Hello! I'm Claire from Jazzpad and whilst Maria is sunning herself on holiday (all those feeling remotely jealous say 'aye') I thought I'd give her a hand keeping her blog ticking over and offer something a little different to Frills 'n' Spills. I'm in no way trying to compete with Maria (she's far too style savvy and well-loved for that) so here's something away from styling and fashion debates which, though very different, I hope is still really relevant in the blog world.
Photography is equally, if not even more important than the written entries in blogging. It's the visuals of a blog which make the first impression, and regardless of how well-written and engaging a blogger is, chances are you won't give it a read unless there is something punchy and exciting to feast your eyes on. Be it outfit shots, photo diaries or images of haul purchases (you lucky things you), a camera is a blogger's best friend.
Your digital camera is definitely an invaluable aide to your cause, but have you ever thought about going back to basics with a manual? If you're reading this and think "psssh, I'm a 35mm pro, she's preaching to the converted," then apologies, but if you're the sort who has wanted to dabble in manual for a while but just never really had the courage to do so, I implore you.
These are all taken with what must be the best starter manual Lomo camera, the Colorsplash. It was my first toy camera which I've had for about 3 years now, and apart from a couple of winding/learning/teething problems at the very beginning, it has never let me down. The same cannot be said for my Holga Mini, which is still sitting on my naughty shelf. With long-exposure settings, multi-coloured flash options, relatively cheap price, and the tendency to prompt conversation from any onlooker ("Is that a gun? A microscope?"), I would not trade it for the world.
There is something quite romantic about manual film. It's the excitement of forgetting what you've snapped, and months later stumbling across a slightly over-exposed shot of a building you'd walked past on a holiday and can't remember the name of it. It's something you really can't mimic with digital images, and with the magic of developing film it's possible to put your manual snaps on a CD, so you can still share them with the world.
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| It really is a cup of tea... |
So all that is left to say is a big thank you to Maria for letting me ramble on in her arena. For me, her USP is her ability to involve readers; I love the way every post of hers has a question at the end of it, to prompt your involvement with whatever inspiration she offers that day. It's something no other blogger does quite so well, but of course you know this - why else would you be reading her blog?
Either way, I hope you liked this little filler post while she is away, and if you do have any questions or comments about anything Colorsplash-related or otherwise, this is my blog and I would love to hear from you. PEACE xxx
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