Wanders and Wonders

Looking For A Short Read?

2016-03-14T08:30:00.000+00:00

Recently I’ve read some cracking little novels that really got me thinking. These two I’m about to list really stuck out as something pretty much anyone can enjoy.

All My Friends are Superheroes by Andrew Kaufman

This is a weird one; hugely fascinating and scarily accurate. The book focuses on this one normal man, who (surprise surprise) is only friends with superheroes. The book flicks between the past six months of this guy’s life and the present, where he is sat on a plane with his wife.. who has been hypnotised and hasn’t been able to see him for the past sixth months. This guy has to somehow convince his wife he hasn’t disappeared from her life, but is in fact sitting right next to her. Random right? Jam packed full of clever comments on people in today’s society, it’s well worth a read.

Playing to the Gallery by Grayson Perry

I picked this one up on a whim at the book store; it looked interesting and the cover’s pretty. I was gripped the whole way through, and wanted it to be longer. The book is split into four or five main sections, each answering important questions on the contemporary art world and it’s role in our society. It sounds a little pretentious but don’t write it off! This book really made me think about the role of contemporary art & artists in todays world.

That’s it,

Happy reading!

Georgina

Three Podcasts Worth A Listen

2016-02-29T08:30:00.000+00:00

If your new to podcasts and want to give them a try or your looking for something fresh, these might be just the thing. You’ll find the one’s I’ve picked are centred around interviews with successful creatives/entrepreneurs and how they got to where they are today.

Ear Biscuits

Hosted by two guys Rhett and Link who have a pretty popular YouTube channel, they’ve interviewed so many of the big names on YouTube and a few other creatives. Each episode is at least an hour long and so they take the time to really go into detail with each guest. Sadly they’ve stopped making episodes but there’s such a big selection on iTunes it’ll keep you going for sometime!

The Lively Show

A weekly podcast that discusses every aspect of lifestyle from career, relationships to personal habits. Blogging is a running theme throughout each episode, looking at the future of it as well as interviewing some current successful bloggers and entrepreneurs. Episodes range from 20mins to 1hour so perfect for a long listening sesh’ or a quick tune in.

Filler: A Creative Industries Podcast

My favourite one on this list. The two guys that run it are creators themselves, and the shows got such a good vibe. Mostly held in a coffee shop in central London, they get a lot of photographers, entrepreneurs, video makers and even community architects (who knew that last job role even existed!). I always come away from each episode feeling like my mind has been opened to new ways of thinking and being, definitely worth a listen.

One to look out for: One Piece Of Advice

Yes I can count, but this is a little extra one! Only one episode has been released from this last piece which is why I don’t think it truly counts. But after listening to a bit of the first episode, they seem to be on the right track. Another podcast looking at creatives in the industry. This podcast seems less chatty than the ones above, with talking purely from the creative featured.

Happy listening!

Georgina

Looking... Really Looking

2016-02-22T08:30:00.000+00:00

For my photography project I needed to look at crowds, strangers and big cities. So off I went to Waterloo station where I wandered around and snapped away, hoping no one would ask me to turn the camera off! My goal was to experiment with capturing the journeys strangers were experiencing around me, I thought I’d share my outcome.

I love this long exposure effect you can create using a really slow shutter speed, it seems to capture the movement and flow of the train station so well.

I decided to make everything black and white partly because of the photographer that inspired this shoot, but also because it appears to remove some of the clutter that colour can bring to a photo. It lets the eye focus on lines and angles that make a photo.

Looking back at the photos it amazes me how little I'd paid attention to the station when visiting previously; the clash of old architecture next to shiny new flat screens.
Even the shot above seems to have something interesting about it. The sign is nothing special and yet it's signs & directions like this that are a crucial part of the journey through Waterloo station and beyond.
Since this photography project is all about 'the journey', these thoughts should all hopefully lead somewhere. But outside of course work I'm going to try and appreciate the smaller details around me when I'm out and about. It might make unexciting travel that little more exciting.

Georgina

Consuming and Creating

2016-02-15T08:30:00.000+00:00

Getting that balance between consuming creative things and then creating yourself is pretty tricky huh.

It’s so easy to soak up all of those creative juices from other people - perhaps from the artwork you saw, or a video that got you thinking, or just something someone said that stuck with you. But it’s what to do with all those ideas that’s the problem. It's so easy to let them sort of wash over you.

I watched this video recently (link to her channel here), and in it she mentions that to really process anything she's seen, she needs to create something. I'd never thought of the creative process like this before, I think she's completely right.
It's pretty similar to the idea that to stay inspired you just need to create, to experiment without any fear of doing something wrong.

Even writing this post has started something off. It’s made me sit down and think about what I want to write. I may have re-writen sentences a fair bit, and it took me a bit of time to get going. Still, it’s forced me to put something down and out of my head. It should help me to gain more of a balance between consuming and creating.

What do you think? I'd love to hear.

Georgina

A Change Of Scenery

2016-01-18T08:30:00.000+00:00

Change is not always something I'm that great at welcoming. Although I love switching up the small things like my phone case or nail varnish, bigger changes are something I'm trying to embrace more.

On that note I’ve been having some thoughts about changing up this blog; making some major adjustments as well as just freshening it up a bit.

I must admit some of my plans are a little 'cray' considering I’m going to do all this revamping myself, but we’ll see. I’m arming myself with all the ‘how-to’ sites I can get my hands on!

Most importantly I’m changing this blog's name, *drum roll please* to Wanders & Wonders. I felt this title was snappier and a little less moody. The name popped into my head a few months back out of nowhere, I instantly loved the way it encompasses a mind that's always thinking and a lover of travel.

The URL is also going to be changing, so the best place to find this blog whilst it’s making the change-over is on Bloglovin’.

For now be prepared for a lot of gradual changes as well as me occasionally taking the site down to make some bigger adjustments. Now all I have to do is sit down and get coding - lucky me.

Georgina

On Contentment

2016-01-11T08:30:00.000+00:00

I'm currently reading "Quiet" by Susan Cain, a book looking at the power and importance of introverts in a culture where extroverts are the favoured personality type. There was a section looking at how introverts tend to be more sensitive to big events and new experiences, explaining why they can happily have a quiet evening at home and not feel ‘under stimulated’ - as this book calls it.

When my friend Darcey casually stated that she feels completely content with staying at home with tea, the TV and a blanket it really struck me. Because although that doesn’t sound like a bad idea, it’s not something that would ever spring to mind. So what does make me feel really content? And when I say content I mean the I-wouldn’t-want-to-be-doing-anything-else-right-now kind of feeling.

After much deliberation, I came up with two situations that really struck me as utter contentment:

01 Being at a (rock) concert, seeing a band you lurve. That awesome feeling of being completely wrapped up in the loud music and the people on stage and the crowd around you. The most effective path to having some mind-numbing (and deafening) fun.

02 Having a really deep conversation with someone. And I mean scraping the bottom, drowning in the deepness, deep. It’s the way you connect with someone on such a genuine and honest level . Thinking up new ideas, new ways of seeing things and sharing thoughts that you can explore.

There were lots of things that came close to this list. I always think good people and good food is another one. But I think what I was aiming for here was situations where you are completely lost in the moment, not worrying about what you just said, or what you should eat, or what’s happening tomorrow.

Perhaps this got you thinking? If so, I’d love to hear.

Georgina

A Mindset For 2016

2016-01-04T11:20:00.000+00:00

So we’ve all said our farewells to 2015 and now it comes the time of year when we all sit down and ponder our goals and bucket lists for the next twelve months. I’m all for this new-found motivation, but I sometimes think our attitudes for how to achieve these goals are a little askew. Perhaps just listing what we want to do and expecting to make the time for it doesn’t work?

This year I thought I’d put this idea to the test. I’m going to not really mention what I want to do this year, but instead how I should be thinking to achieve it. The idea is that if you get yourself into the right mindset, all your goals can follow right behind.

Stop Waiting For 'Better Things' In The Future. It’s so easy to wish away the present because we know in a week, a month, a year things will be better. I want to make a habit of pointing out what’s good about right now instead of what I won’t miss.

Exercise Benefits You Mentally As Well As Physically. The idea of a run first thing in the morning can sound like the worst idea, but it doesn't feel that way once it’s done and dusted.

I’m A Morning Person, Make The Most Of It. Having a lie-in from time to time can be a small luxury, but getting up and starting the day early is what makes me feel motivated.

Don’t Overthink Things! It’s sometimes best to go with the flow, thinking things over and over won’t change anything.

Long lists always look intimidating so short and sweet it is. What are your new year’s resolutions? I’d love to hear.

Happy new year

Georgina

Note To Self // Finding That Balance

2015-12-28T08:35:00.000+00:00

I’m writing this a few days after Christmas day (and might I add am still feeling the Christmas blues), but more importantly this brings us on to the next sparkly event - New Years, and with that a whole load of rethinking and renewing (as well as an extra attempt at doing more exercise, but more on that later). To ease into that process I thought I’d gather some thoughts that have been cropping up lately and note them down here.

So the Christmas holidays came as a blessing and an excuse - to have some time off to recharge and regenerate (and stuff myself with festive food). But it’s also been a holiday where I’ve had to plan ahead, working out how much coursework I needed to get done and when I could find the time over the holiday to do it. This planning ahead and working for something in the far future is something I seem to be doing a lot of, not just lately, but ever since exams and life beyond education came into the picture.

This doesn’t seem something anyone can avoid, it looks like everyone has to be planning and sacrificing for a result that could come far from now. But it occurred to me a few months back, when I was out at a concert, knowing exactly what painfully early time I’d have to drag myself out of bed the next day, that it’s always healthy to pick and choose. I could have chosen not to go to the concert, I could have stayed at home and felt far less dead the next day, but I would have missed out on the live music and the atmosphere (and the t-shirt). And so the painfully loud alarm the next day wasn’t too much of a regret.

I have to admit, I like to stick to a list or a schedule, so I know exactly what’s been done and what’s still to-do. It’s nice to know your on track to getting everything ticked off on time. But I think it’s good once in a while to put all of that aside and focus on something that may be unimportant in the long run, but enjoyable or memorable in the moment.

Georgina

DIY Christmas Phone Case

2015-12-14T08:30:00.000+00:00

I always like to jazz up my phone case for the Christmas season, it’s one of those little things that seems to put a smile on my face. I’ve seen some gorgeous phone cases in the shops this last week or two, I especially like the moving glittery ones sold in Topshop. The problem is my poor phone’s getting on a bit and I can’t seem to find many shops that still make cases for my iPhone 4s. Still, there’s nothing stopping me from cracking out the watercolours and cruising Pinterest for some inspiration.

It's a little rough around the edges and the black labels are a bit wonky, but it's homemade and I quite like it looking that way!

Georgina

Top 10 Alternative Christmas Songs

2015-12-07T20:47:00.000+00:00

It’s that time of the year again and although I’ve been listening to christmas songs way before the first of December ( yup I’m one of those! ) I thought it was only appropriate to whip this post out as we’re really entering these festive next few weeks.

I have to admit I’m not one for the mainstream christmas songs, although they do get you in the mood. When it comes to listening on a daily basis I do like something a little more unusual. For anyone on the hunt for some new tunes I’ve made a list of my top ten (with links to Spotify) that I belt out every

christmas.

Party Hard - Zach Gill

The Christmas Waltz - She & Him

Santa’s Lost His Mojo - Jeremy Lister

Another Christmas - Amanda Jenssen

Someday At Christmas - Jack Johnson

Santa Claus Is Back In Town - Elvis Presley

Christmas Blues - G. Love

Winter Wonderland - Jason Mraz

No Christmas For Me - Zee Avi

Jingle Bell Rock - Rogue Wave

Happy Listening!

Georgina

Christmas Present Ideas For Girls

2015-11-30T08:30:00.000+00:00

Christmas is just around the corner *eep* and you can feel that festive buzz around the shops. This year my plan is to start searching and purchasing now so that I can focus on cute wrapping and cards nearer to christmas. To get some ideas flowing I've compiled a list of present ideas and places to look, perfect for sisters, friends and even mums.

(ALSO the photo above reminds me of winter, its not really relevant but it's pretty)

Books

A little selection of books that you'd be proud to keep on your bookshelf.

Sali Hughs : Pretty Honest . a beauty book for someone just testing the waters with makeup or a total expert. it's pretty much a makeup bible.

Alexa Chung : it . for any fashion lover this is a staple. the pages are made out of lovely thick matte paper, and the photographs make it look like a work of art.

Lena Dunham : Not That Kind Of Girl . a feminine and hilarious book, I was totally hooked.

Marine Keegan : The Opposite Of Loneliness : a collection of poems, essays and short stories. beautifully written and completely absorbing.

Nail Polish

Who can go wrong with a set of unique colours to jazz up any collection

Essie : All I Want For Christmas Gift Box . why not make it easy and buy a pre-chosen selection of christmas shades

Topshop : Mini Nail Pyramids . cute little polishes in shimmery shades, fit with a ribbon for hanging on the christmas tree

Cozy Scarf

Everyone needs one scarf, or two, or five... I couldn't pick particular ones, instead I've listed some shops that sell my favourites

Topshop . not too expensive and they sell the basics like a big grey scarf .

Zara . look here for thick, soft and patterned ones you can't find anywhere else .

Asos . you're guaranteed to find what you want here with so much choice.

Face Mask

They're something I always look at adoringly but never take the time (or the money) to purchase.

Origins : Ginzing . to wake up tired and grey looking skin .

Superfacialist by Una Brennan : Pore Purifying Clay Mask . intense but great I've found for troublesome skin.

'Splurgy' Gifts

Fujifilm instax mini 8 . a great little polaroid camera that produces cute credit card sized photos, to get you snapping away on christmas day

Ion pure lp record player . a great present for a lover of old music. since getting mine I've loved going into record shops and flicking through loads of albums in search of something tempting . what's great about this one is it comes with cables to plug into your laptop, to convert records into music for your iTunes library.

Shops You Can't Go Wrong With

Sometimes it's best to just cruise around in search of the perfect gift, if so here are some starting points

Waterstones . for the corner they always have filled with lovely bits and bobs that perhaps aren't needed, but definitely wanted

Happy Jackson Company . any stationary hoarder would love something from here. i personally lurve their notebooks.

Topshop . perhaps it's me but I'm sure their knick-knack section has grown over the past few christmas'. They have an array of pretty phone cases, purses, accessories and ready made makeup bags that would make a lovely secret santa gift.

Phew, a lot to get through there. That's certainly got my present-buying ideas going, hopefully it did the same for you.

Georgina

Autumn / Winter Palette

2015-11-23T08:30:00.000+00:00

A little bit of beauty, fashion and other things pulled together to form a little round up of what I'm reaching for at this time of the year. I did one of these for Spring, and liked the whole format. This time I've used the whole "holding-the-items-delicately-to-make-it-all-look-casual" type thang, enjoy.

This first pick is of the lippy Rebel by MAC. A pretty bold and daring affair. I must admit I had to psych myself up to wear this out in all its dark and dramatic glory. It's gorgeous buffed into the lips for a soft and smudged look, but it looks equally good generously applied. It's quite blue toned, I find on my paler days layering it up with an orangey-red shade helps. However it's an overall staple that I think brightens up any lipstick collection.

This gorgeous shadow is another item from MAC called Mythology. It looks pretty ordinary in the pot, but once smudged onto the eyelid it becomes a to-die-for deep red, shimmery gold colour. I love to wear it packed all over the lid, sometimes with a cream eye-shadow underneath if I'm going all out. It's such an eye-catching colour I've found all it needs is a quick blend with a brown or neutral shade and your set to go. I have brown eyes and it works nicely to create a dusty, slightly smokey look. But it would also look lovely with blue eyes, to make them pop.

The last week or so here in England the weather has suddenly turned colder and dryer and my skin has definitely been feeling the effects. My skin is oily to combination and I've found that the harsh weather has caused it to look duller and dryer than usual. Using this Origins GinZing face mask once a week as well as a nourishing moisturiser is helping my skin to adjust and look healthier.

I picked up this red Corduroy Pinafore Dress from Toyshop only a week or two back and have fallen in love. The plush red colour and boxy shape just reminds me of Christmas, I think I'm going to be wearing this often. I had slight issues with sizing however, I found I had to go a size up so that it would fit loosely and keep that lovely shapeless look, but this meant it was slightly too long and so I had to take it up a little. Nevertheless this is a lovely wintery piece that can be dressed up or down, I think a pair of cozy knee high socks would fit perfectly.

I seemed to have picked items in pairs for this post - a second item from Topshop bought in June this year. Not an item I expected to be bringing with me into the colder months, however this snug little jacket has surprised me by being warmer than I expected. I love to pair it with some black skinny jeans and a comfy tee for a grungy and casual look. Or I'll throw on a pastel pink maxi-midi skirt, embracing the 50s edge, a band t-shirt and put my hair in space-buns for a slightly crazy and contrasting outfit I can't resist.

I won't talk for too long about this Molecules 01 perfume. All I'm going to say is that it's lasting power is truly amazing and the scent, well I can't get enough. For links and more chitchat about this item click to see the post here.

And finally, an item that I also spoke about recently; my white Moleskine journal (click here to see how I added the black label). In the colder and darker months where I'm inside sadly a lot of the time, I find myself reaching for this to write random thoughts down about nothing in particular. Sometimes I find getting all thoughts down on paper can clear your mind and help me to feel a little calmer.

Any items you've been reaching for a lot lately? I'd love to hear.

Georgina

Staple Autumn Scent

2015-11-09T08:30:00.000+00:00

I’ve never been one for fancy perfumes I’ll admit, I always gravitated towards the cheaper ones that can be broken, lost and replaced without a fuss. The Eccentric Molecules, Molecule 01 perfume however is different, and I have been converted.

One great thing about this perfume is that it smells completely different on everyone. It seems to have a woody undertone that is unmistakable on most people - perfect for autumn / winter. However on me this perfume smells spicy and musky when it’ll smell much sweeter and more floral on a friend. The lasting power is also amazing, I do one spritz in the morning and it lasts the whole day - no top ups needed.

The thing that drew me to this scent was the description it has when you view it online, it says on Cult Beauty that the perfume has a 'basenote that adds allure to a scent, which works as more of an effect than a fragrance.' This whole idea that a perfume will affect the people around you is something that sounds pretty necessary if you ask me! And the raving reviews it has seemed to back up the claim.

I have to say I agree with the description, I’ve never had so many comments and questions as to what I’m wearing. For the time being I’ve just got the little bottle and I don’t think it’s going to run out anytime soon, but I’m sure when it eventually empties, the large bottle will have to purchased!

Georgina

Small Things \\ Food Landscapes

2015-11-02T08:30:00.000+00:00

These last few weeks I've been chopping up fruit and veg to create mini little forests scenes. They were a little tricky to set up at times, but so fun to do!
The first shoot I did was using broccoli as trees and chopping up the stalks to create a little path that leads the eye through the image. I couldn't resist doing some little doodles on the last two images, using this awesome app called Paper 53 ( best one I've found for drawing on an iPad ).

I wasn't really sure what the plan was with this set of photos. I just knew I wanted to use some carrots with the fancy leaves still on. I ended up making these two weird and wacky scenes that I kinda ended up liking.

This last shoot was probably the most technical, I wanted to be a bit more ambitious so I decided to use loaves of bread as rolling hills instead of a plain studio floor. I liked the idea of doing a winter wonderland scene with lovely candy floss trees. I added the wall in, made out of Liquorice Allsorts, I like how it disappears off the first hill and reappears on the second.

One thing I didn't think through was that the candy floss sort of loses its fluffiness after a while and so by the time I'd built the wall and but all the icing sugar on, the candy floss had crystalised! Still, no biggy though, a bit of Photoshop came in handy.

There are still a heap more from this last shoot that I haven't edited yet - reshaping candy floss trees takes longer than expected! Maybe I'll do another post with the finished images? (can't miss out the nougat snowman!)

I'll link the artists I used as inspiration here and here so you can see how the pros do it!

Georgina

The Much Needed Dymo Label Maker

2015-10-26T08:30:00.000+00:00

For quite a while I’d had this label maker saved as a bookmark on my computer, and finally this week I decided to invest. When I picture a classic owner of these label makers I go for the compulsively neat characters who label everything and anything. However after seeing clever and artsy ways to use this contraption floating around Pinterest I just couldn’t resist.

I bought this one from amazon for just under £13 because it had the best reviews and came with the black tape I was after, you can see I really did my research ha.

I'll probably end up using this label maker for cute gift tags on Christmas presents and maybe a phone case here and there, but for today's post I thought I'd show you how I jazzed up my notebooks. They're both Moleskines of course, one is my sketchbook and the other my journal. When I was picking out the colour of my soon-to-be journal it only seemed right to go for this monochrome vibe, so white it was and it ended up going nicely with the black tape.

There are probably slightly fancier ways you could use the labels to decorate this journal, I did think about putting a Polaroid on the front or something. But I ended up with this super simple style to match the simple colours.
Hopefully as my collection of notebooks expands they'll start to look a little more impressive; I like the idea of putting dates on the spine of the books saying when I started and finished them.
This might all seem a little tedious considering the colour and design of a notebook really doesn't mean much in the grand scheme of things! But, I do think that sometimes small amounts of beauty or detail in our everyday lives can make the day feel a little more special.

Georgina

Mid-Month Motivation || October

2015-10-19T08:00:00.000+01:00

What a gorgeous quote huh?

Not the most motivational but who could resist grabbing a vast looking photo and cropping it down for extra drama. This photo is of the Cloud Forest in Ecuador and snapped by my friend Amy.

I'm not sure why I find this quote so captivating. I kept seeing a lot of 'get-up-and-go' quotes when I was scrolling in search of something for this post, but I don't think they're always what you need to hear to feel inspired.

It makes me think of this artist I found on Pinterest, I'll link her work here. This whole idea of beautiful things bursting from someone's mind sounds pretty lovely to me.

Anything that's been inspiring / motivating you this month?

Georgina

Autumn Is For Plans

2015-10-12T08:00:00.000+01:00

I did one of these at the start of summer and fell in love with how I could look back over it and tick things off. This season round it’s all about embracing the shorter days, the icy weather and cosying up with some comfy clothes. Here's my game plan for the next few months..

Crack out the super dark lips - my fave is MAC rebel

Invest in some fairy lights with little lanterns on the end and string them up around my room

Light up a spicy warm candle every evening

As tumblr as it is don’t judge - pumpkin spice lattes are calling

I’m not ready to say farewell to sandals yet, so embrace the socks and sandals

Wrap up and go on long walks to savour the last leaves on trees

Stock up on some heavy, snuggly jumpers

Try and pick up my journal more often to write down passing thoughts

Embrace the rain, don’t let it get you down, sit and watch it with some music and a book

Start carrying my kindle / book out and about with me to squeeze in some reading now and then

Start planning some Christmas present ideas - it’s never too early!

Try and top up Instagram with regular posts - it ends up becoming a little collection of memories

Take time for yourself - don’t get too stressed out - a little perspective always helps

Pick up some whacky sunnies and pair with a dark lip

Try mix and matching textures and prints to jazz up a classic autumn outfit

Book up a few trips to galleries equipped with a backpack, sketchbook and camera

These are a little less ambitious than my summer list but still just as tempting. Any ideas you have for the upcoming months? I’d love to add to this list.

Look out for weekly posts on a Monday morning from now on.

Georgina

Little shoutout to my friend Darcey for coming up with this genius and ingenuitive post idea, well done, well done.. ( can you hear the sarcasm? )

3 Staple Camera Lenses

2015-10-04T14:37:00.000+01:00

There's just something about buying and having a choice of camera lenses that appeals to me. The whole process of reading reviews of the best ones online to then switching between them myself, it's a very satisfying (and slightly pricey!) hobby. I thought I'd show you around my stash today, for any camera techie readers out there, or for someone that wants to dip in and try out.

So to start with this is my beloved camera, a Nikon D5100 Digital SLR with flip screen - which comes in super handy, especially for any macro photography when you're down on the ground. In my opinion, lower budget Nikon cameras are much easier to navigate than a Canon for someone like me who learnt all the technical jazz after getting this camera. It's not that small, you could fit it in a backpack if you attached a smallish lens, but it's big enough to handle nicely and feel like a 'propah' camera.

This Nikkor 18-105mm AF-S lens came with my camera and it's the one I stick to for landscapes or shots that don't need a small depth of field. I snapped a photo below so you can compare the type of image these lenses produce, you can see from this one that you can get a pretty wide angle shot without having to stand too far back from the subject. If you want to see what kind of shots it can take click here.

This second lens, a Nikkor AF-S 50mm f1.8 is my newest addition and I honestly don't know how I survived without one! Great for taking photos of people and food, you can get a really small depth of field, so you achieve that lovely soft effect that looks professional and flattering in photos and videos. It's also pretty mini so great for days out when you want to keep things easy to carry. This photo above was taken from the same position as the previous lens, you can see how it's much more zoomed in than the wide-angle and has a much softer effect. You can click here and here if you want to see how this lens looks in video.

This is the Sigma 105mm macro f2.8 lens, my final and most treasured lens. Gorgeous for when you want a sharp and detailed image of anything really small. The photo above doesn't do it any justice, but it lets you see how zoomed in the image is when the camera is in the same position as previously. If you want to see what kind of shots it can take I'll link some here, here and here.

Hopefully this was helpful or just interesting to read, I do love a good techie chat from time to time. Any staple lenses you want to share? I'd love to hear.
Georgina

Dabbling In Bulb Photography

2015-09-27T09:30:00.000+01:00

Bulb photography is something that has always had me a little bit amazed. For anyone that doesn't know, it's when you fiddle with the shutter speed (making it say 30seconds long) and using a torch to draw shapes in the air. It's something I've always wanted to try but it's not often you find yourself in a field at night. So this summer when I was camping with a couple of friends I found myself rigging up a tripod and fiddling with the camera settings for a little taster session.

We did lots of 'taster shots' at the beginning aka an excuse to go crazy and make zigzag shapes all over the place. Then with the right settings and camera position in place we could get a little bit more creative.

The idea in this shot above was to create three silhouettes all layered on top of each other, to make it look like someone was stepping upwards. I think we were a little ambitious but it kinda worked!

In the next three photos we tried to write '2015' in the air, sounds simple but then it dawned on us that 'oh wait, we have to write these numbers backwards'. It took a few shots, the suspense when you're waiting for the photo to load was intense, sometimes we really couldn't tell whether we were drawing the number the right way round!

None of these photos are perfect, and being a slight perfectionist I'd love to spend a few solid hours getting some shots just right. But it was so much fun, we ended up having one person hold down the 'photo taking' button so we didn't have a set time to draw - because 30seconds just wasn't long enough! The whole rushing to the camera to check how the photo turned out was super fun and meant a lot of gallivanting across the field!
If I ever happen to be somewhere dark and spacious again with tripod and camera in hand ( you never know ) I think shoot two will have to happen.
Georgina

Mid-Month Motivation || September

2015-09-20T09:30:00.000+01:00

I always find September to be that strange 'middling' month, it's not the Christmas season -quite yet (the question is when will it be?!) and summer for the UK is just about over. It's also the start of my last year of school *woopey* and stress levels are already soaring. I know my head is geared towards uni applications and starting these A-levels off well, this quote struck me as such a little gem to keep in mind.
I love this photo that Darcey snapped this summer of my rings and bracelets as I was perched on a rock looking out to sea. The calm and powerful vibes I always get from being near the beach seemed to fit with this simple and bold quote, perhaps reminding us that our goals are never far out of sight.
Georgina

Four Thought Provoking 'Must Reads'

2015-09-13T09:30:00.000+01:00

Recently I’ve been shying away from my usual choice of fiction and delving into those books you see on tables in the middle of Waterstones. If you’re a spine-breaker or page-turner then grab a pen because these are the kind of books that had me wanting to underline genius statements about the world that surrounds us, they’re the kind of books that had me on Goodreads afterwards seeing what others thought. I’ve picked four of my utter favourites in case your looking for something to chew on.

George Orwell - Nineteen Eighty-Four

This was the first book that popped into my head when I thought of writing this post, a clear no brainer and so I thought I should start with this one. The novel’s set in 1984 (surprisesuprise) set in a totalitarianism society where compassion, family and independent thought is punishable by death. Orwell depicts the life of Winston Smith the main character, and the emotion struggles he faces from living in such a cruel society. There seems to be a lot of these futuristic books out there full of controlling rulers and rebelling citizens; this book’s different. I was utterly gripped from start to finish which was something I wasn’t expecting, since it was written way back in 1948 I thought it would be fairly slow moving or ‘waffley'. But Orwell created such a poignant message I was left comparing the world he created to the one we live in today.

Milan Kundera - Immortality

I’m not one for reading books or even seeing films twice, however I think this book may be one of the few that doesn’t apply. I’m not really even sure how to describe it, I’m thumbing through the pages trying to slot it into a category but I just don’t think it has one. I guess the book is a comment on human nature and more generally speaking, the meaning of life. Throughout the seven parts of this book we hear both Kundera’s voice speaking as himself, and through the voices of a few characters. It’s as if you are reading not only about these carefully constructed characters, but also about Kundera’s thought process behind them; it’s as if he is pulling apart a normal story line to delve much deeper than what appears on the surface. The reason I will probably read this again in down to the multitude of clever and delicate references he uses throughout the novel, some of which I probably missed and would only understand as I grow older.

Cheryl Strayed - Wild

The reason I picked this book up is due to the ‘real life story’ label, I always think a novel is ten times better when you can believe it actually happened. In the summer of 1995 Cheryl embarks on a 1,100 mile trek across the Pacific Crest Trail - one of the most famous hiking trails that runs from the west coast of Mexico all the way down to Canada. We learn about her past throughout the book and why she decided to walk part of the trail it, I found it so inspiring that she did this track alone with so few belongings and it made me rethink what life’s goals are all about - deep huh?

Naomi Klein - This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate

A little less philosophical and life meaning-ey than the others, I’ve mentioned this book before in a post because I just can’t stop rambling on about it! It’s basically a big explanation of who, where and how global warming is caused as well as the clash this problem has with our capitalist societies of today. This was the first big factual, non-fictional book I’ve ever picked up and I’ll admit it was heavy going at times. But I just felt the book focuses on such an important issue that I needed to be clued up on it and I feel so much more aware and ready to help support change because of it.

How gorgeous is this edition of Nineteen Eighty-Four?! I just couldn't resist.
Any books that have got you thinking lately? I’d love to hear.

Georgina

Views From Ecuador

2015-08-30T09:30:00.000+01:00

In July this summer I traded warm showers, converse and my beloved laptop for buckets, walking boots and shovels, spending the month galavanting around Ecuador! It was through the organisation Camps International that takes school groups and gappers out to remote parts of the world, to work with local communities and to see the country.

In total we travelled to four parts of Ecuador throughout the month; the Cloud Forest, the coast, the Andes and of course the Amazon. We did a lot of tenting throughout our stay, I must say as amazing as it was, camping in the Amazon is not something I would do again anytime soon - the fear of getting back in the tent after realising we didn’t zip our tent up properly was just too much! There were also some more built up buildings we stayed in that felt like complete and utter luxury, I mean, you didn’t have to go outside for the showers.. what more could you want!

We left pretty early in the season so were the first group to get started on the projects. It felt amazing to be helping these communities by doing something physical and tangible. We built a roof out of bamboo that made an outside dining room for the kids, complete with benches and two long tables. We started the build of a greenhouse at the school in the Andes, I have never shovelled straw and ahem cow dung with such a beautiful view in the background. In the amazon we were building the foundations for a community hall and in the cloud forest we planted a load trees as part of the reforestation programme.

Quito from above

I love cruising through the camps twitter and seeing how all the projects have progressed, and I must admit I’m much less bothered by the spiders and bugs back home now that I’ve had a ginormous cricket in my shower! I thought I’d share a few of the photos I snapped throughout the trip, I didn’t bring a big camera with me since I always seem to be the one looking through a lens back home, I decided not to spend too much time on this trip doing the same. If you want to hear more about how I recorded the month I did a post on my travel journal here.

Puerto Lopez

Otavalo Market

Mount Cayambe

The local village i.e. time to stock up on chocolate supplies

Our camp for 4 nights

The Cloud Forest - a view from the track up to the reforestation site

Releasing my inner geography student

Some of the photos were taken on my disposable camera, you can probably tell which ones, I love the aged and imperfect vibe they have, much more so than the digital photos!

The trip was pretty hard at times, mentally and physically, it was the longest and furthest I’d ever been away from home, but the whole experience was just incredible. If anyone gets a chance to go on a trip like this I'd 100% say GO - all the mud, sweat and tears are utterly worth it!
Georgina

Small Things \\ Water Droplets

2015-08-23T18:49:00.000+01:00

There's something about drops of water on plants that has me fascinated - slightly weird? Probably! Typically I think of dew early in the morning for these kind of photos but, some typical English showers just before sunset a few days ago allowed me to grab my lens and head out to the fields near my house. For a little crouching-in-grass-and-looking-slightly-crazed session! The lighting was perfect and with my beloved macro lens I was able to get some pretty nice shots.

When I was editing these I was zooming in on all the droplets and seeing if my camera lens had been reflected in any of them.. I think that's asking a little too much! Perhaps another shoot like this soon, I can't seem to get enough.
Georgina

Mid-Month Motivation || August

2015-08-20T09:30:00.000+01:00

August seems to be slipping away. I realised with much horror (and a dramatic *gasp* if you want to go there) that I hadn’t slotted this monthly post into a nearby Sunday and so an extra mid week-ish post was needed!

This month I’ve chosen a little sentence that I’ve had 'screen-shotted' on my phone for what must be a few months now, finally I thought it was just too good to sit there any longer.

It's one of those quotes that I think just about everyone can learn from, yaknow? Regardless of how comfortable you are with yourself, this is always something to remember.

These photos were taken by my friend Darcey when we went camping last week. It’s of me pulling some rather strange faces whilst trying to keep my hair at bay from the wind. I’ve been trying to edit multiple photos together recently, they're always floating about on my Instagram feed and I thought the whole cutting-part-of-the-face-off thing kinda works?!

Anything words of wisdom you’ve been sticking to?

Georgina

Keeping A Travel Journal

2015-08-16T09:30:00.000+01:00

As I mentioned in a previous post, I spent July in Ecuador, volunteering in local communities and travelling around the country. It was an incredible trip, more of which I will be sharing here on this blog, and I’m so glad I took the time to write it all down. I remember before going on the trip perusing Pinterest in search of inspiration.. Where should I get the journal from? Lined or plain? And how thick should it be? Do I take graphite pencils or normal pencils? I’m chuckling to myself as I write this; it seems so petty and it probably is. But for a lover of beautiful things.. this is a once in a lifetime trip! Of course I have to record it and I have to do it right!

I decided to get a set of three smaller Moleskines (I used the yellow one for this trip) instead of one chunky one because I didn’t want a half empty journal. I also wanted to do a bit of sketching whilst away, leaving my beloved graphite pencils behind and instead taking some normal pencils. I also took the necessities; biros, a rubber and a sharpener. Now the only problem left was how to store all of this so that I could throw it in my hand luggage without worrying.

Ideally I would have used a journal holder type thing, I found some on Pinterest like the ones here. But they are damn expensive and hard to find so in the end I settled for something just as good (maybe just not as pretty!)

Turns out the moleskines I bought fit perfectly inside a clear pencil case I had lying around from exam season. I probably could have fitted a lot more in there if I'd have wanted, maybe some paintbrushes and a mini watercolour set - something I'm building myself up to do.

In addition to writing everyday, I also picked up a cheap disposable camera from Boots. The plan was to take one photo everyday for the month, which I stuck to.. kinda! And then attach those photos in with the corresponding days in my journal. It bulked up my journal and left it feeling a little heftier, as well as hopefully adding to the nostalgia I'll feel when looking back on it in years to come. I'm so glad I also took the time to do a few sketches over the month. There's nothing like drawing something right in front of you instead of from a photo. Now when I look back over the drawings it takes me back to what I was thinking of as I sat and sketched, I know it's kinda soppy but I'm only being honest!
Finally I added this ribbon to keep it all together - after adding all those photos it literally wouldn't shut!
And there ya go. I hope that was helpful to anyone thinking of starting a travel journal.
I'd love to hear of other ideas...
Georgina