by Amanda on August 27, 2010

This time next week I will be writing from my new desk which rests beneath a gorgeous, big window gazing out towards the local Vancouver mountains. Said desk will be sitting in new apartment that the Canadian and I are moving into this weekend. I cannot contain my excitement. I am being a total nerd about it. You’d think I’d never had my own place before the way I’m carrying on.

I plan on using our picturesque viewing area second bedroom as a study/photography studio. I’ve already scoped it out..the light in there is awesome and I’m super excited about that. The best light in our old place was in the bathroom, so it will be nice to set up my mini studio without having to rest against a toilet. Classy!

As hard as it was leaving all our old “stuff” back in Sydney, we have had some fun picking up new pieces to make our rented apartment seem more like a home. Some of it has been packed in boxes since Christmas, so I can’t wait to get into them and see what’s what. New couch and new bed, here we come.

I plan on blogging my new home and neighbourhood experience here on Mocking Bird in the coming months. Even though my first year in Vancouver is coming to a close, it’s like a whole new chapter is beginning and I cannot wait to get right in the middle of it- like jumping into the discarded wrapping paper pile on Christmas morning.

Signing off for the last time from my temporary Vancouver residence…

Wish me luck!

p.s. Thanks for all the wonderful conversations in the Inspiration Overload post. You guys are awesome!

CATEGORY: 1st Year in Vancouver, The Move | 14 COMMENTS
TAGS: Moving, Our New Apartment, Vancouver

by Amanda on August 25, 2010

If you are anything like me, you spend a lot of time pouring over other people’s photographs on photography websites, blogs and in books and magazines. There is such an amazing truckload of inspiration out there for all kinds of photography no matter what your needs. I sometimes share some of my photography inspirations here on Mocking Bird but I try not to overload you with other people’s photographs as there are so many great blogs out there already doing that.

As great as all this inspiration is, sometimes the volumes of photography available to peruse can actually be debilitating to your own photography.  If we spend more time looking at other people’s photography than shooting ourselves, this can actually be doing our photography harm. The only way to improve is to practise and the only way to find your own voice and style is by trying out different things and seeing where you fit.

I think a lot of people get caught up in shooting fads, shooting what everyone else is shooting and trying to fit in. As pretty as all that can be, it doesn’t help you grow as a photographer. For me, photography is about being original and having a style and voice that is recognizable as your own. I may not always achieve this myself, but when I shoot, I remind myself that these are my stories, my photographs and not something that should be heavily influenced by someone else.

I hope I’m not sounding too preachy with this post but I do want new photographers to be themselves, to be original, to share their own voice in new and amazing ways that only they can. I also mainly wrote this post to remind myself to get out there and shoot for me too. I’ve been doing a lot of shooting for non personal reasons of late and along the way forgot to make time to shoot for me. We all need to shoot for ourselves too!

p.s. We welcomed the newest little bub to our family yesterday. Hooray for darling, little Aislin!

CATEGORY: Creativity, Photography | 24 COMMENTS
TAGS: Inspiration Overload, Photography Tips, Photography Voice, Shoot For You

by Amanda on August 23, 2010

Experiencing summer in the Northern Hemisphere for the first time in my life means lots of little observations falling into my pocket. Yes, I keep them in my pocket as I’m out and about, taking everything in. I like stock piling them for another day, to sit on and ponder. Here are some of my Southern Hemispherian brain’s observations:

Light: There can still light in the sky on the horizon at 10.15pm. Even during daylight savings, we (those of us down under) are pretty much lights out by 8pm.

Feathered Friends: The prettiest, sweetest sounding birds appear during the fairer seasons. Australian birds are loud and squawky and make themselves known. Sitting around the back patio here makes me feel like I should be dressed as Snow White waiting for the little tweeties to land on my fingers.

Fashion trends: As soon as the temperature hits 17 degrees celsius, Vancouverites whip out the shorts and mini skirts. The first day the sun came out, there were literally girls in bikinis on the beach, yet I was freezing in a cardi! My Canadian noticed the same things in Sydney but to the opposite effect- as soon as it hits below 20 in Sydney, out come the scarves and beanies.

Play time: People take full advantage of the sunshine here. As soon as the clouds disappear, it’s like a mass exodus from indoor dwellings. There are people everywhere riding bikes, roller blading, having picnics and laying in the grass. Rejoice, the sun is here, we can live again!

Explorations: I suddenly feel the need to go exploring and be outdoorsy. I want to find that cabin by the lake, to pitch a tent in the back yard, to wander where bears may roam. I never knew that The Great Outdoors actually existed somewhere in the world.

Now that the summer is coming to an end, I will be able to say that I have spent a full set of seasons here in the Northern Hemisphere. Yes, I’m one month away from having lived in Vancouver for a year. I cannot believe how quickly it has gone by.

Summer in Vancouver is very different to summer time in Sydney. I’ve realised that a lot of what I adore about summer is to do with the beaches, cricket, Christmas, the end of the year and all the parties and celebrations that go along with that. I didn’t realise that until I lived a summer in another country. Summer in Vancouver is beautiful and certainly nowhere near as harsh as one in my home town but it’s been beautiful and I don’t want it to end.

CATEGORY: 1st Year in Vancouver | 11 COMMENTS
TAGS: Polaroid, Summer, Vancouver

by Amanda on August 16, 2010

The lovely Alex of Gypsy Girl’s Guide is about to become a mumma and in her planning and absence from the blog, she has asked some wonderful people to do some guest posting. I am very honoured to have a guest post of mine at Gypsy Girl’s Guide. I wrote about my experiences as a person living abroad. We’d love to see some responses over there, so check it out.

And no, I do not condone taking Polaroids of sailors’ behinds. I do not condone such a thing, even if you are living abroad… and are visiting a foreign country… and can escape back to the motherland before being dragged aboard a ship to scrub decks as punishment. Never, ever!

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Polaroid taken at Safeco Field in Seattle with a Polaroid SLR680 using 600 film

CATEGORY: Announcements, Creativity | 11 COMMENTS
TAGS: Guest Posting, Gypsy Girl's Guide, Polaroid

by Amanda on August 12, 2010

The latest instalment in the ever evolving instant film parade from The Impossible Project hit the shelves last week. I received my first batch of PX70 Colour Shade on Friday and have been playing around with it all week.

Before even opening the pack, I did a fair amount of research on The Impossible Project’s website and on flickr. This new colour film works in SX70 and 600 Polaroid cameras. Being that it is the “first flush”, it is not meant to be perfect. The Impossible Project want us to test out this film and to give them feedback.

“The PX 70 First Flush is still an experimental product and even though we did our very best to develop, produce and test this material with all our love and understanding, we are now dependent on your honest feedback, support, creativity and all your analog passion to help us learn about this product and to continuously improve it.”

Taken from The Impossible Project PX70 Colour Shade guide.

That said, I use these first flush films to experiment and see what lighting conditions work best. I don’t try and create masterpieces with the first pack. It’s about learning how to use and manipulate the film to get the best results.

In the second fan shot, I used a filter over the top of my film pack. I’m not sure what the snake skin blotches are. (EDIT: Already these blotches are fading on the originals)

When I first shot the PX70 film, it appeared to have large blue spots on the image. However, when I checked it a little later, the spots had completely disappeared. This film seems to really settle into itself over time. My first two shots were taken indoors with window light and they turned out too light and without much depth. I wanted to try it without a shade to begin as some people have had success without shading the film instantly. My next shots I used a shade to cover them up straight away.

Unfortunately, I haven’t had much success with my first 2 packs. I found that outdoors was too bright yet indoors was too dark, even by window light. I made sure that I shielded my film as soon as it ejected from the camera but I do find that tricky. I love this little nifty shade idea for protecting your instant film from the light. I think I will fashion one and give that a go.

I have no idea what went wrong here but I kinda like it anyway.

These photographs were all scanned on the same day that they were taken. Other shots that I took did improve with age! I’m only half way through my 2nd pack, so there is still a lot of learning to do.

The Impossible Project have put a lot of effort into giving us tips on how to use and manipulate the film for best results. You really need to read the website to understand how to properly use the new film. It’s not too tricky, but important if you want good results.

The Impossible Project are giving you the opportunity to be a future film tester. They are asking for your best PX 70 Colour shot, upload it on the site and you could be chosen as one of 20 photographers who will test out future colour films. You have until August 16 to upload your image.

Have you tested it out yet? What are your first impressions?

CATEGORY: Creativity, Photography | 18 COMMENTS
TAGS: Film Tests, PX70 Colour Shade Film, The Impossible Project

by Amanda on August 11, 2010

Despite my lack of love for food, I am a sucker for food photography. I love looking at it and I love shooting it myself. The textures and colours are really important in making food look good, as well as plenty of natural light. I really love the rich tones all these amazing photographers have in their food photography. Colour, texture and styling all make for instantly delicious looking shots. Every time I see something as inspiring as these photographs, I want to get in the kitchen and cook just so I can shoot! Who cares about the eating part!

Mikkel Vang

Roland Bello

Karen Wise

Aya Brackett

Lisa Cohen

Along with these amazing photographers who shoot for magazines, there are some wonderfully inspiring photographers who cook and shoot for food blogs. Here is a sampling of some of my favourite food blogs with gorgeous food photography…

101 Cookbooks … Kiss My Spatula … The Cook’s Atelier … Sunday Suppers … Pictures and Pancakes … Tartelette … Matt Bites … La Tartine Gourmande

Who are your favourite food photographers and bloggers?

CATEGORY: Inspiration, PHOTOGRAPHER CRUSH, Photography | 11 COMMENTS
TAGS: Food, Food Photography

by Amanda on August 9, 2010

Polaroid happiness is upon me right now as two exciting little packages have arrived in the past few days. Not only do I have some packs of Impossible Project Colour Shade film, but the postman just dropped off my new Fuji Instax mini camera and film.

I have written a post on the Impossible Project film but am still doing my initial tests, so stay tuned for that hopefully later in the week. I will also be getting out with my Instax as soon as this weather clears up a little. A month of sunshine and the rain starts to pour the day my new toys arrive? Typical!

You may ask why someone like me who loves Polaroid cameras would buy a Fuji Instax. Believe me, I held off for a long time. However, I’ve recently seen some really amazing photographs shot with the Instax and they have inspired me to give it a go.

I also realise that there is more to the world of instant photography than what once was and I need to embrace it rather than balk at the idea without finding out its capabilities myself. I’m excited to use this new camera and hopefully can figure it out to shoot some Instax for the book.

************

Link Love

The Gypsy Girl’s Guide has a fresh new look. GGG creator Alessandra Cave is about to have a bubba and she has enlisted some guest posters for the coming weeks. Stay tuned for a guest post from me.

A short film by Toast shot in Italy.

The most beautiful story I’ve read in a long time.

How gorgeous is this proposal?

Lastly…the greatest thing I’ve been listening to is Sprawl ll from The Suburbs by Arcade Fire. The whole album is brilliant but this song is my personal fave. I love it so much that I sent it to my Mum and said “listen!” She played it 3 times in a row upon hearing it for the first time. I love my mum.

CATEGORY: Creativity, Photography | 18 COMMENTS
TAGS: Fuji Instax, Polaroid, The Impossible Project

by Amanda on August 5, 2010

I first discovered Swedish photographer Johanna Wallin’s work through her blog and was instantly entranced by her moving and atmospheric photography. Using medium format and 35mm cameras, Johanna paints beautiful portraits of people and life. She has an ability to capture the essence of the bigness of cities like New York and Tokyo whilst still painting a picture that is warm and inviting. I particularly love her beautiful and timeless ‘snow’ essays as shown in the photographs above. They look like something out of a Sigur Ros video.

She of course does amazing things with her film cameras, but her digital work is also beautiful. I was convinced she was a strictly film shooter when I discovered that some of the photographs that I thought were film, were in fact shot with her Canon 5D.

Johanna kindly answered questions about her equipment and shooting for the What’s In Your Kit? feature.

MB: What is/are your camera/s of choice and why?

Johanna: Hasselblad

MB: Which are your favourite lenses to work with and why?

Johanna: Prime lenses, such as 35mm and 50mm (80mm with medium format). I want normal perspective and the option of big aperture.

MB: What equipment do you prefer to use to shoot portraits?

Johanna: Hasselblad 500c/m with 80/2.8, loaded with Astia 100F and (depending on the light) a hammerhead flash.

MB: Name a camera that you just love to have fun with.

Johanna: LC-A is great for just random shooting,  being so small and automatic. I always have lots of fun shooting instant film as well, with Polaroid 635 or just Hasselblad with polaroid back.

MB: What do you carry your equipment in?

Johanna: Mostly on my shoulder in the strap, or in a tote bag. I never had any case/bag/etc for my equipment, I want to be casual with my cameras and bring them everywhere. People may think I’m not being protective enough, but I never broke a single thing.

MB: Is there one piece of equipment/set up that you would recommend to a newbie shooter?

Johanna: Buy a used digital Canon 5D and a cheap 50/1.8 lens, or use the money on a Nikon FM and lots of film. Both alternatives are great, and not just for newbies.

Thanks for answering the WIYK questions, Johanna! Make sure you check out more of Johanna’s work at her links below:

Johanna Wallin website
Johanna’s blog
Johanna’s flickr

All photographs were taken by and copyright Johanna Wallin.

CATEGORY: Photography, What's In Your Kit? | 13 COMMENTS
TAGS: Johanna Wallin, Photography Equipment

by Amanda on August 2, 2010

In a photography rut? Need a little push to get you motivated and shooting? A photography project is a great way to get some inspiration going. There are many different projects and memes happening on Flickr which you can start at any time. I have completed the 52 Weeks Self Portrait project in the past and I also used to do daily photographs for my old photoblog.

Giving yourself a project to work with is a great way to stay focused and to keep yourself on track. Another benefit is that it gets you shooting regularly and shooting regularly is the best way to improve your photography.

Luckily, there are 2 fabulous projects running this month. Fabulous photographer and good friend of mine, Tracey is running 31 Photos in 31 Days at Sh1ft. Tracey has posted a great list of ideas for things to shoot on the site. She has been involved in the photoblogging community for about 10 years now and she has always been a big inspiration to me. Check out her photographic project page for lots of other ideas. She always has something fabulous going on!

Another wonderful photographer and friend is Susannah Conway who is running August Break. Susannah is asking you to take it easy over August and share one photo a day for the month. August Break is about taking a more relaxed attitude towards the often time consuming blogging schedule. I like it!

One photo project that I personally take part in is Words To Shoot By. Curated by the fabulous Steph Parke, WTSB is a themed project shot by a group of photographers with varying styles and equipment. Each fortnight we are given a theme and submit our shots to Steph. We never see the other photographers’ pictures until they are on the blog. I love checking out everyone else’s interpretation of the theme.

This week our theme was ‘yellow’. I had a lot of fun with mine shooting yellow on Polaroid. It’s such a summery week! Check out everyone’s triptychs here.

Are you taking part in any of these projects this month?

CATEGORY: Creativity, Inspiration, Photography | 18 COMMENTS
TAGS: Creativity, Photography Projects

by Amanda on July 30, 2010

I probably should have mentioned that I was taking a blog rest for a week but I never really like to commit to things like that so I went with the flow. The flow unfortunately did not direct me towards writing anything meaningful, so silent ole Mocking Bird sat.

My mind has been filled with all things moving, furnishing and decorating for the past month and my poor noggin is starting to spin. We will be moving in a month ( if everything goes to plan) and I can’t wait to share my new little place with you all once we are moved in.

In my never ending searches for items to make my house a home, I find I become obsessed with the hunt. Are you like this? Once I get an idea in my head that I want a cream coloured, ceramic utensils pot with a little circular detail, I don’t stop until I find it. Half the time I think I invent these things in my head. After much searching, I’ve had to settle on a white, ceramic utensils pot that has no detail whatsoever. Sometimes you just need to let it go. I mean, really, it’s a pot for holding spatulas and wooden spoons!

I did however find the most glorious, girly lamp that I’m over the moon about. If you’re ever in Vancouver and you have a penchant for French inspired white girly things,  you must visit Stella Bleu. It is my absolute favourite store.

Here are some of the places that have had my attention captured for the past few weeks:

Apartment Therapy
Lovely Design
Maillardville Manor
The Happy Home
Whole Lotta Lovely

CATEGORY: Shop Shop Shop, The Move | 12 COMMENTS
TAGS: Decorating, Home Decor, Moving