mizhenka

Holga Cat Camera - Hornsey Road

2012-03-06T15:10:00.000Z

Pointing the Cat Camera around my 'hood.

Holga Cat Camera - Light Leaks

2012-03-05T15:42:00.000Z

I decided to test a new batch of film in my Holga Cat Camera and it sort of worked this time! Last time I used it, only a handful of photographs turned out, and they were all quite dark. Unfortunately, because I was only testing the film, I didn't snap anything interesting. The first few photographs are very leaky, which I like. I'll post the rest throughout the week. The best thing about this camera is that it miaows!

Cyanotype

2012-03-01T12:41:00.000Z

Yesterday afternoon, the talented Melanie came over and showed me how to create a cyanotype. The ones we attempted to create yesterday afternoon didn't turn out well, because of lack of sunlight, but before I went to bed, I taped one to the kitchen window and the sunrise made a marvellous job of it. I'm hoping the sunset will finish off the rest I have taped to the living room window!

Here's a photogram effort being rinsed of the chemicals.

Irina Popova

2012-02-28T16:52:00.000Z

I really love these photographs by Irina Popova I've just stumbled upon on Corbis.

February Books

2012-02-27T22:04:00.000Z

I'm currently struggling through War & Peace, and expect to be reading it for a while yet (only at 20%). Which is why I figured I'd post February's books now!

As you can see, I read a few (well, four) Roald Dahl books. I really wish I'd read these as a child, because I don't think I can appreciate them fully as an adult. The Twits was my least favourite and someone commented on my three-star rating with "but that was my favourite book as a child!" Sorry!

I read a few travel-related books. I found Our Man in Hibernia interesting for the facts about Ireland. It's nice to feel I understand Peter's country a little more and why the Irish aren't so keen on us English (funny, they didn't teach us that at school). Cream Teas, Traffic Jams and Sunburn gave a great insight to the Brits on holiday (at home, and away).

Dom Joly's Dark Tourist was surprisingly good, also, but not as funny as I expected it to be. To be honest, I only picked it up for the chapter on Ukraine and I felt disappointed that he didn't seem to like Kyiv. Still, it's good to read about places off the beaten track, and I wouldn't mind a skiing holiday in Iran.

Absolute favourite book of the month: The Snow Child! It's books like this that make me wish I could form a proper review. It's so beautifully written and enchanting.

I also loved The Fault in Our Stars, which surprised me. I felt reluctant to read it at first because I really didn't enjoy Looking For Alaska, the only other John Green book I've read, at all.

Books I looked forward to reading, but didn't enjoy: The Zookeeper's Wife and A Forgotten Waltz.

Donegal

2012-02-23T12:24:00.000Z

Peter has just left for Ireland. I really envy the view from his parents' house.

And while we're at it, here are a few more snaps from Donegal.

Supersampler

2012-02-22T15:43:00.000Z

Managed to snap up one of the £5 cameras on Lomography UK this afternoon. I have a nifty Android app that does the Supersampler thing, but I couldn't resist. I do like new cameras!

Roadworks

2012-02-22T11:55:00.001Z

This has been happening for around a fortnight now. The drilling is so loud and it makes the bed shake from 8am. I don't even see the point in regenerating this area, to be honest.

More Diana Mini - Clissold Park

2012-02-21T00:47:00.000Z

I'm not very happy with most of these, but it seems a shame not to share them considering I PAID for them. I really should stick to digital, as it wastes less (no) money and time.

Diana Mini - Clissold Park

2012-02-20T21:22:00.000Z

On Sunday afternoon, we ventured to Clissold Park to see the deer and goats and butterflies. It wasn't until we arrived that we realised the butterfly dome is closed for winter, the fences around the animal enclosures are obstructive and the deer like to hide far from the fences. Still, I took my Diana Mini and tried to get some nice photographs, but they're quite terrible. I'm not sure if they're even worth posting. I used a Lomography film for the first time and everything came back over-exposed or slightly blurred. The other two films I ran through the camera were absolutely fine - so I blame the film.

Travelling for Music

2012-02-19T21:08:00.000Z

Once upon a time, many a weekend looked like this. These were taken in Dublin.

Forgotten Oktomat Snaps

2012-02-17T13:15:00.000Z

This morning, three Lomography films arrived and I'm debating whether or not to give the Oktomat another whirl. It's been quite disappointing so far. I only just realised I never uploaded anything from the last roll I shot. I've never used Lomography film before. I'm waiting for a sunny day before I use them - c'mon, London!

Tourist Day Out in London

2012-02-17T11:19:00.000Z

A few years ago, my mum came down to London and we did the tourist thing. It was a lot of fun. I haven't seen my mum since Christmas, 2010, and I miss her. These photographs make me smile.

Co. Kildare

2012-02-16T14:31:00.000Z

A summer's day in Co. Kildare, Ireland.

Valentine

2012-02-13T20:51:00.000Z

Farewell

2012-02-11T23:14:00.000Z

I filmed this a couple of years ago while departing Manchester Piccadilly train station. It's still one of my favourites. My friend didn't tell me she would run by the train. I was just filing her pretending to walk down stairs on the opposite side of the window (it was funny at the time, I swear) and then the train started moving, and so did she. Never fails to make me smile, this!

Berlin Hotel

2012-02-11T02:03:00.000Z

Old Photographs - London

2012-02-09T15:07:00.000Z

Here are some photographs I took when I first got my G9 and insisted on shooting everything wide.

Diana Mini - Snow in London

2012-02-08T17:47:00.000Z

The Diana Mini is fast becoming my new favourite camera. Always delivers.

Diana Mini - Freightliners Farm

2012-02-08T17:02:00.000Z

I took my Diana Mini to Freightliners Farm. The photographs came out a little dark and grainy, but that's okay. When I put a film in for processing, I always expect the film to be totally blank, so I'm happy these came out at all.

Digital Schnee

2012-02-05T14:49:00.000Z

I was going to bother even uploading the photographs I took on my digital camera, but they don't seem as bad as I initially felt they were. Since I got my Android phone and the Vignette app, I've become so lazy when it comes to taking, editing and uploading photographs. Poor, neglected G9. These were taken in Elthorne Park and on the Parkland Walk here in North London.

Polar

2012-02-02T16:54:00.001Z

I froze my face off walking to Crouch End and then bought a cute little polar bear tin.

January Books

2012-02-01T00:55:00.001Z

I read more books last month than ever before! Considering I seem to spend a lot of my spare time reading, I thought I'd write a little about the books I read. I'm by no means a great reviewer of books (or anything for that matter). I'll leave that to people like Blair!

I haven't had much time to read over the past few days and I spent the week before that battling through Crime & Punishment. It's not too long, at just under 700 pages, but I found myself having to read it more carefully so as to understand everything. I really enjoyed it and have much more of a wanderlust for Saintt Petersburg for it.

Snow Drops is another book that makes me want to go back to Russia. Everything is described so well that I was instantly transported back to Moscow (and Kyiv) at the mention of a maze of underpasses and padded apartment doors. There was a third book I read in January set in Russia, and that was Archangel. Thrillers aren't usually my thing, but my mum picked it up as a Christmas gift and I couldn't put it down once I started it.

Currently, I'm reading A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby. I read two of his books last months, High Fidelity and About a Boy, because they're all set around Upper Holloway - meaning I can easily identify with the little things like collecting mail from a pile of take-away menus and taxi cards, and taking the bus up to Crouch End.

Which is also why I really enjoyed Londoners. I feel as though I learned a lot about London life and it was interesting to hear what being a Londoner means from the perspective of regular people.

Books I really didn't enjoy: The Catcher in the Rye (annoying), and Pigeon English (I like the main character but, generally, the book made me feel a little nauseous too often).

Book recommendations are extremely welcome - especially those set in Russia!

Elthorne Park

2012-01-31T20:46:00.000Z

It's a miserable park, but the bins seem happy enough.

Aurora Borealis

2012-01-29T00:51:00.000Z

I've created an Aurora Borealis board on Pinterest, and here are some of my favourites.