Oh Squirrel Christmas Shoot

It all got a little bit early Christmas in my little flat last weekend while I had a wonderful time shooting stock for Oh Squirrel, my favourite, hilarious stationery store. I've shot stock for, and blogged about Oh Squirrel before, but I wanted to show off some of the wonderful new things Katie has created for the Christmas season.

Cute decorations, gift bags made from old, old books, hilarious greetings cards -

Look at these notebooks!

These travel card cases are the perfect stocking filler you guys, get me one?

As well as new Christmassy things, Katie has been busy working on her frightfully successful custom Bridal and Hen Party line. If you are getting married you should give her a call fo sho.

Katie will be hocking her wares down at Renegade this weekend in case you want to see her face and buy her things. Which you should.

If anyone else out there is looking for some help with photographs for their etsy store (I know I was when I made jewellery before I discovered how to do it properly), give me a shout! I'm happy to help and don't charge much. Also, its hellz fun.

Also don't forget, you can follow the blog/store on Facebook for regular updates and secret sneak peeks.

Test Roll - Mamiya 135EF

I spent a while looking for a nice little lightweight point and shoot 35mm camera that I could throw in my bag when I don't want to lug my weapon-weight SLR around, and found this little Mamiya 135EF on eBay for like a tenner back in the spring.

I just got my first roll of colour film back and I love it.

Its now the little guy I have in my handbag 7 days a week in case something magical happens.

I find it a little hard to guess the distance I'm standing from things so the focus is a little off in some of the shots, but I think I quite like that.

Also it has a pop up flash so when I'm a bit drunk I can take pictures of people looking like crack heads which is "cool".

I've shot a bunch more on this but in B&W which I can't afford to process.

So you should buy some of my prints.

the produce section

I really love taking photographs of seasonal vegetables.

vicious tudor beasts

Hampton Court Palace is riddled with them.

hit pause

Tiny moments.

Oh Squirrel Stock Shoot.

I was pretty chuffed when stationery goddess Katie of Oh Squirrel asked me if I could help her out by shooting some of her unique and wonderful handmade, vintage inspired stationery and  accessory range.

Katie uses her stash of squirrelled away vintage fabric, stamps, books and photographs to make all kinds of wonderful things. Badges, pocket mirrors, hilarious gift cards.

Spending a Sunday morning shooting these was an absolute delight....

And they look so great in the Oh Squirrel etsy store!

like flying over the arctic

From the window seat on a wintertime flight over Germany to Vienna.

Print Store Updates!

Just a little update to let you know that I am offering FREE SHIPPING in my print store until the end of January - just pop in the code 2013AHOY at checkout.

I've also just listed a bunch of new prints, and done a bit of house work in general about the place, so now is a good time to pop back and visit if you haven't in a while. I'm hoping to get some more functional things listed in the new year, so stay tuned.

You can like my store/blog on facebook [HERE] if you are so inclined, for updates and such (and I promise, no spam!)

Print Swap 2012

It is that time of the year. The days are drawing in, the nights are getting darker, and Christmas is coming. Another year, almost gone. Its all a bit bleak isn't it. So I thought it might be quite nice to do something chipper and festive and have a bit of a print swap. Not terribly unlike a Secret Santa, except on the Internet and from all over the world not just the person who sits next to you at work.

Here is how it will work:
Everyone who wants to take part, comment below with your email address.
You will have 2 weeks to sign up.
On 18th Nov, I will get in touch via email at which point I will collect physical addresses, and then send you the address of your partner.
(They will not know who has got them, that is the secret part.)
Then you send a print to the person you have been paired with, and you get a print from the person that has your name.

This is not limited to photographs. If you make illustrations, collages, paintings, zines, and you'd like to swap, please do take part. Everyone is welcome, lets mix it up!

You will be responsible for sending out your own print, so please only take part if you will have time to send something out so we don't have any disappointed folk. The print you send can be as big or small as you like - and don't forget to leave your email address so I can get in touch with you!

Everyone should get a little surprise in the post just before Christmas to perk us up during the cold months. Unless you are in the Southern Hemisphere, where it is always warm, and glorious sting rays eat out of your hands, and you bask in golden sands, and eat tamarillos until your fingers are stained red.

Times up on this I'm sorry teamsters! Thanks to everyone who signed up, I can't wait to see what you all get!

New ting

Custom Prints are now available in case you have seen something on the blog that isn't already in the store, or something in the store that you'd like in a different size. 6x4 / 9x6 / 12x8. And some cemetery prints for good measure.  Boom!

Look Who Got a Website

 www.diannetanner.co.uk

Updated by witches, yo.  Mega thanks to my dear friend Phil Jarvis who built this for me, and to the ever-patient Morgan who does all my little bits of graphic design (because I don't know how to draw with computers) and designed my logo for me using a little arrow I drew one day, because I am well Katniss Everdeen.

I felt like it was time to bring everything together in one place, its nice to have a tidy virtual hub at last. As well as this I have new prints coming up in store, some custom options, and some postcards. Stay tuned.

Trip Fontaine

I had this camera sitting on my shelf for like 4 years, I took some photographs on it then decided it was broken (it cost 50p). Then I decided it wasn't broken, and finished the roll of film, but only the photographs I took 4 years ago came out.

And that is the dull story of my Olympus Trip, which does not feature Josh Hartnett at all sorry.

Coronetto

A while ago now, Suzi came round with this little guy. I took him out for a test run with some B&W film in him, and it was weird. I thought that I was just so used to shooting on an SLR that maybe my little fingers had crept up in front of the lens, you know like when your Gran is taking photographs? So I put some colour film through it, and this is how it came out.

That is not my fingers! Light leaks I guess, despite the camera being covered in tape to prevent this, I think I worked out that the light is leaking in where the winder is, which is impossible to tape up.

The overlapping frames I was expecting - this camera is supposed to take 127, which clearly I did not use. Its impossible to know how many times to wind the film on to get to the next frame, so I was winging it.

It has been fun trying this out, and extremely novel to have a camera that doesn't weigh the same as a baby elephant in my bag, but I don't think "toy cameras" are for me? I don't like that you can't frame the photograph properly - the viewfinder thing is weird - to me it all feels a bit like it comes down to luck. The whole Lomography "shoot from the hip" concept is lost on me. I like to know what I've taken photographs of, and how I expect them to come out. I'm old school I guess.

That said, I really don't hate these photographs at all, and it was really fun to try something new!

*disclaimer - I do respect and enjoy the work of a lot of people who do take beautiful photographs using this method of shooting, it is just not for me. So don't freak out.