Wednes/day of discovery

The other day I finally cleaned up my Google Reader list. But of course, I immediately began discovering new blogs and adding them to the list.  I don't know about you but I love having a bursting-at-the-seams Google Reader because while I love to read, I get bored fast so being able to scroll through all kinds of different blogs is the best kind of way to pass the time.

Susk & Banoo

Milk & Miel (p/s: she's having a film giveaway!)

Maxigumee

Island Menu

Casual Days Journal

Notes from More & Co.

The Butterfly Kisses

Sally J Shim Blog

Natural Days

I hope you like them as much as I already do.

Inspiring Singapore // Wanderlust Hotel

Note: Inspiring Singapore is my scrapbook of made-in-singapore blogs, design, photography, places, events or art. they really can be anything but they will always have two things in common, always inspiring and all Singaporean. This is my tribute to my country.

Earlier this year, I had the opportunity to tag along with a friend for a tour of Wanderlust Hotel, a boutique hotel located in the heart of Little India. With a name like Wanderlust, I was expecting it to be all sorts of beautiful and I wasn't disappointed. Unlike other hotels which may engage only 1 or 2 designers to decorate the rooms, Wanderlust allocated one floor each to four top Singaporean design agencies and gave them full creative freedom to do whatever they wanted. The results were nothing short of spectacular.

Lobby Level

Concept: Industrial Glam

Agency: Asylum

The Yellow Submarine Room

Level 2

Concept: Eccentricity

Agency: :phunk Studio

The Flowers Room

Level 2

Concept: Is It Just Black and White

Agency: DP Architects

The Typewriter Room

The Space Room
Level 3
Concept: Creature Comforts
Agency: fFurious

I know where I will be staying the next time I need a staycation.

2011 Cameras & Films Round-Up

Earlier this week, I started brainstorming for ideas for some end of year round up posts. As I was clicking through my photo files, I thought it would be interesting to take stock of the total amount of films I have shot this year and how they break down into different categories. It took one afternoon of calculations but here's the results!

Total No. of Films Used 
92

Although I have been shooting film exclusively this year, finding out that I have used 92 rolls was still quite a shock. 92 translates to 7.7 rolls per month or 1.76 rolls per week!

Most Used Cameras
1. Canon EOS 88 - 74
2. Fisheye 2 - 8
3. La Sardina - 4
4. Holga 135BC - 4
5. LC-A+ - 2

No surprises here that my Canon EOS 88 slr came out supreme. It has been a complete trooper and I think I have really improved in terms of composition and framing since I started using it. As for lomography/toy cameras, I expect that the LC-A+ will raise up through the ranks next year to give the Fisheye a good fight!

Top 3 Negative Films Used
1. Ferrania Solaris 100 - 12
2. Ferrania Solaris 400 - 8
3. Ferrania Solaris 800 - 7

Again, no surprises here, you must know by now that I have a love affair with Solaris films.

Top 3 Slide Films Used
1. Lomography Chrome 100 - 6
2. Fuji Velvia 50 - 5
3. Lomography Xpro 200 - 4

It was love at first sight for the new Lomography Chrome film when it was first introduced earlier this year. Almost every order I have placed on Lomography have at least one box of Chrome to ensure that I always have a supply of this lovely film. The Fuji Velvia 50 is also a recent favourite of mine, I love its elegant green tones when cross processed and just lately, I processed it correctly (E6) and am head over heels in love with the rich colour tones produced.

No. of Film Types Tried
17 Negatives
12 Slides
5 B/W
1 Redscale

It's been fun trying out so many different film types. It may seem like I have tried quite a few but there's still so many out there and I am looking forward to experimenting more next year and finding new favourites!

Cameras Purchased
1 LC-A+

I saved up the entire year for the LC-A+, both piggies and real dollars! It's been a real learning experience with this camera and I can't wait to use it to document 2012!

So that is how it all shakes down. I think it will be even more interesting next year when I can do a year-to-year comparison and see what things has changed or has remained the same. I have two, maybe three more end of 2011 posts planned so look out for them!

just a minute, in december

i enjoy jotting down these little "just a minute" posts, i like that i am able to scroll to my earlier posts and remember what i was feeling and doing at that time. almost like a time machine!

watching...the big bang theory season 5
reading...the day we found the universe by marcia bartusiak
finding...that i have a craving for cake
listening...mistletoe by justin bieber (don't judge, it's actually a rather sweet song)
drinking...a&w root beer
enjoying...the cooler temperatures at night

wednes/day of discovery

this is why i love my canon eos 88. a simple setting of programme mode, iso 200 film, a very dark room full of little black dresses, steady as i can hands and the images still appear. who needs digital to photograph in a darkened room, not me!

exhibition: beauty in black, national museum of singapore, 2011

here are some of my new discoveries from the past couple of weeks or so, do tell me what you have discovered lately.

new blog crushes

old brand new, via i art you
destined to design, via i art you
threading in the choir, via andrew and carissa
spartan journal, via threading in the choir (did you notice my blog-hopping?)
color me katie, love her irreverent take on life and photograph. this was my absolute favourite blog post, improv everywhere at the bryant park race! LOL!


freebies galore 

photoshop actions by tornadoes & tigers, i haven't started experimenting with the world of photoshop actions yet but i know there are loads out there. dane has created some super pretty actions to add to the long, long list. and honestly, i don't know how dane does it, husband, father, teacher, awesome blogger, analogue photographer and now photoshop action maker!

one of my favourite photography blogs, sleepwalking in tokyo, is doing a two-years blog anniversary giveaway. she's giving away her prints!

wednes/day of discovery

oops. i am late with this little feature that i have going on. somewhere in the world, it is still wednesday right? i guess it's only appropriate that the images i have chosen this week are vignettes from my office. i have been chained to the desk this past week, coming to work at 8am, leaving only at 10pm. oh yes, woe is me. in any case, this week has been a bumper bonanza of amazing links, i have found it really hard to choose my favourites so you are getting a bit more than usual!

before & afters

art studio transformation, i hope to enact such a transformation in my bedroom

salt + coffee watercolour technique, this is so simple i have to try it soon!


downloads

freebie blog photo templates & fabric labels, two freebies in one! now we all can have beautifully prepared blog photo posts!

design*sponge newspaper, so much inspiration! i only wish i can have the print edition.


videos


BSS | Breakfast Interrupted from Bruton Stroube Studios on Vimeo.


making coffee via the french press. coffee, monochrome, beautiful visuals. le sigh. via Dear Coffee I Love You, originally from Sprouted Kitchen.

words

the death and life of a great american bookstore, if you feel tears prickling your eyes, you are not alone.

10 famous street photography quotes you must know, photography inspiration of the highest order.

wednes/day of discovery

playing the cards version of game of life


websites so full of wonder

braid creative & consulting, kathleen's new business. i must say, they have a wonderful website going and i love how willing kathleen & tara are in sharing their knowledge, i am looking forward to watching more of their branding adventures videos and learning about small-business branding from them.

dear coffee, i love you, i have been totally addicted to this blog the last couple of days. to and fro work, i have scrolled through the blog's entire 2011 archives and have moved on to the 2010 entries.

picture posts

along those lines, a set of photographs from the flickr blog

room tour from i just might explode, i dream of a room like hers, perhaps one day i will muster the energy to do something similar. one day...

august break day 29 from i art you, will i be really strange in your eyes if i say that i really like the first picture of all the dirty cups?

have a wonderful wednesday!
x michelle

wednes/day of discovery

it's been an absolutely crazy work week so far in green tea fields land, i feel like i have been working for 2 weeks rather than just 2 days (and yesterday was a public holiday). thankfully, it gets a little easier from this point onwards because i have friday off. hooray!

blogs to bookmark

making it, the blog of jen and omar of the shop these are things, they are one cartographically creative couple. (couldn't resist all that alliteration).

kendi everyday, you probably already bookmarked this site like the 9000 people in front of me but i just had to include it. i just adore her writing style, it's snarky but yet so engaging.

oh so beautiful paper, i will never ever get tired of paper. never!

images to inspire

i art you's august break day 18, where is this ride because i need to get on it right now!

lady bonin's tea parlour, ditto above. where is this van because i need some tea now!