I went away

Return…

RubyJubilee — Sat, 18 Feb 2012 19:57:25 +0000

I can only apologise for the hiatus, it’s not uncommon for people to give up when they’ve started a blog, but I haven’t. However, there will probably be a wider range of content than before, I was being very constricting with myself about what I could or couldn’t post about, and that was unhelpful. Having an idea for a blog post, then ruling it out because it wasn’t the type of thing I’d originally planned on including, was a waste of some good ideas.

So I’m back, it’s 2012 (set to be a great year, and yes I realise it’s already February) and yesterday I received the great news that I am going to be spending 6 months, starting March, working for the National Trust at Clumber Park, as their Contemporary Arts Intern.

I’m outrageously excited, and nervous, but I have until March to prepare myself. I predict that most of this time will be spent trying not to panic, and wondering how I am going to pay off my credit card or overdraft when I’m working a full time unpaid internship; but that’s not the point right now! It’s great news. Hopefully I’ll be able to find a part time job for a couple of evenings a week. Or I’ll have to sell a kidney. Would YOU like a kidney?

I’ll also consider selling prints, drawings, any other organs I can get out, and my soul.

I also bought a cheap flash to fit on my camera, and this is what happened.

Shooting the National Youth Theatre

RubyJubilee — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 10:46:53 +0000

So, this time last week was the National Youth Theatre two day shoot-a-thon at Park Hill in Sheffield, all thanks to IdeasTap. I applied and along with 4 others, got to meet up with Helen Maybanks and spend two days running round Park Hill with 250 NYT members and crew! The other winners were Jeni, Jamie, Mike and Alex. I say winners with a little sarcasm, I’d rather say ‘successful applicants’, because I don’t think you can ‘win’ two days unpaid work, even if it is for an awesome company and great fun. It’s a bit like when people say they ‘won’ something on ebay.

Before I go completely ramble crazy, here are my selection of photos.

Day 1 – 1pm to 9pm

As usual, I arrived unfashionably early. An hour early. That’s just the kind of chump I am. I found the NYT crew (there’s lots of them and they’re quite a noisy bunch!) and sat and watched the technical run through until it was almost 1pm and time to find the other photographers. Just to give anyone who’s interested a sense of scale, there are about 250 performer, then you’ve got crew, then all the IdeasTap people like me loitering around. We’re not cramped. The site is HUGE. The performance runs from one end of Park Hill, through a building site, then out the other end. I once directed a play at school and almost went mad with the stress of getting everyone to do what they were meant to. This amount of stuff going on was blowing my tiny mind. While trying not to get too distracted by how exciting and interesting everything was, I was meant to be shooting. As per usual I pulled my “taking photos of everything I can possibly think of that anyone might want ever” rather than thinking “what are these photos actually for” (hindsight is 20:20) meant I had photos of empty hallways, decor, people organising things. These are not photos anyone wants to see. In the evening it was a full technical/dress rehearsal with an invited audience. It was really great to see everyone all dressed up and in character from the off. I was having flashbacks to drama lessonsin school and grinning like a mad person. All the audience seemed to have the reaction of bewilderment then amusement. The crazy people in the stairwells on the balconies were suitably disturbing. The large pieces of Choreography were dramatic. All in all a fantastic show! The bad part was that I was there to photograph it and it was dark as hell. Every time I have to put the iso up to anywhere ear 2000 on my D300s, I lament that it’s not a D700. Still, some of the photos in the dark are not terrible, as long as you don’t look too close. I’ve still no idea what details to share on here or what anyone might want to know. So I’m leaving day 1 there.

Day 2 – 11am to 5pm

Meeting at the Novotel to discuss what photos to send to the NYT publicist. I had never realised that I was confident talking about the photos of people on my course at uni, and not just anyone’s. I guess I was more worried about saying something that anyone might either disagree with or take offence to. It’s not something I’d given any thought to since leaving uni, but sat around a table with a bunch of lovely people I’d met the day before, I couldn’t bring myself to criticise anything. Focusing on the positive isn’t actually all that constructive. What’s worse is even now I’m fairly sure that I’d feel the same if the situation arose again. It’s not like at uni when I would be harsh in a crit session with Level 4 students. The need it. Somebody has to be the bad guy, and I thought it was better if it was me than the tutor. My tutor had been the bad guy, and it doesn’t make them very approachable when you’re 18 and you think they think you’re rubbish. I digress. Back to the actual subject. After choosing and sending off 10 shots to the publicist, we all grabbed a sarnie then headed to Park Hill to shoot more of general rehearsals. It was nice to get a second chance in daylight, when you’ve got a better idea of what’s happening and the light isn’t so variable! Although it was very hot and sunny, and direct sunlight is the enemy. Damn you high contrast shadows!

I think that’s all I have to say, other than what a disgustingly talented bunch the National Youth Theatre are and how lovely it was to meet everyone I met. Thank you everyone for the amazing couple of days!

Rolling on!

RubyJubilee — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 15:12:01 +0000

I have been living at my mum’s now for almost a month, and things are on the up and up in many ways. There are jobs to apply for (today I sent off an application to work at the Crucible). But in even better news, I will be shooting the National Youth Theatre next week! It was a brief I applied for through IdeasTap, and it’s all working out fairly wonderfully! Helen Maybanks is the main photographer, then I’m one of 5 assistants. Terribly exciting. I’ve also started selling tote bags on etsy with illustrations on (here).
Meanwhile, have some links to things on the internet that I’ve been looking at at some point in the past.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/property/8701994/Jason-Ortons-photographs-of-the-doomed-Excalibur-Estate.html

http://www.annaskladmann.com/

Next week is also my dad’s wedding, though there wont be any photos from me from that. Mostly I’m working on proposals for the Sky Arts Ignition: Futures Fund (£30,000), and the Ideas Fund Innovators (£1000). Trying to get a fashion shoot organised too, but the most difficult part is finding a place to shoot. I’d like to get in a studio, but no cash to hire one. Massive pain. I’ll figure something out.

ANYWAY, lastly lastington; since moving, I’ve been encouraged to start practising drawing again. It’s a great waste of time. Not that I think it’s pointless, I just mean I get in to it and time just passes. I accidentally spent a day drawing something that was meant to be a quick doodle. Here it is.

Moving again…

RubyJubilee — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 14:31:33 +0000

After returning from France due to a whole heap of different things, I settled in to life in Bourne awaiting NHS treatment. Living with my dad and his fiancée. There are a million things less than idea about that arrangement, and when I found out that the waiting list for my CBT had gone up from 6 months to a year, I was a bit relieved as that meant I had time to go elsewhere & do other things before that started. I was frankly beyond bored of being told to “get a job” when I already had a job, and told that I hadn’t got another job because I was a lazy liar. Moving swiftly on. I’m now in a box room at my mum’s house with my sister and her boyfriend. I have an awful lot of stuff in this room, and I’m a bit too tall for the single bed, but the atmosphere is much more relaxed. I’m just doing the fun part where you’re finding your way around a new area. I’ve got to find some work now I’m here, and I’ve not the faintest idea where to go or what’s around. You might well get more posts seeing as I’m allowed to do this kind of thing again.
Have a photo.

it’s a big one…

RubyJubilee — Wed, 04 May 2011 14:39:47 +0000

I’ve managed to hoard a load of links to things that I’ve been looking at that I think other people should look at. First things first!

I’ve done another video to promote my indiegogo project (though I’m unsure if it will help convince people, or put them off) but here I am, with the prints that are up for grabs, on my roof. a 5×7 print costs $25 (only 26 left), and an 8×12 print costs $50 (only 14 left).
www.indiegogo.com/Bourne_Photography_Project

BigCityPress is taking submissions, and I’m thinking of going for that (what’s the worst that can happen?) http://bigcitypress.com.au/submissions.html

A great article about crowdfunding (photojournalism) by David Campbell. READ IT. http://www.david-campbell.org/2011/04/19/crowd-funding-photojournalism-review/#p13

If you haven’t seen the awesome photos of the AWESOME monuments to… ermm… well.. communism? Well.. they’re really great, and if I wasn’t already planning on visiting Yugoslavia/Latvia/Poland/Russia then this would probably persuade me. http://www.howtobearetronaut.com/2011/04/yugoslav-war-memorials/

A photo essay about Chernobyl, doing the rounds (I assume) because everyone’s worrying about nuclear after the whole terrible business in Japan. http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/essay/chernobyl
Another Chernobyl related photo essay, but this is about “liquidators” and about the men who were brought in to clean up the mess after the disaster. http://www.pdnphotooftheday.com/2011/04/9336

And that’s your lot for now! Hope you enjoy looking through them as much as I did, and that you have a look at my indiegogo page and consider buying a print (even if only to help annoy the gubbins out of my very traditional family, who are currently trying to make me get a “proper job”).

video for indiegogo

RubyJubilee — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 14:53:30 +0000

Sorry it’s been so long, I know you’ve all missed me terribly (ha-ha). I’ve been working and visiting family, since I’ve actually had a couple of days off where I didn’t have a cold (my grandma is 91, I’m not risking visiting her with a cold, no way).

ANYWAY, today I’ve made a video. I say made, I talk in to the webcam on my laptop, squinting because it’s sunny, and scratching my face and neck a lot because I’m not a huge fan of talking to myself. I can only apologise for it being 7 minutes long, but this laptop is not really built to edit video, so it’s RAW and UNEDITED (but not in the good way). It’s all in aid of dragging some attention, and possibly donations, to my indiegogo page. So watch it, scoff, then donate or don’t.

Hope you’re enjoying the clement weather, and you’re all getting time off on these bank holidays. I’ll be working a million hours in a hot, busy pub.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JU10qpHnbLA

www.indiegogo.com/bourne-photography-project

A few things…

RubyJubilee — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 13:50:53 +0000

First, I have opened an account on indiegogo.com (a bit like kickstarter, but not only for the US), and I have put up a proposal on there in an attempt to raise some money to help me complete some work and get some kit that is just unaffordable while I’m in Bourne and stuck with a job that doesn’t guarantee many hours. (some weeks 30 hours, some weeks 8 hours…). Anyway, it’ll be helping towards my continuing Women’s Institute project, and in kicking off my Crown Green Bowling project, and continue my Bourne project. Obviously I think it’s a good cause, but just take a look. If you’re also a photographer, then it’s not a bad idea to sign up and start a project of your own, because you never know who might find your project and help you out!

www.indiegogo.com/Bourne-Photography-Project

Next up is a take on self portraiture that I quite like. http://alimobasser.com/index.php?/observations/look-at-me/

Last, but by no means least, is a link to an old friend’s blog. He gets up to all sorts of things. He’s been in Uganda for a while, and although he is at home in Wales RIGHT NOW… He’s jetting off to Poland in a couple of days. Consider me jealous. Read his stuff, I hate him because it’s good. http://themzungudiaries.wordpress.com/

well, well, well…

RubyJubilee — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:54:08 +0000

I’m not bragging or anything, but I was pleased to find out that my work was featured on the “theprintspace” blog. The Print Space are actually very, very lovely. Once I have my laptop screen calibrated, and my negs scanned in at a reasonable quality, (and a ton of cash,) I’m going to get lots and lots of prints from them. Because they’re lovely. (and also very good). http://www.theprintspace.co.uk/blog/kate-pearson/

I’ve been poking around John-Paul Pietrus’s website, it’s quite lovely fashion stuff (and I’m fairly bleurgh about fashion stuff). Bit annoyed about the awful jpg compression on all the images… kind of takes the shine off them! But just some lovely stuff. Makes me want to get my favourite fashion gal Daisy Donohoe down to Lincolnshire for a shoot. Maybe when it’s warmer. Anyway- LOOK http://www.johnpaulpietrus.com/

Just a link to a bloke’s website, he started following me on twitter, and I had a nosey around his website, and I quite like it. http://www.mattwjennings.com/

Also, I feel I have to mention that I’ve just finished reading John Wyndham’s “The day of the Triffids”, and now I’m scared of small trees and large plants. What a fantastic book.

links…

RubyJubilee — Sun, 06 Mar 2011 19:04:11 +0000

Just another update with links to what I’ve been poking around in the past couple of days. Mostly photographers websites today, rather than the usual ‘linking to other blogs’ thing. Found a few interesting photographers by poking through the other entries in theprintspace.com ‘s “big” competition. (it’s on facebook here) You post a photo and there’s a chance to have your photo printed 50″ on the shortest side, which is frankly HUGE. What I liked poking through was looking at the photos people choose to enter. Some of them were good photos, but why the hell would you want to print it at such a large size? I amused myself for a while anyway. I’m keeping busy. Anyway some people had some really good stuff, and linked to their website, and I poked around a bit more. I also did my usual poking around on twitter and following links & stumbling around the internet like a drunk toddler, finding things. There’s been a lot of poking. You should also do some poking through these.

http://www.kosukeokahara.com

http://www.nataliejwatts.com/

http://www.victoriabirkinshaw.com

http://rmonies.blogspot.com/

http://willienashphoto.com/

I’m also going to take this opportunity to express my large amount of jealous for anyone who has been to format 11. I’m beginning to feel like I miss a lot of really great stuff that’s not really very far away. I was living in Paris during Paris photo, but was I there? No, I was visiting England for graduation or something equally pointless. However, I doubt there’s much call for photography festivals in Bourne, or more accessibly, Peterborough. Better luck next year.

whoops…

RubyJubilee — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 11:08:34 +0000

Yes, it’s been a few days since my last post, but honestly I’ve been ill and running around like a mad person.

Happy 7th Birthday to my favourite restaurant ever, Wasabisabi, whose birthday party I was at on Tuesday with a plethora of Sheffield’s socialites. It was tasty. http://www.wasabisabi.co.uk/

Then on Saturday I made myself ridiculously happy by borrowing enough money to go see Ben Folds play in the o2 academy in Sheffield. Really ridiculously happy. If I had a milk obsession before, it’s doubled now. I also bumped in to my 3rd year photography tutor there, which was lovely! He reminded me to “keep at it”, which I needed.

The application deadline for the international award for the London street photography award is 31st March 2011 so get cracking if that’s your bag! Info on prizes & judges and whatnot all on the website. http://londonstreetphotographyfestival.org/

Non photography things that have been taking up my spare time include a very addictive game by the talented Bart Bonte, http://bartbonte.com/sugarsugar/ another game about the Great Gatsby. Amazing. http://greatgatsbygame.com/ and a combination of two songs that shouldn’t work together, but does. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JNUTYHJrutw

That is about all for now, I’m going back to writing my proposals to the British Crown Green Bowling Association and the local PVC gimp suit manufacturer. My life is strange and wonderful.