Lately, though, there has been a rise in interest with low-fi photography. Primarily, in analog/film cameras that are considered to be “toy cameras” such as the Holgas, the Dianas, the Lomos, the Blackbird Flys, the Pinholes, etc. Instant cameras like Polaroid and Fuji’s Instax series may also be considered to be classified as low-fi photography.

I’ve always been a fan of such kind of photography even before the “lomographic culture” came along. Yes, even before “lomo” became a “cool” term to some folks, I’ve been fooling around with film photography using old equipment that belonged to my dad when I was a kid.

However, analog photography took a backseat when my husband and I finally took the plunge and bought our first digital camera some 8 to 9 years ago or so. Before then, it was all film for us.

Going in to digital, I ended up forgetting analog. It was just so much easier not to worry about processing all the photos that we took — or worrying about buying films and such at the time. Cheaper too, considering we only end up printing less than half of the photos that we actually take. Sometimes, we don’t even print some of the pictures at all.

But, I began to miss the whole lot a couple of years ago. Film, I mean.

I miss the instant gratification you get from using Polaroids. And I miss the quirkiness of taking pictures that you don’t get to review beforehand via an LCD screen.

I even started to long for the old photographs that my parents used to take when we were kids. You know… those old square format ones (see bottom of post)?

So, I began thinking of them again. Putting old and toy cameras in my “wish” lists… Adding some to My eBay Watch List.

But, I’ve resisted. And resisted. And resisted some more.

Then, a couple of weeks ago, by some strange twist of fate… I ended up working on a Science activity at grad school that looked in to how cameras work. There was a model box camera, amongst other old cameras that belonged to our tutor. It was such a blast playing with them.

Seeing all those old cams also reminded me of this old Kodak Instamatic camera (pictured top right) that I sort of inherited when my dad passed away just over a year ago. I don’t think it works anymore as it takes a kind of film that’s no longer in production. I just wanted to keep it as a memory of those old photographic stuff that I enjoyed. And, to remember my dad too.

Then, guess what? Just a few days ago, I found this old Polaroid P camera (pictured here, mid-left) that I’ve been looking for over the last 2+ years. It was in a box that was ready to be thrown out after my hubby did a major clear out of our garage. Thankfully, I managed to save the camera before it got taken away. (Unfortunately, my old stash of films didn’t survive!)

It was then that my growing lust for low-fi photography just exploded. Probably because I’ve been keeping it at bay for a few years now… and I was just waiting for “the right time” to let it loose.

So, I hunted for a 600 film on eBay for the Polaroid, but was shocked to realise that they cost at least AU $32-35 per 10-film pack. Yowsers. Of course, this has something to do with the fact that Polaroid decided to cease production some time back. But, it made me reconsider the purchase for a bit.

Then, I learned that The Impossible Project may have actually made a breakthrough with Polaroid just this month. So, there might still be some hope for us! But then, I knew that I can’t wait much longer to get back in to lo-fi / instant photography (besides, there is this thing called instant gratification that I’ve already delayed long enough! ).

That’s why I’ve taken the plunge and ordered an Instax Mini 55 and a Diana Mini off eBay. I’m now eagerly awaiting for their arrival. I’ll let you know how it goes!

Me, with My Dad (age 1, methinks!)
One of those old square format pics in the 70s that I miss.

Random Notes & Things…

• Wishing You a Happy, Happy Christmas!
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My First Classroom: This was where I taught during my first teaching practicum.

Having studied primarily in Asian educational systems, the idea of studying in Australia was something that scared me on different levels. I know that might sound strange to some of you. But, having been raised the way I was, there’s definitely a reason for this thought pattern. Plus, the fact that I’m taking on a career change was also a bit scary.

Now, I’m pleased to report that I’ve officially completed one year of my postgraduate studies. I honestly didn’t think I’d get this far. But yes, I’m now halfway through!

Here are just some of my random thoughts and memories from my first year back at grad school…

1) It has been quite a hectic year. This probably goes without saying. But yeah, this year, I had to learn to juggle full time studies and teach in a real classroom for the first time, while being a mum to two small children (a new school-aged child and a toddler), doing part-time psychology work and freelance/consulting work, with several different projects. That’s why I’m sooo ready to have a break from some of these things!

2) Grad school’s been really good for me. No matter how hectic things have been, I must say that my overall experience of studying again has been great. Sure, there were plenty of stressful moments and sleep-deprived days. But, before I started Uni, I was a bundle of nerves. I was suffering from huge losses and major hits to my self-esteem for almost a year. Those who are really close to me would know that I was in a very dark place. For some reason, grad school helped to take away some of those negative things in my life by replacing them with some really positive things. And, I have to say that my confidence level has even gone up.

3) My world has expanded. Not only have I met some really cool and inspiring people, I’ve been introduced to some really great food for thought. I love watching really good teachers at work. Sure, not all teachers are made equal (but then, you find not-so-great folks in any profession, right?). But, I have to say that those teachers and teachers-in-training who’re really passionate, creative, and smart are just fantastic to watch and to talk to. Then, there are the kids. These amazing young people whose world are just opening up. I’ve been so enthused just by seeing the world through their eyes. No wonder I’ve been bombarded with a load of ideas lately.

4) Getting to play again. Being a mum to two kids have brought out the child in me again. Learning to become a primary school teacher has taken that “inner child” in to a whole different level. Not only did I get to make cool puppets, toy cars, paper frogs, and playdough echidnas… I’ve even played tag games, modified sports, movement games, and all sorts of other stuff. And yes, there were drama presentations, dancing, science experiments… all in the name of education. I even find it fun watching fellow “grown-ups” doing all the games and such in class. It’s like getting a second chance at relieving some parts of my childhood. In a different way.

5) Teaching is hard work. Anyone who says otherwise don’t know what they’re talking about. It’s a full-on job. And, those who do their job well throughout the year certainly deserve those paid holidays. Those who don’t do their jobs properly… Well, I wish there’s a way to get them to straighten up or quit.

Grad School Activities: Some of my grad school projects and presentations.

I’m sure I’ve got heaps of other thoughts from my year. But, I think I’ll leave it at this for now.

All I know is that I am glad I went back to grad school. I’m happy that I’m working towards my registration as a teacher. I’m pleased with my Uni results so far, and my first practicum report.

It was definitely a good path to bliss for me this year.

But, at the same time, I am also soooo relieved that my first year is over. And, I definitely look forward to finishing next year.

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Duh. I wish I thought of that sooner!

So, that’s right. I’m keeping our last task open and sharing a new task now. Just so we can keep going – and hope to finish 52WoC early in January 2010. Yes, nearly 2 years since I first started this project! Eeeps. But, at least, we’re almost there. So, thanks so much for helping me to keep going with this thing. Without the wonderful support of Studio Notes’ readers and 52WoCers, I probably would’ve given up ages ago.

Last year, for the holidays, we did a Fun Holiday Swap as our community task. It was great fun, and I wish I could host one again. Unfortunately, I’d be travelling soon, so I’m afraid that it’s beyond my reach to organise one this year.

Anyway, for this year’s holiday task, I thought I’d just encourage you all to create a “Holiday Wish List”. It’s up to you how you wish to do this one. Some ideas that you might consider include:

• Create a “What I Want for Christmas” blog post (This one’s a wish list for yourself)
• Create a “What I Want for Christmas for ___________” blog post (This one’s a wish list you have for someone or something else – may be a person, organisation, place, job, the Universe, etc)
• If you don’t celebrate Christmas, just do any holiday-related wish list post that you might have (it will be interesting to see a different perspective on this!)
• Write a series of Posts/Tweets/Status Updates on Twitter, Plurk, Facebook, etc. sharing a Holiday Wish List (e.g., “30 Things I Wish for the Holidays”) countdown. Try to link to 52WoC or mention it at least on your posts, so we can all try to track them accordingly. You can use #52WoC as a hash tag too!
• Create a podcast or video blog of things that you wish for!
• Write a “Top _____ for 2009″, which might inspire other people’s wish lists (similar to the “Top 10 Holiday Gifts for the Kids in 2008″ post that I shared last year).

If you have any other ideas, please do share them in the comments section of this post.

I’m really looking forward to seeing what you all come up with on this one!

And yes, thanks to Nicola, for being one of the first to share a video blog post for our 52WoC#46 task. Do keep ‘em coming, 52WoCers! And yes, even if you’ve never joined in any 52WoC task before, you’re welcome to jump in any time. ‘would love to have you join us. Remember: All participants of these tasks are eligible to have entries for our Big Giveaway for our final 52WoC virtual party.

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Back then, my husband and I didn’t know how he’d take to the whole idea of doing piano lessons and practices. But, we figured that since he was showing some interest, we might as well encourage him to try.

It hasn’t always been smooth sailing all the way due to a variety of reasons. But, in spite the fact that he had to change schools, and later, change piano teachers… The Boy continued to show his interest in playing the piano.

Fast forward to one year later. A few weeks ago, we were told by his current piano teacher that The Boy was invited to take part in the school’s piano concert. My son was really excited about it. In fact, he even took pleasure in doing “pretend concerts” at home.

On the day of the actual concert, The Boy told us that he was nervous about performing. So, we talked about stage fright and learning how to overcome nerves.

At 5 years old (well, 5 3/4), he was the youngest performer at the piano recitals. That didn’t seem to bother him.

And, being the silly parents that we were, we realised that we forgot to bring his piano book on the day of his performance. We were worried that he wasn’t going to be pleased about that situation, even though we knew that he can play his pieces from memory. With this in mind, I had to ask, “Do you think you can still play at the concert without your piano book?” He looked at me like I was out of my mind for even asking, and then he replied, “Of course I can!”

So, he played two of his favourite pieces – “When The Saints Go Marching In” and “Ode to Joy”. Choosing his pieces before the concert was even an interesting exercise. Especially the part on playing “Ode to Joy” as he had managed to teach himself a few different arrangements for the song. The one he finally chose for his recital was the version he felt was ‘easiest’ for him to do, although he was aware that it wasn’t necessarily the fanciest. It was all good.

In the end, he said he was quite happy with his performance, even though he felt that he didn’t play his pieces perfectly. Of course, we assured him that he played just wonderfully.

Anyway, since I’ve been meaning to share a video with you for our 52WoC #46 Task, I thought I’ll do so by sharing this moment with you —

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It’s amazing how different emails can make you feel different things within a matter of minutes. Recently, I’ve had the strange experience of receiving a series of emails from different people under varying circumstances that had contrasting effects to my emotions.

The first lot of emails made me seethe and weep. The other lot of emails made me smile. Even laugh out loud. Feel excited.

All the emails were coming within minutes of each other.

If anyone was watching me at the time, they’d probably think the computer has driven me insane. (Not hard to imagine, right? )

As my conflicting emotions from these emails tried to battle inside me, I made the choice not to let the smile-erasing emails win. Go the smile-inducing emails, I say.

Not an easy thing to do for me, mind you. Normally, negative emotions overtake whatever positive emotions that I might have. I think it’s because our psyche has the tendency to feel the impact of negative emotions more. That’s why a nasty comment or a single episode with someone difficult can ruin an otherwise perfect time with great weather or wonderful company.

It’s not right, though. I think we ought to try to strengthen the effect of those smile-inducing moments and people in our lives more. And, give less power to the smile-wipers. I think that’s a lesson I’m trying to learn as I take the path of Blissology.

Anyway, enough of that… here are the style and photography notes from this shoot:

Style Notes:

Very, very casual look here, as you can see. It was the beginning of warmer weather this day, I believe. We’ve had such a long winter this year that finally getting 23+ degree (C) weather is such a relief. To celebrate, I wore my ‘Smiley’ shirt (it has a glittery gold smiley face design with the word ‘Smile’ underneath). I think this must’ve been the first time I wore a shirt in months (without layers, that is). The label says “Jack Pot”. I believe this was a gift from my mum and/or sis. Also, I was wearing one of my fave jeans (a hand-me-down from my sis), which I believe is from Bench. Although I wasn’t wearing shoes in these pics, I actually wore my favourite Wittner shoes from this shoot when I went out this day.

Where To: Off to attend a graduate school seminar at the Uni.

Photography Notes:

• Camera: Nikon D40x
• Lens: Sigma 30mm f1.4
• Lighting: Natural light, morning (around 9am)
• Self-portrait strategy: Remote control! Also used a tripod.
• Post-processing: Some iPhoto tweaks. The collage was created using Picasa.

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So, I’ve been thinking about 52WoC. Partly because I’m thinking of our remaining tasks, and partly because I’m already preparing for our 10th – and final – 52WoC Party.

As some of you veteran 52WoCers might know, that party will cover task numbers 45 to 52. Yes – our last 8 tasks. And, all who take part in these tasks will be included in our last 52WoC Party. Currently, we’re running 52WoC#46: Share Your Video! (no entries for this yet ).

But, here’s the good news: I’ve already started collecting some giveaways for the party! My plan is to have TEN prizes… for TEN winners. Yes, it’s going to be our biggest party yet.

And as always, the more times you participate in a task, the more entries you get. Each participant can get more than one prize as well, so… more opportunities to grab some goodies.

Anyway, one of the prizes that I managed to score is a copy of “Will Write for Shoes: How to Write a Chick Lit Novel” by Cathy Yardley. Cathy, the author, actually sent me a few copies of her book to use for my various sites and projects. Actually, I managed to find out that she was donating copies of the book via her Twitter account. So, I contacted her and introduced myself. Instead of giving me just a single copy for my library, she offered 5. All I needed to do was pay for shipping. More than a fair deal, for sure. So, I decided to save a copy for 52WoCers. And, right now, I’m also giving away another copy via eWriteLife. So, do join eWriteLife’s giveaway if you want another opportunity to own a copy of the book soon.

Some of the other prizes that I’ve managed to collect recently include: a DVD (”Hope Springs” with Colin Firth), two sets of grooming products (courtesy of Nuffnang), and a bottle of L’Oreal Day Cream (one of my favourite beauty products of the moment). So yes — five prizes already. I’m definitely planning on collecting five more. Hmmm… I wonder what else I’d find between now and our virtual party?

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That’s sort of how it felt like the last few days when my eldest child ran high fevers and complained of stomach pains. He was taken to the doctors a couple of times before finally going to the hospital yesterday for some tests.

Thankfully, after a shot of IV and some meds, The Boy’s health started to improve. He is not 100% yet, but he seems to be on the mend. We got back on home ground this evening.

What a relief!

Unfortunately, this scenario has happened more often than we’d like over the last few months. For some reason, the kids seem to have fallen ill a lot more than usual this year. Three hospital stays (two overnighters and one 3-day stay) in about five months, I think. Plus, all the other non-hospital sick moments we’ve had.

Times like these, The Hubby and I really feel the pain of living so far away from relatives. Yes, the kids have no grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins to call on easily, as our relations are dispersed in different countries (Philippines, South Africa, USA, and UK). We’re the only ones living here in Oz.

On one hand, it’s good exercise to find different ways to make things work within our family unit. On the other hand, it can get really tough and lonely.

I mean, I find it even sad knowing that my younger brother and his wife haven’t even met the kids yet (and his kids haven’t met my hubby and their cousins). And, my other brother hasn’t met The Girl yet. At least, not officially anyway. Skype Video helps to bridge the gap though, as we’ve all managed some kind of virtual family reunions every now and then. Gotta love technology for that, hey?

And yes, even though The Hubby’s sister and her husband haven’t met The Girl yet either, they’ll be able to do so this December. During the upcoming Big Trip. We’re all so looking forward to it!

It’s really incredible how things look different during moments when life shines on things that matter most, isn’t it?

Pic Note: Yep, that’s The Boy. Photo taken at the hospital today, using Neve’s camera phone function, with the aid of a new mini gadget (will talk more about this in another post!). Edited with Photoshop CS4 (+ a bit of Picasa).   

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Well, okay, I’m not quite on the 60th day yet – officially. I only wrote down the 60 Days to Something Plan on the 1st of September. But, I’ve pretty much been putting it in to action since mid-August. Yeah, more than 2 months ago. Definitely past 60 days unofficially.

So, hopefully, I’m close enough to know that it seems to be quite a good strategy for me. And, this has even become more exciting for me today.

Hmmm… okay, before I go there… let me backtrack again a bit.

Over two months ago, I started writing again. As in, really writing. Like I mentioned once before, an idea for a story came to me during REM sleep. It was one of those ideas that was just all consuming. I couldn’t think straight. I was totally and utterly distracted. So, in order to get rid of it, I decided to start writing about it. I just pretty much wanted to do a brain dump. So, I began writing. The story kept growing, and I kept writing.

Since that story had something to do with celebrities and filmmaking, it somehow ended up launching a new hook in my life: FILMS. I couldn’t get enough of them. I just wanted to keep watching films. Reading about them. Thinking about them. And, not too long after, I started wanting to write and to make them.

Crazy, I know. I can’t tell you just how annoyed I was with myself for even thinking about that idea. Not just because of everything else that I have on my plate (graduate school, work, family, existing web projects…). I did, after all, just decided that I am finally going to finish a novel again in my “spare” time.

And really, trying to write a book at this time of my life seems silly enough as it is. But, get in to filmmaking too? Totally Absurd.  

But, without trying to get in to the details, that’s how I ended up with the 60-Day Plan. I figured, I’ll give both the novel writing and the filmmaking time to incubate. See if anything interesting comes up whilst in the incubation period. If something comes up, great. If not, well… tough luck.

So far, the novel writing’s going well. I’ll most likely share more about this another time. All I know is that the writer in me has definitely come to life again. And, I’m thrilled.

On filmmaking… Well, I knew that from the moment I thought of it, I’d be facing too many challenges. For one thing, I’ve had very limited experience with movie-making. Yes, I’ve co-produced, co-written, co-presented, and co-edited an online video show a few years ago. Yes, I’m the official home video maker of my family so I’ve had some extra experience working with movie editing software. Yes, I had a friend who tried to introduce me to the world of scriptwriting for a series of children’s TV show over a decade ago. And yes, I’ve taken a workshop on video production and editing, where I ended up co-writing, co-starring, and co-directing a one-minute information commercial which was aired on community TV many aeons ago. But, that’s it.

But, writing a proper script and making it in to a real film? Uhhh….

That’s why I haven’t really talked about this idea with anyone before. I’ve only bravely mentioned it in passing with 1 or 2 people.

In fact, I’ve started to become too intimidated with the whole filmmaking thing after my initial research, that I started to wane a bit on the whole idea. It hasn’t been 60 days yet since I first started obsessing about filmmaking/scriptwriting, so I was almost ready to give up on it altogether. Especially while I haven’t invested in it too much just yet!

Then today, I went out to a casual dinner party. Something I don’t usually do, I must say.

At the get-together, I started talking to someone I’ve known for the last couple of years or so. We’ve seen each other a few times, but we’ve never really talked for real before. Anyway, we began the getting-to-know-you-better talk. You know that type of stuff — Where do you live? What do you do? What do you enjoy doing?

It so happened that we’re both mums to two kids (our kids are about the same age too; our eldest boys often play together when they see each other). She’s also a working mum, and she’s doing further studies too. Then, she mentioned that on top of it all, she just finished making her first ever short film.

So, I asked her to tell me the story of her journey. And, I was really fascinated to listen to it all — from how she had the first spark of an idea and how she revised her script to how she networked and made the whole thing with a limited budget.

She also had a lot of great advice about how to get started on the road to filmmaking.

She made it sound doable. Extremely hard, but doable.

And, if I had to take some notes and tips from her experience based on our talk, they would be:

1. Just get started. If you have an idea, just work on it. Then, keep at it. She said it took her about two years from start to completion of her short film.

2. Learn and be familiar with the resources around you. She said that reading a book on scriptwriting was one of the first push she had to get started. She also attended a couple of scriptwriting courses. Then, she found out other resources available locally. And, she started using them.   

3. Network, network, network. Filmmaking is not a solitary affair. Nothing is, really. But, when it comes to making films, she realised immediately that networking will be extremely valuable. So, one of the first things she did was to become a member of a local media organisation, which enabled her to be in contact with different players in the local film industry. Her contacts in the organisation helped her in many ways — from finding people to work with to getting access to funding and/or equipment.

4. Work with film students. They can be great collaborators, as they’re already trained and passionate about the medium. Plus, a few of them might be looking for different filmmaking experiences.

5. Get other people on board! Other than the network contacts and film students, work with other people who can champion your project too. Having someone to do proofreading and editing is valuable. Having more than one reader is also great. And, if you can have folks who can help you to do fundraising, that’s cool too.

6. Don’t be afraid to edit and to revise. Listen to input and adjust your project accordingly.

7. Know who you want to listen to! Yes, taking on feedback is great. But, you know your project more. Someone might have a particular vision for your project. Listen to it, but figure out if that also meets your initial vision for your work. For example, she has had input that her project may suit the educational market. However, she wanted to bring her film to the public. So, she sought another opinion and found someone else who shared her vision. The person who shared her vision was then able to offer valuable advice on how she can adjust her script to fit that vision.

8. Work with your budget. Find a grant. If you can’t get funding there, raise your own funds. If you have just a few hundred dollars to work with – stick with it. You can still make a quality film with a limited budget.

9. Finish it. Just get it completed. Wrap it up. Submit to film festivals where possible.

10. Sell film in different ways. Provide viewings and talks. Tap in to existing networks. Talk to possible distributors.

11. Get started on the next project! The only way forward is to keep making more films.

So yes, I can’t help it. I’m inspired again. It’s always exciting to learn how people can make things happen.

It helps me to believe that maybe, my crazy ideas aren’t so crazy after all.

Image source: Clix (from sxc.hu)

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