Mediamarmalade

Year: 2019

  • MY NEW FILM CAMERA & SHOOTING 120MM

    MY NEW FILM CAMERA & SHOOTING 120MM

     

    MY NEW FILM CAMERA & SHOOTING 120MM

    The Fuji GA645 x 120mm Porta 400

    If you follow me on instagram you’ll know how very excited i’ve been about my latest purchase. In celebration of my recent promotion at work (eee), I decided to invest in a medium format film camera. I was very torn between two cameras, the Pentax 67 and the Fuji GA645 – after spotting the Pentax in my local camera reseller I thought i’d go for it, but as I phoned to buy it a few days later it had already sold. I was gutted I missed out as it was a pretty good price, and ironically they’d even had two in stock.

    In my disappointment I thought i’d search one more time for the Fuji (which in many ways I felt would be more suited to my needs but didn’t seem to be available in any stores), and as it happens one had become available in a camera store just north of London. It was double the price of the Pentax and actually VERY expensive for the camera, but knowing how lucky I was to find one for sale in the UK and still buzzing from my promotion … I bought it.

    Last Friday after setting it all up with my 120mm Porta 400 and heading out for an evening stroll, I decided it was the perfect time to do a test roll of film … and here’s the results.

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    Despite the fact that looking at these photos now I do quite like the shots, when I initially got them sent through I was actually a bit disappointed.

    Firstly a few of the shots I was super hopeful about (in the park, in the wild grass) didn’t come out how I had envisaged. Mostly this was because I was so far away from the camera which wasn’t my vision for the shot, but hadn’t realised was what Jase was taking. I had hoped for something with a lot more depth and me at the fore – a lesson for next time. The second was a slight lack of focus, but given it’s known to be a master portrait camera, again it may be down to the distance the shots were took at.

    Secondly, the golden hour time of day looked incredible through my eyes, but I hadn’t truly thought through the 400 ISO I had in the film and the F4 aperture of the lens … the reality is the shots came out quite dark versus what I thought and in turn the whites (which were actually beautiful oranges) felt a little blown out. Since these i’ve been reading a lot about ‘pushing or pulling’ film which means you can override the film ISO to adjust the settings more in line with what you feel you need (i know this roughly from always shooting manual on my DSLR, but a light meter might have also told you what the best settings were). I knew I wanted to shoot on F4 anyway (equiv to c. 2.8 on a 35mm camera) as I always prefer to shoot with plenty of depth of field, and with the ISO set at 400, perhaps the shutter speed just didn’t auto shoot as low as maybe i’d have set it manually – as I was shooting aperture priority which is what this camera is amazing at.

    But overall, after loading them into lightroom, slightly bumping the exposure, reducing shadows and adding back that warmth (which has made them slightly more grainy obviously) … I’m not too disappointed for my first roll and am really keen to get out and shoot some more. More portrait style, which I think will show this camera off to it’s full potential.

    As a final note, not only did the camera cost a bomb (£799) the film works out c. £10 a film (and you only get 16 shots) and it cost me £25 to develop with prints & we transfer. Film photography is NOT a cheap hobby, but now i’ve got the bug I really enjoy the novelty and suspense of shooting film, but also I secretly love the results. It’s a huge learning curve. There’s no shooting ten images to get the perfect one, it’s a game of chance and requires far more mastery to get a whole roll of perfect images.

    What do you think? Are you enjoying my film posts?

  • INVESTING IN MY WARDROBE & HAVING A RUTHLESS CLEAR OUT

    INVESTING IN MY WARDROBE & HAVING A RUTHLESS CLEAR OUT

    INVESTING IN MY WARDROBE & HAVING A RUTHLESS CLEAR OUT

    Why I Continually Spring Clean My Wardrobe

    Every now and then I can get a real urge to strip back, de-clutter, have less things and generally just ‘spring clean’ my belongings. As we live in a one bed flat (soon to be two, but the point still stands) having a walk in wardrobe sadly isn’t on the cards, we chose location over size for our first home and that means modest storage.

    I realise more and more, whilst I am a huge consumer of things (forever buying books, new cameras, clothes) I do get overwhelmed with the amount of ‘stuff’ i have, especially when the nooks and crooks I store things in, becomes too difficult to access, see everything or generally just over flowing. As i’ve got older I realise I really want to be able to see all my clothes, open the wardrobe and be able to easily pick anything out of it (versus ignoring half my wardrobe because I simply don’t wear those things anymore or they just no longer fit.

    –

    THE NEED TO CLEAR OUT

    –

    I’ve had MANY clear outs since we bought our place two years ago, and am a huge believer in having clear outs to keep things ‘light’, the move from our bigger rented home to our flat now meant a HUGE clear out was needed and it was perhaps the first time I realised how much i’d hidden away. 200 of shoes was not at all necessary, when I probably rotated 4 pairs. I’ve had a good few clear outs since then too, perhaps every few months I feel stressed by my wardrobes and decided to clear out things. But all of those times a few bits always sneak back in, despite the fact i’ve not ever or not recently worn them – typically more expensive pieces I’ve kept because I think perhaps one day I’ll wear them again.

    But when I truly ask myself that question, will I wear this in the future if the trend comes back around / it fits, the answer is often no. And here is the crux of my most recent clear out.

    I’ve invested a lot of money this last month on some new pieces, mostly from Whistles and Ganni actually (simply because the pieces they have right now are truly my style), and with all these new pieces I couldn’t find a single space to hang them. It triggered the clear out and the slightly ruthless approach to making space. The reality is, living in London, I don’t have the luxury of hoarding pieces ‘just in case’. I always give my items away to my family or charity, but perhaps a few of those in my recent clear out i’ll sell, but regardless, clearing them out of my wardrobe has felt like a weight off my shoulders. Of course I still have a little pile of things i’ve kept ‘just in case’ but as we move to Autumn I will do the test again.

    The second thing I did, much to the amusement of the guy at Homebase as I kept coming back for more, is replace all my big wooden hangers with very slim gold / brass hangers, just this process alone has revolutionised my space and made everything just FIT that much better. The final thing I have done (which if you follow me on instagram you’ll have no doubt spotted) is buy some storage boxes / drawer organisers for some of my draw spaces to just make things more organised, but also go through the process of simply taking everything out, and organising it all back away.

    It takes time. But the feeling post clear out is so liberating. To know everything you own, to be able to see everything you own, and want to wear everything you own, is such a liberating feeling, and makes getting dressed just so much easier. Could you say the same for your wardrobe?

    The next things to tackle will be the coat cupboard under the stairs (where I have secretly stored lots of coats and shoes from the first move and barely been in there since) and the vacuum packed bags we did in Spring which are currently packed away in a cupboard somewhere. I don’t like this concept even though I know many live by seasonal vacuum packing, because once it’s vacuumed I simply forget about it (as everything I have vacuumed is obviously clothes I don’t want to wear or don’t wear), so I’d rather simply do a clear out there too.

    My overall aim is to simply wear everything I own, and be able to access everything I own. Which if you have too much, you simply can’t do (unless you have a beautiful walk in wardrobe – in which case hoard away you lucky beings).

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    SHOP THE LOOK

    . WHISTLES PIPPA SATIN SLIP DRESS . WHISTLES NILE ESPADRILLES . SAINT LAURENT BELLECHASSE BAG . MANGO BLAZER (OLD) .

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    I mentioned above, what partly triggered my need to make space and clear things out was my recent investments and the new pieces I’ve bought. I have been a little frivolous with my spending, but everything I’ve bought I love and know I’ll wear heavily, and I felt the need to add some smart, high quality pieces into my wardrobe. Two of my new items are featured in todays outfit post – the burgundy satin dress and black leather espadrilles. Very simple, classic pieces, which can both be easily styled up or down for day (work) or evening (occasions), and for me this is critical with the nature of my job and lifestyle.

    You may recall the first outing of this dress if you followed my recent stories? 58 minutes of wear, brand new out the box that morning, a black ink pen leaked all over the dress (courtesy of a faulty TFL door which slammed on me and crushed the pen in my bag). I was DEVO and new that pen ink often meant game over. I researched to the enth degree how to remove the ink (i’m a big googler) and finally a week after it happened had the mental space to try and tackle it, and I’m so relieved that with a mixture of hair spray & cue tip ink removal, followed by gentle warm water scrubbing, and then a silk machine wash … i only went and got it out.

    So this dress now feels like a particularly special item, as nearly ruining it, made me realise how much I really did love it.

  • MY NEEDLE AND THREAD BRIDESMAID DRESS

    MY NEEDLE AND THREAD BRIDESMAID DRESS

     MY NEEDLE AND THREAD BRIDESMAID DRESS

    Wearing My Dream Bridesmaid Dress

    I’ve been so looking forward to sharing this post with you, not only does it capture one of the best weekends of the year (one of my best friends weddings), it also features my favourite ever dress that I got to wear as bridesmaid, AND the pictures happen to be some of my favourite ever film photos i’ve captured.

    On the latter, i’m going to do a little post soon on my learnings from shooting more film, as you probably know I only really shot film on my recent city breaks and it gave me a good chance to play around, understand things a little more and refine what I capture. Overall these have been some of the best photos i’ve got on film, from the point of view of focus and clarity. Partly because Jase and my friends have got used to the focusing on the camera, and secondly I’ve bought some of my photography style to the film camera (in terms of composition, angles & overall colour tones). I’ve also firmly decided Porta 400 is my film of choice, over a lower iso like 160 – largely because in the UK at least, we just don’t have those natural brights you get abroad and so the extra light really helps.

    Anyway, enough film chat … my dress of dreams and some pictures from Kat’s wedding in Stockbridge, Winchester, in the most incredible setting on the river tess.

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    When Kat asked me to be bridesmaid I was so honoured, it’s such a privilege and amazing feeling to know someone wants you to be such a big part of their special day. After the amazing hen do in Barcelona, I was so excited for the wedding day itself and the time we had before it at the venue together.

    Aside from of course the ceremony, the incredible speeches, the people, feeling so grateful to be part of the bridal party, the non stop dancing and general amazingness of the day itself, one of the things I also loved was my dress.

    Overall we all got to choose our own bridesmaid dress, which I really loved. We had a colour theme, and an overall vibe to keep us all consistent (there were 5 of us in all), but everyone was allowed to choose their own dress and style to wear on the big day. So many people said how each of our dresses reflected each of our personalities and bought to life all our differences in a lovely way, and I personally loved the excuse to buy  and wear this Needle and Thread dress which I’d wanted for so many years. The colour, the embellishment, the tailoring, the colour and overall cut just WORKED, and I wouldn’t have changed a single thing about it. It was one of those pieces you put on and just feel your total best in, it also felt like fate as it was the only remaining dress in this style and it happened to be my size. FATE. The dress is obviously not available now, but this one is quite similar.

    I did buy some Valentino rock studs to wear on the day, but actually swapped to a slightly higher heel last minute as my dress was super long and that extra height helped it hang right. The other thing that of course pulled it all together, was having the professionals tackle my hair and makeup. And BOY, that makes such a difference.

    So there we have it, a few film shots of the big day, the beautiful bride and my dress. I hope you enjoyed the sneak peak into the special day and hearing a little more about my dress.

  • PARIS: FOODIE SPOTS IN THE FIRST ARRONDISSEMENT

    PARIS: FOODIE SPOTS IN THE FIRST ARRONDISSEMENT

    PARIS 1st ARRONDISSEMENT

    Places to Eat, Drink and Rest Your Feed in The 1st Arrondissement

    It might be hard to believe I still have more to share from our trip to Paris, but I do! This post will be my pre-penultimate (!) from our weekend away a few weeks back and I thought I’d share a few restaurant recommendations, both places we visited and spots on our list but we didn’t quite make in and around the 1st Arrondissement.

    The Palais Royal and surrounding gardens and beautiful Louvre across the road were really high on my list for day one. Of course they’re a popular place to visit, why wouldn’t they be, they’re beautiful, but despite this there is such an air of calm and chill when you wonder around the gardens. The Louvre is of course far more mad, but still worth a visit even if you don’t have time to pop inside to the museum.

    During our trip we planned and researched quite a few restaurants around this part of town, as we were staying not too far down the road. And despite it being such a popular tourist spot in Paris, there are so many wonderful restaurants that stray slightly off the main piste, and offer something that feels far more local.

    So without further ado, a few restaurants you might want to try on your trip to Paris (apologies the pictures aren’t of the places or food specifically, but of the area … and, ahem, ME).

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    FOODIE SPOTS IN THE FIRST ARRONDISSEMENT

    –

    If you’re looking for a special lunch or dinner spot during your trip to Paris, then Ellsworth and Verjus are well worth a booking. Both of these restaurants sit on the wonderful surrounding wall of le Jardin de Palais Royal, so not only will you get delicious cuisine, you’ll also have the perfect surroundings of the Jardins. Both happen to be owned by the same person, which I didn’t realise whilst we were away, but it’s no wonder both made it high on our list.  The oysters and sea food at Ellsworth was what really caught my eye, and it’s definitely on the list again for my next trip. That said, if you’re wanting something a little less fine dining, we loved the look of Da Roco

    When it comes to Paris, it would be rude not to stop at a local cafe for a quick coffee and tarte aux fraise, or my personal favourite tarte myrtille. Of course Paris is awash with the most incredible of cafes with chic outdoor seating and those perfect french al fresco vibes, and as you’d expect in the 1st Arrondissement, the cafes air on the upmarket side which means two things. You can expect a slightly heftier price tag, but boy the people watching is good. We actually stumbled upon Le Nemours and it didn’t take long before I was calling the waiter over for a table for two. Le Nemours is slightly off the main road before you head towards Le Louvre, which means it seems to pull in a local versus the typical tourist crowd, which I personally love, the patisserie was delicious and it was the perfect spot to take a midday break.

    We didn’t go to Cafe Angelina, but if you’re into those instagram ‘it’ spots then Cafe Angelina just near Place Vendome, is worth adding to your list alongside Cafe De Flores.

    Flottes is a typical french Brasserie that I’ve eaten at a couple of times before, namely on trips for work when I’ve been travelling solo and staying near by at Hotel Castille. It’s the perfect spot for a late evening dinner, sat outside, watching the world pass by. It’s also in the ideal location for a post dinner stroll towards Jardin des Tuileries.

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    My final two posts are a mix of an outfit post featuring my favourite dress right now shot at Le Jardin De Luxemburg and another post much like this ‘out and about’ in Paris but i’ll share a little more on the hotel we stayed in and my favourite part of town, Le Marais. If you want to catch up on my other Paris posts, head over to my travel page here.

  • INSTAGRAM’S GONE TO SHIT, NOW WHAT?

    INSTAGRAM’S GONE TO SHIT, NOW WHAT?

    mediamarmalade | instagram's gone to shit

    INSTAGRAM’S GONE TO SHIT, NOW WHAT?

    I don’t want to say I told you so, but I mean, I really did tell you so.

    Dear instagrammers, I don’t want to say I told you so, but I mean, I really did tell you so (three years ago to be precise).

    That said, I still slogged away at it myself for the last few years in hope of growth (none) or some turn in events that made it a more positive and inclusive place to succeed (no chance), ignoring my own wise words that this social platform was only going to go to pot.

    I did a personality test recently and two of my strongest attributes were hope and perseverance, and truly that explains a lot. Despite missing the wave back when instagram launched (and forever feeling bitter about my ‘low follower numbers’ compared to others that started blogging when I did – all on 100k minimum now), despite never growing and staying stagnant for years (no matter what I do or how much love I put into my content), and despite feeling shit most the time about the content I worked so hard to create going literally nowhere (and other accounts with seemingly low quality visuals flying?) … I persevered. I really did. I really hoped ‘luck’ would come my way, I hoped finally it might shift gear and the algorithm might go in my favour. I hoped maybe people would discover my account, and follow along. I hoped, I persevered (and ironically now more than ever really I kinda like the visual style I’ve created) but do you know my reward? 5% of my followers seeing my posts. 26 likes despite 14,100 followers, and genuinely what feels like a big old ‘you can’t sit with us’.

    It’s not just me, even the ‘big dogs’ are moaning now, perhaps there 26 likes is 26,000 but it’s still 1/5 of what it used to be, perhaps their 5% equates to 100,000 followers, but its’ still 5% .. everyone’s feeling trodden down, deflated and generally … perhaps … over it?

    If you’re a long time reader here, you’ll know I’ve harped on and on and on about the value of owning your own platforms, the risk of a business built on social media, why I still back blogging (over a social first strategy) even today and I’ve not really talked much about the emotional / self esteem side of a platform built on virtual likes, but I’m super aware and not a fan of that either. Now more than ever I feel instagram has lost it’s way, it’s origins in creativity no longer exist, it’s a business now and in turn the algorithm feeds off that shit. It wants money, not creativity. It’s a clique, not an inclusive platform for all. And worst of all, it’s gone from a platform fueling positivity, to one that now genuinely seems to be driving a nation of low self esteem, comparison and virtual social gratification … not to mention consumerism.

    Don’t get me wrong, I see the positive movements out there, gaining their voice and galvanizing support. But if you’re honest with yourself, the underlying social currency Instagram operates on isn’t healthy. For every positive movement, there’s a 17 year old sat devastated that her latest bikini photo isn’t getting likes, doubting her self, her body, her worth …

    There’s been chat about ‘ditching the likes’, it might have even been Kanye who broached the topic (heaven forbid, it could be the first bit of sense that mans ever talked, I even I couldn’t help but listen) … and this could help, perhaps. But the problem is the platform has been built on likes, followers and engagement driving success, to take it away won’t necessarily eradicate the addiction to checking those stats for yourself, comparing the opportunities you get (or don’t get) to those of others and for being a numbers driven platform (lets not forget all the brands and advertisers STILL basing their campaign partners on those numbers). I wonder if really the damage has been done?

    The algorithm changed the game … it stopped you seeing the content of people you follow, in the order of which it was posted, into some kind of undefined popularity contest where if you didn’t’ cut it in the first 10 seconds your work was sent to the bin, there was no hope of anyone seeing it, not even all those people who actively signed up to you and pushed subscribe. The single and most prominent act of stating you WOULD like to see someones content. The algorithm took logic out of the way, it created disorder, comparison, competition and just a total lack of consistency for content creators and followers alike.

    If you want my two pence, the only way to restore order at this point in time, is to go back to the origin. If you subscribe to an account, you want to see that content. It’s the whole point of ‘following’ someone. On that basis, I don’t need an algorithm to decide which order I see those peoples content, or indeed, whether I see it at all.

    The biggest joke of all right now, is I have other accounts (a home one and an interior one), and even on MY OWN feeds where I follow myself (don’t judge), MY OWN CONTENT isn’t shown!!!

    If that’s not instagram gone to shit, then I don’t know what is.

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    SO NOW WHAT?

    All this said, I can’t see myself braving it and deleting the app for good, once again trusty perseverance and hope struggle through and take the lead (plus I love sharing my photography and getting inspired by those people I follow). I do think though, that something must change, what ever developments have come into play this month have not worked for anyone and it’s about time Instagram listened.

    I for one will be continuing to channel my energy and efforts into the one platform I OWN, and I have control of, my blog. I talked about the importance of your own platform over three years ago and I think now more than ever it stands true.  Who knows what further developments are around the corner and how they could impact your Instagram account and Instagram success … with such poor engagement and reach right now, brands will soon start looking at the data and questioning how their investment is stacking up and that’s when the tides will really start to change.

    Whilst Instagram’s drivers might be profit, they’re only really shooting themselves in the foot right now by so significantly impacting peoples reach. In today’s data driven marketing world, no savvy business is going to keep ploughing advertising investment into a medium that isn’t delivering the returns it once did for them. And I am saying that from the advertising side of the fence, not the blogging side of the fence.

    And lets not forget the founders left Facebook only last year, with an elusive statement suggesting they don’t back where it’s going either. I can imagine it’s only a matter of time before we see the next big thing, from them, or other creative entrepreneurs wanting to make positive change (and take on the giants currently ruling the social media space).

    I’d love to hear your thoughts, as Instagrammers, as content creators, as followers, as marketeers. Thoughts on a postcard …

  • POSTCARDS FROM BARCELONA

    POSTCARDS FROM BARCELONA

    POSTCARDS FROM BARCELONA

    A Mini Travel Guide From My Second Trip to Barcelona Shot on 35mm Film

    Earlier this month, myself and some of my best pals headed to Barcelona to celebrate our friends impending marriage. It was actually my first hen do abroad, and has been one of the absolute best yet. The perfect blend of relaxing sunshine filled days chilling out together and unwinding, and of course all the fun and celebrations of a hen do. As i’m bridesmaid it was extra special and made the long weekend even more exciting.

    It was my second trip to Barcelona, but both trips have been so wildly different I feel like I’ve experienced Barcelona in different ways. The first was much more about exploring the city and all the usual attractions and as I was younger included spontaneous 5am bed times after a night partying in Barcelonas various night clubs, something I’m purely incapable of doing now. This trip was far less about seeing the city (so sadly you’ll find no tips here for exploring the cities tourist highlights) or crazy nights out, but far more about enjoying the cities restaurants and best summer activities.

    We had four days in Barcelona, and everyday was something different, from beach days spent luxuriously lounging by the sea with non stop Aperol, to fun afternoons spent competing in a hen do scavenger hunt followed by a private dining tapas. I can’t wait to share our itinerary with you below (and my film shots from the trip), hopefully it’ll spark some restaurants to visit if you’re travelling to Barcelona any time soon, or equally it might give you some hen do ideas too.

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    The first day we arrived we spent most the morning settling into our hotel, before heading for brunch at Brunch & Cake, there’s at least three in Barcelona and they came up time and time again in our research. Super instagrammable and relatively good at accommodating allergies with it’s vegan friendly vibe. We actually spent ages chilling here on the first day as not everyone arrived at the same time, soaking up the excitement of arriving and discussing plans for the afternoon. Which, given the very early rise, was spent at our hotel pool relaxing before our dinner plans. We booked a table at Soho House Barcelona for dinner (there’s a Cecconi’s for non members), but not before some nibbles and cocktails on the rooftop to catch the sunset. It’s definitely one of my favourite things about being a member, getting to explore all the various houses in the cities, and I loved the rooftop views from the Barcelona Soho House – the food was divine too.

    The next day we spent the full day at Little Beach House (the second Soho House in Barcleona) which was by far one of my favourite days. As soon as we walked into the beach club after a shuttle from the city centre, my body just totally relaxed and felt full with content – the moment you walk in you’re greeted with a huge glass window framing the oceans waves crashing down just like a piece of art work. Literally beautiful.

    We sat on the terrace and enjoyed a leisurely breakfast before hitting up our sun loungers for a full day of chill (and non stop aperol delivery). We decided to take a late lunch on the beach so as to maximise our time there, and definitely felt sad to leave at 7pm when we headed back into the city to greet the remaining hens!

    Saturday was our proper hen day, with the morning starting with paddle boarding down on the beach (we did it with SUP paddle boarding). Such a fun way to start the day and surprisingly relaxing – I can totally imagine starting my day this way everyday if I lived by the sea. There was a cute coffee shop right next to the paddle boarding place (Moloka’i SUP centre) where we got to grab a good coffee too. Post paddle boarding, we headed for brunch at Brunch & Cake again (but this time the one by the sea front) before taking a long stroll back to the hotel through the Gothic Quarter.

    That afternoon we did a really fun scavenger hunt (highly recommend it for a hen do abroad, it was great fun and naturally very silly), before evening drinks at Casa Jamie (on Carrer del Consell de Cent) and a private dining at Santa Canterina market. We had a mezzanine room looking over the market which we decorated for the occasion (it looked so fab, and such a benefit of a private room for special occasions), with seriously delicious tapas ordered by yours truly and definitely one too many aperols (it was the drink of the trip). The food was so fresh and we tried lots of local specials all served family style for everyone to help themselves to … before table dancing and 90’s RNB took over.

    The final day was naturally spent nursing hangovers, indulging in much needed brunches (we went to OMA, a cute brunch spot near our hotel) and naps by the pool before everyone headed home and back to the UK.

    A few other spots we researched but didn’t make it to were Flax and kale, The green spot and Picnic which definitely looked worth trying out and will be saved for my next trip there … which i’m already planning as i’m desperate to go back to the Little Beach House and stay there for a couple of nights of utter sanctuary.

  • POSTCARDS FROM PARIS (ANALOGUE)

    POSTCARDS FROM PARIS (ANALOGUE)

    POSTCARDS FROM PARIS

    The Analogue Edit – 35mm film

    It’s fair to say I have far more travel content to share with you than I realised, that’s the reality of shooting film and on digital, as It’s come to pouring through my images I realise I have so many different things to share. When it comes to shooting film, it seems I like to capture a little bit of everything, a few snippets here or there, but nothing as curated as one of my normal travel posts.

    As i’ve been getting my film from Berlin, Oslo and Barcelona back, i’ve discovered a few shots from my trip to Paris in the mix too, and whilst i’ve already shared quite a bit from our stay in Paris (mostly outfits here, here and here) I thought you might enjoy a film edit from my visit too?

    Mostly shots from our hotel, The Hoxton where we really made the most of staying (partly driven by both Jase and I being ill during our trip and so spending more time in bed than we intended) and a few shots from exploring le Palais Royal and Le Louvre, and the beautiful gardens surrounding them (Paris really knows how to do a Jardin right). We spent most of the first day pottering around this part of town, it truly is one of my favourites, so calm, beautiful and picturesque, it’s hard not to grab an infamous Parisian green chair and while away a whole day simply people watching and soaking up the views.

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    I actually still have three more posts from Paris to share beyond this, largely outfits including one of my absolute favourites this year which I’ll be working on and planning to share in the next few weeks, alongside my film edit from Barcelona and my weekend guide to Berlin neighbourhoods. Are you enjoying the slightly raw edits of my last few ‘postcards from’ travel posts?

    I’m personally loving sharing both a blend of curated travel guides with more editorial visuals, and then diary edits, like this, with just a few thoughts and photos to capture my trips. I hope you’re enjoying the blend too x

  • POSTCARDS FROM BERLIN

    POSTCARDS FROM BERLIN

    POSTCARDS FROM BERLIN

    35mm From Our Weekend In Berlin

    Well after a whirlwind month or so, my city break bonanza has come to an end. San Sebastian, Paris, Oslo, Barcelona and finally Berlin, all back to back in the space of a mere few weeks (a total accident). Whilst i’m delighted to not have a 4am alarm set for this Friday morning for the first time in weeks, I am rather sad that I don’t have any more trips planned for a while – travel truly fuels my soul and is just such a hugely important part of life for me.

    After my last post launching my ‘postcards from‘ series (a new travel series, without the lengthy guides, but sharing some raw film snaps and more of a ‘postcard’ style editorial entry), I’m back again today sharing my latest film developed in Berlin.

    I am actually going to do a full travel post from my trip (and one from Barcelona too) as so many of you have asked for my recommendations and we discovered some cool parts of town (for a chilled weekend away) which I think you’ll love too, but for now simply a few words and some film from my trip.

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    Postcards From …

    “We made base at Soho House Berlin, an infamous house in the collection and one I’d been super keen to stay at since I spotted the Damien Hurst in reception. The rooftop pool got put to good use as we were lucky enough to get some 30+ degrees throughout the weekend, and the guacamole chips were enough to keep me coming back. We started every morning with a coffee from The Store downstairs, where I somehow managed not to max my credit card out on Ganni clothes. We did a bit of exploring the tourist sites, but spent most of our time hanging out in the suburbs trying to get a feel for the local life – I absolutely loved Prenzlauer Berg a far cry from the brutalist sides of Berlin i’d been anticipating (it was far more akin to the likes of Holland and Denmark in this part of town), and loved the ‘east london’ vibes of Fredrickson. We found some delicious food spots which I can’t recommend enough, Katz Orange was a real highlight and definitely one to add to your list if you’re visiting soon. But more to come on my fave spots, best restaurants and cool places to hang out soon …

    Speak Soon,

    Mel”

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    One thing I’d love to know, is if you’re enjoying the film photography and content?

    It’s such a departure from my usual polished, sharp and very clean photography style (shot on DSLR), i’d love to know if you’re enjoying it or not? I’ve really enjoyed the process of shooting more film, I like the suspense and excitement of finally getting it developed, and of course the bohemian visual style it creates (soft focus, warm toned, slightly rough and ready). It also really helps me be more present in the moment and spend less time obsessing about the shot.  I follow so many creatives who shoot beautiful film, it’s really got me inspired and motivated to capture more. Shame it’s so bloody expensive. I really want to work on improving my film photography (more in focus, learning the light a bit better) and test out a few other cameras too as I think this can make a big difference to the visuals.

    But I’d really love to hear your thoughts – do you like the shots, are you enjoying the mix of both?

  • WHAT TO WEAR WHEN THE WEATHER IS UNRELIABLE (READ: DRESSING FOR BRITISH ‘SUMMER’)

    WHAT TO WEAR WHEN THE WEATHER IS UNRELIABLE (READ: DRESSING FOR BRITISH ‘SUMMER’)

    WHAT TO WEAR WHEN THE WEATHER IS UNRELIABLE (AKA: DRESSING FOR BRITISH SUMMER TIME)

    A Go To Ensemble For European Weather That Changes By The Second

    I’m finally back from my city break gallivanting, it’s been so nice to spend every weekend in a new European city (and I can’t wait to share some more postcards from my travels with you all in the coming days), but one things for sure: it’s definitely messed with my wardrobe.

    From Berlin, to Oslo, to Barcelona and to Paris, the weather has been a total mystery. 31 degrees in the infamously cold Berlin, pouring rain in the usually sunny Oslo, and as for London, well it’s suffering from split personality syndrome as always. One minute I’ve left the house in sunshine, the next minute I’m soaked walking to work in the rain.

    Despite the fact it’s June it seems the whole of Europe doesn’t really know what to do with itself, one minute it feels like Summer might finally make an appearance, in the next gust of wind we’re back to February chills.

    For those of you based in the US or other more stable weathered countries (#jeal), feel free to skip the pre-ramble and jump straight to the outfit, but for those of you in Europe struggling with what the hell to wear in this schizophrenic climate, i’m here for you.

    Dressing for British ‘summer’ time is really no mean feat …

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    SHOP MY LOOK

    . STORIES LEATHER TROUSERS . WHISTLES TEE (OLD) . SAINT LAURENT BELLECHASSE . STORIES BLAZER (OLD) . GUCCI PRINCETOWN .

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    Too little layers and you risk hypothermia, thick jumpers and before you know it you’ll have a migraine from over heating. It’s a game of sorts, dressing for this kind of weather, and one I have 31 years of experience in. The key is balance, exposed limbs with plenty of layers, breathable textures that offer comfort no matter the temperature, the ability to adjust your ensemble throughout the day to adapt to the changing weather, and an acceptance that whatever you do to your hair that morning, it’ll be ruined by midday so why bother.

    Today’s look is a typical outfit of mine for this weird time of year, when you really don’t know what the hell is going to happen one minute to the next. A cropped leg leather trouser delivering both warmth to the jambons, but embracing summer with a bare ankle courtesy of my Gucci princetowns. A casual slogan tee which can easily hold it’s own without a blazer, but as always with me, a boyfriend blazer on hand to smarten the look, warm me up if it’s cold, act as a pillow if I get tired on my way home, and generally just add a pop of ‘summer colour’ to an otherwise dark ensemble. And finally, my hair’s half pinned up … the epitome of indecisive weather wouldn’t you say?

    So there you have it, a simple look perfect for changing climates & for the office.