2012.51

Ah Christmas. That time of year when you're either jumping for joy, or jumping off a bridge. 

MERRY CHRISTMAS/HAPPY HANUKKAH/SOLSTICE/DECEMBER/ETC

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Source Alt, Ctr, Del.

http://www.aledlewis.com/

2012.50

2012.49/50

Christophe Jacrot. 

Apologies for missing Ffoto of the week last week, so I'm hoping this is enough to cover week 49/50.
This image was taken during the Sandy hurricane. I remember seeing them for the first time, and they made an impact at the first glance, but now seem to have a whole new meaning to me.

I'm sure we've all heard the devastation that occurred on Friday in Newtown, Connecticut. I don't usually post such political views, even though I'm sure my words mean nothing to most - But it's my blog, and I'll cry if I want to... 

This series by Jacrot made such an impact visually, as what we normally associate NYC as the strongest city in the world, but hit hard by Sandy, it was left defenceless and weak. Something unnerving to most people. It's like seeing your lifelong Hero being knocked out by your childhood enemy. (Although I was hugely annoyed that the media put all the emphasis on NY, when actually so many other parts of America, and especially Cuba that were hugely effected. But who cares about little ol' Cuba ey? Bloody media). The bright lights of America, faded...

The recent news of the Sandy Hook School in Connecticut today made me cry. My Twitter, Facebook and even real life people have been constantly filling my timelines and ears about the devastation, and today seeing the sweet little faces of the children who had their lives taken away in a split second, broke my heart. 

This story has rilled up one of the age old questions of gun laws in America. And so it should. I can't help but see the correlation between gun crime in schools, and America. Actually, gun crime in general, and America. You only have to look at statistics to realise how backwards their system is. Last year handguns killed 8 in Britain, 52 in Canada and 10,728 in America. Doesn't take a genius, does it?

It seems to be clear that there is a desperate need to change these laws. I'm sorry but bollocks to your "constitutional right", what about the right for children to have the entitlement to their education without fear or worry about being gunned down at any given moment. When I was in school the biggest thing I had to worry about was my nasty French teacher if I hadn't done my homework, not being massacred.  

I'm doubtful that anything positive will come from this horrible disaster. Any change would be revolutionary to America, and of course, difficult. Especially with all those right-winged gun lovers, but most sensible people know change is the right thing. But whether or not America is sensible, and brave enough for change, is another question. Maybe one day mental health care will become freely available in America, and guns, less available, rather than the other way around. Sigh.

Jacrot captured NYC in darkness. But for now, I see the whole of America as living in the dark, and until gun laws are changed there, I can't see the light at the end of the American tunnel anymore.

My thoughts are with all those effected. 

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Image source http://christophejacrot.com/series/new-york-in-black/

Christophe Jacrot Website http://christophejacrot.com/
More reading - http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2012/12/newtown-and-the-madness-of-guns.html?mbid (via @aaronpaul_8 )

2012.48

I have a double whammy for you this week. I couldn't just pick one of Lissy Elle's images to show you (bit of confusion over her name - lots of people spelling it Lissie!). They seem so much more powerful together, so why deprive you of that. Her body of work is really quite lovely, her website and blog are something I could look through for hours. So this is just a very small insight into her work. If you like what you see, and have some time, I would seriously recommend looking through some of her other work. 

At the moment workload is becoming quite full on for me, and I'm generally feeling quite stressed. Yes, students do work hard, sometime. These images with their gorgeous pastel colours, simplistic content and gentle figures have this feeling of relaxation, letting your body take control; do what it wants. I can almost imaging what it feels to break these laws of physics, and just let my body float in mid air. The stress feels like it's melting away as I look at them. Bliss. 

A beautiful representation of the female body in a weightless and seemingly effortless letting go of control. 

I'm off to practice my floating techniques. I will break you, gravity.

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Lissy Elle - http://www.lissyelle.com/

Tumblr - http://lissyellephotoblog.tumblr.com/

Image Source - http://butdoesitfloat.com/You-see-things-You-keep-quiet-about-them-And-you-understand

Look out for Bold

This past week has been an absolute menace! My timetable for my third year in uni is a stretch, as anyone who has gone through it might have experienced. But this week seems to be the one where everything is happening. Tuesday after my dissertation tutorial I helped out a friend Alison who is currently doing a project raising awareness of FGM* (Female Genital Mutilation for anyone who didn't know). I was really glad to be asked to take part as I think it's a real taboo subject, and something that people are either completely unaware of, or just don't want to hear about. Well, Alison isn't taking any notice of that and is making a really interesting project based around it. (Don't worry. I didn't get my kit off!) But this subject is really important, and like I always say, the more people who know, the more people can voice their opinion, the more people will hear, and maybe even listen! POWER TO THE PEOPLE. Yeah. So don't shy away. Vagina.

In other un-newsly news, projects! Wednesday, Thursday and today I've been busy shooting, and tomorrow, Sunday and Tuesday and are full of shoots too. Phew. Some for uni, some a little more secret, but it's rare that I get to be out shooting this often in such a short space of time! It's been great. Most of the time has been focused on a group project with uni called Inspiring Sports Foundation, working with Disability Sport Wales to create a campaign to try and encourage children to get involved with different local sports. So have been visiting all sorts of different clubs and groups and it's been great to get to know the people and get involved with such great children and volunteers. 

Somehow throughout all this I also need to keep up with my social life. Sigh. On Wednesday evening I was invited to a "Dolls Night" in Kurt Geiger where there was free champaign, 25% off, and a few treats you could get your hands on too. As well as having my make up done, I had my portrait drawn by the amazing Adele Page, which I am so happy with. I love her style of drawing and as I'm not a fan of having my picture taken, to have an artistic representation of myself is quite frankly, awesome. 

This does mean that I have been neglecting my own personal work, and my dissertation. Slightly. I should probably be doing that right now really, oh dear... But it feels good to be out doing what you love, even if it's ruddy freezing!

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*Website for info/help about FGM http://www.forwarduk.org.uk/key-issues/fgm

Inspring Sports Foundation Facebook http://www.facebook.com/InspiringSportsFoundation 

Twitter https://twitter.com/Inspiring_sport

Adele Page Illustrator http://www.adelepage.com/blog/

2012.47

Nearly running out of the week to have time to do this. My feet hurt from dancing. (This is a good thing). And I have completely neglected my work. (Not so good). So to brighten up this Sunday evening, here's something a little different... A brilliant illustration by the very talented Zoë Austin which has been seen on Fashion156.com "We Love" list, so it must be good. 

And well, you know what, I love it too!

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Source: http://archive.fashion156.com/previous-blog/
Zoe's blog: http://zoeaustin.blogspot.co.uk/

2012.46

So, this week I was a little jealous of my friends down in Australia. They get so much of the good stuff, don't they (excluding Spiders, they can have the spiders). But what they did get this week was a gorgeous total solar eclipse that occurred on November 14th. 

I remember my first experience of a solar eclipse, I was at Centre Parks, eating a lolly wearing those super uncool 90s safety glasses. Looking back it was a great place to witness it. I was quite young at the time, so it was completely new and fascinating to me. I remember wanting to understand what was going on, it felt really special. Now, it's a reminder to me of how vast our solar system is, that the moon can magically make the sun vanish just by its positioning. A fantastic show of natural phenomena that we on Earth, as spectators have a front row seat for.

Here is an image from the recent eclipse in Queensland, Australia by Phil Hart, which captures the moment brilliantly, with that spillage of light from the Sun creating a mystical halo around the Moon. Both perfectly synchronised. Breathtaking. 

Just you wait Brits, we'll have the pleasure of a partial solar eclipse in 2015. Yay. 

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Image copyright Phil Hart 2012