Mocking Bird

An Instant Love Book and Camera Give Away!

Amanda — Wed, 16 May 2012 16:45:29 +0000

More Instant Love news today…

As I mentioned earlier in the week, Ryan Marshall video extraordinaire shot and produced the book trailer for Instant Love. To coincide with the book trailer release, we are having a fun give away. Head on over to Ryan’s blog for your chance to win a copy of Instant Love and a restored Polaroid land camera!

The wonderful Cory at Rare Medium in Seattle (one of our book retailers) and Land Cameras has been super awesome to provide the winner with the fabulous Polaroid land camera. It’s the type of camera that uses peel apart film (just like the image I shot for the book above) and has been completely refurbished. If you need your Polaroid camera fixed or refurbished, Cory and the team at Land Camera are the people to see!

To enter this fantastic give away, head over to Ryan’s blog and leave a comment. If you want a second entry, all you need to do is repost the trailer and post about the book on your own blog. The contest starts today and closes next Wednesday.

Once again, thank you to Cory at Rare Medium for helping out and giving away a camera to our lovely Polaroidy friends! You are awesome!

Pacing The Panic Room: Enter here! // Follow Ryan on instagram @ _ryanmarshall

Rare Medium Store and Gallery // Land Cameras Repair Store // Follow Rare Medium on twitter

Instant Love:How to Make Magic and Memories with Polaroids Is Officially Released!

Amanda — Mon, 14 May 2012 13:00:35 +0000

This journey began in late 2009. It began with a rather long email that started as an intimate conversation between friends and turned into a plan to write a book together. And now the day is finally here- our book, Instant Love is done. It has pages and a spine and is sitting on book shelves. It feels so good to be able to look back and say, “we did this together.” We created something that we truly love and believe in and want to share with others.

We wrote this book for you- lovers of Polaroid who want to learn how to shoot dreamy photographs filled with light and possibility. We share all we know about crafting beautiful compositions, our lighting techniques and tips on portraits. Throughout the book you will find snippets about what we love about Polaroids, the joys this love has brought us and pieces of our lives as Polaroid photographers.

And today we are super excited to share the trailer for Instant Love. We are very happy to have collaborated with Ryan Marshall to create this gorgeous video. We hope you love it!

Thanks to the band Rabbit who provided the music. The awesome song is called “Camera” and it’s available here. And of course, to the amazingly talented Ryan Marshall of Pacing the Panic Room for shooting and producing the video. Thank you, Ryan!

I want to thank Jen and Susannah, our girl Amy Haney for her beautiful illustration, our awesome contributors Mia Moreno, Fernanda Montoro, Grant Hamilton, Matt Schwartz, Parul Arora, Leah Reich, and Lori Andrews, our wonderful editor Bridget, Matt, Brooke, Peter and Diane at Chronicle Books, all our models, The Impossible Project, my family and friends who have all been so supportive (like seriously amazing and out of this world supportive), and most especially my Sean who got me through those months of writing, shooting and editing without cursing at me once.

And of course, Dr Edwin Land and the original Polaroid company for giving us the opportunity to make art with these amazing cameras.

Check out the trailer and tell us what you think! You can of course find our book at Chronicle Books, Amazon, Urban Outfitters and many bookstores around the world!

p.s. If you already have Instant Love and enjoyed it, we would love it and be super thankful if you would share a review on Amazon. :)

Impossible PX70

Amanda — Fri, 11 May 2012 14:00:10 +0000

Friday brings some images from Impossible PX70 colour film shot in my Polaroid SX70.

I’m really liking the colours that you can achieve with this film. The blues and pinks are lovely. The reds are still coming out a little yellow but it’s such a great advance in colour from the original Impossible films. Those pesky leaks happened because the light managed to break through my mighty-impenetrable-defense-of-steel-shielding technique (aka flimsy card attached to camera with sticky tape). However, in these 2 shots, I quite like the glowing effect.

I’ve been waiting for the weather to clear in Vancouver to get out and shoot more with this film. I shot so much instant film while I was in Morocco and France and haven’t shot a lot since (apart from a sneaky little project I’m working on at the moment). Now that sunshine is here, my camera and I have a date this weekend. What are you doing with your two glorious days? Go shoot some instant film!

Polaroids from Instant Love

Amanda — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:00:19 +0000

It was a beautiful summer evening and the light was perfect- Polaroid perfect. It was the light I’d been chasing for our book. We wandered the path catching pebbles in our shoes and looked out to the ocean as it sparkled before us. I love those kinds of evenings best. Where the air is light and you can hear kids enjoying the water…summer sounds so happy to my ears. I ran my fingers lightly over the tops of the warmed grass as the path led us to the sea.

These Polaroids are a sneak peek at some of the images I shot for Instant Love. You can see them and many more in the book!

Do the Doing

Amanda — Thu, 03 May 2012 14:00:23 +0000

Being a creative person is a life fraught with emotion and wanting. Blessing or a curse? Dreamers, we imagine our lives fulfilled creatively, we see a life that is made up of pieces of a creativity puzzle that we are constantly craving. It’s that voice inside us that is constantly dissatisfied with the place in which we are standing, the lack of colour in our wardrobes, and that gaping hole in our portfolios. If I make this move, I will get this which will lead me to that. And then when I have that, I will be able to do this which will of course make me eternally happy. I will have arrived.

So often we are caught in the hustle, that we trip over our own expectations and find ourselves feeling overwhelmed beyond the point of no return. We are too focused on the end result, rather than the process. And in reality, the journey is actually the part that matters most- it’s where the doing transpires, where the learning takes place and the growing happens. Lately, I’ve been feeling a lot of the negative feelings attached to the seeking and haven’t been focused enough on the doing. It’s a bad place to be because in the end it just makes you feel like crap. What’s the point if you aren’t doing the doing… right? Isn’t that the reason we are here? To create?

In Shoot By Design, I share a lot about the journey and how finding your style comes through the doing. It comes from making mistakes and trying things out. It doesn’t come from looking at other people’s work and hoping that one day your work will magically be as awesome as theirs. It comes from doing the work and understanding that this is a process that takes time to unfold.

Do you get more out of the doing or the end result? I’d love to know your thoughts on this.

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

The summer class of Shoot By Design runs from Monday June 4th to Friday July 13th. You can read information about the course here and registrations are open now. Register here.

Things I Noticed About Paris

Amanda — Tue, 01 May 2012 14:00:43 +0000

Things I noticed about Paris

// The light is soft and makes for beautiful, creamy tones in photographs. All those white buildings help. I love that I could get gorgeous light shining in between them with every shot.

// Women really do have high end designer bags. In Canada and Australia, high end designer bags are coveted, but in Paris it appears that many (of those walking around the streets), have a Prada or a Louis Vuitton.

// There are discoveries around every corner. Detail and beauty is poured into everything and even the alley ways were inviting and pretty. I remember feeling this in Italy when I was there.

// Yes, Parisians are beautifully dressed. There were a lot of neutral colours and it made me want to throw out my whole wardrobe and start from scratch.

// The cafes are crowded. But it felt like everywhere in Paris was crowded. I feel bad for them. Living in a city that is constantly bombarded with tourists must get old fast. And the thing they say about waiters is true. But I don’t think that they’re rude. They’re just busy. Once you get their attention, they are attentive and accommodating.

// Paris is a town full of inspiration. From the art galleries to the buildings, the details, the people and fashion, food and architecture, there is no wonder that it is a city of artists. The way the city was built really makes you shake your head at how so much of the modern western world is so ugly. I really despise the “suburbifcation” of many places both in Sydney and Vancouver (and I’m sure is the same in many cities in the States and the UK)- you know the places, where everything looks the same and has has no thought of design put into the building and architecture whatsoever. Parisians know how to beautify their surrounds, I don’t see why the rest of us can’t.

All images were shot with my favourite film, Kodak Portra!

p.s. For those of you on tumblr, I am over there sharing photos and whatnot. You can follow me here.

Instant Love Retreat in Marrkech: Behind the Scenes

Amanda — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 15:00:27 +0000

Hello friends!

You’ve seen the Polaroids, the Impossible images, and the Fuji shots, but today I wanted to show you some of the behind the scenes fun that was had on the Instant Love Retreat in Marrakech this year. After all, this is what it was all about. The people, the fun that was had, the photo taking and most importantly, the eating!

In this little montage you can see from left to right in each row:

Line 1: Heidi, Amy and Briana at our group dinner one night in the Marrakech medina after a day of shooting and shopping in the souks; Susannah shooting Briana’s henna at the henna party at Peacock Pavilions; Jen shooting her Polaroid 180 in Essaouira

Line 2: all our Polaroid cameras on display at the Basics workshop in the tent at Peacock Pavilions; the Impossible shot that Susannah was taking of Brianna above; me holding a baby goat on the road to Essaouira

Line 3: Debra as shot by Susannah at Peacock Pavilions; Heidi as shot by Briana at Peacock Pavilions; Liz shooting a pile of Polaroids out at lunch at Terrace des Epices in the medina

Line 4: A group of Moroccan men in the medina as shot by Irene; the front door of Peacock Pavilions as shot by Debra; our yummy breakfast at PP

Line 5: Heidi shooting a self portrait at PP; Jen and Susannah looking at Polaroids at a cafe in Essaouira; Henna hands at the henna party

Line 6: Cocktails at PP; the group giggling and having fun at our wine tasting at PP- with wonderful host Chris leading; Helen as shot by Briana at PP

Line 7: Amy at our medina dinner as shot by Heidi; me and Heidi shooting in Essaouira; cocktails in beautiful evening light; the Atlas pavilion at PP – I stayed here with Irene, Debra, Briana and Helen.

Line 8: Jen, me, Amy and Susannah somewhere in Marrakech; Helen and Michelle at PP; Andrea and Liz at PP; Helen and Briana at PP

Line 9: Everyone at dinner in the cosy tent at Peacock Pavilions. We sat on the floor for our dinners here. In this shot taken by Irene, you can see Debra, Heidi, Amy, Susannah, Briana, Helen, myself, Jen, Andrea and Carol. Liz and Michelle must have been hiding.

As you can see much fun was had by all. This is just a sampling of the good times that were had. The retreat is a chance for you to get to learn more about your Polaroid camera, to learn about shooting instant from Polaroid photographers, to see an amazing part of the world and to experience an incredible culture, but it’s also about spending time with like minded people and making new friends. We had a blast- I know I will keep these memories with me forever.

We had so much fun that we are going back again next year. Jen and I will be running two retreats over two weeks and we would love you to come join us! You can download our pdf brochure here. Once you’ve read the brochure, email us for a registration package. We would love to have you!

Check out more of the lovely ladies’ photographs of our time in Marrakech here, here, here and here!

Thank you to Briana Morrison, Debra Cowie, Irene Georgiou, Heidi Swanson, Amy Haney, Liz Manyan, Andrea Kuhn, Michelle McGee, Carole Gentry, Helen Agarwal, Susannah Conway and Jen Altman for the images.

Doesn’t it look like fun?

A Piece of Irish Heaven in the States

Amanda — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 15:00:49 +0000

Scituate, MA…one of the loveliest towns I’ve ever had the pleasure of visiting. A small seaside town not far from Boston and the most Irish town in America. This was from a very short weekend visit spent with family.

Quaint doesn’t even begin to describe this gorgeous little pocket of the world. These were shot on the main street of Scituate and out at the lighthouse on the edge of the harbour. As we stood on the rocks by the lighthouse, looking across the Atlantic Ocean, I could visualize thunderous waves rolling in during a storm. The houses are built for it, but I imagine it would be a little scary when the seas get rough. And those buildings? Adorable! I don’t know how many times I think this in my life living abroad, but I knew I wasn’t in Australia anymore.

I really love this part of the world…isn’t it gorgeous?

As always, these images were shot on Kodak Portra 400 film.

p.s. Registration for the summer session of Shoot By Design opens at 9am PST today!

Photography Happenings

Amanda — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 21:38:26 +0000

Hello friends,

There are so many good things happening in the online photography community at the moment and I had to share them with you today.

>>>> Time Zero is a documentary about a subject that is dear to my heart- the last year of Polaroid film. Grant Hamilton (one of our Instant Love contributors) is the man behind this movie that is released at the end of the month. As quoted from the website: “This is the story of the artists who loved it, those who wanted to save it, and the man crazy enough to try”. Grant Hamilton’s abstract Polaroid work is well documented and loved all over the world. There are some familiar faces in the trailer for the film and you can read all about it here.

>>>> Another fabulous Polaroid photographer, Jen Gotch is now offering prints of her Polaroid work. Jen’s Polaroid photography has long been an inspiration to me. Her print store is here!

>>>> My good friend and fabulous photographer, Tracey is hosting an awesome giveaway on her blog, Sh1ft. Tracey runs an online store called Stitch where she sells cute baby and kids wear, but she also sells fun toy cameras such as the Holga and the Diana by Lomo. Tracey was one of my first photographer friends and I’ve learnt a ton about photography from her over the years. As a birthday celebration, she is giving away 4 film cameras from her store! Head over to Sh1ft to enter. Yay, Tracey!

>>>> On a personal note, we three instant ladies are super excited to be collaborating with the amazing Ryan Marshall of Pacing the Panic Room on a trailer for our book. Ryan is a very talented man who makes gorgeous videos and writes a heart felt and captivating blog. Some of his work includes videos for The Gap’s Do What You Love series. You can check out all of his videos here. We are thrilled with the work he has done for us already and can’t wait to share the finished book trailer with you!

>>>> And lastly, Instant Love has its first little mention in the UK mag, Mollie Makes. Thank you, Mollie Makes!

You can check out my new book page here where you can read the snippet clearly and that will be updated regularly. Viva la instant!

Cherry blossom shot with a Polaroid SX70 camera and Impossible Project PX70 film.

Lately on Instagram

Amanda — Sat, 14 Apr 2012 20:16:59 +0000

Ciabatta bread in my kitchen; Sean looking through vinyl at East St Records in Seattle; Fallen camelia petals in our neighbourhood; Scituate Harbour, Massachusetts; Stranded for 4 hours at Montreal Airport; Flying over Boston; Fallen cherry blossom petals in Vancouver; looking over downtown Vancouver from Kitsilano; Radiohead in Seattle; On my desk.

You can follow my life on Instagram at @mandaroid.