Yosigo

Beautiful minimalist photography by Spanish photographer Yosigo. Have a look at his surf series, so serene.

Happy Monday.

Happy Weekend Link Love 29.11.2011

Happy Weekend. I took this photo this morning on my iphone, my puppies always love laying on a freshly made bed.

Some links and things I've enjoyed on the interwebs this week:

• Can science help make sense of the floods?
• Amazing before and after pictures of the floods.
• Home of my blogging friend Amanda - lots of gorgeous opshop finds and vintage!
  
• Audrey Kawasaki plushi dolls. (via Just Another Agency art blog)
• My sisters new favourite film scene series. First up Marie Antoinette.
• The loveliest Tokyo cafe I have ever seen. I really really want to get over to Tokyo this year.
• Home of Catherine of Little Glowing Lights on The Design Files, so much to love about this home!

Hope you all having a lovely weekend. I'm off to see Black Swan this afternoon, have you seen it yet?

Primoeza Spring/Summer 2011 Lookbook

PRIMOEZA named after designer Elizabeth Yong's two cats is a Melbourne based knitwear label producing refined, whimsical, small scale pieces. Started by Elizabeth after completing studies in Textiles Design at RMIT. Each design is developed by hand on a vintage knitting machine in Elizabeth's 1930's beach side appartment.

The lookbook is a bit of a collaborative effort bring together local Melbourne creatives, with photography by the amazing Olga Bennett who also shoots for Frankie magazine and illustrations by Luci Everett. Gorgeous!

precious jewels valentines

Some people that come into our lives are just like precious jewels;
beautiful, individual, and timeless.
♥

Love these hand painted 'precious' jewel inspired valentines cards by Anthea of Spoonful. Each card has 8 little white pages within for protestations of love & appreciation, complete with a little black velvet ribbon to seal inside your precious words. So sweet.

Diana Mini Tips #2

As promised I finally scanned more of my Diana Mini photos (more on my lomography homepage). I've had this lot sitting around for AGES waiting to be scanned (sorry I'm so hopeless at getting scanning done).


I took them way back when my brother did a photo shoot for Hopeless....and you might recognise the model is the lovely Esme and the lane way who also happens to be on the cover of the current issue of Peppermint Magazine!


Anyways some more learning's and tips I've gotten from using the Diana Mini. I've now owned two versions both the original blue/black and the white.

• Film Advance: One of the main complaints for the Diana Mini is the film advance. I have had trouble with the film advance, I've learn NOT to force it because you will tear the film. The white version has improved film advance compared to the original blue/black. But still the white version tricks you into thinking you have advanced it enough and you havent and your film will come back completely overlapped with double or triple exposures. So my advice. The best you can do is either fix the film advance following this tutorial... or advance the film each time until you feel a bit of tension. That is usually enough to be on the next frame.Dont let it worry you out of using it though...after a few rolls of film you will get the hang of how to work it.

• Indoors: I haven't had any luck taking indoors photos - unless I use the flash. But personally I'm not really into using the flash, I prefer natural light. I tried a higher speed film (800 ISO) but that only came back super grainy. I guess you could also try a tripod and the bulb 'B' setting if you really wanted to do indoor photos but I haven't worried with it.

• Film & Light: I stick to using 200 or 400 ISO film and take photos in daylight for best results. My current favourite film is the Lomography 400 ISO colour.

Diana related weekend link love:

• Diana Mini tips part #1 - I wrote this after my first few rolls of film through the Diana Mini
• Diana Mini Week on For The Easily Distracted.

A letter from Balthazar :: Guest Post from Bjørn

Not so long ago a friend introduced me to Balthazar, an imaginary sailor and pretend photographer , who writes love letters to whoever wants one. That’s right, love letters. Real letters, on paper, filled with flirty secrets in a romantic atmosphere. If you ever feel lonely or just in need of a smile, seek no further and request your letter here.

I found this particularly charming and decided to contact Balthazar and ask him some questions.


Who is Balthazar? Where did you grow up? Where you happy as a child?

Balthazar is an exploration. I grew up in a small seaside town in Massachusetts. We moved to Wisconsin when I was 11, and I’ve been here ever since. My Dad worked in a factory and wrote poetry at night; my Mom worked for the government. It’s strange to think about whether I was happy as a child. I was quiet. I missed the ocean after we moved. I’d read about Portuguese explorers and hear stories about my uncle Jack who was a captain of a ship and I’d feel saudade. I still do.


When I first heard about your Request A Letter concept I instantly had to think about the Kasabian song "Where did all the Love go". Where did you get the idea of writing those letters? Do you have a feeling that in this day and age, there is a lack of true love and romance?

Writing was my first love, and I feel that the letter is my ideal medium. I think I’m at my best writing letters. It makes me happy. And I think the letters make other people happy, too. I don’t know whether there is a lack of romance today. Not for me. When I first starting dating my partner Sonia, I would write her a letter every week. My Grandfather recently passed away and among his things were these scrapbooks he had assembled of letters, photos, etc from when he and my Grandmother were first dating. The letters are incredible. After reading them I wondered about what the next generation will have to show from when they fall in love. The text messages (probably for the better) will be gone. They will have nothing as eloquent and lovely as those letters, I imagine.


Can you tell us something about your equipment and your fascination for film? Where do you get your inspiration? And who are the people in your photos?

Part of what intrigues me about photography is that it is a conjunction of the machine and art, technology and creativity. That said, details about equipment bore me a bit. If I have any talent, anything I can hang my hat on, it’s my relentless curiosity. I’m interested in people. But to answer your question, I mostly shoot with a digital DSLR (with a 50mm prime lens), but also shoot with a few different Polaroid camera models. The Polaroid SX-70 is a gorgeous piece of equipment. It’s my favorite camera.

Polaroids are really the only film I shoot. What I love about them is they combine the instant thrill of technology with a tactile artifact. So much of our experiences now are based on the “screen” instead of objects and the tactile. Including Polaroids with my letters is my favorite thing to do. I’m sending along a one-of-a-kind piece of art, a tactile artifact that I will never be able to recreate.

I mostly shoot people I know. My girlfriend, friends, friends of friends, etc. I like to get to know people before photographing them and shooting them is itself an act of me learning about them. There are models I have shot (such as Katelan Foisy) or want to shoot (such as Nettie Harris), but it’s their stories more than their hotness that interests me.


What are your plans for the future? What do you still want to achieve? And do you have a certain goal with the letters you received?

I have no idea. I just keep following things that interest me and get me excited and I don’t think much about where it will take me. I don’t think about achievement, really. As far as intentions for the letters, for the ones I occasionally receive back from people I’ve written to, well, those I will simply cherish. The ones I send out to people I scan before putting them in the envelope so I have a record of it. I’d like to do more with books. I find them to be a perfect art medium because they require you to touch them and interact with them in a really concrete way in order to get meaning from them. Perhaps I will put together a book with my letters and Polaroids. We shall see...

Guest Post from Bjørn of Ben Trovato

Inspiring Spaces: Vintage Nest / Expresso

Vintage cameras, pretty dresses, coffee and cupcakes all in the one store? yes please! Vintage Nest/Expresso is a gorgeous vintage store and coffee shop located on the North Coast of NSW. Thanks to oh deer vintage for the introduction, and the pictures... see more here.

Queensland Floods:: Auctions, fundraising and other flood related links

One of the positives to come out of these floods is seeing the amazing generosity of people, the way we all band together and help. The waters are subsiding but now is when people are really needing help to rebuild their homes and lives.

..Aftermath from Hurricane Katrina = 223,000m2 // Aftermath from Qld Floods = 1,000,000m2

I've been collecting some links of ways you might want to help out....

The Official QLD Flood Appeal

Handmade / Art / Fashion auctions with 100% proceeds to the Flood Appeal

• Kirbee Lawler is running a print auction of her prints (flyer featured)
  
• Lilly Piri is auctioning an original artwork on her blog.
• That Vintage is having an auction of her jewellery over on facebook
• Ames shoes is donating 100% of sales proceeds over the next week to the flood. So if you've been thinking of buying some clogs or boots then do it now! support emerging designers and the floods at the same time.
  
• BrisStyle Handmade Ark Appeal.
  

Other things

• Virgin blue are running a great initiative where you can give your Velocity rewards points to the Flood Appeal and they will convert them to money donations. So put those points to good use!
• Pip wrote... Queensland Floods: Ways for Crafters to Help.
• Natalie wrote... Southeast Queensland Floods.
  
• Ainslie wrote.... saving your flood damaged photographs.

If you are in Brisbane

• in.cube8r in Fortitude Valley has opened up some cubes to take handmade goods and designer donations to sell with 100% of proceeds going to the flood victims. Info on in.cube8r facebook page
• Jen of Style Milk has also been posting some happenings like baking relief (nom nom) and donated goods collections, such as personal hygeine products and the things most needed.
  
• *****talking about baked relief --- super woman Digella has been organsing the baked relief effort and the story of her efforts has even gone international! Coordinating of baked relief is happening via twitter follow hashtag #bakedrelief
  

Don't forget all the animals affected, to help the animals donate to the RSPCA Queensland.

I'm sure there is lots more things I've missed so I will most likely be doing a second post (or updating this one with some more links). I already know there is some big auctions being put together to run next week, through Nuffnang, Pedestrian TV and a few others. More info on those to come.

===================================

UPDATE: ART 4 HEART Auction, seriously awesome line up of Aussie artists work up for auction. The auctions are being run over two weeks, so check the schedule to put your bids in for your favourite artists.

Diana adventures 2011

I was meant to be writing about the printable Diana Mini Calender that Rose put together for 2011 featuring the work of a bunch of Diana Mini camera lovers from around the blog-o-sphere. But I got a bit distracted whilst on her blog by the gorgeous collage works she does. My collage covered mixcds suddenly look shabby!

Also I've hardly blogged this week, the floods covering my new home state have been occupying my mind more than blogging. Although the floods didn't come here being so close to Brisbane everyone seems to know someone who was affected. I've been collecting all the auctions and happenings about the community to raise funds and will dedicate this weekends link roundup post to ways you can help.

Sophie van der Perre

The Virgin Suicides inspired series by Sophie van der Perre.
Beyond amazing!

Please donate to the QLD flood appeal.

Happy Weekend 8.01.2011

Happy Weekend lovelies. Things have been quiet around the blog but hopefully next week I'll be back to more regular posting. I went to scan some photos but my scanner isn't working...think I need to update the driver..so Diana Mini photos still to come once I sort that out.

Here's some links I've been enjoying this week...

• bisous mon amour's blog and photography (pictured)
• these cute teacups, I want one!
• Vintage Kate Moss
• Radio segment about the Lomo LC-A and how the Lomography movement came about (via @DianaMiniLove)
• Bjork's (seriously love this lady) tribute song to Alexander McQueen.
• Also Lykke Li's new song Get Some.
  
• Hottest 100 for 2010, getting my votes in. I love the Australia Day countdown it has become such a tradition to listen to it.
  

Whats your plans for the weekend?
x

sometimes i want to trash my blog

...you're not how much money you've got in the bank. You're not your job. You're not your family, and you're not who you tell yourself.... You're not your name.... You're not your problems.... You're not your age.... You are not your hopes. ~Chuck Palahniuk, Fight Club.

I made some new years resolutions but they all sucked. I'm scanning some new Diana Mini photos to post tomorrow. Also Elle featured one of my photos in her best of 2010 Diana Mini series, thanks Elle.

(click images for sources)