crickets chirping

Classes, commissions, talks, travels, new beginnings and bittersweet endings have turned my brief blogging hiatus into a full blown sabbatical. 


Life has intruded, as it sometimes does, so I'm taking this opportunity to go with the flow and see where it leads. The next two months will see me off on an South African adventure, exploring the savannas and enjoying the Portuguese Islands as well as a (potentially) final European jaunt eating and shopping my way through Rome and Paris before heading back to Dublin one last time to pack up and move on to the next big thing. Exciting times are ahead, and though the future remains unclear, I'm doing my best to embrace the unknown. 


Till next time,
FK

**Don't worry, the title doesn't make sense to me either. But S. Monster suggested it and as I couldn't come up with anything better so there you go. 

Finding Your (photography) Eye: part 2

Kat's Finding Your Eye e-course finished up last week and in true form I'm ever so behind in wrapping things up. Better than late than never, I'd thought I'd share some gleaming gems of knowledge gained with y'all Nuggets. (you can read about part 1 here) 


I love photographs of people but I rarely take them as I usually produce less than stellar shots. Prompted to spend time practicing photographing something familiar, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to get better at shooting people. And by "people" I of course mean one specific person who I could force convince to let me take 50 plus photos of him. 


Luckily for me, though he was less than thrilled, S. Monster didn’t put up much of a fight. I suspect it's because he learned how to ignore my obtrusive ways years ago. Regardless, with Stereomood on in the background, I sat and happily snapped away, trying new settings and exploring different angles. After I loaded them up on the computer I saw that, except for 2, most of the shots didn’t turn out as I would have liked. Those that did however, were happy accidents where the slight blurriess and faded light added an element that I could never have captured otherwise.

Kat’s e-course helped me focus in on what characterizes my photographic eye as well. Studying some of my favorite photos I saw that elements such as color, light, texture and lines/ shapes were consistent throughout my work.

There is a power in being able to vocalize what defines you. It helps narrow your focus and hone your skill to perfect what it is that makes you, you.

It’s a lesson that permeates far beyond the subject of photography, and one that as I slowly build a business I’ve seen the importance of first hand.

{All photographs by me} 

This course has helped me further define not only my photographic eye, but my design and artistic eye as well.  




It was a fantastic 2 weeks - thanks for such a great class Kat! xx

{Stylin} Disney Chic

Remember this dress? Well wouldn't you know it popped up again up on what is now my new favorite tumblr.


As someone who grew up, and remains obsessed to this day, with Disney animated movies (I may or may not have the soundtrack to Little Mermaid on my Ipod), DisneyBound is the (Aristo)cat's meow. 


A Disney focused fashion blog, I adore her modern reinterpretation of classic characters. The outfits are sleek and stylish with a subtle Disney twist. Whether you're looking for a chic costume or general fashion inspiration, this is the place to go. 

 

{All images via DisneyBound. For details on the outfits check out their Polyvore site}

To the extreme

If you happen to follow me on twitter you might have noticed that last week I started the P90x program. I debated mentioning anything on here, as despite surviving the first week, I'm still 87.23% certain I'm going to die before I reach day 90. But really, what's the point in failing if no public humiliation is involved? 

These past few months I've been anything but consistent when it comes to eating clean and working out. There's been several failed attempts to resuscitate some semblance of a routine but nothings really worked until now. 

I know I need some sort of structure to kick my ass into shape and that's exactly what P90x does. 

So far in week 2 day 11, I'm in a constant state of soreness, but not so much that I've lost basic functions like being able to dress myself or pee. I take it as a good sign. Gotta relish those small victories. 

Aside from being in great shape what I'm really looking forward at the end of all this is finally having amazing abs of awesomeness. True story: when I was younger (read: last month) I used to draw a six pack on with eyeliner. I'm hoping that after these 90 days I'll have a six pack that draws itself on....   

{Images via Pinterest}

{Travel} Road Trippin' the Irish edition

Recently S. Monster and I packed up Blue Steel (our tiny but lovable '97 blue Nissan Micra) and headed off on an impromptu road trip down south.

Hidden in the woods outside Cahir, we stumbled upon the adorable and oh so delightful Swiss Cottage that seemed to have sprung to life from the very pages of a fairytale. 

At night we strolled the quaint town of Kilkenny, instantly smitten by the charm of Birdies Bar and General Store. Though to be fair, how can I resist any place that offers chocolate, cardboard Moose heads and alcohol? (answer: I can't)

We spent a rainy morning wandering the Apple Farm of Tipperary. I'm not sure why, but I've been obsessed with going here ever since I heard about it last year. It's about what you'd expect an apple farm to be, nothing but row after row of orchards in the middle of nowhere, but I adored the solitude and simpleness of it all.

Sometimes I find it so easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life that I forget to take time to enjoy the simple things. The weekend was the perfect escape, a chance to disconnect from the daily rigors of computers, phones and status updates.  


What made the weekend so special though was not the things we saw but the company shared as we went from place to place. The times spent laughing, sharing stories and enjoying the ride....that dear Nuggets, is what makes life sweet.




...Well, that and fresh apple juice. 

Find your (photography) eye

This week I'm super stoked to be starting the Find your Eye e-course by the amazingly talented Kat Sloma. A genius behind a lens, she not only creates effortless stunning photos that transcend time and place (her market series exemplifies this perfectly), but Kat is also able to a break down each shot and explain technically how and why it works in such a way that even I, in all of my dazed and confused glory can understand. And that, boys and girls, is saying something.


But photography is more than simply understanding the technical side of things. Anyone can take a pretty picture but to create images that truly resonate, you first need know and understand your eye, and that is where this journey begins.


To become great at anything you have to take the time to build a solid foundation. Action, commitment and time my friends, is what is needed to be successful at anything. Easier said then done I know, but just between you and me, I've bitched about wanting to be a better photographer for long enough. I think it's time to actually do something about it rather than pretend that one day I'll be granted magical powers that make me awesome at anything I touch....


Until then though let's start at the beginning shall we?  What does photography mean to me? For me photography is about capturing a moment, a time, a place or a mood. Like a glimpse behind a drawn curtain, photography is a way to freeze a stolen glance of a world hidden from daily life. It is seeing the tiny, unnoticed details that form the essence of a moment and can tell a story.


Over the next two weeks, I'll be using this space as my photo journel as I dive into this e-course, expanding upon the above and further developing my eye. Get excited.

Titles are hard

Apologies for the delay in posting Nuggets. Poor S. Monster's been a bit under the weather ever since we got back from our delightfully impromptu road trip. Being the good wifey that I am tho, I've taken fine care of him these past few days (I made him instant chicken noodle soup and everything!), but in the process somehow managed to put off writing anything with substance... my bad.

To top it all off my computer's apparently decided to go on strike, randomly shutting down or freezing up every 5 minutes. It took me nearly all day to upload and edit 10 photos. It's been fun. I've decided to go on the offensive though. Sledge hammers and computers totally mix right? 

In other news, I have like a billion 3 posts in various stages of half done, but fret not. While I gather my wits about me (and continue to procrastinate) I leave you in the (questionably) capable, hilariously funny hands of Hannah from My Drunk Kitchen.