Portrait <3

It took me a very very very long time to feel remotely comfortable shooting portraits. I dislike having them taken myself so always felt uncomfortable even taking street shots of other people, let alone posed portraits. But they are growing on me as I shoot more people. Particularly people I am comfortable with. Travelling has made me more confident, taking photos at parties where a little wine lubricates the creativity and confidence. But in the last few weeks especially I feel buoyed and am relishing portrait photography. I took photos a friend’s wedding and did a portrait shoot for another. They made me feel at ease. They made it easy to give of myself. Isn’t it supposed to be the photographer saying that? Yes … normally … but they are not shy, often unconfident me. My subjects make me feel comfortable, they give back to me. They so loved the way I portrayed them and mad the experience a joy.

One friend particularly gave me the most amazing boost when she told me about how she felt about my portrait. She said ‘I just see me, you captured my soul’. Her words touched me and gave me the strength to do more. Maybe this is overly dramatic to some but to me photographing someone is so intensely personal and I need all the confidence I can muster to do it. But the last few weeks I am reveling in it, thriving on it. Bring on the portraits I say! (Watch out peeps … I am on the loose with a camera. Seriously … am totally up for a shoot).

Smile!

Happy Tuesday everyone!

A little image from Koh Phangan that I scanned a few days ago.

It makes me cheery and reminds me of good times on my island!

From the archives … La Paz

I visited La Paz, the capital of Bolivia, in April 2009. The highest altitude capital city in the world, it is an amazing place. Cities aren’t for everyone but I love them. The buzz, the people, the sights all make me want to snap away. I can’t precisely say what so captivated me about La Paz. Maybe the setting, the tempo of life there, the fact I found it so easy to converse in Bolivian Spanish, the warmth of the people, the mix of crazy travellers who came together in that place.

Visiting there for just under a week, I spent a lot of time just watching the world go by, acting as a flâneur. But this was something I noticed the locals did too. There was a different pace there than in most cities. It had its craziness but it felt like even the hustle and bustle was in slow motion, moving with a languid tempo.

It was the perfect place for shooting film, the slow deliberateness that favours great shots working well with the city itself. I did shoot digital as well, which you can see on my flickr stream. While the digital shots captured the bright abundant colours of this sunny city, the black & whites captured something of its soul, of its rhythm.

Enjoy the images and me know what your thoughts are on the differences between the colour and black & white, between the digital and film.

Something for Kate

Who will be astounded at this post … either because it will bring back great memories or because it took me two and a half years to get these scanned.

Now I am not a food blogger but I will tell you that this is one of the best restaurants I have ever been to. Mudbrick is a winery and restaurant on Waiheke Island, only a short ferry ride from Auckland.

We got the degustation menu, which is I guess expensive but it is a filling meal that just tastes amazing and is worth every cent. I am not totally sure if the current one on the menu is the same that we had but even if not … I am sure it is still just as good.

Topped off with a fabulous rosé, the gorgeous fragrant garden, amazing views and brilliant weather, it was one of the best girls’ days I have had.

If you go to Auckland, make sure you go to Mudbrick and stay the night so that you can explore the rest of the island, which I hear is gorgeous.

Moo

A cute little fellow who let us stay on his/her? farm for the weekend a couple of months ago.

Happy Friday everyone!

Mic & Mel

Just a quick little post.

A Polaroid from my cousin’s wedding in March

A journey fast approaching

It seems so surreal to be that in six weeks I will again be walking these pathways.

The visit this time will open up new challenges. It is a little scary but feels so right.

There is an overwhelming amount to do before I go.

I think I may also still be scanning film from my last sojourn while I am there though! These are the first few images of 35mm film I’ve scanned had developed from my time there in September 2012 to February 2013. To be honest they only probably got done as they were the first images on a roll that also had my cousin’s wedding on it.

More are to come very soon … I think. As usual I have not labeled my rolls of film and have dozens to develop. I think I put the correct ones into the lab yesterday. Fingers crossed!

Here be dragons on Mother’s Day

Chinese Dragons are one of my favourite things – I just love them. So I tend to take lots of photos of them when I see them.

Although in Western mythology dragons are often represented as frightening creatures and were once placed on maps to represent uncharted waters, in Chinese culture they represent good luck, power and strength and are highly visible in the famous Chinese Dragon Dances on New Year’s and other festive occasions.

Today I was having a look at the last few polaroids that I needed to scan/edit/post and these were the only two left of my px600 shots (yay for catching up!).

The first image was taken at my grandparent’s house in Brisbane the day my grandmother died last year. The second I took at the lovely Thian Hock Keng Temple in Singapore last September and I gave it to my Mum along with her birthday presents last year.

Both my Mum and her mum were born in the Chinese year of the dragon. I took the photos in the year of the Dragon. I lost both my Grandmother’s within six weeks of each other last year, in the year of the Dragon.

Being Mother’s Day and realising all these little connections as I was getting them ready to post on Flickr was poignant for me and a little sad. I miss my Nanna and my Grandmother a lot but I love remembering them and am grateful that neither are in pain. Last year I wrote a little post about them but it was all too raw at the time to say much more. It still is really.

So Happy Mothers Day to all you mums. Both those who are with us and those who aren’t.

Saffron: Tales from the Persian Kitchen

I’m on a mission to showcase a side of Iran that never makes the headlines. Armed with just a notepad and a bottle of pomegranate molasses, I want to travel through Iran asking a cross-section of Iranians to share their favourite recipes with me. From my 77 year old grandmother who lives on a rice farm near the Caspian Sea to 22 year old hip hop stars in Tehran, I’ll be gathering recipes from fishermen and farmers, teachers and tradesmen, carpet makers and cab drivers. Whilst cooking together, I’ll ask people I meet to share the stories behind the food that they love.

It is fairly rare that I discuss other projects here – mainly cause I am always so overwhelmed with all my own stuff to post. But this is one project that I am really excited about and want to see happen, because it really speaks to me of so many of the things I love: food, spices, diverse landscapes, ancient and modern cities, amazing architecture, colour and conversation.

My friend Yasmin has a Kickstarter project to help realise her dream of a book and documentary that celebrates the food and culture of Iran and her people, showing a different side of this diverse country than we normally see. Saffron: tales from the Persian Kitchen, is a twofold project featuring a recipebook and documentary. It will feature Iranians from every walk of life who will share their recipes as they cook with Yasmin and tell the stories behind their food. And they will of course feature gorgeous photographs of the participants, their food and their country.

Most of all I love this girl’s passion for this project and her enthusiasm and drive for all things in life … meaning things will happen! When she talks about this project her already sparkly eyes sparkle more and as she describes the food and the people and the country you can easily imagine that you are there, with the smell of spices and the noise and hubbub of Tehran around you. This, even if you are sitting on a beach in Thailand, physically far away from any of it. For instance:

I’d like to show you a different side of Iran. A side that entices you with its delicious and sophisticated cuisine; that takes your breath away with its dramatic landscapes of desert, tropical forests and snow-capped mountains; that touches your soul through the poetry of Rumi and Hafez and dazzles you with its intricate, beautiful architecture.

Kickstarter helps awesome cultural projects like Yasmin’s to get going – whether it be musicians, photographers, writers or even theatres and community museums.

This is an all or nothing funding campaign and Yasmin doesn’t get the money unless the total amount pledged reaches her target of £8,000

A little added incentive is some nice presents, depending on which level of funding you support.

The funding will go toward making a pilot documentary & producing sample chapters of the book.

Saffron: tales from the Persian kitchen has ten days left to go to reach the total, which is currently sitting at £7,010 with only £1,490 to go!

So please have a look at the awesome video on the Kickstarter page, share the project with your friends, like it on facebook and pledge a couple of quid if you can … or a couple of thousand – cause I seriously want to see what the mystery thankyou gift is when someone reaches Nuclear Level. Going by all the other gifts … it’s going to be pretty amazing :-)

Man selling spices on the street in Rasht, May 2012.

Made these yummy date pastries when I was in Iran last summer. Perfect with an afternoon cuppa.

Hitting a sushi bar in Tehran last year. Inspired me to create an Iranian take on cerviche …

Getting ingredients ready to make ‘Baghalee Ghatogh’, a special yummy recipe from northern Iran where my family are from. Can you guess the ingredients?

I scribbled these notes in Iran last year as I learnt how to make Kaleh Kabob …

All images & caption text by Yasmin Khan.

Freshening up

Hey everyone. I had a little spruce up today. Changed my header image for the first time ever and my colour scheme. I did consider going to a new theme but I still haven’t found one I like quite as much as this.

What do you think? Yes? No? Maybe?

I love the background colour but am unsure if it’s a bit hard on the eyes reading and I do dislike the way the little facebook widget looks like a white box. Hmmmm. I may go back to a white background. But will see …

Just thought I would share this happy accident. This is what happens when you get integral film stuck in an sx70 and then proceed to try to rip it out but can’t, then someone else does.

Hehe … i kinda like it though!