Showing posts with label eating out. Show all posts

Analogue Shopping: Zenit EM and more analogue goodness!

Tomorrow is my birthday and it seems totally appropriate to celebrate it buying myself a new camera, the first one in ages. I've been obsessing over old Zenit SLR cameras for quite a long time now, looking for them on ebay and everywhere else, trying to find a working and not too expensive one, possibly not from Ukraine or Latvia as my country's customs would keep the parcel for ages. Today, after much indecision, I finally treated myself to a Zenit EM.

I decided to only buy the camera body as I'm always worried the lens might have scratches or fungi on it, so I'm going to buy it someplace else than the evil bay. I paid about £15 [+£18 for shipping], the seller seems to have a good feedback and the shipping should take about 5-9 days, but I live in Italy so you never really know ( -_-')

Do I actually need a new camera? Of course I don't. I own more than 50 cameras, plus a whole lot of disposable cameras and various pinhole cameras I made myself, so no, it is totally futile. But I can't wait to get my hands on some Helios lens and try to get some cool bokeh! [like these 1, 2, 3]

Actually, there's plenty more analogue goodness on its way to me for my birthday... A big thank you in advance to the lady below [aka my sister] - rumors have it she's going to give me some packs of the new Impossible Color Protection SX 70 film! <3
Spring seems to have finally set in, the weather is absolutely great, some less-hectic workdays lie ahead and it looks like my creative juices are hopefully flowing again - I really can't wait for some photoshooting action!

Breakfast at Garfunkel's

On our last day in London last September Bene and I indulged in some massive English breakfast at Garfunkel's at Gloucester Arcade. I really enjoyed the atmosphere... and the food, of course.

Flickr | Lomo | Tumblr

Lomo LC-A+: More Summer Glimpses



BeerFest Dinner & Walking by the Lake.

Flick | LomoHome | Tumblr

LC-A+ Russia Day : Ikea Afternoon


Earlier this summer B and I got to do many of our favorite things, among which are going to concerts, going shopping, eating out and hanging out at Ikea [and eating out there as well]. It is actually forbidden to take pictures in Ikea stores, in Italy, at least, but we always have so much fun taking silly shots, there, we just can't help taking it.

Lomo LC-A+ Russia Day + Fuji Pro 800z

* Click on pictures to see them on Flickr *

LC-A+ Russia Day: Ikea Lunch with Bene

 A few days after our "Seaside Rush", during the first days of October, Bene and I both had a spare afternoon, so we thought to go to Ikea and have lunch there. We did, only at 4pm. We ate their wonderfull meatballs "kottbullar" [let this girl dream] and treated ourselves with nutella crêpes. And took a couple of pictures, as I still had a couple of shots left in my Russia Day.


This picture here was supposed to be the first picture and the preview of my latest article for Lomography, a review of Fuji Superia 1600, but as it was published earlier today I found the picture was changed. I was a bit pissed about it at first, but I like the picture the editor chose as well [I'm gonna feature it in some next post].

Now I'm off to some heavy chilling-out. Wish y'all a great weekend!

*Click on the picture to see it on Flickr or click here to see it in my LomoHome*

Lomo LC-A+ "Russia Day": Seaside Rush

Last September 21st Bene and I stopped at the supermarket, bought some beer and junk food, and left for a less-than-24-hour seaside rush. I've had my LC-A+ RL "Russia Day" for a month or so and still had to test it. I thought it would be the perfect companion. Well, Bene aside! We got on my car at around 8pm and arrived at about 10pm. We didn't go straight home: we decided to have dinner at one of my favorite place to eat meat. 'Cause eating seafood at the seaside is so cliché. Let's have kangaroo meat instead!


When I say kangaroo meat I actually mean it. And I know that sounds mean, but I wanted to have Bene taste it. It actually tastes much like game, it doesn't taste that weird. It tastes much like a donkey. Which we ate too, that same night. We shared gnocchetti all'asina [mare gnocchi] and ravioli di canguro [kangaroo ravioli]. Then I had some rostelle d'agnello [like bbw lamb, click through to see this mouth-watering delicacy], I can't remember what did Bene get as her second course, but I can tell you for sure that we could barely speak after so much food! We had some coffee and got back to my car. Man, were those 10kms to my seaside house hard to come by! I was so fed up it felt like years.
We got home around midnight, the weather was perfect, so we put two armchairs on the balcony and talked while enjoying some fine estonian lager with just the seaside and a huge red moon right in front of us. I honestly have no idea why I didn't take any pictures that night. Shame on me.


I tried to make Bene watch Clerks II, one of my all-time favorite movies, but she fell asleep well before the first quarter of it. I turned it off around 3am feeling more dizzy than tired, but surely happy.
I got up around 9, and while waiting for Bene to wake up I chilled out a bit on the balcony. It was so sunny that the light reflecting on the sea burnt all of the pictures I took out there that morning.


When Bene finally got up, I waited for her to get ready in our bedroom. Which isn't my bedroom but my mom's, but mine's much smaller and we were the only ones in the house anyway. I loved the light in the attic, so I just couldn't help it. Snap snap.


While I was going back downstairs, I stopped and asked Bene to pose like a pin-up. People tend to get either so uneasy or truly silly when a camera comes around. I'm glad to say we both belong to the second kind.


The kitchen bar with all the empty beer bottles felt like the best setting to a "we had fun while y'all guys were at work"-shot. We just couldn't blew this chance.


We got [un-]dressed and went out for breakfast. Ice-cream shakes, yum!


We hanged out a bit, it was hot as hell, elderly German tourists everywhere, a few families on belated summer vacation, and absolutely no one our age. Which much like Ligury any other day. 

I guess we toured the whole town twice or more, then we bought some focaccia and went back home to eat it. On the balcony, with some chilled beer and ice tea and other junk food from the previous day.
Focaccia + Beer + Sun + Sea = Man, did that feel good! 



It was idleness at its purest. We just had nothing better to do than take pictures of our feet. 
Specifically, her feet...


...And my feet.


I'm not a big fan of feet anyway, we just thought that would be the best way to remind us of how far better could any workday be if it just wasn't a real workday.
Right after a strong coffee, we went to the beach. We went to the town centre one last time. It felt rather like "California Girls" driving in a convertible with our flip-flops on, mini skirts and bikinis. Too bad we ain't blonde and tanned. And skinny. And rich as fuck. But I guess times like these are enough to feel grateful for.

So this was my first time with my Lomo LC-A+ "Russia Day" [from now on just LC-A+*; I'll use the asterisk 'cause I just can't bother to type LC-A+ RL "Russia Day" everytime], and I loved it. This obviously ain't a review, but in case you were wondering if it's time to save up for one, my answer is definitely yes. Vignetting, saturation, pocket size, wide lens, sexy red leather. Need I say more? I'm even quite pleased with the results. These pictures are quite good for a test roll, I think. Blame the heavy grain on a roll of 2009 expired Fuji Superia 1600. But grain is good, right?

Canon Ae-1: Cadmen Town, Afternoon


After a not-so-light lunch we ventured out in the stalls market. It was amazing, as always. Despite liking the cyber-colossus outside, the place I like the least in Camden is Cyberdog. I used to have quite a kick-ass bag and a t-shirt from it some years ago and loved them, but the place itself is too crowded and the music too loud for me. Yeah, my days as a rockstar are over.


I like the atmosphere all around it better. I tried to look for what used to be the staircase featured on The Clash first record, but once again, failed. Also because I had so many shopping bags that I didn't really feel like running back and forth for a mere staircase.



After buying some more t-shirts and cool stuff, we went to Starbucks for my usual Frappuccino. The guy at the bar insisted for me to try it with the cream on top. "Everyone likes cream!", he said: he was quite shocked when I told him I don't like cream at all. Sorry, man. M hates coffee but wanted to be pictured with a Starbucks cup anyway. We had some poser-moments, you know. We all have.


Then we got on the bus headed for Waitrose and then our hotel, as we were already really tired. We were on the back seats, then a man sat next to us. His nails were dirty, his shoes holey, and his appearance wasn't very reassuring at all. He kept staring at the both of us with the corner of his eye, and we were getting quite nervous. He even took some dope out of his pocket and ate it.
We got off the bus, he kept following us, so we went into the supermarket, quite scared of his possible next move. When we went out, however, he was no longer in sight. We got back to our hotelroom and had a shower, dinner, and just fell asleep right away.

Canon Ae-1: Camden Town, Morning


Camden Town. Needless to say, my favourite place in London. Not only for the weird things you can find in its shops and markets, the punks and goths, the food. I love Camden Town because you can go there in your pj's, and no one would give a damn. If they ever notice.


I'm not much of the chaos-lover, I enjoy orderliness and quiet most of the time, but here in Camden nothing seems to bother me. The last time M and I went here, we were looking for an album in a record shop, and when we got out there was a massive fight right in the middle of the street, with police cars, ambulances, and tourists snapping, of course.


This time a few police cars stopped as well, but nothing cool happened. It felt much like a lazy day.


We shopped a lot, mostly in the markets, and had lots of fun as always. I know it's lame, but I have to confess that the first shop we entered as we left the tube was H&M's store, as they had great sales and... well, we seem not to be able to avoid entering any H&M store on our way.


I can't recall what's into this shop, we didn't get in, I guess, and though the picture sucks it was quite impressive in real life. I've also taken tons of pictures of the graffiti in Camden, but the light was awful and my experience with SLR so poor, that I'll better not upload them.


These rainboots. Sweet. I wish I shot this one horizontally as M did. It would have been focused better, too bad. I should really buy a pair of these next time I happen to be in Camden. Anyway, I've bought so many t-shirts i still can't believe I managed to store them all in my luggage.


But shopping was exhausting, so we ended up eating on those vespas along the river. I had a huge hot dog, though I regret not trying some ethnic stuff, but it was yummi enough. M decided to go Brit and had fish&chips, and she did actually regret it. I've had fish&chips once in my whole life and would never ever give it a try again. It just ain't my thing.


Sorry for the lame quality of the pictures, I'll try to fix it asap.