365 days of Amy

Daily I wonder am i going to find any decent content today to share with you guys? Why I even let my mind wonder anywhere near the vicinity of worry i don't know.. there certainly is no need too, sure some days it may take a little searching, other days a lot - but always i stumble across something beautiful, something moving  in the way of a photo of film based project.... and today is no different.

Meet Amy Mortimer. She's a budding photographer who has taken it upon herself to keep somewhat of a online diary, taking a photo a day for a year and posting it here on flickr. She started sometime in November last year and at 192 of 365 she's showing no signs of slowing down. It amazes me how technology has opened up our lives to complete strangers... its a scary but intriguing phenomenon... and nothing out of the ordinary these days. 

I've blogged before about similar projects, a Brisbane Photographer called Hailey undertook 365 days of grateful last year and her Polaroids are just stunning! Amy tends to mix it up what camera she uses, but it just makes her photos, above and here that much more interesting. Keep it up Amy, cant wait to see the remaining 173!

Like father like son....

You're never too young to take your first photo... Photographer and all round publishing guru Chris Searl has been teaching his 20 month old son how to use a Canon G10.... Its still a little heavy for the kid to hold up, but according to his dad "shit he loves it when the flash goes off" - ah the joys of photography! I for one am digging this photo of his dad's feet...with compositions like this I wager by the tender age of 3 he'll be loading film into his Holga and bouncing flashes of walls while planning his debut exhibition. The apple does not fall far from the tree!

To check out Mr Searls handy work click here.

Hey You! Say Cheese!

I have finally created a home online, besides this blog, to display the results of what happens when you leave a disposable camera in a public place and ask people to take photos of what ever they bloody well like! Click here to see the somewhat hilarious results or here, here and here to read past posts about this little project of mine. The shot above was from the Cronulla camera - how freak'n cool is the saturation! Man I love film!

Polaroid Apocalypse

Polaroid Apocalypse is somewhat of a mourning group for Polaroid film... yeah yeah I know there are a million of those out there on the world wide web already... but this ones a little different... a little more interactive, a lot more fun. 

Their theory is Polaroid is dying and has somewhat of a "Bucket List" of things it would like to get done before it, well... kicks the proverbial bucket.... This list includes various themes for you to take photos of, they even go as far to stage group gatherings and events where people bring along random props, costumes and all the film they can get their hands on and just shoot weird and wonderful set ups to their hearts content... Unfortunately this option is only open to those in the San Fran bay area, but anyone can contribute to the bucket list just click here to find out more.

Kill All Artists

I just launched my new website, it's nothing horribly exciting, no flash download required.... Just a humble home to display my work and some pretty photos. Click here to check it out

The Traveling Camera Project

Sometimes I worry I'll run out of content for this blog, Lets be honest, I've kinda painted myself into a corner limiting myself to Film (not digital) Photography, but when I stumble across groups like this its a corner I'm proud to be in.

Sean Tubridy is one trusting human being, He put a call out to Flickr members world wide to join somewhat of a "pass it on" list.... Pass what on you ask? A Polaroid camera and a pack of film. The idea being that the camera resides with each person on the list for no longer than 48 hours, just enough time to take a self portrait and mail it on, (or pay if fwd if your a fan of Kevin Spacey movies)

So far its reached about 20 people, it stalled for about 4 months with some lazy bugger but is on the move again now so if your interested in taking part click here to join and here if you want to perv on the portraits taken thus far.

Polaroid Alternative

Cant afford Polaroid film anymore? Desperate times call for desperate measures people. Grab your digital camera, a pair of scissors and a nice white sheet of cardboard and lets go!

Go where you ask? Anywhere. Hell you can even run with scissors.... The idea is to cut a "Polaroid Frame" out of your white piece of cardboard, stand in front of camera, hold it up to your face and proceed to look a little crazy.... passers by may point and laugh but you'll have some pretty fun shots and that's what its all about!

I stumbled across this photo here on flickr.

Calling all engineers and industrial designers...

If you know anything about latex, coating or gelatin bases then the dudes at The Impossible Project need to speak to you. They are in the middle of constructing the new Polaroid film and have hit somewhat of a technical snag.... Email latex@theimpossibleproject.com if you think you can help... Perhaps you are related to or are currently sleeping with a engineer or industrial designer, if so i highly recommend you exercise your powers of persuasion and get them to drop the project a line.

Landscape polaroids....

The general theory is Polaroid photos only look good when you fill the whole frame, you know, 5 laughing friends 3 circus midgets and a partridge in a pair tree all crammed into that tiny little square... but just because everyone says that's what you should do doesn't mean you have to. If I told you to take 12 steps off a 11 step pier or go play with the trucks on the highway you wouldn't hop right to it now would you?

Point is ignore all that... experiment with negative space... especially big beautiful blue sky days, the results are just as good, if not better!

The photo above was taken on my Polaroid Job Pro 600 at Cunningham pier in Geelong.

The impossible project update.

Don't forget to pay regular visits to this website people. After all these are the kind souls that are working tirelessly behind the scenes to bring us a new and improved Polaroid film for 600 cameras by 2010 and they need all the love and support they can get, even if its just one single website hit from little old you, cos my guess is, that one little website hit in the eyes on investors is a vote for the comeback of Polaroid film... the more interest we show the happier they'll be forking out their hard earned cash to support The Impossible Project.

Paxtons - Discounted Polaroid Film

Paxton's in Sydney currently have discounted twin packs of Polaroid film here, while they don't have a online store I'm sure you could pay over the phone via credit card and the lovely folk at Paxton's would be more than happy to ship your order out to you.

Desperate times call for desperate measures people... Take every chance you get to replenish your stocks!

Porter Hovey - New York New York!

There is a lot of cool shit to take photos of in america.... and Porter Hovey is on the case. Check at her amazing polaroids here

Paper Camera's

Check out this beautiful camera collection and equally exquisite photography blog here. Trust me you'll be inspired... even if its just to go home and give your camera collection a little tlc.

Charles and Ray Eames. Polaroid Enthusiasts

We all know they were and amazing husband and wife team when it came to Architecture and industrial design, but did you know they were avid production designers and Polaroid users?

I didn't. But I do now! Check out the film above, its all about the SX-70 and is narrated by Ray Eames herself!

How to Re use your old Polaroid cartridges

Its all kinds of easy to use your empty Polaroid cartridges as frames to display your fave shots, you just need to slide the Polaroid in between the silver and black frames. there is a great "how to" here, or you can blue tack them to the wall or thread some fishing line between the two holes on the back and string up a whole bunch... 

I have been saving mine  for a year now and have approx 50 to work with.... I'm aiming to put together some kind of large mural  in the next couple of weeks so keep your eyes peeled for the results. 

More From Mike Brodie.

There are some fantastic shots here and a nice little summation to go along with them if you, like me, are jones'ing for more of The Polaroid Kid Or lap up, first person, why he does what he does here.. what a bloody crazy cat!

And here

More of the Polaroid House

Some more shots by Kim, The photographer behind the "Polaroid House" project I blogged about below... Click here to see more, it will blow your mind.

100 posts....

This blog started off with a simple introduction and a new years resolution, given my track history with actually keeping those resolutions (I never quite did get around to acquiring my license or stop biting my nails) I hardly expected this here blog to see the end of January let alone make 100 posts.

And here we are, almost 5 months later and 100 posts in... so in honor of this little milestone here are some utterly random facts your brain will probably have to dispose of some much needed information to make room for the useless information below.

Wolves are capable of covering up to 100 miles in a single day
On average 100 people choke on ball point pens every year.
the first 9 prime numbers equal 100....

Random facts aside, this blog has inspired me to look at life through the view finder of my camera more often, I hope its inspired you in some little way too... Oh and best stay away from ball point pens, you know, just to be on the safe side.

The shot above was taken on my Holga using 35mm slide film...

Polaroid Miniportrait 452

Check out what my (super awesome) boyfriend got me for my birthday... It was less than a month ago when i blogged about how cool it would be to own one... If anyone has any handy hints on how to wrangle one of these bad boys I'd love to hear them.

Ive done a bit of research and cant seem to find any online manuals or anything like that, I'm still a little hazy on the type of film it takes, I'm Pretty sure its FP C-100 by Fuji, similar to the EE44... Guess I'll just chuck a roll in and see how the hell I go!

Awkward Family Photos...

Awkward family photos. Don't play dumb... we all have them, and no longer shall they be buried in shoe boxes and stashed underneath the bed... be proud of that over sized straw hat with the giant sunflower sewn into the side your mum made you wear (yes that was me)... or just how high your shorts were up around your neck all those years ago....

Click here to share your embarrassment with the world... you know you want to!

35mm awesomeness

It was my birthday last weekend and I dusted off the old Pentax MZ 50 I saved my pennies and bought when i was 17 years old, it was my first camera and it served me well, so it seems only fitting i take it out of retirement 10 years later...

The shots above were taken with Kodak Elite Chrome 35mm film, or slide film to most people... I have it cross processed (developed in C-41, the same chemicals you use to develop normal negative film) and it really saturates the colours and gives you the most vibrant blues!

With almost everything in our lives digital, touch screen or interactive its nice to return back to the simple life... no cramming our heads around a 3 inch screen to see what the photo looked like, or worse insist it be deleted if god forbid, you failed to capture someones good side.

Just point, shoot and worry about the results later... or better yet not worry about them at all.

The Polaroid triptych series

Ok so im giving you homework... and im giving myself homework too.

Grab your favorite polaroid, your 3 favorite people and set about whipping up your very own Polaroid Triptytch.... its pretty simple, line up each person and take the following happy snaps... head shot, middle shot, feet shot... blue tack them to your fridge door, sit back and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

The idea came from American artist Lee Summers (pronounce artist the fancy french way its much more fun) he aimed to capture a persons identity, importalize their character in three simple Polaroids.... rad idea huh!?!

You know what else is a rad idea... clocking up a visit to his website where you are greeted by this simple message...

Hello.
My name is Lee.
I work at an ad agency is Atlanta
I like hamburgers more than you.
Lets be friends.

How could you say no to a offer like that!

Live Art

Somewhere in Brooklyn, three photographers were each given a Polaroid camera, 150 exposures, a bag of tools, an audience of 300 people dressed as grandmothers.... Already this sounding not so normal right?

Well they were also given two short hours in which to take and assemble 150 photographs into a mosaic, telling some kind of a story.... Shit got a little crazy click here to find out more...

Cross Processing, Holgas and 35mm madness

Last Easter I blogged about the age old dilemma of which camera to pack when going on holidays... OK OK... so its not a age old dilemma and the answer was pretty simple. All of them.

One of the cameras I took was my Holga, in which I put 35mm slide film by filling the 120 gap with foam... This is a pretty hit and miss thing to do as you essentially only capture the middle section of the image your seeing through the view finder, Heads are lopped off, people are cropped out, light is let in left right and centre but you end up with a image burned on the entire negative, perforated edges and all and some pretty random results...

From a roll of 24 where only 16 turned out, the two shots above don't look a thing like i thought they would which is why they are hands down my favorite, and why I love taking photos, you never know what you re gonna get!

Bogus Blog - Surf Photographer

Nice to see not all photographers have sold their souls to the digital revolution. I stumbled across this here blog while aimlessly surfing (pardon the pun) the Internet this afternoon.

His names Morgan Maassan, and he's got one hell of a eye on him for 18 years of age. You can learn more about him here and read his blog here... the shots above were taken with a Minolta SRT101 using Kodak Gold 200.

All hail the grainy photo.

The 1000 Journals Project

Currently 1000 journals are traveling from hand to hand through out the world. They aren't curing world famine or eradicating debt or anything amazing like that, they are simply floating about, living for a little while with each person they come across, allowing that person to make a few pages their own by adding something to the journal, whether it be a story, photograph or drawing before passing it on to the next lucky stranger.

It s so bloody popular you have a better chance of winning the lottery than stumbling across one of these coveted books.... disappointing i know, but don't despair, 1001 journals has recently launched and you can sign up to receive a book here.... while being a fantastic world wide collaborative creative project that's not the only thing that grabbed my attention about this movement.... What really got me was a little tab on the left hand side of the website titled "The search for 114"

What is the search for 114? Well this journal (and #194) were contributed to by a fellow called Andy, who, in typical Aussie fashion had the nick name bearfut. Tragically Andy was involved in a fatal motorcycle accident in 2001 and his family are desperately trying to track down these journals as naturally they would like to transcribe these entries and have forever a little piece of there son.

Journal #114 was taken to Hobart, Tasmania and #194 was taken to the Rainbow Serpent Festival in 2001 and given to a girl name Claire who then passed it on to a DJ named Becca, its last know location was Beaufort and most likely heading for Melbourne. You never know you just may have some information that could help.

Besides searching for the illusive #114 and kick starting 1001 Journals, the mystery fellow behind this little project has just released a book and documentary... click on anyone of these links to find out more.

The Anonymous Photo Project 2

Ive blogged about these crazy cats before right here, and am just such a fan of what they do I just felt the need to remind you all that they exist.

What is it they do you ask? Well do you remember book crossing? the whole leave a book on a park bench and track it as it gets read around the world type deal, well the dudes at Anonymous photo project do something similar but with disposable cameras... They leave them on park benches for folk like you and me to pick up, carry with us through life for a little while and post them back to headquarters to be printed and published on there site.

The shots above are a small example of the gold that comes from the returned cameras. There is approx 200 in circulation around the world.... so keep your eyes peeled people

Click here to find out more.