It feels like love, it feels like you I have everything that I need You have stolen my heart Love is waiting Musing lazily on love, pondering you I can't explain myself, I'm afraid, Sir, because I'm not myself you see 

September 3rd, 2009

I’m in Desperate Need of Polaroid Film

Posted by Riz in Photo Streams, Photography  

I thought it’s not enough that I twitted and posted a Facebook status message about my quest for Polaroid sheets in this third world country, so now I blog about it too. Again. Because I still can’t find Polaroid sheets for my One 600 (ever since I got it 4 months ago), and now that I have acquired a new toy — a Polaroid Spectra 1200FF which I won from an ebay auction, woot! — I’m even more desperate to find both Polaroid 600 and Polaroid Spectra packs.

Where in the Philippines can you get these stuff anyway? Some say there are stores in Hidalgo, Quaipo that sell them, and I still have yet to see that. (But I also hear some people say finding polaroid film packs in Quiapo is also rare, so yeah, I don’t know what to believe anymore).

In the meantime, I torture myself some more by browsing through pages after pages of Flickr photos such as these:

polaroid-lilacmoonby Lilacmoon

Polaroid | Doyoumissmetooby Toni

polaroid-roidrageby Lyptonvillage

Polaroid | Dreamincolourby Dreamincolour

Polaroid | Lilyloveby Lilylove

Polaroid | Susannahby Susannah Conway

Why issit raining Polaroids everywhere in the world BUT the Philippines? Is it wrong to sometimes wish I live in a different country because of this?? Haaaay.

August 13th, 2009

Inspired by Purples and Blues

TWENTYTWO. Why hello there. I was away from the internet almost the whole day, hence, managed to accumulate piles of work up to my neck. Who cares. My day was well-spent, I wouldn’t want it any other way — a trip to the mall, a dip in a freezing-cold pool (note to high-rise hotel establishments, rooftop pools need to have heater at all times, especially if you pride yourself of having a jacuzzi), delicious food, some rounds of poker, and a lot of fun and laughter among friends.

Now, my nose is about to dive into my trackpad — I’m so tired and sleepy — so I’m making this short, sweet, and visual.

Here’s a photo I took in Tagaytay sometime in June, treated with blue and purple hues. I just love how it turned out. :)

Ocean Size Love

Suddenly, my addiction to purple and blue has become undeniable. Exhibit A: This blog’s template; Exhibit B: My multiply account’s layout; Exhibit C: My twitter design; Exhibit D: A few weeks back, being inspired by Bella’s Room. I just can’t get enough of purple and blue!

Creative Mint has perfected the color schemes in my head:

Purples, Teals, and Blues | A Creative Mint

Purples, Teals, and Blues | A Creative Mint

Pretty, eh? :) How can one not be inspired by these beauties? Check out Creative Mint’s lovely inspiration boards! If her work did not inspire you to do something creative yourself, I don’t know what will. :)

Btw, watch out for my 30-day challenge giveaway tomorrow! I promise I won’t disappoint. For now, I sleep. Zzzzz.

30 Days of Awesome, 22/30.

August 11th, 2009

Awesome Polaroid Photography: Polaroid Mosaics by SicoActiva

Posted by Riz in Photo Streams, Photography  

DAY NINETEEN. And this is why I have to find and order Polaroid films already. I still haven’t, and it’s been 3 months already since R got me my Polaroid One600 camera. It’s so difficult finding polaroid films in the Philippines. Stocks always run out, and ordering from US/UK/Canada may be easier but the shipping to Manila is too expensive.

So while I go on with my quest to acquire boxes of Polaroid films, I get myself inspired with people who are doing awesome Polaroid photography.

Check out SicoActiva’s one-of-a-kind Polaroid mosaics, taken with SX-70.

Polaroid Photography | SicoActiva

Polaroid Photography | Sicoactiva

Polaroid Photography | SicoActiva

Polaroid Photography | SicoActiva

Polaroid Photography | SicoActiva

Polaroid Photography | SicoActiva

I have to get myself Polaroid 600 films!! I’ve been using a lot of Instax sheets with my Fuji Mini Instax, but nothing still beats the real creamy, soft-colored images that come out of a real Polaroid Camera. I’ve seen awesome images taken with SX-70 too, Susannah and Amanda are my favorite SX-70 photographers. I think an SX-70 is next on my list! :)

30 Days of Awesome, 19/30.

July 30th, 2009

Soft, Dreamy, Vintage Photographs

Posted by Riz in Photo Streams, Photography, Web Hopping  

DAY EIGHT. I wasn’t able to take a photo today, but this post will have a bunch of photos just the same. :)

Tonight I got home from Bible Study, replied to some emails, got some work done, and.. when all the work-related browsers were already out of the way, I readied myself to take in my daily dose of inspiration. It’s amazing how I’ve been around the web for so many years and yet, how little I’ve actually seen. Sometime in the last couple of months, I have unknowingly opened a door that lead to blogs, and photostreams, and realms that I never knew existed. It’s like finding a gate to a secret magical place, and each step of the way I find something/someone new to draw inspiration from.

These are just some of the photographers I’ve been following lately (fine, stalking, but really, I’m planning to let them know I’ve been admiring them from afar, like through an email or something, soon).

+ Kristybee: Flickr | Etsy Store | Blog

I love Kristy’s soft pastel colors, and polaroids, and flowers, and vases, and that window sill, which, for some reason, makes everything on it look oh-so-lovely.

Kristy Bee | Lilylove1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9

+ Susannah Conway: Flickr | Shop | Blog

Susannah’s photographs look like they came straight out of The Secret Garden. I’ve been toying with the idea of buying her prints so I could put them under my pillow so I would dream of them.

Susannah Conway | Unravelling1, 2, 3, 4

+ Amanda Gilligan: Flickr | Photo Blog | Personal Blog

Amanda takes both film and digital, but really, whenever I browse through her streams, I cannot tell them apart anymore! And I love how she takes photos of some of my favorite things — polaroids, books, and coffee.

Amanda | Lyptonvillage1, 2, 3, 4

Dreamy, vintage-like photographs never fail to make me swoon. I love how each one of these female photographers — Kristy, Susannah, and Amanda — is able to own up to a certain style that makes her photographs distinctly unforgettable. You’ll never miss Kristy’s soft tones. Or Susannah’s dreamy touch. Or Amanda’s vintage style.

And when you’re a photographer, having people associate your name to your photographs is just waaay awesome. Someday, I hope to find my own way too.

30 Days of Awesome, 8/30.

July 8th, 2009

Five Flickr photostreams that I love (and you’ll love too)

Posted by Riz in Photo Streams, Photography  

That was some serious drama I posted right there huh. Apologies for the outburst people, and thanks for all the sweet comments and moral support. Really appreciate it. :) Now allow me to recover from my public display of frustration, and to pick up the pieces of my self that were scattered all over this blog. Carry on everyone, the drama is over. (At least for now.)

So. I have not flickr-ed in a looong time, following the failure of my attempt to do project 365 (no bitterness there, promise). I still take a lot of photos every so often, I just don’t have the drive and the time to give the same commitment to posting them in flickr like before. But Flickr is still my escape (and Tumblr too) — a place to go to when I’m taking a break from work, or when I simply need a dose of inspiration. Works all the time.

Today I’m playing Decor8blog’s little game and posting some of the best photo streams I follow (and lurk on) in flickr. Here they are, not in any order (click photos to zoom, to appreciate them better):

1. Desireedelgado. Desiree has got the best self-portraits I’ve seen EVER. She has perfected her post-processing style (soft colors, vintage, dreamy), and made it uniquely hers — you’ll definitely recognize a Desiree Delgado photograph when you see one. I love her sky/cloud photo manipulations best, she’s got the awesomest ideas. And she’s very pretty too, I swear I’d take photographs of myself everyday if I have that pretty face! ;) Most of her photo descriptions are in Spanish, but would you really need descriptions when the photographs already speak a thousand words?

2. Chasingechoes. Kat may still be a college student, but her ability to find beauty in everyday things and capture them in photographs is definitely admirable. Guitar, polaroid camera, piano, film, red wayfarers, colored pencils, ipod, and whatdahell, even piglet — she and I share the same favorite things!

Chasing Echoes

3. Isayx3. Diversity is probably the theme of Ed’s photostream, as it has a bit of everything. I love how he experiments with different styles and treatments on his photographs — tilt shift, strobist, adding vector art to enhance a simple photograph, high exposure, high shutter speeds, self-portraits, bokeh, whatever you can think of. His family is one of his favorite themes, I love how he takes photos of his wife and two little kids, and how they make you feel as if you’ve met them in real life. I am, however, choosing his postcard-worthy, vintage-looking photographs to post here, just because I’m still not done with my vintage addiction. :)

4. Katielee. You cannot view Katie’s photostream and not ask, “how in the world did she do that?” Take one look at her charmed set and you’ll know what I’m talking about. See how cooperative her pets are, too, posing for the camera like that! :) Katie’s imagination is surreal, and to execute it the way she does is remarkable, indeed.

5. Xdesx. This ain’t the first time I’m plugging Des’ work as if some fangirl. :) Des is one of the first few people I added to my contacts when I started Flickr-ing, and up to now, I’m still stalking her, lol. What initially drew my attention to her stream was her crazy fascination with electric wires, and chuck taylors, and typography, and the mushy little love notes on her photos. What keeps me coming back is the fact that she does photography out of love — so obvious she can’t deny it. I say, her photographs are inspired, however “inspiration-less” she thinks she is.

xdesx-flickr

Go go go, view their streams and/or add them to your Flickr contacts. You won’t regret it!

So.. your turn now. Who are your favorite flickr-ites? Come share, and help me grow my inspiration list. :)