for the show! It arrived all in one piece. Woot! :D

*happydance*

and I bought new jeans today. And hamster bedding. and hamster treats. and now it is 1:30 and I'm very hungry so I'm going to see what I can find for lunch.

Exciting stuff

2009-08-19T23:51:00.000+01:00

So I found out about this upcoming show thing from a friend.

So this is all his fault ;) I say that in the most endearing way.

I've made an Artist's Statement. I have 3 prints and can add 3 more to my entry to this show.

This is my artist's statement

Heather Sullivan creates cyanotypes(blue prints) because of the way the process renders tones and compositions.
She photographs still lifes because she enjoys sharing the beauty of objects with others.

During her work, she selects and arranges objects in front of a cloth backdrop until she finds a composition
that pleases her, while carefully studying the way shadows creep through and how light falls on the objects.
She is interested in the symbolism and concepts of memento mori and vanitas, which focus on the fragility
of life and reminders of death.

Current work explores these themes while creating new contemporary symbols of brevity and frailty, along
with the more traditional use of flowers, fruit and hourglasses.

She hopes to exhibit her work more in the future, to show the beauty of blue.

Not so secret obsession

2009-08-15T14:30:00.000+01:00

I love the movie Coraline. I've become obsessed with it since seeing it at The Music Hall in Portsmouth, NH. Then again after seeing the website. Then again after buying the graphic novel. And some more after watching the movie again in 3D.
Now I am seriously considering a Coraline themed bed in my allotment plot. With snapdragons, bleeding hearts, and maybe some things not included in the movie but would be appropriate like moon flowers, purple millet and very large alliums. I think we could leave the shrubs where they are and shape them nicely, along with leaving/moving the rose bushes (which are a bit spindly anyway - adding to the slightly derelict theme!)
Maybe a beets bed for Mr Bobo/Bobinsky?

More dreams

2009-08-13T09:05:00.001+01:00

Dreamt I had met someone I know at a hamster show and found out she moved from Hampshire to Mill Hill and invited me to visit sometime. The place had a modern flat-type thing off as a wing but then an equally tall "tower" towards the back. The tower was old victorian style in thick, overly painted for decades, mint green paint. There were old curio cabinets everywhere - empty. And a flimsy faux clock made of green painted plywood that I moved aside.
I think I should fill those cabinets.

Sigh again.

2009-08-11T01:19:00.000+01:00

Tired.

Shuffled through my pictures and didn't feel anything towards them. Wasn't in a good mood to begin with but they're not really "together". Also I'm surprised at how much 120 film I've used since I bought a 'brick' of 10 rolls the other week.

and now a musical interlude

deck the halls
i'm young again
i'm you again
racing turtles
the grapefruit is winning
Seems I keep getting this story twisted
so where's Neil when you need him?

Might go walking tomorrow. Maybe post some (colour) rolls of film off to be developed... not sure when I'll get them back with all the postal strikes going on but it might cheer me up. Being an artist is hard :(

Soo tired and busy

2009-08-09T23:42:00.001+01:00

Really need to tidy up the flat. Have silly quarterly (! every 3 months, what the hey?) inspection of the flat this week. I have been busily printing a bit every day too. And the allotment is in full harvest swing so I'm going to have to do a lot of preserving this week. I'm biding my time on the blackberries but the beets also need to be pickled and now plums plums plums to make into jam.
Need sleep now. Nightnight all!

Diana camera and other things

2009-08-06T10:54:00.000+01:00

I think it's actually too humid to coat paper for cyanotypes. I doubt it'd dry very quickly at 60% humidity. So I must wait for the weather to change to something more reasonable and comfortable.
The first 2 rolls through the Diana camera are here
diana camera photo set on flickr. I'm not so sure I like the photos of animals. I like the window, the first picture I took. And the pony looking back.

I am so desperate to do stuff that I'm trying to put the coach before the horse. Seriously considering going to the Arts Depot to chat with them about hanging my work but on the other hand I don't know if I really have enough work to hang. So I should complete my 40 images portfolio first. Which will probably not be done until the end of the year. And hope the holiday season gives me some sales on Etsy.

The calla lily pictures I took are really amazing. It's really a shame it's so humid, I'd really like to try printing some of the pictures.

Strangely quiet...

2009-08-05T11:58:00.001+01:00

I think everyone in our neighbourhood is on holiday. It's eerily quiet just walking to the store.
Debating about going to the animal rehab/petting zoo place in the park today. It's 1.6miles to get there and it's hot and humid.

I'm on a hot and spicy foods kick lately. A couple of tablespoons of horseradish sauce (not the wussy cream stuff) for a sandwich is barely enough heat sometimes.

I think I might attempt to go the animal place anyway. Not sure what to do about the Diana camera though... I know I'm going to have to unload it in a darkbag but I have issues with using a darkbag in public (at a place where there's kids around, it could be seen as being perverse lol). It'll be fine I'm sure. It's so dead quiet around here there's probably no one at the animal park today.

Me and giant new tripod and Diana camera

2009-08-04T20:07:00.001+01:00

Me and giant new tripod and Diana camera
Originally uploaded by akki14

I have a big tripod, yes I do.

Been busy photographing today. Just flowers basically. So tired from lugging that tripod home from Docklands. Really should finish off the roll of film in that camera and get developing.

Weekend

2009-08-03T10:52:00.000+01:00

Had a somewhat busy weekend. Went to some friends' housewarming on Saturday (which took a good chunk of the day). Yesterday I donated blood and had a fun nearly-fainting spell from it (which is somewhat odd because I've donated blood 3 times before and never had a problem before). Wondering if I get a new card now or after November when I donate again since the card says 1-4 donations on it.

I wish I could get my act together as far as stupid technical problems with my work.
Also not so sure about the 40 images portfolio thing. I seem very short attention spanned and stuff doesn't look like it'll all mesh well together. We'll see.

Going to visit a friend tomorrow and buy his tripod (with geared head YAY!) and let him use my impulse-purchase petzval lens and photograph some flowers at his peril. It's nice having photographer friends.

More weird dreams

2009-07-31T09:37:00.000+01:00

but at least they were less violent this time.
I remember a sort of old house, possibly victorian with victorian graveyard in the backyard, which had 3 sheep with 3 or 4 lovebirds cleaning the sheep's teeth.

Need to get cracking on making fruitcake as it has to cook for 3hours.

Polar Bear Killer

2009-07-30T09:57:00.000+01:00

Had a really weird dream that I was wandering around outside and around a barn a lot. And looking for a wolf and a fox and I end up killing a polar bear by holding it down and cutting it with a broken bottle... What the hey? Why am I Buffy the Bear Slayer today?

And I'm now on twitter! Yay! (maybe)
http://twitter.com/Akki14

Arse

2009-07-29T14:11:00.000+01:00

My 4x5 camera just broke. the new screws I gave it just blew out. ARUGH.

Nevermind, Nothing a big power drill and a metal bit can't handle. Hey now those screws go in properly and shouldn't pop out easily.

And if they do, I'm filling the holes with black milliput epoxy putty and re-drilling it so it does finally stay. GRR.

polaroid

2009-07-28T13:19:00.000+01:00

Polaroid still rocks my world

Cool website

2009-07-28T10:33:00.001+01:00

http://tokyocamerastyle.com/
Lots of people with cool film cameras in Tokyo.

One interesting thing is that everyone has a lens hood! How odd.

Tattoos, Art and Everything

2009-07-28T08:48:00.001+01:00

I find it interesting that there's people who will flat out tell people to not get a tattoo when they express interest in getting one. It's not like you tell people off for wanting to get a car or house or anything else. Tattoos are very personal and you get them done for personal reasons. And in the end they're art.

One of my closest friends has a lot of tattoos and piercings. I've always said to her, I love seeing her because every time I see her, she's different. She's her own walking gallery of art work. Sometimes it's a half finished tattoo, sometimes it's new piercings (she currently has micro dermal implant things in her arm) and usually it's different hair. She is art.

Every single one of her tattoos has huge amounts of meaning to her. As they should, as should any artwork you buy, sell or make. If you buy something just for its value, it might as well be locked up out of view which defeats the whole point of making visual art. It's there to be enjoyed.

I don't really agree with the opinion that they're "digital" and laid down a pixel at a time either. They're the very definition of organic. They move and breath with you. My tattoo will be 10 years old next year. It's not the same crispness as it was when I first had it done in 2000 but it's mine. I went to the tattoo parlor with my sister, she has a similar symbol tattoo, my now-husband was there too (though didn't watch it being done). It's tiny but full of meaning. I have to say my ear piercings probably have a lot less meaning but I still love my tattoo even though it's attempting to turn into a blob.

So exhausted

2009-07-26T22:48:00.000+01:00

But I'm back from visiting the inlaws. And on my doorstep when I came back was my rolls and sheets of film so I can get back to doing photos and wasting more film soon.
Took a few rolls of photos while at the inlaws too. Just sort of "ready made" still lifes of their flowers (with slide film and colour negative film) and their various "precious things" - trinkets and souvenirs from their travels.
Had fun going through very old family photos. Admiring the old backdrops and props etc. Found out family history too.

Now have a stress-headache from lots of less than nice stuff and ranting all weekend so I'm looking forward to sleep tonight. Then tomorrow I'll have to figure out what I'm doing...

Life getting in the way

2009-07-23T10:05:00.001+01:00

Unfortunately I've been busy doing other stuff lately and I'm busy today so it's all a bit of a rush post.
Went to the allotment yesterday to pick runner beans and plant some more seeds. Realised my kale-lings are being pecked to death by pigeons so am going to go back with netting today to put that up. Hopefully won't be there too long.
Then need to get ready to go out tonight to celebrate my best's friend graduation finally in getting her MA. And I really do have to remember her elephant garlic or else she'll beat me up :)

Had an awful afternoon problem yesterday. My eye caught how pretty the sweet peas were in the afternoon/ setting sunlight. I dropped tools for tea making (as I was in the kitchen) and went to get my Nikon FG loaded with colour slide film. I get it sort of loaded and the shutter jams. Okay so the battery is gone in that. Let's see if the Zenit EM is okay. Try to load that, realise its shutter is jammed and that's not easily fixable. Try to fix it with my cable release and BROKE MY CABLE RELEASE! This is an important cable release because it's one I specifically got for its tiny head so I could attach it to the 4x5 without it being in the way of the lens. And it was used/vintage and bought it at a camera fair ages ago and it took me a lot of box-sifting to find it.

So I sat down and moped because by this time the light was gone, sun had set and I have two duff 35mm SLRs. Meh.

Darn it, I just googled when the next camera fair is and it was last weekend! ARUGH! Next one is not until NOVEMBER!! :(

Frustrated

2009-07-21T15:28:00.001+01:00

Some days I feel very angry and frustrated. It's been a recent thing. I think I expected sales of my stuff immediately. Insta-fame like the hamsters in hats or the crocheted Giant Bee.
And it is tough being a housewife. I'm expected to do everything no matter what. I'm trying to fit in the cyanotypes and making new ones and filling the Etsy shop. I'm trying to update this blog and the Facebook page and promote on Etsy.
I get told off for not going to the allotment enough, not spending hours and hours picking berries and beans, weeding, digging, whatever.
I get no positive feedback for anything I do there or anything else I do.
Then I realise sometimes I'm actually very depressed and cry.

Two new ones

2009-07-21T13:10:00.000+01:00

Not sure I like these. Kinda don't. Might switch back to 4x5 for a while.

Biosphere new idea

2009-07-21T11:09:00.000+01:00

Okay. So, since the shrimp need no ammonia water and a cycled tank... Guess what I have a perfectly healthy, cycled aquarium I've had for several years. I can do a water change of the aquarium, get cycled (and hopefully good bacteria-laden) water out of that.
I also still need duckweed. For some reason they've managed to get rid of all the duckweed at the nearest pond.

I might leave this another week and just admire my pond scum and snails and plant.

Sigh.

2009-07-21T07:23:00.000+01:00

Tried to make a tabletop biosphere (using MAKE magazine's instructions) and my shrimp died. So I got hubby to bring home another shrimp. It was so fiesty it escaped its holding tank and I've not been able to find it!! :( So now I just have a jar of pond wigglies, snails, a bit of plant and some rocks. And I'm a little bit too tired to attempt to try to buy another shrimp today. I think I will fish out the dead shrimp and just watch the pond scum creatures and snails leap around in the biosphere, and watch the hornwort produce oxygen.

Otherwise I'm just going to get myself sorted out around here and if I can find time, I'll try to get around to finally proofing that last roll I developed finally.

eesh...

2009-07-20T08:38:00.000+01:00

So leaving the internets alone today. Especially after someone claiming they get turned on by me talking chemical dilutions in photography and one of my snaps being invited to a group on flickr called "fridge fetish".
Ew.

Aw and my cyanotype of sweet peas didn't get into Film Is Not Dead, It Just Smells Funny pool :(

My dreams are officially getting weirder. Dreamt I went to a doctor who said I had some disease (which i forgot already) and polycystic liver and I wasn't allowed peanut butter anymore.

Eeek

2009-07-19T23:20:00.000+01:00

Just spent lots on lots of film.

I've decided I'm fed up with being indoors enough that I will go out and buy myself a new pet, for the MAKE: Magazine Tabletop Biosphere project. I fancy having a pet shrimp since I don't find shrimp tasty but small living things interesting. Especially stuff in jars.

Promoing when quiet is impossible. So...

2009-07-19T15:33:00.000+01:00

I've decided Sunday should be a day of proper rest. Or at least recuperation. Coating some paper so I can proof the negatives I developed yesterday. I've updated my facebook, joined apob (some online gallery for UK artists) , eyeballed Etsy some more, still considering a showcase as my work is a bit different to most of Etsy... it's not jewellery and most of it isn't low-cost (well, the things other than ACEOs aren't) so $7 is a smaller percentage of my sale price. ACEOs are priced so low that the gallery is always empty so I'm wondering if posting my ACEOs to that is worth it... it might promo some of my other items too... even though that's a third of my ACEO price.

Bit boring today. Woke up from weird dream involving arcade games, former friends, and lots of things not existing in my reality. Going out on Thursday for a meal celebrating my friend's MA, then visiting the inlaws next weekend. I will attempt to sooth my nerves on that last one by the fact that there's a going out to a meal at a restaurant on one night at least so no inlaw food then... and it's only 2 nights. Madam hamster shall be holding down the fort along with the fish in Pets Corner. She does not like traveling even just across London on the tube, let alone hours and hours on tube and train.

Film developed

2009-07-18T15:41:00.001+01:00

Film Clips!

2009-07-18T13:47:00.000+01:00

Why is that every time I go into the bathroom, I think... I should go google/ebay for some film clips.
By the time I get back to the computer, I keep forgetting to.
Well, damnit, I am remembering now!

Also need to order film. Easier to talk to the husband to ask for his requirements too, before ordering.

Have listed another cyanotype on Etsy and made another zombie moth photo and am about to do more film developing which made me think I should buy something better than wooden clothes pegs to hang up the film...

Hmm... they're kind of pricey. I might just buy more clothes pegs.

Interesting vs. business

2009-07-17T17:50:00.000+01:00

I was just wondering if business only blogs get many people following them.

I could tell you all about my weird dream I had before waking this morning. About my grandmother's old house (which was originally a colonial inn which had many many additions, including a shop for her ceramics shop) where the dream was based and how it's always summer there because that's about the only time we ever visited then.

But will that bring me interesting people who want to buy my pretty blue photos?

oh yeah and

2009-07-17T14:09:00.000+01:00

Linky to the ACEO for sale (the new one)

http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=27947981

Sometimes you have to give up

2009-07-17T12:29:00.000+01:00

Which is what I'm probably going to do for these Zombie Moth pictures unfortunately. Have to admit I got the metering wrong or developed it too much. Bit sad because it was interesting.
Going to develop another roll and I really should get a film order out and stop procrastinating because it costs so much.

Leftovers

2009-07-16T08:14:00.000+01:00

So this is my mess from yesterday. A few test prints from the zombie moth incident and lots of pieces of waste paper from making ACEOs. The ACEOs are kind of cool because they're basically the same format as 6x9 film.
Thinking I may need to use some reducer on some of the zombie moth negatives. Overdevelopment for higher contrast was not a smart move.

I'm not sure I really need a blog in addition to my private Livejournal account, APUG.org account, filmwasters.com account, flickr account, Etsy account, Facebook account (and page), and whatever else I've forgotten along the way.

Need to order more film today. Probably going to test out more negatives/prints.