tree climbing and nettle stings

It has been years since I last climbed a tree. I couldn't even tell you when or where I last did. Which is a shame because the feeling when you manage to hook your leg over the only reachable branch and scrabble upright with moss falling in your eyes, that feeling is rather satisfying. Even at 22.

The only reason I ever realised this tree was climbable was because I went exploring today. My main motive was to get some photos of where one half of it had fallen across the cycle path. A pretty sizeable branch has split from the rest of the tree and brought down a lot of other bits of trees down with it blocking the whole path (which is impressive as the path is about two cars wide).

I've seen so many tiny rabbits about the path over the past few weeks. Totally adorable and way too fast for me to get a picture of.

"I only reported one about a half mile that way the other day. A Half mile past the foot bridge. Fell down over the path there too."

"Very dangerous if someone were to try and move it and didn't know what they were doing."

"I used to work for the Forestry Commission. I could sort that out."

"It jus' takes one windy night. You see the way they grow like that, they're weak there see. Jus' takes some wind and they split."

The canal

It's upsetting that the youth of this town seem to think it's perfectly acceptable to dump all their empty bottles in the canal. They did look sort of funny though, with all their little bottle necks sitting just above the water like that.

Isobel has claimed this chair for herself. Perfect location for spotting when people arrive home or go into the kitchen.

Productive in all the wrong, yet best ways.

Today has been very fruitful thus far. I took all six rolls of exposed film from the fridge to be developed, went for a short bike ride with my camera and have found lots of nice things on various blogs.

For one particularly uplifting video go check my Tumblr.

I also came across this which is of particular interest to me as it is very much connected to my interests and the research I did for my BA dissertation. Fascinating stuff really.

I have lots of photos from my bike ride to sort through and I've forgotten what's on the 6 rolls of film I'm getting back tomorrow morning so expect some pictures on here/flickr/dA/Tumblr in the very near future....

I don't care for perfect photos lately.

Let there be noise, blown highlights, underexposed, overexposed, missed focus. I could make images 'properly' if I wanted to, but that's not as much fun right now.

Procrastinating.

That is what this blog post is. I should be reading an awful lot of paper work which is about how to do the paperwork that is a part of my new job. Wonderful. I HATE paperwork. Thankfully there isn't an unmanageable amount to be done.

Ahhh, Bath Spa train station. I will be seeing so much more of you from now onwards. It remains to be seen how much cycling will be possible and how many buses will be needed. This was taken on my way up to the midlands for training.

I think this is Birmingham New Street... I may well be wrong about that though. I did pass many, many stations.

Staying in a hotel alone for two nights was a little odd, not in a particularly enjoyable way either.

I had a pretty awful evening when a massive nail destroyed my inner tube two miles down a very long, very remote cycle path. This was the day after I actually got my brakes working again. I bought a new tube AND a spare this time.

I don't know why I always want to take pictures of my hands when I've fixed my bike. It's very satisfying making something work again and getting a bit mucky in the process.

This is the chaos I returned to after two days away. I don't remember it looking this bad when I left.

Bear, wisely staying out of the way while I tidied and cleaned the rat cage.

I wish I had something more exciting to post, visually. I've been taking photos, as you can see, which is something but not really anything worth while.

I think I need to put an end to this procrastinating now or I'm going to be clueless as to what to do on Saturday.

So, things are happening.

All at once. I got a new job which I start very soon that should get me a big step closer to actually moving to Bristol.

This would, of course, happen at the same time my current manager goes on holiday so there are more hours available with the job I already had. So mostly all I will be doing for the next few weeks is working a lot.

This is a good thing really as more work means more money. Which, in turn, means I can maybe get some of the ever multiplying rolls of exposed film developed as well as start to a) crawl out of my overdraft and b) save up money to move.

I've not got many photos of all the things I have been up to lately. I've had cameras with me but batteries have been dead, film has been put in the fridge and memory cards have been left in drawers instead of being put back into cameras.

I can't even remember what I shot on the film and there's something like 6 or 7 rolls waiting to be developed now as well as the roll of B&W that's in the camera at the moment (I current have no way of developing it). I got a new cable release for my DSLR but it's very very short. Not so useful for the self-portraits though I do intend to shoot some at somepointifIhavethetimemaybe...

For now I will leave you with this (obviously not one of my photos)....

...and advise you to visit this site because it's just amazing.

It's all over the internet now...

...but I will blog about it as well as it is yet another triumph in music video creation.



Hats off to the okGO boys!

5. What is light?

Light is what makes or breaks my photos. I like it. Lots of it. And little tiny slivers of it. And all of it at once. Just so long as I’m smart enough to keep my camera back shut until actually rewinding, Or maybe not sometimes.

HERE.

Trains, trains and yes... more trains.

Some of the many tickets used over the past week and a half. I've met so many new people and walked many, many miles that my head is spinning a little and my legs aching rather a lot. Quite exhausting but it's been a lot of fun. Unfortunately my little point and shoot told me a terrible lie before I left home, I checked it's battery levels and it claimed to have over half a battery's worth of power left. Once I was a long way from a charger it changed it's mind and started turning itself off so what follows are a few of the 8 pictured I managed to snap.

It was my 22nd birthday on the 8th. I had nothing planned as my friends are scattered all over the place at the moment and we're all struggling with money but I did go out for a meal with these two lovely people who got me some really cute little presents that I really love. We had a really good giggle much to the annoyance of the couple seated next to us.

The Truman Brewery is once again full of more art than you can take in in one day including this years photography graduates from Farnham. I helped set up with them and have to say, theirs has been a MUCH better organised and funded show than the one I was part of last year, much less hectic. Lots of very impressive work as well.

In one of the many periods of wandering and waiting we had an excellent vegi burger on the Routemaster. You can't really tell from this picture that it's actually a double decker bus.

Bekah and her work. I'm ashamed to say it's the only picture I got of her with it and it's blurry! I was in a rush to get it before the camera gave up completely and on the LCD it looked sharp. Whoops.

In other news, I have a job interview next week that's getting me rather nervous/excited. If I get it things will be taking a big and positive step in the direction I want. About time really.

The film waiting to be processed is piling up in the fridge but it's going to have to wait till I next get paid I think. Annoying, but should be worth it.

A few days away

, originally uploaded by LaurenEldekvist.


It's good to get away. It's given me motivation and hope. Two things I was running very low on.

, originally uploaded by LaurenEldekvist.

 I finished the book I took with me and I borrowed this one:





I recommend it, very amusing.

Took my little point&shoot with me today. Took more photos with the Trip but they will have to wait until I get them developed.

On the left: where I came from. In the middle: some of the many plants around me. On the right: where I was going.

For most of the time I was out the sky threatened to rain on me but it didn't, much to my relief.