The Actionsampler

Oh, the actionsampler. Effectively a clear-plastic covered disposable camera, which is re-used and re-used over and over.
It can't handle any form of light that is not daylight, much to my disappointment on getting back my expensively developed film.
I have now ordered film with a higher ISO - 400, not the previous 100. I hope it will make a difference. However, there were a few i liked.
Guess this hobby's gonna take time to nhhhail down

the elephant parade hits london

The travelling elephant parade has hit the streets of London. I am in my element. Perhaps now is the time to put my collection on display. I must be heading into the forties by now..
250 brightly painted model elephants have been installed throughout central London as part of the Elephant Parade, each one decorated by an artist or celebrity. Come July, each one will be auctioned off to raise money for flesh-and-blood elephants (although we're not sure what they'd spend it on - peanuts, presumably).
http://ep.uplinq.nl/content/blogcategory/14/29/












I might make one.

On other news

So my mum's having a musical re-revolution.

Aside from the noise coming at me from the little record player that I didn't know worked, a bunch of great stuff has emerged. Turns out I underestimated her musical taste, I feel rather stupid.
Steely Dan - Pretzel Logic. Most definitely worth a listen.
As well as the Woodstock Album. ahhhh




And about the bunny.

my friend lalla has purchased a bunny. without her family knowing. so hello to the surprise booneh - Rowland

;awlekgj aegjlkwegjalwkegjlakegjalwkej;fl awe I want to eat her.
But I obviously won't. I'm just gonna go have some biscuits, mebbe.

of the week

Last Tuesday, the postman delievered.
Finally this little camera arrived.




I know that the lomography actionsampler isn't too high tech - it actually weighs as much as, and looks like, a kinder egg surprise.
BUT, it should be a laff for summer. If I ever manage to get my photos to look like this. Highly unlikely.



I have also got re-in touch with my romantic side. Whilst whipping up an essay on Stalin's rise to power, I was playing Breakfast At Tiffany's.
Audrey most definitely broke the mould, and I both blame and thank her, for moving the female ideal away from hourglass perms.

This film reminded me how much I want a cat with no name, and how tearjerking Moon River is. Great, there I am sobbing over my essay. Woe was me.

Three Years On

Today, the 25th April 2010, marks the third anniversary of my spinal surgery. When I was thirteen I was diagnosed with scoliosis - curvature of the spine. I had wondered why I was shrinking, and I really was shrinking : problem solved.
Rather, problem begun.






And less than a year later, I had made, what I can see now, the most important decision of my life so far, to have surgery. There are alternative therapies but to a 14 year old girl, crippling and feeling spineless, I knew deep down that the 25th of April would be the day I said hello to 1/2 kilo of titanium and goodbye to my 70 and 50 degree curves.


Now my back looks a little like that. Really close up you can see the nails, and seeing these pictures makes me squirm.

I guess it's difficult to remember now the pain and the sickness of anasthetic, morphine and the knife, so I'm always trying to give it more significance than I truly feel. Like when you lose somebody, and feel you should be more upset than you really are.
I just see my metal spine as a great party trick, and my scars as a great feat, never letting me forget how scared that 14 year-old girl was, and how strong I came out of it.


This is a photo my friend Gracie (see blog 'sketchings') took on her Diana mini last month. I like to look at it now, because it reminds me of the road we drove up to the hospital three years ago, lined inch to inch with daffodils. They looked like they were waving me on. Love daffs.

"In a world without rules, one man broke them all."

I am so late on, but I had no idea Bansky had painted a live elephant.





I am a major elephant fan. I have an adopted elephant in northern India called Kiruba, livin in the foothills of the Himalayas. I couldn't work out what to think about this painted elephant. It's definitely shocking, quite brilliant even - but also quite terrible. Most definitely illegal? Strange.
One of those things that I don't feel comfortable saying that I like, even though I do.


Bansky's film 'Exit Through the Gift Shop' premiered at sundance film festival in January as the worlds first street art disaster movie. Bansky describes it, when pressed for detail as "a film about a man who tried to make a film about me. Everything in it is true, especially the bits where we all lie."




Can't wait to see it.

Knife by Joey Valiunas

I have a friend called Joey. He's great, and an exceptional photographer. This is his AS work that I've taken a fancy to. http://www.joeyv.net/photo/
Here's where you can find more

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jvaliunas/