I had a fantastic day out with my brother’s family at the Explore Center in Bristol. It’s so interactive and playful, and the observatory show was great, I finally can name some of the stars! I brought my camera and photographed some quite strange things during my visit; views in mirrors and through microscopes. Button-pressing, long exposure in the fiber optic lights, virtual volleyball and a face in a machine.
Photography
Favourite Photobooth Pictures
How I love playing around with Photobooth, on the Mac. It never fails to make me laugh. I wish I could make a larger Photo booth camera – one which could capture you from head to toe, with a screen the size of a cinema screen – you’d be all legs and arms, and you could use horses as extra props.
Rankin Live
Whilst in london for the Surface/Space/Time exhibition, I went to see the Rankin Live exhibition at the Old Truman Brewery. Here's the website - Rankin Live. It was fantastic, and really well set out, with the different groups of shots well defined - Photos of Rankin's self portraits, Kate Moss, Heidi Klum (I definately have a thing about Heidi and Seal, how gorgeous they both are, their kids, their yearly anniversary fancy-dress party. I'm thinking of buying 'Heidilicious' by Rankin - only £31 on Amazon!)Copyright. Image courtesy of RankinRankin himself was there doing his Live Shoot, the website is constantly being updated with the new photographs taken every day (up to about 25 portraits a day) The gallery was empty whilst I was there, so I was 2 feet away from him and his team, watching him at work, it was quite surreal, a great experience. I would love to be an artist working away at my big exhibition. Here you can see the Live Shoot page.The Old Truman Brewery is where I had my London Free Range Degree show, back in June last year. At Rankin Live, you walk in from the street, up two flights of stairs and then into the room (he's split it up with lots of false walls) I was looking for my apple circle - when I exhibited 'Sense' there, I set it up without a floor protection, and a dark circle was left in their place. But the circle was nowhere to be seen - they must have scrubbed away at that floor.One of my favorite things ever is Photobooth photographs - the ones which have four snaps in a vertical line. You could take your own photobooths at the exhibition, and only £2 a go! I NEED to have a photobooth for myself. one day! I have quite the collection of found and acquired photo booth pictures, maybe it's time I did something with them?Some things:Great Andy Warhol Photobooth shotsSquare America has some old onesThe Old Truman Brewery is right by 93 Feet EastPhotoautomat was the Rankin booth. You can hire it!Photoautomat's Flickr group
Pinhole Photography workshop
Yesterday I attended a Pinhole photography workshop, lead by Justin Quinnell (who has a great pinhole website) we made three camera's and took some pics with the beer can cam, and took away a camera made from a film canister, which is a 6-month pinhole camera, which I am going to set up somewhere in Bristol. Where?? I have to set it up on June 20th, on the Summer Solstice, pointing south. the sun burns into the photo, here's an example of one of Justin's: Clifton Suspension Bridge.The workshop has given me loads of ideas.... putting a pinhole in a helium balloon in the sky, on my car whilst driving, posting one, putting one in a clock, photographing a yoga class, tying one to Trevor's bike, putting one in my mouth, playing tennis with one.
