NEW BLOG!

Hello, dear readers. Let's ignore the fact that I have not blogged on here for ages; I shall maybe round off the Canadian adventure sometime but for now I would like to draw your attention to: http://biologycuratorialtrainee.wordpress.com/ This is my new blog and one that I am doing to discuss and describe my current position as Biology Curatorial Trainee in Hereford and Ludlow Museums. It's really, really good. So please subscribe to that if you can be bothered and find out about all the weird and wonderful things shall be getting up to with stuffed birds, broken spiders and floaty, creepy, gunky blobs. Bye : )

Darkness fills my heart with calmness

Hello.

I have been very bad in blogging. As in: I haven't. For ages.

There really hasn't been a whole lot going on, though. Let me bring you up to speed.

Last time I spoke to you there were a few things in the pipeline. I had lost my metrocard. This was not ideal but it did force me to walk to work for three weeks. This took me about 45 minutes each way and I thought it would result in a fitter, buffer me. It didn't. Never mind. It was interesting to walk the same route over and over again, listening to music, gettting a little lost in my thoughts. By the time I got into the office, though, I was hot and bothered and had sore feet. I was very glad to see November arrive which allowed me to buy a new metropass and suddenly be freed up to go places and get to work quicker!

Also, the Edinburgh art exhibition thing, Hidden Door, took place and I understand that it was pretty successful. I need to speak to the artist who used my work for photos and I shall show you all the results thereof.

I have had another couple of pictures in the paper I shoot for:



This month (as in, for December) I was asked to submit some shots that evoke the theme 'Giving and Receiving' so I went for a military angle, as in giving you life for your country, as well as a charity shop perspective. When I submitted them I was told that they were nice but the theme had changed to 'Holiday Season'. I said 'Oh, Christmas!' and was told: 'No. 'The Holidays'. What the hell is that!? So I have to take photos of decorations and tinsel and bells and lights and trees but NOT in a Christmas way? Great. So we'll see how I get on.

I have bought a nice winter jacket. It's green and made of wool. It is nice. I bought a nice, 4m scarf to go with it. I also got some Spiderman earmuffs and a lovely hat so am well ready for the winter season - bring it on! It snowed today so it should be getting more and more wintry.

Speaking of which, Ceri and I have planned our Christmas break away. Not the chocolate biscuit. We are heading to Montreal for a few days over Christmas and are very excited. It will be sad not to be with loved ones/family but I think we will make the most of it. I am envisioning us sat on the bed in the hotel in robes, eating ice cream out of the tub watching Home Alone. Maybe. And apart from that we are going to go to a few museums, maybe church (why not?), a look around. It will be snowy I hope and I can wrap up with my new wardrobe.

A little announcement is that I am coming home at the end of February. I was intending on returning (originally) in early April but don't want to pay to reschedule my flights, plus I have people waiting for me back home (and I am eager to get back to them). I have achieved quite a bit over here and am satisfied. Ceri and I are planning on travelling in February before we come home so once we've done that all of my boxes will have been ticked. It's exciting to think about coming home; there are so many things that I miss and that I'll be glad to get back to, as well as people. So when we know more about where we are heading I shall inform everyone. We hope to swing by New Orleans and See Jackie (yay).

Right now Ceri and I have had some wine, Ceri's curled her hair, I've watched X Factor and I feel like going to bed despite the fact that's it's not even 10 p.m.

I hope everyone back home is ok and I look forward to seeing you all soon.

Russell x

Gorillaz - Doncamatic feat. Daley (HD)

Why You Can't Find Good Eggs in Toronto

Why You Can't Find Good Eggs in Toronto

"Camping: nature's way of promoting the motel industry."

If you go down to the woods today you'll be in for DEATH BY BEAR.

Hello.

Since I last wrote anything Ceri and I have been camping. We went to Algonquin National Park, four hours north of Toronto. We had a slightly interesting trip, beginning with the departure. Ceri booked the tickets and was told the bus left at 1.30pm on a Friday. I had planned to take a half day on Friday and then catch the bus. Late on Thursday evening Ceri came into my room to tell me that after checking the tickets, the bus actually left first thing on Friday morning. So I left my boss a voicemail just before midnight saying 'sorry! I can't come in at all today, oops'. That also meant that we had to get all the shopping for the trip that night instead of the next morning.

So we got to bed late, got up early and got to the bus. After a lovely journey (although I had forgotten my headphones for my iPod) our stop was called out: 'Lake of Two Rivers!'. So we got off and watched the bus leave us amidst pretty autumn colours and canoes. When we checked at the office to find our campsite, however, it turned out that we were still 20km from it. They had called out our stop one early. There was no way we could get there ourselves but eventually a lovely staff lady person offered to drive us there. 20 minutes later we had been dropped off at the plot in a lovely pine woodland.

We immediately got to work setting up camp. We started with the tent. Upon unpacking it all, though, it became apparent that the main body of the tent did not match the cover. We tried it many different ways but in the end had to choose whether or not we wanted the front or the back covered. We weren't best pleased. Then we tied up our tarp over the picnic bench, between a few trees (rain had been forecast). After that we got our food bag and hoisted it up into the trees so that bears and such couldn't get to it. So far, so alright.

That night we made a fire and had some marshmallows and s'mores, then had an early night, shattered. It rained all night long, but somehow our makeshift tent kept the water off us. It was lovely to doze through the pattering rain and it was cold enough to make sleeping in a sleeping bag comfortable.



The next morning we got up and set out for a little hike. The maps were vague and confusing but we followed them anyway. My sense of direction and enthusiasm convinced Ceri to go on instead of turning back at one point. We'd walked for a couple of hours and couldn't tell if we were on a 32km trail or just coming to the end of a shorter one. Luckily we got our bearings and carried on. That's when we saw our first bear.

We were making a lot of noise and singing the whole time (as we'd been advised: bears don't like it and leave sharply instead of hanging around to kill you). I was just taking my turn in auditioning for the X Factor (my piece was 'Dancing on my Own' by Robyn) when Ceri did a 180 and walked back passed me. I turned and she looked shocked and said 'there's a bear'. I looked down the trail and saw, what I thought were, a pair of human legs step up off the path. I told Ceri this but shouted just in case: 'Hello!? If you're a human can you say something?'. There was no answer. Then suddenly what I assumed was a tree moved and I realised that it was a bear. Shit.

I walked back towards Ceri and said 'off we go then, back down the trail'. We walked pretty quickly back to the crossroads we just left. We were a little rattled since we were hours from anywhere and hadn't seen anyone else for almost as long. We decided to wait a bit and then continue as we had intended and hope the bear had moved on. Luckily an older couple just arrived going our way and we went on together, chatting and stomping. Plus they had bear spray.

We eventually got to the cycle trail, only a mile and a bit from the camp site. The old people went a different way and we carried on. Then, right up ahead, a MASSIVE BEAST walked into the path and looked round. It was a bit surprising but luckily it was a moose. A huge moose stag. Then his lady-wife stepped out and joined him. We followed them and took some pictures and a few other people congregated to watch the amazing animals have a munch. They left the path and we walked on, everyone else having cycled off. Ceri and I were alone again.

I heard a watery noise immediately to my left and turned to see a bear literally two metres away from me. He was too close to photograph with my zoom lens. Not that I'd have dared. I walked up beside Ceri and grabbed her forearm and urged her to walk briskly and not look behind and that the bear probably hadn't seen us. We were on edge again but got back to camp soon after and were able to laugh about it.

The next day we packed up and waited for the bus home and were so relieved to get back and be able to relax not having been eaten.

Since that weekend I have done not very much yet again. Work is going well and I am really enjoying it. Everyone is lovely and bring me cakes. I got my hair cut by a lesbian and she managed to make me not look like a lesbian. Bonus.

In slightly more exciting news a friend of mine suggested my work as part of an art installation taking place in Edinburgh this month. The artist liked my work and has agreed to use some of my leaf/sky images, so I'm waiting to see how that all works out. Anyone in Edinburgh should go and see Hidden Door!

I had another image published in 'Good News Toronto', a better image this time I think (see below). I have sold one of my Lego badges as well - maybe as Christmas gets nearer there'll be more sales. Maybe not.



This weekend is a long one with Monday being a holiday. It's called Thanksgiving. Ceri and I went to the shops today and bought all the things we'll need for a lovely roast tomorrow. I'm making my own nut roast and Ceri has already decimated her chicken in preparation. Brussels Sprouts! Nommers!

I lost my metrocard yesterday. I'm gutted. There's still most of the month to go but I've decided that instead of buying a new one (what a waste of $121) i will take advantage of being able to walk to work (it should only take around 50 minutes each way). This weekend has been really warm and sunny so I hope that the month continues and I have a relatively pleasant commute on foot. If anything it might help get into better shape (other than round).

That's it, really. Nothing too groundbreaking. Hope all's well back home and that the weather is ok. I'm missing watching X Factor with family or friends as is tradition but at least someone is uploading the acts pretty soon after they have aired. It's the little things, eh?

Thank you, BYE!

Melissa is a Genius.

, originally uploaded by melissa lestari.

How cool is this little guy!?

"Oh, give us the man who sings at his work."

Hello you lot.

Here I am again. I haven't written for a while, as is becoming the norm, but now I have saved up news and such to regale you with. Please be thankful. Others aren't so lucky.

Where was I? I came back from New York, where I had the best time. It's so amazing. Dan left that week and I had to concentrate getting back into the job market. Money. That's what I needed. I managed to arrange an interview for the day after he left and was lucky enough to be offered it on the spot.

I now work at NWMO, which is an organisation that works towards making sure that any governmental nuclear waste is disposed as safely and efficiently as possible, regarding human welfare, the natural world and the economy. I was in dire need of work so couldn't turn it down but have been amazed at how interesting it all is. My position is technically: formatter and proofreader. The company is very public with everything it does but still, of course, needs to submit any proposal in writing to the government and to the public sector so my job is to proofread, edit and re-format these documents before they are released. I am working on a 500 + page one now. It's very interesting and the people are lovely and I am really enjoying it.

Last week Ceri and I started volunteering at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF). It's so much fun and we've been able to see a few films for free as well as getting vouchers for each shift we do which we can redeem against screenings. It's been incredibly hectic at times with publicists being total arseholes and really quite vile, but on the whole it's great meeting like-minded people and having a laugh. Ceri took this week off to do it but I am still at work and working there in the evenings. It's a long day but worth it.

So far I have seen three films: The Frankenstein Project, 13 Assassins and Norwegian Wood. All were good in their own way but the second one was amazing.

Other than that I've been too busy/poor to be up to anything else. I put a deposit on a cardigan which I'm excited about. Oh! I've had a photo published in a Toronto newspaper which is nice. They want me to do more as well so that's good. Oh! My photos that were displayed in the Sleeping Giant are now in the Bloordale Pantry (a lovely diner near my house) and hopefully someone will purchase one or more.

Also my badges are now on sale in a shop too. Have I said that already? I've had some wine and I'm unsure as to what I've already mentioned in an earlier post...

I need to be more arty. Any advice?

Right, that's me. I'm off to have a rest and then go to bed, ready for work tomorrow. Hope everyone in Blighty and everywhere else is well. I miss you all and am looking forward to coming back and completing a tour of the UK and seeing all you lovely people again. I love it here but I'm already excited about coming back.

Bye! : )

When I grow up, I want to be a photographer...

Hello!

Have a sneak preview at my new website type thing:

http://www.wix.com/russelldornan/photography

Let me know what you think if you have any comments...

: )

“One belongs to New York instantly, one belongs to it as much in five minutes as in five years”

Hello everybody!

I am so sorry that I have not written anything on my blob for a long time but I have been rather busy. After finishing work at MJF I went to Hockey Camp (as you should know from reading this blob) for 5 weeks and after that my other half came over to visit and I spent the subsequent, and therefore previous, 4 weeks relaxing and traveling (i.e. not working).

What have I been up to, you may ask? Well, I'm glad you did. I basically spent most of my time relaxing and seeing parts of Toronto I like and others that I had never seen. I went to a screening at the After Dark Film Festival at Bloor Cinema of Robogeisha, a bizarre SciFi film featuring a geisha who becomes more and more android-ee and kills lots of weird men in very strange ways. I was really weird but very funny.

I was taken to dinner on the 51st (?) floor of a building in Toronto where we could see the skyline as it got dark. The food was nice and the view was incredible.

I went thrift store shopping more than ever and got a few bargains; I'm really stocking up on woollen monstrosities, ready for the harsh winter (he says hoping). The hot weather is driving me mad and I want it to stop. No one should have to wear shorts and flip-flops for 8 weeks straight.

Then a few weeks ago we went to New York. N'ork is the one place that I have wanted to visit for as long as I can remember. Through books and film and television and music it has become synonymous with glamour, intrigue, excitement, opportunity, potential, buzz, avant garde, towering and the ultimate city on earth in many ways. I went there not so much with expectations but rather a vortex of 'feelings', almost knowing what it would be like before I got there. I was pretty much on the money. It is incredible. It is magical. It is one of the best cities I have ever been to. The most amazing part about N'ork is that as soon as you arrive and get amongst it's rising rectangles and stretching streets you feel as though there's nowhere else you'd rather be and there's nowhere else you should be. It's very strange. It's not like one is instantly at home there but there is an overwhelming familiarity that floods the brain when walking through movie scenes and drifting between lyrics of songs. I don't meant to sound overly romantic or rose-tinty about the place but it truly is a spectacle and best of all I didn't find it dirty, rude, intimidating, messy or unfriendly. Just the opposite. It's kinetic and I want to live there. I can't. Damn.

Here's what I did there:

1. Tuesday: Arrival in the evening after a 10 hour bus journey. Dan and I stayed with some friends of his family just off Central Park.
2. Wednesday: We walked to Central Park and had a mooch around (it is massive). From there we wandered to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Guggenheim, walked down 5th and Madison Avenues to Times Square. It is good. Like a higher, bigger version of Leicester Square. On the way my favourite building was playing hide 'n' seek with me, the cheeky scamp! The Chrysler kept peeking round corners at me. We visited ToysRus (there's a T Rex in there and loads of Lego!). We walked back up to the apartment we were staying in, dropping by the American Museum of Natural History on the way and saw some animals and dinosaurs. Nice.
3. Thursday: We went to Staten Island using the free ferry and saw the Statue of Liberty and the skyline on the way. We got off the ferry and immediately back on and went back. From the Southern-most tip of Manhattan we walked up to Ground Zero (basically a huge construction site) and had a pizza nearby. Then we walked to/through China Town and Little Italy. The former was a bit shabby and oppressive but the latter was lovely and I wanted to eat there but we were cooked dinner that evening. Cheese, wine, pasta, wine, cocktails, corn on the cob, wine, salad, wine and soup. And wine. Nom, nom, nom.
4. Friday: Rockerfeller! We went to the newly opened Lego shop where I bought some Lego (obviously). Then it was up 60 floors to the top of the building for incredible 360 degree views across the city. We debated this and it was our single most lavish expense ($20) but it was awesome. The Empire State Building truly has to be seen. It comes in at number 2 Then we went to the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and had an ace time looking at arty fings and that. I am well cultured. I think I had a bagel for dinner that night. It was quite late.
5. Saturday: Flea Market. Wow. Lots of lovely things. Probably the only time I regretted not having loads of cash to splash (there was a really nice tea towel for example...) but I did buy a German copy of The Little Prince from the '60s and Dan bought some old printing blocks wiv fancy geezers on 'em. I then visited my third favourite building in the city, the Flatiron building. It. Is. Narrow. Then we had a look around the Village and saw Grace's office (Will & Grace). We were taken out for dinner (a lovely Indian) which was dericious and nommers.
6. Sunday: What a day. We went to Brooklyn (I desperately want to live there) and attended a free gig by the water looking over at the Manhattan skyline. All week we'd had hot muggy days and sunshine and blue skies. Not Sunday. Of course not Sunday: we were at an open air gig! We queued for 2 hours in torrential rain (which held up the gig even more) and although we both had brollies we got soaked. It was the worst weather I have ever experienced in North America to date, fact-fans. Once we got in we reveled in the views of Manhattan and watched all the warm-up acts: Telephone, Suzann and Kid Sister. Then the headliners (who we were there to see), Chromeo, came on and were amazing. The rain pretty much stayed 'threatening' as opposed to 'pissing' so it was perfectly fine. After this and 8 hours of dampness and feet pressure we grabbed a bagel in Brooklyn and then went back to the apartment, shattered.
7. Monday: Home. Sadface.

So that was N'ork. It was ace. Toronto felt so small afterwards. And calm. And provincial. But also homey in a way. Once back there was more relaxing and then job hunting to be done. I saw Scott Pilgrim (which I thoroughly enjoyed). Dan left a few days ago which was sad but it was a lovely time had by all. I managed to get a job unsettlingly quickly (for a Nuclear Waste Organisation, weirdly) and start that on Tuesday.

In other news I have plopped my Lego and button badges into a little retro/vintage store near where I live and I have just found out that a funky (and very tasty) diner near the aforementioned store would like to display my photographic images (previously seen in the Sleeping Giant Gallery).

Oh! Ceri and I have been approved and now trained to volunteer for TIFF (Toronto International Film Festival). Ceri will be doing general things at the World Cinema screen and I shall be doing the same thing at the Press & Industry screens. We're very excited and there are some groovy films playing this year that we should get into.

I think that's it, everyone. This has been a well long post so you should be happy! Don't moan at me again, pleasethanks.

Is everyone ok? I'd like to hear what you're all up to. It's hard to ask you all individually so if you ever fancy dropping me a message I would likely well up with honour and then cry for hours about it. Honest.

I have added all my N'ork pictures (not really all, but possibly the only ones you lot will be bothered about) onto Flickr. Have a look, yeah? They are HERE! (click on the word 'here')

: )

I hope I see this, Black Swan, at the Toronto Film Festival...

The Big Pomme

Hello,

I am SO sorry I haven't written an entry in here for AGES but I have been busy and that.

I am off to New York City early tomorrow morning and will undoubtedly have loads to blob about then. I shall try to blob as I go but we'll see.

Hope you're all well and I look forward to writing at you again over the next few days.

: )

DOWNLOAD: Matthew Dear - Soil To Seed

DOWNLOAD: Matthew Dear - Soil To Seed

Hazy Clouds in Aurora (and children)

Herro,

I have survived the first two weeks of Hockey Camp everyone! Whee! It has been a rollercoaster. A very long and slow chug, chug, chug up and up and up and then whooooooooosh! last minute mega madness!

I am having a lovely time but it is quite stressful. The children are fun and make me feel welcome. I am awesome and cool and have the best accent. This is what the 6-10 year olds thought, polls show. I am inclined to agree. I got chants on the bus about it. Everyone knows that makes it a fact.

My first slide show fell on deaf eyes: there was disorganisation (not on my part) and hardware crashes etc but I got the DVD made and over to the place in time but the projector etc was such that widescreen didn't work! So the slide show was a major let down. For me, at least. So for the last week, I have been living on St Andrew's Campus and was lucky enough to get my own room. It's hot and humid but it's mine. I get up in the morning and edit photos while the children are on the ice and then I photograph them playing other sports and team building exercises back here on campus in the evenings.

The food started off shaky. Not like jelly (or Jell-o). I asked for the veggie option on the first night last Sunday and got given fish. I smiled and repeated myself. They then repeated themselves. "Fish may be the veggie option, but it's not a veggie option." I said. Mmm, dry pasta...

It got better as the week went on (save for some beef-riddled vegetarian samosas) and I have enjoyed veggie quesadillas, stuffed vegetables including peppers and courgettes, pizza (twice)...

The slideshow on Friday went down a storm and I had kiddies afterwards telling me that I got some sweet, sick and nice pictures of them. Sick in Canada = good. I'm told. People speak funny here.

So the third week of camp has started again and I have already taken the shots of children crying and saying goodbye to mum, dad, big sis and the hairy dog. Sometimes it's hard to tell the latter two apart. And now I am waiting to head out to the field to take photos of the same children as last week (mostly) meeting each other for the first (well, second) time. I assume the team building evolves each week otherwise: yawn.

I don't really have any other news apart form the fact that Amy is still here, but annexed to the rink so I hardly see her, and getting to know the other staff is making things more enjoyable in that way. In other news Ab Fab kept me company last week as did Brittas Empire and this week it will be Keeping Up Appearances. That's exciting. Any other good British sitcoms to recommend?

More updates as events warrant!

House (Hausu) Trailer

"Ice hockey is a form of disorderly conduct in which the score is kept."

Greetings from 'camp'.

Yesterday was my first day at Roger Neilson's Hockey Camp and was a very busy and tiring one. I arrived on Sunday afternoon and was collected from the bus and taken to the ice rink. There I met Amy (first aid extraordinaire) who was helping register the kids who were starting camp on Monday. This first week is different to all the others; it is called day camp and the children, although joining us all week, are not spending the night. Later in the evening I experienced my first adult camp. Every evening from 8-10pm a group of adult novices are taught general ice hockey skills.

This was my first chance to get some photos of action on the rink. First thoughts: the lighting is horrendous.

After that was all done and we had cleared up and sorted ourselves out, Marshall (camp director), Amy and I went back to Marshall's. This is where Amy and I are staying for our first week because the residences on campus aren't ready yet. We were to be up at 6am the next day ready for a full day (7am-10pm) on Monday.

I slept OK and although the sofa was comfortable, I wasn't. I don't like living out of a bag anymore. I'm to old for that, ha! Bleary-eyed, Amy and I were driven to the rink to start our first day. Amy was here last year so she was telling me how things work and what everyone's like. When we got there I got my schedule. There are 8 teams (I won't bore you with the names) and they are put into pairs. Throughout the day the pairs of teams enjoy various activities (hockey practice, hockey games, swimming, team building, recreation, etc), each pair doing each thing at a different time. This is the same schedule they have for the week.

My job was then to witness and photographically capture/document these activities. I spent the whole day chasing the groups around the complex and took in excess of 1000 photos. For lunch we had lasagne (there was a veggie one, phew!) and garlic bread. It was nom nom nom.

The children at camp range from 6 to about 12 (the overnighters include older kids too). The wee ones are so cute. There's one in particular, Max, who is adorable. He's a goalie and waddles out on the ice head to toe in padding and kit; he's barely 4' tall and looks a little bit like R2D2. Bless.

I'm not sure how many of you have watched an ice hockey game, but I'm positive you know how rough and violent it can be. Watching children learn and play is amazing, they are all so talented on the ice. The aggression mounts as the children age as well. The six year olds are all enthusiasm and laughter; the 12 year olds all scowls and yells. They are all agile and very quick. When the games get underway it's really fun to watch. I just have to remember to take photos!

The day dragged a little as I followed the groups and activities around. The heat is unbearable this week as well, in the high 30s but with added humidity it feels like mid 40s. Unfortunately a lot of the team building is outdoors and I can't stand it. Tomorrow I hope it will be cooler so that I can get a few decent shots without my camera melting through my hands. Here's a random shot, don't tell anyone - it's not for here, really...


Once the kids all get picked up at 5pm some stay on for power skating until 6. Then we have a two hour break (Amy and I went to get food and have a seat) before coming back to the rink for the adult skaters again. It was a loooong day. It wasn't until the end of the day that Marshall told me that I don't need to be there for the whole day. Basically as long as I get the shots I need to, he's happy.

So this morning I got up at 8am, edited some of Monday's shots (I'd already spent most of the previous evening doing it) and walked over to the rink at 11am. I lost about 20kg in sweat on the way there, humphing my camera case in 43 degree sun heat death rays of doom. Once I got there I checked my schedule, in terms of the shots I still needed and sought out the relevant teams. Then I had lunch; not so good today. Hot dogs. In my case: vegetarian sausages. They were sick. 'Luckily' veggie hot dogs taste just like regular ones (for obvious reasons). So that was rank. But it filled a hole.

I took a few more photos and then left the rink at 2pm to walk back to Marshall's place to finish the editing and sort out the new batch. Every step sucked out moisture from my soon-to-be-crispy skin. It was nice to have a much more relaxed day. I was then able to sit in the AC and edit the many, many photos while planning what was still needed.

Now I am relaxing on the sofa chatting to Amy about her day (she still needs to stay until after 10om). I feel bad because we shared the long first day but now I set my own hours in a way. Ah well, she's a trooper and will be fine.

In addition to the group leaders (called counsellors) there are staff called 'Rink Rats' who help the children get their skates on (ha) and provide the water and any other assistance. They are all pretty young (15+) but they are lovely. I got to know them all a little bit today.

So far so good. I have two full days now with more photos to take and more editing to do and then the slide show to compile for the Friday night awards ceremony. It's rather fun. I am looking forward to getting into the residence and having my own room (although there's talk of sharing, hmm).

This is enough computer work for tonight. I hope everyone's well and taking care of each other in my absence. I nearly wrote abscess, weird!

Good night : )

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Trailer

"The virtue of the camera is not the power it has to transform the photographer into an artist, but the impulse it gives him to keep on looking"

Hello!

I have got a job, like. A new one, innit? I am now due to start my first full-time photography job on the 5th July, for five weeks.

I am going to be working on St Andrews Boy's College which hosts a five week sports camp. My job is:

• to capture images throughout each camp day (of all people and groups and activities)
• electronically file my work
• prepare a slide show/DVD for each Friday night Awards Ceremony

I have five weeks of pure photography. In addition to this they also want a complete photo record of the campus. it's beautiful. Here's a picture:

I could hardly find any others because even the college site doesn't have many of the campus itself. I shall change that, of course. There are some wee ones here.

I will be living on the campus for the five weeks and have all my food paid for, which is exciting me. No commute, no shopping, no cooking, no dirt. No Ceri, but that's not quite as fun, although I'm sure she'll cope without me. I hope I don't get bored.


I shall keep everyone up to date with how it's going. I hope this finds you lot all well too.


Russell : )

All My Friends (literally)

Hello,

A lovely lass at work, Neha, has moaned that I have not mentioned her or Summer, another friend/colleague, in this here blob. Now. I'm not sure why this is. Neither of them are particularly weird (well...) and they have made an effort. They drive me places, buy me lunch and attend all my gallery openings (ha), so I really should mention them.

Instead of a cursory name-drop, though, here is a special post dedicated to the dastardly duo.

Say 'hello', from left to right (excluding us of course), to Neha and Summer (otherwise known as Heha and Bummer):

They are an utter boon! They are also the youngest people at MJF (where I work) other than meself and I am lucky enough to be sat near them and honoured to work with them.

Here's to you both, Heha and Bummer! Rejoice in your budding propaganderous Internet careers! Huzzah!

Sleeping Giant? Sleeping is right!

Hello!

I did not realise how long it has been since I last wrote anything. I guess this is a normal thing to happen: keep up the writing for so long and then suddenly it's been weeks since the last entry...

Anyway! What haz we all bin up to, eh? Well last Friday (11th) the exhibition featuring some of my work opened. Ceri and I and some friends attended the launch, although it was more of a late-night viewing. There were no medals or guest speakers waxing lyrical about me and my AMAZING pictorials. Ah well. It was nice to see my work up there, though. Here I am at the event with my pictures looking like a weirdo:



Some friends popped by to see some work this week and found it to be closed for no reason. The owner wasn't that bothered. I've decided that it was my first one and that it is all a learning curve and will make sure, next time, that the gallery I choose isn't owned by a tot-rash. They may as well be asleep...

On the Saturday (12th) Ceri and I went vintage clothes shopping in the most amazing charity shops ever. Amazing not because they were of great quality or class but volume. There was so much that we managed to find a few gems. Miranda would have the best time ever - it's like TK Maxx but everything is $2 and vintage. I bought a pair of Rollerblades. It's an exciting time to be me.

On Saturday afternoon we went to Ajax, to see Bill and Kath, for the first time since we moved into the city. It was lovely to see them again and they were so sweet and excited to see us. We went for dinner and managed to pay (ha!) for their food too. The next morning (we stayed over) they drove us to Niagara Falls. It was really immense. I always imagined that they would be mahoosive and engulf the world in front of me but, rather, they were just really big. Not unimpressive, just nowhere near as big as they were in my head all these years. I took quite a few photos (obviously) but surprisingly not that many of the actual falls themselves:



You can see all my Niagara Falls pictures if you click on the right of this - see the thumbnails? We had a wander around the area and B&K drove us to a clock made of flowers (!) and then we went for dinner at Niagara on the Lake, which was a lovely place but the food was not so good. We were then driven home, shattered.

Over the last week I have been at work, doing nothing very special at all. And guess what? So has Ceri! Yes, folks, Ceri got a job - it sounds very nice - any of you who know her probably already know about it. She's working for a gold mining company and is enjoying it so far. So once her money (or ingots) start rolling in we can really start to enjoy the city.

Yesterday we went to see Toy Story 3. I can't stress enough how much you all need to see this film. It was amazing. Toy Story 2 managed to improve on an almost perfect original movie and the third installment is no different. It's grown up and sad and achingly poignant. But it is still a children's film and very funny. Please go and see it.

Today I had an interview. It's for something that might be quite amazing. I don't want to say too much in case I don't get it but it was for a full-time photography job for a summer camp lasting 5 weeks. The job is basically to compile a complete photo-record of the camp experience as attended by 6-16 year old children as well as the campus itself and the teachers and educators. I got shown around the campus (it's held on the site of St Andrew's Private School, North of Toronto) and it's stunning. I wanted to start right then. It would be an amazing chance. I'll keep you posted.

By the way, the rollerblading is going down a storm. Ceri helped me and I got on OK although I cracked my kneed off when I fell. The next night i went out alone with newly bought protective gear and really went for it. I was so good! I can stop now, and do a little spin thing. I did fall over and managed to land on the one square inch of my body not protected but plastic and am now sporting a pretty graze/bruise/swelling on my elbow. Soon, I can Rollerblade to the park and dodge grannies (unless they're mean-looking) and maybe even convince Ceri to get in on the act.

I think that's all folks. I hope there are still people willing to read this, despite the hiatus. There will be more to come as events warrant.

Love to all,

R : )

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ussell Dornan has discovered Drop Cap.com.