Other things happening lately were also exciting- I’ve been dutifully attending the Glasgow Film Festival, where I saw Elena – a visually stunning (in a very Eastern European way) Russian story of an older couple, I believe it was in the official selection of Cannes festival last year. The two other ones I really liked were German The Day I was not Born and Agnieszka’s Holland In Darkness. Not the cheeriest selection, but they all definitely take you places and keep you there until subtitles start.

I’m fairly busy with filling in various applications and writing things out lately, which stops me from spending more time with my camera and newly bought flashgun, but it’ll soon change. I have quite a big photo shoot on Friday and after that I’ll be very happy to get back to my “Makers” project. I’m doing loads of reading for it lately, that also feels great!

P.S. Happy pancake day! My dinner is planned already- check these potato pancakes out, my Grandma’s special!

Today though, there was certainly a small, very faint notion of spring in the air. And there’s already snowdrops here and there, and there’s daffodils for sale.

We don’t have the best winters here in Scotland, no snow, no fun, just heavy grey skies and rain rain rain. One good thing is that they finish earlier than expected and various flowers emerge, birds get louder and days get longer.

There’s some photographs here of my very first film from Mamiya RB67, nothing special, just making sure it works. And it does! And some other things that make me happy these days:

Glasgow Film Festival is nearly here, and 10 tickets are sitting waiting.

And yet another parcel of film! This time loads of medium format for my new camera!

There’s also a new partner in crime in my life- please meet HER. We shall stay together a long time and our relationship will be fruitful and unpredictable.

The year is already looking exciting, there’s some interesting music photography projects going on, and even a possible wedding shooting too (I’ve never done weddings before, but dear K. said she likes my style so much, that they both completely trust me). Oh, and I’ll have to travel countries for this one too!

Yet the most important thing is Maker’s project, now my chocolatier part of persona can rest until Valentine’s day, I have a chance to get organized with it again. Scan existing negatives, find more makers, organize Harris and Lewis, buy camera flash, read read read. Feels like being back to school but better.

So that seems to be it, oh, I got a very early birthday present too- there’s ticket’s booked to Istanbul for March! Can’t wait.

I was also doing this Christmas Craft Fair at the Botanic Gardens, where I was selling photographic prints, photographic cards (of 18 different designs), bags, tea towels, aprons and other things with my screen printed designs. It was good busy fun, met loads of nice people, very talented sellers and randomly chatted to this woman, who told me she was writing her MA in Hon Kong about manual work, making and creativity, which is more than similar to my Makers project, that I recently won funding for. There were emails exchanged and I got a start up reading list, can’t wait to spend my evenings reading, drinking tea and taking notes.

Some of the photos below are from the last film from Paris, still living the memories despite it all being so busy here. Next trip will be to London, there’s a couple of exhibitions I want to see and I’ve got tickets to theater too.

I’ve got yet another busy week in front of me, but after Christmas I can finally jump straight into Makers and another more fashion looking project that I’m trying to keep quiet about just now.

Have a good week now.

Below are some photos from Paris as promised. I feel like tonight could be my chance to do some reading and ignore the ‘to do’ list, I’ve been a productive chocolatier and sociable screen printer today, maybe sorting out new negatives will bring this sought after balance of my three ways career. Have a lovely evening all.

We left for Paris the following day after the great news and celebrated N’s birthday and my Award. Some great walks, chat, food and photos. And wine of course.

Now we’re back wondering how amazing Europe is being such a mixture of cultures so close to each other.

It’s not sad to be back at all, we’ve got things lined up, I’m just putting my to do lists for upcoming weeks including some gift shopping, chocolate making, preparing for the Botanic Gardens Christmas Craft Fayre, having first Christmas of our own in our little flat and, obviously, working on the Makers.

These photos are just unedited random small scans from The Makers, much more in film and so much more to come. Have a lovely week all, I’ve just seen the first snow of Glasgow whilst going to photolab.

I never thought of myself as a photographer who makes work about places, I used to always say my projects are all about people, characters, narratives. Lately though, I find myself working on things like The Magic City project or Looking for Signs of Summer in a rainy Country. They are still about people, but even more so they are about their relationship to places- cities, countries, traveling, feeling homesick and melancholic. I have always been inspired by moving, saying goodbye, settling in a new environment or just being a foreign passer by. Getting to taste different kinds of living- it always feels like privilege. Now when I think even my book Population:5 was about it- a strange place, that I happened to be able to capture with my camera and writing.

I have been inspired by other countries and cities mainly, but now I’m turning to Scotland and Glasgow, these recently posted photos are creating a slightly bigger image in my head and I’m sure, a project is on it’s way. Maybe this will be my symbolic goodbye to this strange country of winds.