February on Instagram

I haven’t shared my monthly Instagram pictures for quite a while, so I thought I’d get back into it this month. February has been busy, but fun. It’s really starting to feel like spring now, we’ve had lots of sunny days here recently, it’s so nice!

1. I held my second Photo Brunch in Covent Garden. Again, it was great and I really enjoyed sharing advice, helping everyone out with their photography, and getting to know them over coffee/tea. The next Photo Brunch is open for booking now as well - it will be on 29 March.

2. + 5. I obviously really like those flowers. And they go well with my new notebook - spring always puts me in the mood for red, pink, white, and lots of pastels…

3. Elephant & Castle in the late afternoon before the sun went down. I love this view, especially on a sunny day.

4. Documenting the circus has been lots of fun - great colours and light. It’s so exciting to see what’s going on behind the scenes, it almost feels surreal. It’s like being in a different world when you’re there as ‘part’ of the circus. I couldn’t live and work in the circus though - going back into ‘real’ life feels good after spending lots of time there. I’ll share more about this project soon.

6. I got to be part of a food photography shoot for the Sunday Times Magazine, which has been a great experience. Read more about it here.

So, this has been February. Now that I'm consciously looking back at the month again, I feel like 'man, time goes by way too fast'. I always felt like this when I last did my monthly Instagram series.

What have you been up to this month?

June on Instagram

Putting together these monthly Instagram reviews really makes me appreciate time. BUT I'm not even going to get into that again - though I probably could ;)
With that said, I'm realising I actually worked on changing things up a bit (relating to last month's post). It might not have been deliberately, but quite a lot happened in June anyway.

01 I started doing some freelance work for a company renting out pop-up shop spaces in London. One job I did for them was photographing a party they had in Mayfair - which is where that first photo comes from. At the back of the outdoor space there were some stairs leading up to a small balcony overlooking London's rooftops. When will I ever get to enjoy the view over the houses of Mayfair again? Who knows. So that was pretty cool.

02 Just some wild flowers. Back home.

03 I finished uni for the year (that's where this photo was taken) - I can't believe it goes so quick. Well, if I really think about it I do have a lot of holiday compared to the time I actually spend at uni. Anyway, it will be crazy graduating next year, especially because this last year will go by just as fast. It kind of feels exciting, and I can't wait to see what's next (which can be a bit scary at times as well). On the other hand I feel like I'm just really getting into it now, and enjoying being part of my uni and the creative community there.

04 And finally I spent some time in Vienna visiting my friend. Apart from some scary 'I'm going to miss my flight' moments both times it was a pretty nice holiday. I'll still have to finish up the photo posts on Vienna by the way.

How's June been for you?

May on Instagram

Wow, May is over already. Every single month I'm amazed at how fast time is going by.
I just googled that and came across this article - it talks about why time seems to go by faster and faster as you get older. The reason being that we have less first-time experiences. Which is true if you think about it - how many times have you had pancakes before in your life? Been to the zoo? Went out for coffee? Met friends for brunch? Walked the same way to work? Did the same routine before going to bed every day?

This concept actually isn't completely new to me, I've heard about it before. Sometimes I try to remember to do something new on purpose - like eating something I've never had before, changing the route of my morning runs, taking a workshop in a subject completely new to me and challenging myself, etc...
What are some ways you can think of to switch things up a bit?

In general I think I have to live more in the present, and enjoy the moment. Sounds so easy, ha.
Any ideas on how to actually do that, and make it a bit easier than it sounds?

See instagram feed for photos

Instagram vs DSLR

Pretty much every time I get out my phone to take a picture I realise how handy it is to just carry around my phone and being able to share a beautiful moment instantly.

I’m a person that goes for the option of leaving my camera at home most of the time because it’s too heavy and relying on my phone’s camera instead. Not something I recommend, though ;) I should definitely have my camera with me all the time, no matter where I go - you never know what might happen.
So, that’s point number one. A DSLR can be pretty heavy. Also, you probably want to use a camera bag to carry and protect it, rather than just your handbag. Another point - I don’t like carrying around too much stuff with me.
On the other hand though, a DSLR camera with a good lens can capture things in a way that no phone can. Just thinking of depth-of-field for example. I definitely feel more like a ‘photographer’ when I use my DSLR camera. It feels like you ‘snap’ a picture with your phone’s camera, but you ‘make’ a picture with your DSLR camera.
This also relates to the way we share images - photos taken with your phone go up on Instagram straight away (most of the time at least). I love being able to share a moment of my life, without having to write much about it. Just keeping it simple, and sharing small impressions/snippets of life (that sometimes are a lot more personal than what you blog about) is what makes Instagram such a cool app.

Well, there are pros and cons to both options. I wouldn’t want to give up either of them - it’s great being able to use them both, each for their own purpose and at the right time.

What are your thoughts on Instagram/taking pictures with your phone vs DSLR?

Photo taken with my phone.

April on Instagram / Part three

Last part of my Instagram April photos -

01 Another scarf I made.

02 Some interesting looking pasta. Simple dinners can be good!

03 More yummy food. ;)

04 Well, no food this time, but a drink I love - Chai Latte.

I hope you're all enjoying the sun and have a lovely weekend! :)

April on Instagram / Part two

01 New Converse Chucks. I think it takes a while for them to get comfortable...

02 Doing some painting, so I could use the wood as a photo backdrop.

03 A lovely Sunday spent at Columbia Rd Flower Market with Charlotte. Part of the photography lessons I'm offering.

04 Spring arrived after all. And it's so good. :)

Photos

April on Instagram / Part one

Happy 1st of May everyone. I got quite a few Instagram snapshots from April to share with you, and I prefer breaking them up into small collages, so here goes the first part.

01 Blueberry Banana Soy milk Detox Shake. I'm on a one week detoxing 'diet' at the moment - After my birthday and lots of other goodies during April (and the months before) I felt like it was time to detox. Less salt, no chocolate, more healthy food. I can tell you, the hardest part is not eating any chocolate! Especially in the afternoon when you're feeling tired and could really do with some sweet stuff (other than fruit).

02 First strawberries I had this year. :)

03 I thought the colour of the 20 pounds note and my nails go well together, so I took a picture of it.

04 Finished another scarf. Was time for me to get it done if I still want to wear it this spring while it's not too hot yet. Well, seems like I'm in a bit of a pastel purple mood at the moment.

What have you been up to in April?

March on Instagram

I just realised I didn't do my usual Instagram post at the end of the month - Easter time was taking over my mind. ;)
So here we go. You can finy my Instagram feed right here.

February on Instagram

Just something to look at for the weekend. Happy Friday everyone! :)

Find all the images here.

January on Instagram

Instagram is like my daily documentary tool. More than anything else - I don't take my big camera that often, I find it too heavy to carry it around with me all the time. I don't write a diary either. I kind of wish I did, but if I did it I wanted to do it the old fashioned way - writing my thoughts into a notebook by hand. But that takes up too much time. So yes, Instagram has it all.
January has been a mix of snow and sun, winter coming back, and the suddenly spring feelings popping up.
Well, let's see what's next.
By the way - I can't believe it's February now (tomorrow). Will be Christmas again before we know it... ;)

December on Instagram

It's crazy that this year is over already. Again. It seems like time is just going past so ridiculously fast when you grow up and get older. When I think back to my childhood time couldn't go by quickly enough, I couldn't wait to get out of school, and all the years seemed like they took forever. Anyway, I'm grateful I got to spend the last few weeks back home - it's been so nice, and obviously I got to enjoy lots of snow. :) I'm back in London now for New Year's. Let's see what the new year's got for us. I hope you're all having a great New Year's Eve - I wish you all the best for 2013, enjoy whatever may come your way and make the most out of it. :)

Photos from my Instagram.