Thursday, May 30, 2013

Into the Night, on the Beach

I love pretty photos of pretty places. A sunny day on a beach. Just like this. I spent this lovely relaxed weekend in Alicante trying out my new camera. So, yes, holiday shots are just really lovely to take and have.   

However, I also love trying new things, playing around and sharing moments that resonate more with the hidden than with the plain obvious. Creating images. Nope, didn't pull those straight from the camera, but I had fun recreating memories (and memories are always somewhat illusional or delusional, if you wish). I like taking photos and pushing and pulling the buttons in Lightroom and through that take the same photo over and over again with different settings, approach, feeling. With some photos I feel I need to take them, but I have no idea what will become of them until later on. 

It's trash or then this. Nighttime on the beach.

Stepping off the sand... wavy terraces and skater boys.

Can't help it, black and white gives me this film-like feel. And I love it. In grain, in blur, in darkness. And in bright lights.

It's almost weekend, woo! Hope you have had a good week and will have an even better weekend! 

xoxo

*All photos shot with Canon EOS 6D and EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens. Edited in Lightroom 4.  

Monday, May 27, 2013

Week 21: On the Ground

The photo that would totally represent being on the ground: me on the beach in Alicante, Spain. No such photo (that I am aware of). However, tons of photos I took in Alicante before and after and at the beach. Less words, more images! 

Chapter I - In Color

Cats sell. I have learned this much (or little) in my life, so here we go. A cat and it's selection of fancy magazine pages. The Queen Cat. The Cat Person.


If there were on the ground classics than trash would be it. Sadly. Pepsi goes into the wild.

Pepsi first, party later!

And then we can all walk on the waves.

On the beach. The Blue.

The Rosé.

Chapter II - In Black, In White

Pre-beaching. 

Beaching. 


Post-beaching. Climbing dimensions on the ground.

Looking for directions.

Running in the night/stuck with shadows.

Passing by.

Finding roots.

Observing fairy tales, finding the hidden and drawing lines between the real and the illusion on the ground.

xoxo

*All photos shot with Canon EOS 6D and EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens. Edited in Lightroom 4.  

Friday, May 24, 2013

I Spy With My Little Eye

But what if your eyes lie?
Instagram
There, there... no-no, don't worry. It does say 'Alyssa' on the cup. But that's not my name. It is my cup though. Your classic Starbucks name-fail. But it's a nice example of how everyone perceives things their own way. For what it's worth 'Kaisa' sounds nothing like 'Alyssa' to me. Must say my favorite misspell must be 'Aysha' (or sth that sounded like it) - made me feel very r'n'b for  the rest of the day. Made me step out of my indie bubble.

I have been thinking about it quite a bit - how we tend to think that things are more true if we see them on a video or a photo or somewhere for real. However, it all depends how we perceive things and how others (try to) present them. 

Okay, to the point. I just really wanna say that someone thought I am a fashion blogger! Ha! This is kind of exciting... say what?! 
iPhone 4S, Photojojo fisheye lens, Afterlight
Just to get dressed in the morning. Looking me. Going to work. To be fair I was attending a fashion-related event (among other things). However, there were many different people there. So when someone you don't know asks you if you're a blogger and then says you look a lot like a Spanish fashion blogger then you just try to play it cool and at the same time think: OMG (yes, at times I think in acronyms, help!?), someone thinks I'm like way cool ('cos obviously fashion bloggers are cool; maybe they're uncool, but don't tell me that - I like some of my illusions) and I am Spanish (pale and blonde and all that). Nah I just work in an office. And then you know, blog about my attempts at photography. Didn't say all that. About blogging, I mean. I did introduce myself and all as a normal polite person would. 

Made me think that we never-ever know the kinds of impression we might leave to complete strangers. Or maybe to less complete strangers, too. And friends. Most people never share their first impressions with you. And it's impossible to guess what they think. They totally might think I am a fashion blogger named Alyssa. Listening to the latest r'n'b hits. Oh yeah. I could be blogging about how me and one of my besties got matching shoes last summer in Madrid.
Instagram
But is that even fashionable?! Well, at least this watermelon is. Loud and clear.
Instagram
Adding a fun fact (maybe I shall start a Fun Fact Friday feature?!) - back in the days I have been asked if I am the salesperson at a flea market and at a bookshop. More than once. Obviously I look like I wanna sell people things (and ideas). At a market or a book store or virtually.

Why does it all matter (how we see others, how they see us and so on)?! Well, when I take photos I try to share the truth. My truth. Which might not be other person's truth at all. Same time, same view, different perception. Sometimes it's good to keep it in mind. 

So, have a fun weekend looking at the world and maybe even capturing it. But you know, whatever you spy with your little eye might be a little bit of a lie (oh, rhyme).
Instagram
xoxo

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

App Love: A Beautiful Mess

One of my all time favorite blogs is A Beautiful Mess. I have been reading it for over a year, maybe two years. I was first drawn to it because all of those fun DIY projects, but all in all - it's all just so fun there. Everything just looks so good. Girlie, yes. But not overly pink and fluffy, if you know what I mean. :) So yeah, I was totally psyched when I read that they'll release their own photo editing app. 
 & Instagram
It's pretty straightforward: crop (square), filters, borders, text, doodles, phrases. While there are all those apps which let you crop and add filters (see my previous app love posts about Instagram and Afterlight) then my interest was primarily targeted towards adding cute stuff to images, like words and doodles. 

At firs I was a little concerned that what if this app will turn all photos the same with the same handwriting you know and same style. Hey, but we all have our own ways to use the tools and if you look through images with #abeautifulmess then you see that while using the same borders, doodles and handwriting all those images look different. They just add to the original image. And people see things so differently.
& Instagram
Yup, I love publishing the images through Instagram (follow me!) and sometimes add an additional filter. Plus I love how you can just point out things in the photo without too many additional words. On the go. 
& Instagram
& Instagram
& Instagram
I love that you can add your own text in different handwriting. 
& Instagram

Sometimes it's just silly fun all the way. That's how I cook. It's a whole system.

And sometimes you have all this new music and you are short of words.
& Instagram
This app is a keeper. Though I might be overusing it a bit at the moment, but ever so often images say more than words, so... :) 

xoxo

Monday, May 20, 2013

Ground Control

This week I am gonna keep my feet on the ground. Well, to be honest I hope to keep my whole body on the ground (read: in the sand) over the weekend. Yes, a beach weekend has been promised to me. I am willing to go great lengths in the name of seaside. Gonna work on my tan (read: gonna be covered in tons of sunscreen and claim that being tanned is just uncool).
Week 21: On the Ground (in Estonian: maas)
xoxo

Sunday, May 19, 2013

Week 20: Long Distance

Home-bound unsocial weekend. Woohoo. Yeah, I don't do cool very well. I find unsocial weekends totally nice now and then. Rainy weather and cold winds. Yes, we are back in winter. So, what else to do than to get nostalgic. Uh-oh, well doesn't that sound a bit nicer than me just saying: I was too lazy to go find something to shoot outside home?! Well, I did try to take some photos at a concert last night - it was an epic fail as I was too far from the stage and stuff plus it has nothing much to do with this week's theme. And nope, going to concerts doesn't really count for being social. I can be an extremely unsocial concert goer. But that's another story.

So as I am packrat and I love colorful things then, yes, I have the best things to represent 'long distance' here at my house - postcards!
 I love postcards and luckily enough I seem to know people who love to send them to me. This is just a fraction of my postcard collection (well, I don't collect  them per se; I just have more than one). The major part is at my mom's house. She constantly asks me if she can throw away my stuff. :) Possibly one day I will be this crazy old lady who lives in the house of cards. Of postcards. Now you can decide if it is scarier than living with 40 cats or not. I don't intend to live with 40 cats. I don't really mix and mingle well with cats. I have considered a ferret, but then again I read they can "cut" your throat in your sleep. So, house of cards it shall be. And some coffee with milk.


Postcards come from faraway countries. They travel long distances.
My fave stamp story is: I had to attach it with a piece of chewing gum 'cos it had no glue on its back and I had no glue stick. It felt very special and a little gross. But creative brownie points to my friend, for sure. 

So yes, postcards can come from people's trips abroad or then for special occasions. 

Or then carry fun messages. Hallmark or handwritten. No special occasion.

Then there are those people who really know what you love (ahem, yes, cameras, cakes, hipsters and pens).

So, yes, I did have so much fun with all my postcards this stormy afternoon. On one of those photos you can see one raindrop. Challenge accepted?! Because of course it started raining the moment I dragged my treasures out to the terrace to be shot in daylight. Luckily I have roof-thingie (I only know the word in Spanish and it's toldo) I can open when needed.  

I have this little postcard corner next to my front door. So long distance would feel a little less long. And those white walls would be less white. 
So, yes, I am a bit sentimental and a bit old fashioned. I do think postcards are brilliant. They travel the world. Long distance. 

Any other postcard lovers out there? 

xoxo

*All photos shot with Canon EOS 6D and EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens. Edited in Lightroom 4.