Up, là-haut...

I took the kids to the movie Up, yesterday, in an attempt to escape from the heat and also just because we wanted to see it. It's a little gem! The three of us loved it! And this girl here has been sobbing, not once but several times. A very touching movie with a clear message: it's never too late to follow those dreams... Need to bear that in mind more often!

Well, luckily drawing has never been one of my dreams. The picture above was made by - no, not one of the kids; they would have done a better job. It was made by me, with the Wacom Bamboo One drawing pad I bought a while ago and that has been collecting dust ever since...
I'm afraid it's just not for me... I had hoped to be able to retouch photographs with it or to be able to make small sketches (for my tutorials!) with it, but I can't seem to get proper control over that pen. Good thing H. likes it. She had a go at it several times and was pretty successful at it!

Now, In case you're interested in using this tool for retouching photographs, check out this link which I found through One Pretty Thing. You will find step by step instructions on how to touch up photographs using Photoshop and a Wacom tablet.
But for now, this girl is going to put her Wacom tablet right back where it was, a hidden dusty corner...

On high heels again...

In a couple of weeks my in-laws will celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary with a big party. The perfect occasion for a nice outfit and... some high heels, I thought. I can't remember the last time I wore high heels, except for last summer's high heel sandals, which were a big mistake - too high to feel comfortable with for more than an hour... Hence they landed in the back of a closet and haven't seen much of the daylight ever since. Once in a while my girls will take them out and ask me why I don't wear them anymore and if, since I'm not wearing them, I could save them for when their feet are big enough...

These pumps are much lower but I wanted to make sure I can walk in them properly on the big day, so I decided to break them in today - inside the house, in front of my camera.

The camera mounted on a tripod, remote control in my hand, and one square meter of space is all I needed. And the high heels? I think I'll be able to manage them...

Chaotic afternoon...

After a week of rain and cold - I had to wear a sweater and socks again! - we finally got the sun back, yesterday afternoon. Perfect timing, as I had to go out to go get some fabric for a skirt for M. - a skirt she'll be needing for her class' end-of-year spectacle (can't believe it's that time of the year already!). So, I went to the Marché Saint-Pierre (where else), found some fabric (of which I knew right after I paid, it wasn't the right choice for M., but that's a different story) and was happy to see I still had some time left for a stroll through the Montmartre area.

Montmartre is a very touristy place, but after a couple of turns left and right I was almost on my own. I just love that area! I got completely carried away. It's so different from the rest of Paris: the small and narrow streets, the cobble stones, the stairways leading you up and down, the old buildings with their shutters, ... Very poetic, very romantic, very photogenic...
Of course, I had my camera with me and I took the time to make a couple of black and white pictures.

Unfortunately, this wonderful afternoon ended slightly chaotically. On my way back, I got stuck on the metro, because in one of the trains in front of us a passenger got sick and needed medical attention. No way I would make it back in time to pick up the girls from school... Frantically, I started making calls (a good example of my "emergency" cell phone use): both of my girls' schools to let them know I would be late and to ask them to inform the kids, a friend who I thought could take H. out of school when picking up her child, but who I couldn't get hold of because - as it turned out later - she too got stuck somewhere, and K.! Poor K. rushed out of the office, off to pick up the girls.

By the time I got to H.'s school, so did my friend and so did K., all three of us out of breath. I felt so totally embarrassed! So now, when I look at yesterday afternoon's pictures, even though I like them, I feel slightly guilty, because of all the trouble I caused.
One picture less, would probably have made the difference...

Have you gotten yourself into trouble recently? I'd like to know!

Pont de Bir-Hakeim and DIY tripods

Wednesday night, I finally did what I had been wanting to do for a long time. I went for a walk - equipped with my camera - to one of my favorite spots here in Paris: le Pont Bir-Hakeim. I briefly mentioned this bridge in an earlier post. It's the bridge which connects the Bir-hakeim and Passy metro stations. To me this two-level bridge is one of the most photogenic spots in Paris. Not only do you get a gorgeous view on the Eiffel tower from there, either when walking along it at the lower level or when traveling by metro at the upper level, but the bridge as such is quite a beauty too. During the day, but especially at night. A nice piece of architecture if you ask me with its steel pillars forming a long gallery, the hanging lamps, the mysterious light they shed, the feel of walking in a dark tunnel, which it's not... Even the cars running next to it on both sides add to its beauty and the "film noir" atmosphere.







This bridge has been the scene for quite a few movies - Last Tango in Paris (1972), with Marlon Brando and Peur sur la ville (1975) with Jean Paul Belmondo, being only two of them. I haven't seen either one of them (yet) - I was definitely too young at the time but I was able to track down the particular Pont de Bir-hakeim scene of the Belmondo movie on Youtube. It was used by Cyndi Lauper (!?) for her "Right Track Wrong Train" (1983) video clip, the B-track of Girls just want to have fun ... I'm not too young to remember that one! And a typical Belmondo scene in my opinion...


I shot everything in black and white (well, you already figured that out, I'm sure), no flash and no tripod. Next time I really should take the tripod, as did the fellow-photographers I saw running around that night on the bridge - I wasn't there alone...
My tripod is a bit bulky and very basic - It's a hand-me-down from my brother (Thanks, J.). Though I use it quite often here at home, I've never taken it with me on an outdoor photo shoot, also because I'm a bit shy, really. (I don't want to look "too professional" as I'm not - it took me a while to feel comfortable taking pictures in public). So, actually, no, instead of taking a tripod I should make one of these - this link was sent to me a while ago by Virginia of Color Informal - thanks, Virginia!


$1 Image Stabilizer For Any Camera - Lose The Tripod - Amazing videos are here

If you Google "DIY tripod" you can find many more examples - I just love these homemade equivalents to top gear equipment... Here's another solution , which I also really liked just using an... elastic!

No excuses anymore for shaking hands or blurred pictures, though this picture is intentionally blurred... taken from the stairs near the Passy metro station.

Another break... and a new blog!!

I won't be posting for a while - that is until spring break is over. We have one more week to go and I have some - hopefully - fun activities planned with the girls. More about that later, I'm sure. That and new tutorials - some things are brewing...

In the meantime, however, I'd like to introduce my new "other" blog:
// Between the lines // - Photographpy.
The title says it all. On this other blog, I'll just post photographs I made. The concept is very minimalistic. No or hardly any text - I want the pictures to speak for themselves, one photograph or one series of photographs per page, against a dark background. Have a look and don't hesitate to let me know what you think about it! Your comments, as always, are much appreciated!!

The new blog, however, doesn't mean the end of this one here. I'd like to reserve
// Between the lines // for showing my more crafty side, to post tutorials, or just to report about our lives here in Paris. I'll keep illustrating my posts with photographs, just like before. Nothing really will change over here.

I'm wishing you all a wonderful week and hope to find you back here or there soon!

Cheers,

P.

New lens :: experimenting

I finally got my new lens! An AF Nikkor 50mm f/1.8D - a lens highly recommended on the net by many Nikon (DSLR) users. It arrived yesterday, but I had to wait until today for running my first tests. And I guess I'll need a couple more test rounds before I can really say something meaningful about it. It definitely will take some time to get used to - just like with the other ones.

But here are some first test results: some pictures of lilacs - flowers reminding me of my childhood. Our neighbor would grow them in his backyard and every spring we would get plenty of them for putting in a vase. And so did my grandmother, who had the white ones in her backyard. I wonder if she would remember those... I need to ask her...

And the answer is...

... this:




A red metallic trash can with silver rim, turned upside down on a red metal drawer. That and no flash, low shutter speed and some swirly, elegant moves from me while holding the camera. I told you the answer would be rather disappointing! So congratulations, Jacqui, as you were right on!! This series "just happened" - I saw some nice curves and bright red as I walked in the room to empty the trash can. I did empty it and the rest you know...

Unfortunately, the "view on black"-link didn't work, as some of you let me know (Thanks for that!! I had no clue...). I guess it has to do with how my Flickr account was set up. However, I'm working on something new - another blog - where I'll show pictures only, on black. Very minimalistic - just pictures with no or hardly any text . It's still under construction but I'll let you know when it's ready to be launched!

What's this??

View on Black



View on Black

I'm having fun lately with making abstract photographs. These, I made yesterday. They're actually really nice, when seen on black (click the link underneath each photograph). You can leave a comment if you'd like to make a guess about what it is and I'll disclose later - with the risk of you being terribly disappointed...

Also, if you'd like to see more pictures in this series, feel free to check out my Red abstract Flickr set.

Inspire Me Thursday :: Key

“Continuous effort - not strength or intelligence - is the key to unlocking our potential”

Winston Churchill



hex keys - "indispensable" for assembling furniture from a "Nordic furniture giant". We have countless...

Check out this link which takes the hex key to the next level...

For more hex key shots click here.

Scenery

to see - saw - seen



s[c]e(e)n[e]



saw

Shoo fly...

Shoo, fly, don't bother me,
Shoo, fly, don't bother me,
Shoo, fly, don't bother me,
For I belong to somebody.

C.A. White


This fly, I spotted on Friday on my window while I was ironing...

Recyclable...

Sorting recyclables has never been more fun...









and never been slower...

I am...

- Outside the water, I am nothing -
Duke Kahanamoku


' Thought this quote from a surfer legend, suited this water drop really well...

Flowers... and a sneak preview

On our way back from school, yesterday, we bought some lovely flowers: ranunculus. They're my favorite flowers together with tulips. Of course they ended up in the light box, before putting them in a vase...











And here's a sneak preview to tomorrow's tutorial...

A lovely weekend...

We had a lovely weekend. Busy but fun! The days are getting longer again, the temperatures a little higher... We spent yesterday afternoon at the Jardins de Luxembourg and for the first time in months the kids played without jackets! Fun!

I did make time to take some pictures too, this weekend. I did a "photo shoot" of both of our girls (well, more like two 10 minute sessions of clicking...), experimenting with a black background. Too bad daddy didn't want to have his pictures taken - he'd rather go to the dentist than have himself photographed... The pictures turned out beautifully well, which has more to do with the girls than the photographer! I'm glad I have an "update" on my two not-so-little-ones-anymore!



Also, I continued to make pictures of "things in my kitchen". I actually might print out a couple at some point and put them up in our kitchen. I also came to realize that I *need* a macro-lens. So, suggestions on macro lenses are more than welcome!



See what I mean? In case you might wonder: it's rice (above) and rock salt (below)...





Back to reality now, however, as I have a huge pile of clothes waiting here to get ironed, not to mention everything else that needs to be done... So I'd better get started...
Don't forget to tune in from time to time, as I have a tutorial coming up this week!

But I believe I already mentioned that, didn't I?

Kitchen Utensils on Black

It all started with an invite to post one of my egg pictures in the "ART for Kitchen and Dining room"-group on Flickr. Just reading the name of the group and I found myself instantly in the kitchen, grabbing things to make photographs of.
So, here's a small selection of the many, many pictures I took of a whisk, a skimmer, a grater and a strainer.




Now, can you think of a better tool to make nice creamy and swirly batter with than a whisk?? With "swirl" being this week's word of the week at "Inspire me Thursday", by taking these pictures, I already had my contribution ready without knowing it...

Eggs

In case you were wondering: these aren't real eggs - eggs are a big no-no, still, in our household because of one of our kids' allergies. They're handmade porcelain eggs. I first got one of these at Loulou Addict last summer, as a birthday present for a friend. And then, in January, I was able to buy a full set of four ON SALE!! I couldn't resist. They came in a real egg carton, and have been made in an environmentally friendly way (see label).
Aren't they cute? They're actually "soliflores vases" - vases for little flowers... like these yellow Forsythia.

As Easter is getting closer I figured these photographs could maybe get us into the mood a little...