Fragments of Fire

And I know that fire works, I have seen the fireworks

- The Crash "Fireworks"

Last night I played around with my new camera and tried to get some fun shots of fireworks they fired in honor of San Isidro (the saint of Madrid). My initial plan was to go to the park to see it closely, but in the end I didn't feel like going out into the cold and dark. I was there last year and it gets crazy. Probably no space for a tripod or anything. So I zoomed and hunted some "artsy"shots from the comfort of my home. The perks of living on the top floor. 

I gave a first try to the whole my iPhone as my camera remote thing (bless the genius who packed 6D with WiFi). It works. Brilliant. So handy. Plus I tried this whole keep-your-shutter-open-as-long-as-you-want-thing. Cool. Obviously it all takes practice, but it's fun. You get to play with fire.

It is all good to be in a celebratory mood as tomorrow is Friday!

xoxo

Long Time No See

The moment I pulled out this slip from the tin (week 20: long distance) this song started playing in my head. I could probably write a novel on long distance friendships. Well, I couldn't write a novel, I have no idea how to write one nor do I have a burning desire to do so. However, almost as long as I can remember I have always had friends and some family abroad. And now it's me who is living thousands of kilometers away. Long distance is my life. A blessing and and a curse. More of a blessing tho. Definitely more of a blessing! But you know, sometimes you just want the "right" friend to have drinks or a laughing fit with and you can't (note to self: save up for a private jet). Long distance. Yup, laughing fits don't really work long distance. 

And a slightly soppy (but who doesn't love some soppy and some unicorns in their life, right) quote by a friend of mine:

Our friendship nullifies distance. 

I (geniunely) love talking about weather, so here's an update - it's sunny in Madrid and with that I wish you a lovely week!

xoxo

Ps. A lovely read on iPhoneography (via Petapixel). So, let's have fun with our mobile cameras. It's cool enough. 

Week 19: Contrasts

I have been taking a whole lot of photos this week. Most of all, to get used to my new camera. So, you know, these really "fascinating" shots of nothingness when you try to see if the shutter really works or how fast it works. And so on. However, I have also been lucky enough to stumble upon some local festivities. And one night I arrived home just to see fireworks from my terrace. I shall share some of the colorful shots with you in near future. Madrid is celebrating, you know - next week is the day of Madrid's saint San Isidro. 

However, I have also captured a thing or two that depict this week's topic - contrasts. This one's spot on. 

Sunday in Alcala de Henares, a small picturesque town near Madrid

Color contrasts. Your classical black vs white and less conventional gray vs orange. 

Park Retiro, Madrid

Sunday thoughts, Alcala de Henares 

Those contrast-creating shadows lurking around my bedroom at night (yup, sometimes I don't sleep, I just listen to music and play around with my camera).

Light vs night. 

Last, but not least - my favorite. The little boy vs the (young) man. Contrasting in age. Yet looking like the same person at different age. I just loved this moment. And anything I love is fit for my blog any time.

Two strangers in park Retiro, Madrid

Still some hours of Sunday left, so better go make something useful (household stuff looooong overdue). 

Enjoy whatever's left of the weekend!

xoxo 

Big Brother

Puppies. Other people get puppies. Based on social media feeds, a lot of puppies have been acquired all across the globe. Totals cute. However, my lease forbids pets (I have debated if it would be okay to get you know a reindeer or some other funky wild animal).

So, I got a new camera.

They say girls shop for Choos. Shoes. Et al. 

Still, I got a new camera. My baby Olympus E-420 got a big brother. Welcome to the family, Canon EOS 6D (and EF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM lens)!

I could have bought couple of pairs of Choos. Boo. 

Anyhow, now I face all those situations where I am not sure what to say. People ask: "What is different? Why did you get a new camera?"

Well, it still takes photos. It takes photos like my Olympus or my iPhone. I sent this colorful brochure (you can download from www.canon.com) to my mom. So you know, she would know why her daughter is just really cool and also why she never saves up for a car. Ha.

Random answers I (intend to) offer (because I do find it really difficult to explain to people why I need a camera that big and all) based on how funny I am trying to be (no-one usually gets those jokes tho, it's a fun-fest for one):

• It's bigger. Bigger is better.
• All the cool kids have one.
• It lets you register your battery (yeah, I read the manual last night; you can register up to six batteries to your camera - sounds all a lot like polygamy).
• This one plays better with other kids, i.e. it gets along better with different types of light.
• It has Wifi, I can upload everything directly to Facebook.
• I had had a rough day and I wanted to go on a shopping spree and I didn't find any shoes I like. So, I got a camera.  

Okay, but on a more serious note. It is something I had planned for like a year, at least. I had done my research, I had driven myself crazy (there is no perfect camera, you know) and I had found my match. Have to grow into it, you know. It's kind of a gigantic leap (literally, see the photo above). It feels right and a bit scary. Yes, I am "a bit" excited.  

Over and out. Out with my new camera.

xoxo  


On a side note: Bigger does not always mean better. And if you ever consider DSLR do no start with anything big. But I will blog more about that in the future.

This Week

This week. Week 19. Contrasting is shall be then.

xoxo

Week 18/17: City Charm... Why?

There is a place for the photo I have not taken and might never take. But I have it in my head. It is a photo that combines the topics for the two weeks - it is all about the city, it's allure, it's charm. And it is all about those things that make me go 'Why?!' 

Madrid. Nighttime. City lights. Gran Via and Sol. The streets connecting those two. Crowd. Massive crowd. Shops, bars, restaurants. Manifestations, people dressed up as Disney characters, girls selling their bodies. Tourists, party people. Happy people, drunk people. Foreigners. Buildings. Lights. Cars. Etc. 

I would shoot it from a (non-existant?) high angle. Slow shutter speed. Extra wide lens. Or I would make a stop motion. This is a mental draft. I feel like I have still fulfilled my goal partially and have not fallen of my 52 week photo project wagon. 

However, I still would like to share some images. From my weekend. This is real city charm for me. Just walking the streets that at times seem endless and are always filled with precious moments (if you pay a little attention)... and sometimes I take a moment to share them on Instagram. Here's a little bit of Madrid for you.

So, possibly city charm is not about lights and hustle and bustle. Perhaps it is all about being able to see billions of different things. Hear billions of different sounds. Have an endless amount of new experiences and feelings. 

Ps. And if you ever see these guys playing the streets of Madrid, take a moment to listen. They're not your other regular street musicians. They're just super-awesome. I have seen them in concert (but I have regrettebly forgotten their name). 

xoxo

Sources of Inspiration: Images and More

The other day someone told me that buying photography books makes no sense as you only look at them once or twice. I was rendered speechless (that happens a lot to me lately and not only 'cos I have caught some cold). I had nothing to add in my defense. Not that I really needed to defend myself. I consume images. That's that. In all forms. I cannot really explain it. They inspire me.

I have mentioned some cool exhibitions and one of my favorite books on art on this blog. This time I wanna share a sneak peek into what I consider totally worthwhile storing on my bookshelf (you know, next to those other books - with many words in them). Some, but not all, you can see on the photo above.

• Books filled with amazing images (basically anything by Taschen, really). It's like having mini art galleries at your own house, why would anyone not love that?! Plus they a lot of really well priced books.
• Books about the technical side of photography. Frankly, I don't own that many. I used to borrow them from library back when I lived in Finland (you know a dorm with no computer and no TV, you end up reading a lot more books). However, if you can find something at good price (and with good content) it's worth having it. I am not particularly obsessed (but possibly a little obsessed) with the technical side of photography, but it helps to know it, to remind yourself of it. Plus it's kinda cool to know why colors of film/memory card look different from what you see with your eye. Etc.
• Books that combine amazing images and a tiny bit of technical data, so you really see how some of the coolest images have been created. Like the combo of art books and theoretical books. 
• Magazines. Mostly fashion magazines. Best cheap source of high quality photography and inspiration. Nope, I don't dress according to the latest fashion. But I "steal" ideas and inspiration. Fancy brands and magazines have a lot of fancy money to invest into high quality images.

Okay and I have a book on photography which has almost no images - Camera Lucida by Roland Barthes. It speaks images tho. And it's a bit scary. 

I do believe that images tell stories as much as words, maybe even more so. 

Any inspirational (art) books on your book shelves? 

xoxo