Tuesday 29 November 2011

Gavin Evans officially opens the Institute

...and we were invited.

Gavin Evans, one of the top Scottish photographers decided to give up (at least for a moment) the photography rat race and venture into the calmer waters of artisan tea and cafe culture and he opened his cafe the Institute couple of months ago with an idea of creating a hub for all photographers and people interested in photography.

We have discovered the place just a moment after it was opened and soon we hailed it as one of our favourite places in Edinburgh to meet, chat and maybe even work a little (Simon loves working in the cafes while I prefer my home set up but I am not impartial to an odd cake and a coffee).

A lot depends on the space - there are just places which are full of light (always in demand in Scotland) and the Institute is a place like that with its huge windows and airy, calm and minimalistic interior .

However even more depends on the person behind the counter and Gavin is definitely a person who you would like to meet while having a free moment to sit in a cafe. He has loads of photographic experience and wisdom but also something that makes people to try be the better versions of themselves - in his company one relaxes, one cracks better jokes than usual (at least I do), one exchanges oppinions without dividing world into only black and white, one sees...a bigger picture (and supports The Big Issue vendor Kat).

It is a real honour to have this talented, welcoming and firendly man to put some optimism into you (and the photographers need a lot of that especially from their more successful, more experienced colleagues) and let him recommend some tea. I do not know what is the name of the tea that I am always having there but it really makes my brain ping a little brighter. I have to ask Gavin and promptly make a note in my iP.

Thank you Gavin for creating this space and long live the Institute. It has officially opened last Staurday with the exhibition of Gavin portraits of musicians ( called 'Silenced' with portraits of David Bowie, Dusty Springfield, Bjork, Tricky and...Wu-Tang Clan guys among lots of others) which will last until 18th January and then a programme of other photo exhibitions will follow.

And see you for coffee (or tea) and a good chat very soon!






Pictures courtesy of Sejin who came to see us (with John) at the opening in the most spectacular dress I have seen for a while. Go girl!  Others featured are Stripy Simon, Claudine (you know her from my 'renaissance style' portrait, she is another ubertalented photographer and my stepdaughter Liska, who we hope will venture into something more sensible than photography...).

Instagram or the world through a yellow filter

Like the world does not have enough images already: follow me @sylwiassta

Monday 21 November 2011

Mrs Brown

I think that my Irish friends have the wickediest sense of humour, and the best accents:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZAA2OVRx1wA&feature=relmfu

Wednesday 16 November 2011

In Rzepa between Wieteska and Milach

I am featured in the latest Rempex Warsaw photography auction right between my two favourite photographers! The list of everyone featured is presented in the Rzeczpospolita magazine on line gallery:

http://www.rp.pl/galeria/0,3,746409.html

^ link obrained thanks to Krzysztof Jurecki. So go and BUY ME!

Saturday 12 November 2011

One knows that Winter is comming when seals start swimming upside down



Why the Scottish seal pup is shown upside down I have no idea.
All images from the natural history exposition at the National Museums of Scotland.

Friday 11 November 2011

Into the void

So I have finally succumbed and just after I got back from my two weeks in Poland, Simon dragged me kicking and screaming (not really but let's say I was reluctant) to exchange my old, wobbly and unreliable mobile into a smart iPhone.

The whole operation was relatively painless (lady sorting my mess out was Polish too), though reminded me strangely about these scenes in a Hollywood movies where a savage is being washed for the very first time by servants but actually likes his/hers new, fresh self before parading in front of the lady fo the mansion.

I have survived 3 generations of Apple's invention but the whole point really was about not surrending into this particular lifestyle where people are stalking each other on Face Book, are obliged to reply to a stranger's email the moment they received it and instead of having a nice chat while they have a relaxing afternoon in the restaurant, they obsessively check their emails under the table or even worse - put their dinky mobile devices on the table straight away after sitting down to their meal with their girlfriends. Who do exactly the same anyway so nobody really minds all that rudeness.

However on the other hand when I watch my children so fearlessly dipping into the technology, being as old as Face Book themselves and not knowing the times before its invention, pros started to overwhelm the cons and here we are. I got the white one. Let the games begin.

I might even now get on Face Book, who knows.

P.S. Actually the picture was taken with Simon's iPhone. In black btw.

P.S.2 A quick message to all the people whe were trying to get in touch on my mobile throughout last several days - my sincere apollogies, the old one died on my last day in Poland and I was not ready with the new phone until this afternoon.

Wednesday 2 November 2011

The Zombie Boy no longer

I can only assume that lots of people wonder (me included) how Rick Genest looks like under all these elaborate embellishments. Here is the answer thanks to Dermablend concealer. So? Well, he looks like...Michael Ackerman.

http://www.rickgenest.com/index.php/home/item/78-go-beyond-the-cover.html




Lots of love, still from Poland where tatoos are considered a taboo and for serial offenders only but where airpilots are the best in the world ( long live and fly captain Tadeusz Wrona!).