Showing posts with label 2011. Show all posts

/druˈsɪlə/


 Drusilla

Latin [ros] + Greek [drosos]: something new and tender, pure, like dew, pure water, pure blood.
"Anything tender, like the young of animals." *




Fate.

Canon Ae-1: Ikra


Today's breakfast: black coffee, smoked salmon & grilled shrimps. Not exactly the typical Italian breakfast, I guess, but it reminded me of this picture I took last fall of some cheap caviar tin a friend brought over. Worst caviar ever, but anyway. Just felt like updating my neglected blog, you know.

Diana Mini: Yet Another Pub Night





Lomography Diana Mini + Lomo Xpro Slide 200

Diana Mini: Seaside Rush


So six months ago Bene and I went to the seaside. Which was absolutely great as it meant spending some time with one of my favorite people while doing some of the things I love the most in life. Like driving my car in the desert highway, eating out at my favorite grill restaurant, drinking some of the finest beers on my windy balcony while staring at a huge red moon reflecting on the dark sea at night, and then watching Clerks for the nth time and drinking some more icy Bud or Viru. And smoking too many cigarettes in between. As you can see from my shadow on her shoulderblade in the picture above. 


As I mentioned in this post, we only spent 20 hours there. Getting there at around 10pm, we could only go to the beach the next morning. The weather was just perfect for testing out some of my [then] newest toys, the Diana Mini and the Russia Day. So we hanged out a bit snapping some pics, bought some food and then went chilling out at the beach. 



I didn't take many pictures as I wished as it was such a fleeting visit, but I think you get the idea of how nice a place it is! Also, I've spent so much time here that I'm sort of used to its beauty.


I used Lomography x-pro slide 200 and [obviously] cross processed it. I really liked the film, even if my 1hour lab must use the oldest chemicals ever, as these pictures don't look cross-processed at all.


Wait a second: did they really cross-process it? I guess they did, I don't think they even know the difference between C-41 and E6!


I'm not much of a fan of the Diana, I guess it depends on the impossibility to process 120 around here,  and I now have mixed feelings about the Diana Mini.


I really love its size, its look, its weight, and the half frame format really comes in handy when you want to "pack light" and get 72 frames out of a 36 exposures roll. I would love to try the square format too, but my camera seems to be stuck on the half frame mode. 


The half frame mode can be quite tricky too. This picture above wasn't meant to be vertical at all, but I forgot about the hf-thing, so here it is, a sliced graffiti. My bad '-_-


It took me so long to get this roll processed because 72 shots can be too much sometimes. I guess I'm more of a 12 exposures-girl. That's the main reason to such a useless picture.


Occasionally this camera yelds strong vignetting... which I love!


Ok, maybe this is a bit too hardcore a vignette, but I like it anyway!


Bene aka my favorite model. This picture makes me wonder why we don't go there more often. I mean, that's some nice chilling out... gotta go back there asap, I guess. Weekends in the city: screw you.

Lomo LC-A+ "Russia Day": I Feel Good


Long time no see, I know and I'm sorry. I've been über busy, lately. School is taking most of my time, then there's work and then there's hanging out with my pals. I couldn't feel any happier: I'm doing quite good at school, my last exams went 24/30, 25/30 , 27/30, three 28/30 and I even managed to get a 30/30 cum laude, which totally made not just my day or week, but probably the whole exam session!
I'm also making friends with the other kids in the first year [we're 90% girls, which is pretty awful and yet obvious when it comes to language schools]. I was afraid I could end up being the lonely girl having lunch all by herself for ages, but it's safe to say I'm doing good in fitting in.

I don't have much time to hang out with Bene & Hector, or N, or whoever, but last Friday Bene had a sleepover at my place and the next day we had some shopping [light shopping, sigh!] and then Chinese take-away dinner at my place with Hecty, who left at around 3am after a nice chat indeed.
Talking about photography, I totally suck. I was supposed to take some rolls to the lab but didn't manage to. Tomorrow I should be going shopping again, hope i make it to the lab [and really hope I get something half decent from these Christmas negs].

I guess I miss having a real blog, my tiny corner in the www to tell people about what goes on in my life. I know this was supposed to be all about my attempt at analogue photography and stuff, I'm not even sure I'll get back to heavy blogging about my worthless existence, feel free to unfollow me in case.

The mirror shot with my beloved bunny ears is just because. Just because I'm feeling good, and cheerful.
Lomo LC-A+ RL "Russia Day" + Fuji Superia 1600
September/October 2011
As always, click on picture to see it on Flickr

Have a lovely day,
C.

Lomo LC-A+ "Russia Day": Absorbed


I love the new uni, I really like my new mates and I don't really mind having an exam per day for these two weeks. I just hate that I can't get to take any pictures. I should totally snap a whole roll just to show you where I've been spending my days lately. I definitely should. But, honestly, I'm glad to say that photography is the least important thing in my life, at the moment.

I hope Bene and I get to do something worth taking pictures of this weekend, though. Also, I should drop some rolls off at the photolab. Also, I still have 4 rolls of 4 different types of film loaded to 4 different cameras to finish. Not to mention medium format film. I suck, I know.

Anyway, t's 10:30 in the morning and I'm about to have my French simultaneous translation exam in a few hours and I just need a break. And some breakfast.

See ya guys, I'm off to eat something.
xoxo

Canon Ae-1: Tiny T.


Last post featured my mom's jumbo puppy, aka Big T. This time it's all about my sister's tiny pomeranian, aka Little T.
This little guy's been living with us since 2006 and yet I don't have many pictures of him... like less than 20, digital pics included - omg! This is mostly due to the fact that he's an hyperactive buddy always on the go, and ain't no shutter fast enough to capture him. Some time ago I was lucky enough to find him sleeping on my bed while I was hanging around with my camera, so there he is. Isn't he cute?


I'm in love with the lightleak in the first picture and I'm in love with my Canon Ae-1 too, obviously!
You can click on the pictures to see them on flickr or here to see the album in my LomoHome.
Also, follow me on tumblr!

Canon Ae-1: TroubleMaker


Last summer my mom had the worst idea ever: taking a Rottweiler puppy home. I mean, she's cute and all, but she's such a troublemaker. At least, I have another subject to take pictures of, and she's so lazy that she never minds to pose for me.


Let's face it, this girl looks pretty intense. She was only five months old when I took these [last October], she now looks more like a nasty killer-dog, and weighs a ton. And loves to chew stuff.
Don't tell mom I put these on the www, or she might think I'm kinda fond of her puppy, which is not, I promise :-)

Canon Ae-1 + Fuji Superia 800

Lomo LC-A+ "Russia Day": Time Well Spent




Late October. Waking up late, eating pasta on my bed while watching The Vampire Diaries, reading, drawing, watching some more tv and then going back to sleep.

Lomo LC-A+ Russia Day & Fuji Superia 800
Click on pictures to see them on Flickr or here to see them in my LomoHome.

Lomo LC-A+ "Russia Day": Brush Away

Last week has been the most exciting time in the whole year. Dog days are over now, and they're over for good this time. New school, new people, new things to do. And then news news news which have nothing to do with it. And then Christmas presents to give and to receive, valuable time spent with my family, positive thinkers all around, the saddest year coming to an end and a new one just about to begin. A complete brush on a life that's been making me sick for months.


I don't have anything Christmas-y to share, I wouldn't even feel like. I don't feel like jingle bells and stuff, I just feel I can't wait 'till December 31st, I need something to happen. It just kills me that I can't say a thing. I'd rather climb on a mountain and scream it out. Loud.

Last night I was listening to a Screaming Trees record, and these lines caught my attention:
"I got to tell you, goodbye mama
We've taken this too far
Been trying to tell you what's going on"
I started laughing hysterically. I'm sad as fuck now that I realize this is just how this all will end. At least, I got Mark Lanegan to listen to. Which ain't bad at all. Believe me, it ain't.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year or whatsoever, y'all.
I might come back before 2012, who knows.
See ya.

Canon Ae-1: Times Like These






Canon Ae-1 + Fuji Superia 800 [expired in 2009]
The green light is just natural light through some weird curtains I 've made that my mom hates. It doesn't look that green in real life, actually.

*Click on the pictures to view them on Flickr or view the album  in my LomoHome*

LC-A+ Russia Day: Compulsory Ice Cream Date








Whenever N comes back to the city, you are expected to get her to her favorite ice cream bar in town. And that's the only way to get her pose for you. Ice cream. Lots of :-)
I obviously only like the first picture above, the other ones are quite crappy. In my defence, I was just toying around to get to know the distance setting and the lightmeter of this little baby I love oh so much.

LC-A+ "Russia Day" + Fuji Superia 1600 [exp.2009]
Pictures featured in my last article for Lomography.

*Click on the pictures to see them on Flickr or here to see them in my LomoHome*

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*

LC-A+ Russia Day: Pete and The Pirates

Last month Bene and I went to see Pete and the Pirates playing live @Spazio211, my favorite place in the whole city. The Russia Day obviously came along, but in my film collection of nearly a hundred rolls the highest ISO I managed to find was a Fuji Superia X-tra 800. The photos of the gig itself didn't turn out well. Actually, they didn't turn out at all.


The venue we love so much is small and dark, except for this part [the entryway]. The stage is the smallest I've ever seen, it is just 15cms higher than the floor, making it very democratic but also painfully annoying if you wish to take a picture of the band from a distance.


We got two cokes [Bene was in charge as our driver, and I'm a good friend so I didn't drink liquors either] and sat at one of those high skinny tables. We had a nice view of the stage from up there. There were so little people that we went smoking outside and no one stole our table. How sad.


While waiting for the band to start playing, we talked and took pictures of ourselves, then the music started. I had only heard a couple of songs by the Pirates before that night, and liked them. Also, they're pretty cute in their Brit-style-ness. I mean, guys don't wear that kind of shoes and shirts in Italy, and that's a real shame. But I think that look suits Brit guys better, I guess that's for their pale skin, I don't know, that's just an opinion.


If I could talk to the Pirates, I would tell them not to blame it on their own selves if the audience looked bored and didn't feel much like dancing or interacting. The thing is, this place is the perfec hang-out place for the young indie-wannabe-elitists of town.


The thing I hate the most about this [shitty black pictures aside], is that their attitude prevents me from really enjoying myself at gigs. The singer felt a little depressed, I guess that's because we really are the shitty audience I told you. Bene and I make no exception: we spent the whole time sitting at our table, sipping our cokes, and even had a cigarette break. Just like you do at a boring conference. I feel sorry about it, Pirates.


On our cigarette break I noticed something was wrong with the camera: the film got somehow stuck somewhere, so I made some accidental double exposures. This one above is quite creepy, as it seems like  someone stabbed Bene, but it's also quite funny. The one I like the most is the first picture up up up  above. I only got mad when I realized the only half decent picture of the band got double exposed and it now looks shitty. I guess you could call this one an illfated roll.


I think Bene got some fucking attitude in this picture. Back from ciggy-time, we headed for the ladies' restroom.


Ok, now, this one requires a little explanation. Back in October 2006 Bene and I went to see ¡Forward, Russia! live in that very same place. We got bored 'cause we didn't like them much, and drank a few drinks [my dad took us there, and we didn't have a driving licence to protect anyway], and got little drunk. Well, it was just me, actually. We decided to go the toilet, and when Bene came out of the WC, she found me stretching on that same sink. She burst into laughter, when a nice English girl came in and started talking to me. Ever since, I kept telling anybody I met the brown-head lady from The Pipettes, 'cause I truly believe it was her. Five years later, which is today, I started questioning my sanity.


We like that toilet so much that we indulged in mirror-shots! I love the red light that shows whenever you press the shutter button of the LC-A+!


I took this one from the WC [standing still, you silly!], you can see me in the mirror above the sink.


In the very WC there is a mirror too. Could I ever miss the chance? No way. Also, the funny thing is that I didn't notice the "27-10" writing on the wall, and that's a nice and useful reminder, being that night October 27th!


Once at home I emptied my jacket pockets and put those bits and bobs on my desk along with my brand new Pirates' cd and the show ticket. And took a picture just for the sake of it. Then I put on the t-shirt [Bene and I always buy bands tees whenever we go to a concert], and decided to try an arm-length sel-portrait.


I immeditaley knew I'd hate it, so I went straight to my bathroom for a mirror-shot. Also because my bathroom looks weird, doesn't it?


Just for you to know: I can't really understand why would a fresh roll of ISO 800 film yeld more grain that an expired Fuji 1600. Fuji Superia 800? Never again. I guess I'll just get myself some Lomography CN800 next time. And stock up on Fuji 1600. 

*Click on the pictures to see them on Flickr or check out the album in my LomoHome*