Thursday, April 18, 2013

jacob + sweet 35 = perfectly imperfect portraits

So this is a project i was inspired to do by another photographer ... shot entirely with my Lensbaby Composer & Sweet 35 I wanted to: 

1. get to know my sweet 35 a little more
2. capture my son "in the moment".

As {portrait} photographers I feel as if i focus too much on you know having the image in focus than the moment itself so we loose something in the story telling. I wanted it to be more about him than me. & the sweet 35 was the perfect way of doing that. Manually focusing on a 2 year old boy who refused to sit still is a nightmare {try it ... i dare you} ... but it sums up so much of who he is. 

So on Tuesday ... my son's second birthday ... it seemed like the perfect way of capturing his day. I focused solely on him at home, in the zoo {mama & Jacob's big day out} & then in the evening when Dada came home & we opened presents & ate cake. 

So apologies for my inability to "edit" photos of my son but i hope you enjoy our wonderful day together ... 



























Wednesday, April 17, 2013

finding peace ...

This morning i ran ... nothing unusual, i run 4 or 5 days a week. I hunted down a pair of socks (my running socks are left & right footed & i always have an issue finding a pair), pulled on the requisite outfit based on weather conditions & laced up my sneakers, bundled Jacob into the car & headed for base. We generally run on the flight line, they have a dedicated track which is great for the stroller & i find it so peaceful out there. I think there's something ironic in that, a place where planes take off & land, where engines can be heard running at all hours & our course the cars driving round the perimeter road. But the wildlife & the space & the planes bring a sense of peace to me. 

I guess that's why i run ... because i find peace out there. Whether i am running with friends, hashing out the problems of the world or alone with just my music & the voices in my head i always finish feeling renewed & energized. Your body loosens up, the muscles stretch out & you find your stride ... it's a feeling of freedom & strength. 

But today i didn't feel that ... i forgot my music ... & the head winds were crazy ... & then there was my body, it just felt awkward & ragged like something was missing. & then i realized what was wrong, there was no sense of peace, no feeling like i was at one with everything around me just anger. Anger than someone could have taken this away from so many people. 

The running community is both huge & tiny at the same time ... 6 degrees of separation doesn't even stand a chance. & in the past 48 hours i felt so many emotions, gratitude that some of those i love the most weren't in Boston, an immense sadness for the events of Monday afternoon & disbelief that someone could do this.  

Runners don't care about your religion, your race or your sexuality, we don't care where you consider home, your gender or your age. In fact we don't even care whether you can run a 7 minute mile or a 12 minute mile because you are runner. You share a small smile with that stranger you pass running in the street, & there are those who push your through the finish line of your first 5k or half marathon. The friends who get up at 0600 in the middle of winter or pouring rain even when you both want to be tucked up in bed. & the 8 minute milers who stay by your side ever step of a long run supporting despite the fact they could have left your ass a long way back. 

I am angry that someone tried to take this away from us ... stole some of what we love & replaced it with pain. Angry that innocent lives were taken & that people will never be able to find that peace again when out on the road or through the woods & along the beach. I am angry about the world my son is going to grow up in where violence comes easier than talking. That a simple moment of joy can be ruined for nothing. 

I am writing this simple because i need to get it out my system, because i need to find my own sense of peace again in something that has brought me friendship, made me stronger both physically & mentally & makes me happy. 

credit: Tarafirma

xx

Monday, April 15, 2013

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!