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!
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 *
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
Bunny whore on crack
[just pretending]
'Cause it's good to be stupid sometimes.
I spent my 21st birthday in London with Marty. I was so disappointed when I came back and got my rolls developed 'cause there was only one picture off my birthday. I thought they were too underexposed or something like that, then two days ago I went to the photolab to drop some recent rolls, and there it was: "CAE-1/LDNBday" [I'm a pro when it comes to labelling]. I just can't tell you the anticipation I went through for the 90 minutes it took them to develop and print my pictures. I luckily was hanging around with Bene for some shopping, I would have been standing at the lab's counter asking "How much longer?" the whole time, otherwise.
This first one is the first shot of the morning. I was over excited: it's nice to turn 21 in a hotel room while travelling abroad with a friend for the first time completely alone, and the mess on my bedside table just put me in the best mood.
While I got back from the shower, I found this wonderful necklace on my pillow with a tiny happy b-day note by Marty: it was all too good to be true! She bought me this amazingly cute pendant the previous day in Camden, it's an owl [I've had a thing for owls long before it became fashionable] and as I've just mentioned, it is the cutest pendant in the whole world. It deserves a better shot, so here's one off the same roll I took once back in Italy.
No kidding, I told ya. Now, my first awful mirror-shot as a 21y.o. Marty always tells me I should turn the lens barrel with my hand placed under it, and I know I'd look more like a pro if I did, but I like doing things my old wrong way. Besides, I'm quite far from being a pro.
We spent the whole day in Oxford Street. The. Whole. Day. The worst thing about my bday was having lunch at KFC. I hate chiken, I hate to cook it, to eat it, I hate everything about it: its pinkish color, it's non-taste, it's awful consistency. I just hate it. Also, next time I'd gladly skip the 23748483kms queue at Top Shop, which was much of a disappointment. We managed to buy tons of shirts, vests, sweaters, bags, belts, anything.
We thought it would be cool to put all of our buys on the bed. We just took a couple of pictures, then we put it all in our luggage and had dinner. On the same bed [our room had a micro-desk but no chair, but we were always so tired the bed felt just perfect].
I wore one of the dressing gown bought at Top Shop and my bunny ears [bought the same day at Claire's], my "Leave Me Alone" sleep mask [also Claire's] and Marty took a picture of me [that's a huge parrott toy I named Mr Kingstone, bought in Camden for my 4y.o. cousin].
I'm so happy I've finally found these pictures, that's the magic of film, some things get lost, some thing get found. Also, I'm in love with all these light leaks, I'm in love with my Canon AE-1, and I'm so in love with film.
*The other post on my birthday in London*
The reason behind this is that tomorrow Bene&I are going to see
Pete And The Pirates play live @our favourite music venue!
Bene has to be my best music buddy ever, and last time we've been together to a show was January 2010 [we saw
Paul Collins Beat that time, but we've seen some very underground-ish acts you surely never heard before, but that's pretty a long list and I won't bother to write it down, but you don't really care so it's ok].
Hope we'll take tons of pics, 'cause this blog looks pretty empty, don't ya think?
Last summer in July Marti and I packed up our stuff and went to the seaside. We spent there three weeks or so and had the greatest time. We always were at the bathouse, sunbathing, photo-snapping and joking with the guys. Nights were filled with friends, laughs and alcohol. A tablecloth-theft also occurred, and the same night we also accidentally stole a violet plant. But having no vase to put it in, we decided to plant it into a plastic cup. We didn't notice there was still some Negroni in it. We found the poor thing dead the morning after in our bedroom.
Going home was always quite adventurous, being wasted most of the time. We've spent whole nights chatting in the bedroom we shared in the attic, once safe and sound-ly at home. Dirty laundry and shoes on the floor, smeared make-up on our faces and sand all over the mattress. I've never seen a room that messy ever before.
Gine came for some days, John came for some days too, and we had lots of fun, met amazing people, and we both lost it all in the end. Everyone did loose a lot, and I guess we're all to blame. But time goes by, and I don't care anymore.
I don't regret a thing, I never do, it was fun back then, now it's gone. Oh well.
All pictures taken by me on Holga 135BC on Fuji Velvia 100 cross-processed
[except photo #3 taken by Marti]
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