I am back!

I am back from my holidays in Poland. This is what I saw at the Warsaw airport after my plane landed. And basically it was exaclty the same view I saw when I returned to Scotland 10 days later...

We are working in next couple of days so updates about my Polish trip might happen in New Year. So just in case : Szczesliwego Nowego Roku!

Awful

On the days like this I hate my current life - 8 hours of inserting references and captions into a completely useless critical study (I am photographer, not an aspiring PhD scholar, so just let me take pictures for f* sake, instead of making me to write 9000 words of absolute bullshit so just to match number of words! Especially that fron next year college is changing these rules anyway.), but first 6 hours spent begging the college technicians to print 2 testprints. That is how long it took - anywhere else it takes me 1.5 h including a final print. When I was ready in 15 minutes with my corrections they buggered off for 2 hours lunch break. Then they had an hour coffee break. I know I am not a star of the department and everybody has to bend backwards for my sake but honestly - if everybody in this country works like them, Scotland will not be able to get out of this recession for many years to come. I might be harsh with my judgeent but the final straw was closing the college for 2 weeks until the very day of a final submission. Pay us you dosh but go away to do your prints in town paying commercial prices. I cannot wait to graduate. Never again a teacher and never a student again. Ever. Give me wedding images to process any day.

Christmas meal of the photography department

Yesterday the annual Christmas meal of the photo department took place.

Or rather it was supposed to take place in a Mexican restaurant where we have managed to squeeze in last year. When I arrived there, the restaurant was dark, cold and people waiting in front of it were really upset. More and more students were arriving and at first they were thinking that it was some sort of a practical joke. Unfortunately it was just the credit crunch in practice - the restaurant went bust, our prepaid dosh went towards paying their lease and nothing has left for them to run their business. We were all disturbed but as it was supposed to be a BYOB party, corks started to pop and finally we decided to talk our way into college and have our little party there. As Claudine put it frankly, nobody was going to have space for 40 people with their own booze so we might have as well go and speak with joanitors - we had nothing to loose.

Surprisingly they allowed us to stay in a little gallery space until 11 pm thanks to Claudine's charm and this gorgeous girl also organised pizzas for everybody (with a little subsidy from the pocket of the head of the department)! A normal practice of exchanging presents took place, we put our presents into a big bag (the head of department acted as Santa, wearing a flashing red nose and Rudol's fleece antlers - Agata, you have to try that one day!) and I was lucky again! Last year I got a set of 35 mm films and this year was a David Williams book signed by the author!

Photo of me with my Christmas present courtesy of my friend Sejin who wore beautiful Christmas tree earrings on the day and Viv Westwood heels which are feature in the picture with her holding her little camera she got from the department's Santa.

I am desperately trying to finish all my comissions before I got for 10 days to Poland so bear with me if posting will be somehow...erratic within next couple of weeks!

I did not know!

Projection

The City Chambers on a freezing almost-winter afternoon:

Cold!

After a trip on foot to my photolab this afternoon in a freezing cold damp air coming from the sea - I went to take there some films for development after a photoshoot this morning (1 - these walks are the only way to keep feet 2 - I left my wallet at home = I could not get a bus) I got so exhausted that I had to have a nap! I never nap during the day unless I am sick (which I am not) but this time I felt so exhausted that I slept for 4 hours. News from Poland say that it is +15 there. Crazy this climate changes.

Christmas is coming

Shops are full of Christmas carols, city is full of christmasy decorations and Princes Street has opened for traffic after a looooong time of tramworks. I cannot wait to hop on a plane and go to Poland to finally chill out with my mum and friends. Still two weeks to go though.

Peebles

We went out couple of days ago for a client meeting in Peebles, a kind of a Scottish Nowy Targ in my opinion. A bus goes there once an hour and takes a very scenic route through hills and valleys full of white dots of sheep. On our way back there were two men having a very vivid conversation on a bus and I have been counting that one of them used f* word 184 times, which makes it 3 f*s per sentence. I do not mind a good strong f* word to underline one's deep thought or getting emotional but doing it 184 times in space of an hour? Soul destroying.

It was freezing cold we have missed a bus which left 10 minutes ahead of schedual and we had to wait in a pub for an hour cuddling a glass of Macallan whiskey which is definitely not my favourite drink but it turned out to be much more subtle than other ones I have tried.

Hopefully a holiday break is coming soon...

An image from more relaxed times when I actually had some time to go out and have a coffee in peace (instead of a hurried take away or rather a carry out as they say in Scotland...). I just have to survive until Monday and then is all downhill from there!

Orson

Couple of weeks ago we have finally managed to venture to the Filmhouse just across the road from us, to watch a film that I longed to see for a very long time. It was Citizen Kane by Orson Welles, which I mainly wanted to see because of the cinemathography, thought the story turned out to be really good and well presented too.

My favourite were the scenes where Gregg Toland used composites of two differently shot materials to get a very deep focus (I especially liked the scene when Kane's friend writes a review of Kane's wife opera performance and subsequently gets fired from the newspaper - one character in the front fo the scene is balck and the light is focused on the main character set out by it from the dark background) and Simon's was the scene of Kanes political convention with that huge portrait of Kane shot from a very low angle. Toland apparently also designed all the necessary lenses himself and was not affraid to distort faces in close ups.

I must say that the cinematography of the film has not devaluated throughout the years since it was shot and is relevant even nowadays. I also apprecaite that Welles credited Toland at the same time (and size of credits) as himself (credited of couse as producer and director). A note to some of my clients who cannot even spell my website's name correctly...

Veronicahh has some more Orson on her blog.

The Hub

One of our comissions was taking place in Edinburgh International Festival Center known as the Hub. It is a space made of converted church (a thing that would be unheard of in Poland) and has spectacular views over the city, visible amongst its spires:

This school grounds were of course an inspiration for Hogwarts ^

Castle Terrace is down there ^

Us on the main staircase ^. When you enter the building the access there is usually blocked by some event happening in the building so you are allowed only to the caffeteria downstairs or into the boxoffice. Festival offices are on the top floor, in the tower.

A sign for a special toilet for people who are too embarassed to use any other toilets as their undergarments are held by safety pins...

After a break...

I think Simon and I took recently a term 'working hard' to a next level. Last week was a whirlwind of getting comissioned, working on new comissions, finishing dealing with old ones and then working on current ones some more. Every day of work finishes about 4 am and then starts again with some urgent phonecall around 10 am. I like working intensively but I am glad that this week is almost over. I will have the whole of the weekend to prepare my latest comissions for Monday...

There was also a very useful critique in the college about my portrait project. Since then I did 3 more photoshoots and I am having two more subjects in a pipeline for next week:

Our part of Assembly Rooms

Assembly Rooms

Last week we had a commission to shoot in Edinburgh's Assembly Rooms. Unfortunately our client was using a bit different interiors with significantly 30s vibe while upstairs, in that big hall the Edinburgh's gay community had their annual mask ball. We were not able to be in both places at the same time so I took some pictures a day before - it looks quite JaneAustenish, does it not? Though I still think our event had a better band - they played covers of Michael Jackson's and Nirvana's on...banjos!

Coffee and sugar addicts

Autumn is here for good, we need more and more coffee to keep ourselves awake! This time in a tiny bit of Paris in Edinburgh - aka Cafe Rouge in Frederick Street.

Santa is approaching

The post office kindly decided to postpone their strike until the time after Christmas so I can sit down and start making my Illustrious cards with a light heart. I have spotted first Christmas decorations back in September but now they are sprouting everywhere. Soon it will be time for an artificial snow!

Konditorei

It is extremely difficult to come accross a nice non-chain cafe in a British city. With numerous Starbucks and Costas on every corner we have trained ourselves in finding nice places with independent vibe. This skill will be more and more important with winter approaching! Unfortunately most of these nice, cosy places are usually situated way off the center of the town (is it the rent and council taxes that drive them out?) and we usually hang out not far from our home which is in the very center of the town.

This very German Konditorei with real pretzels is situated up the hill from us in Edinburgh posh end - Morningside, which is a good 20 mins walk from where we live... UP the hill in heels but the cakes were woth it.

^This viennoise cake shot (and eaten) yesterday has a special dedication to our friend Philip in Paris (not in Vienna) who is celebrating his birthday today. Joueux anniversaire, Phil! Unfortunately all my greeting emails bounced back, my other mobile with Phil's number on it is down and cannot find the charger, post office is on strike again so I am using this blog to send him lots of love to get to him on time! Wszystkiego Najlepszego, Phil!

Bless him

Can you even imagine that I could have had my eye operation without an anaesthetics? No way! In case you would like to know how it used to be without it, the best is to read Claire Tomalin's description of Samuel Pepys operation of his kidney stone removal.

Inscription from a wall of St Giles cathedral. Thank you.

St Giles

The exact date of foundation is unknown but St Giles cathedral is definitely one of the finest views in Edinburgh. I like its interior's quietnes that is able to provide a relief from the Royal Mile's everyday buzz. I went there today to light a candle on All Saints Day in memory of my Dad (and Grandads and my Grandmother and even my dog as I believe that they all are having some great time up there in the sunny celstial fields) and had a quick look at the interior again. There are some interesting plaques in the wall (more of it later) and striking blue ceiling.

The most unusual is a little monument of a stool which comemorates a famous incident that took place in the cathedral on Sunday, July 23 1637.Quoting my Pictorial and Descriptive Guide to Edinburgh: 'Charles I had ordered the English Church service to be read in every parish church in Scotland, and as Dean Hannay in St. Giles gave out the collectfor the day a kail-wife whose stance was at the Tron, Jenny Geddes by name, flung her stool at his head, with the result that a riot ensued.' As there is never a bad reason for Scottish people to start a riot (see Begbie from Trainspotting), brave Jenny has a tablet commemorating her fight for the freedom of conscience. The Dean also has his own tablet on a pillar of the transept which reads: 'To James Hannay, D. D., Dean of this Cathedral, 1634-1639. He was the first and the last who read the service book in this church. This memorial is erected in happier times by his descendant.'

Pumpkin industry day

Happy Helloween All!

Autumn leaves are throdden on in new shoes

It will be just a simple rant for my girlfriends today. I am thrudding the streets of Edinburgh in my new shoes from Top Shop! Yay! It took me so many weeks to track down this style that when I finally got my hands on them I could not believe my luck since all the shops were saying that it is not a Scottish style therefore they are not selling this kind of design. When I bouth them a salesgirl in Top Shop commented with a smile 'Unusual, aren't they?' and I got a student discount! Picture courtesy of MDH who says that my legs in these tights look like I had some misterious disease...Is called fashion, dear.

Dalhousie castle - picture heavy

One of the advantages of my work is visiting places that I would have never bothered to visit just for myself . Doing it for a client is a godd boost and a bonus of seeing many great locations in Scotland.

Today it was a visit in 700 years old Dalhousie Castle, situated south of Edinburgh. It has been turned into a posh spa hotel but we were more interested in their falconry than their pools.

`

The most impressive and also very friendly bird was a Great Grey Owl known as Navajo with its humanlike eyes. The huge round facial disk works like a satellite dish helping ears to pick up on the tiniest noises. I am sure we must have created a lot of noise with our cameras and boots on wet gravel in front of the cages, but the bird welcomed us with a friendly hooting and fluttering of long eyelashes. I was most impressed with its ability to turn its head literally 360 degrees!