This week, I have been writing. More precisely I have been writing and procrastinating about writing. And the current procrastination of choice? Well, a fair bit of curling, ice skating and other winter olympic action, yes. I have also embarked on a project of digitising my photos from Iceland 2001 (taken on seven 35mm films). It’s a while since I’ve seen these pictures, and seeing them again, I see the harsh beauty of the language with the eyes that I first saw the country almost five years ago now. I remember again my feelings and conversations and the soundtrack to that time. I also see and remember the juxtaposition of vegetation, rock formations, and ice that inspired the story – the isolation, the lonliness and the companionship.
Another thing I notice, is how few photos I took. At the time, I thought 7 films over two weeks! That’s a lot of photos – and I guess it is. But even so, it’s not until you go through the negatives one by one, scanning them, that you realise how in the space of 24 or 36 photos you can go through such so much. On these holidays, a lot happens that you can photograph, and 36 photos for three or more days is so very few – these days I can take that many in the course of one walk.
And this makes me think of a few years ago when I scanned the family photos from our year in America 25 years ago, and how there are only about a dozen films for the whole year. With those you can go from New York, to Cape Cod, to California and Yosemite all within three dozen photos.
Hi Shepline! Hope you don’t mind but I saw your latest blog entry and the procrastination bit struck a chord with me – so I tagged you on my own blog…though I’m not entirely sure if to ‘tag’ someone you need to do more than just list their name? When it comes to technology I really am painfully backward…
Greetings! I’m guessing that you found me through Sascha’s journal? Are you also part of WriteWords? And, do you have another name more commonly used – call me old fashioned but I like to know the other names of my lj friends… *grins*
I did indeed – good detective work Shepline! And yes, I am also a member of WriteWords. My real name is Belinda, but strangely enough my friends and family all call me Bege too! And you are…?
Me? I’m just Thomas 🙂 And that’s what most people call me, although I do have one friend who insists on calling me shepline… *grins*
Where abouts are you on WriteWords so that I can read your work? (it doesn’t take a genius to find me there!!)
Okay Thomas, so I guess now we’re on first name terms I can divulge a little more about myself *winks*. Doesn’t take a genius to find me on WW either – am a member of the Novel Writers Group, the Childrens Group and the Chick Lit group (fingers in many pies, so to speak).
Oh, and by the way – I notice from your profile you live in Bicester, so it looks like we have rather more in common that it would at first appear. I’m an Oxford girl born and bred, though am now seeking my fortune in London (no joy so far).
*makes mental note to log in to WW*
Yup, I live in Bicester, and work in Oxford for a well known Oxford publishers. Not Oxford born and bred though – the former has the honour of being in Derbyshire, and the latter a small east coast Suffolk town recently, a school in which was recently the subject of a major prime time Sunday Channel 4 series…
Cryptic enough? *grins*
BTW, just read your synopsis for Blood and Fire and it sounds fascinating! Will definitely have a read asap.