photography

Isson – Bauhaus Portraits

by Amber on January 31, 2012 in Style

Isson is an Australian sunglass brand, founded by Catherine Federici. I first read about Isson in DumboFeather, and have always admired their avant-garde styles. Recently, when doing some picture research on Bauhaus, I came across these wonderfully styled shots:

Isson - Bauhaus Sunglasses

Isson - Bauhaus Sunglasses

Isson - Bauhaus Sunglasses

The Bauhaus collection was shot by Cybele Malinowski, and based around the idea of four eccentric characters who may have attended the school of Bauhaus in 1934. Read more about the different personas here. My favourite is the Alberta Albers image – I think it’s a combinaion of the turban, the chunky jewellery, and the vivacity of that little pug face.

Martha Sunglasses - Isson

As for the sunglasses – I would love to buy a pair of steam punk inspired Marthas – in tortoiseshell. Nice work, Isson.

Londres – Some Thoughts

by Amber on January 27, 2012 in Notebook

I’ve lived in London for nearly 6 months now. It’s starting to feel ‘real’. Some things I have learned:

1. Local natives are rare. I seem to be hanging out with a lot of French kids lately. And Brazilians, Swedes, Dutch, and of course Kiwis.

2. Coffee is not great here, but exceptions can be found. Maps: Allpress, Climpson & Sons, Shoreditch Grind, Brill, Flat White, Monmouth

3. Moving makes all the other smaller decisions about change easier. If it’s not working, start fresh. Job, house, attitude.

4. Always take your A-Z out and about, even to the local pub.

5. Having never encountered it before – IKEA is amazing. You can even drink a beer there, it makes the housewares sparkle.

6. The best way to explore is on foot.

7. Also, there’s no hills, so cycling is far more fun. The downside – no hills means less sticky-outie landmarks, so see point 4.

8. Europe is just a flight or train ride away. Over Easter I’m going to Barcelona with some pals, I can’t wait.

9. Squirrels never fail to amuse.

10. The homesickness does pass. But calling home is still important.

Vintage Karangahape

by Amber on January 9, 2012 in Notebook

Karangahape Road - 1910

Karangahape Road, Auckland, in 1910. Rendell’s Fashion House, George Court and Sons, Jas Clarkson, the British Photographic Studio and The Frisco Candy Kitchen. There is a car on the road as well as carts and pedestrians with a pram

Don’t you think Frisco Candy Kitchen would be a great name for a K Road bar? Or maybe just a high end chocolate shop, selling salted caramels and stretchy taffy. I miss this place, and I never stop dreaming for it.

Robin Morrsion – Ponsonby 1977

by Amber on January 4, 2012 in Art & Photography,Design

In 1977, photographer Robin Morrison produced a calendar featuring the local faces and businesses of Ponsonby, Auckland. Some have disappeared over the years, while others, like Bhana Brothers are still going strong. (Bhana has always been my favourite place to buy flowers in Auckland.)

Ponsonby 1977 by Robin Morrison

Dick Armstrong’s – affectionately known as Dirty Dick’s (now State of Grace)

Ponsonby 1977 by Robin Morrison

Ponsonby 1977 by Robin Morrison

Arthur Cooper, Barber, Jervois Road (now Pure Restaurant, 186 Jervois Road)

Ponsonby 1977 by Robin Morrison

Peter Rogers Art Deco (still Peter Rogers, Real Time, 74 Ponsonby Road)

Ponsonby 1977 by Robin Morrison

Tony Burrows, the Mussel Man, Ponsonby (now Plants and Pots, corner O’Neill St and Ponsonby Rd)

Ponsonby 1977 by Robin Morrison

John Moller, Funeral Director, & Noball (70 Ponsonby Road, now the site of the Quest Hotel)

Ponsonby 1977 by Robin Morrison

Ivan, Ivan’s Restaurant, Ponsonby Road (now Chapel Bar & Restaurant)

New Visual Inputs

by Amber on January 3, 2012 in Notebook

bicycle

Starting the year off right with new inputs and fresh thinking.

Jan 1. A rainstorm on the Thames, a trip to the Tate Modern, spellbound by Tacita Dean’s film work.
Jan 2. The sun came out, street art in Hackney, amusing signs, new cafes on my street to try.
Jan 3. Today will bring a new job, and an unexplored neighbourhood. I can’t wait.

Hackney City

by Amber on December 18, 2011 in Notebook,Photographic Evidence

While we’re waiting to move into our new flat, Thom and I have a sublet in Hackney. (Or Crackney, as I’d heard it called before I came to the UK, but I have only seen evidence of that once late at night outside the Buddhist Centre.)

hackney walk

It’s not the most glamorous of areas, but what it’s got is pretty beaut. Lots of little cafes, pubs, galleries, and places to grab a classic East London fry-up. While there is a tiny glimpse of sun in the winter gloom, I love to be outdoors. My favourite places to walk include the Hackney City Farm, and the canal.

Y’know, it was the usual Saturday. Get up, make breakfast, visit a farm. Babes, pigs in the city. I love the cycle-take of a steer skull at the ranch. Next, meet the chubbiest squirrel in all of London. He was all puffed up, the size of a small cat!

canal

Not far from the farm, Regents Canal winds through south Hackney. It’ so peaceful there, you forget you’re in the middle of a city. Until you hit Broadway Market, and the flotilla of canal boats. Lots of them have been converted into sweet little floating shops – a vintage store , a café, a bookshop. Lovely.

Right, off to go deal with Christmas madness. Only a week to go!

The Future is Bright, the Forecast is Clear

by Amber on December 14, 2011 in Design

I used to read horoscopes religiously. This year, I managed to change directions and make an intercontinental move without consulting my stars. (This is a big thing!)

That said, I’ll always have a soft spot for Susan Miller. Her lengthy monthly scopes are always a good read, and her yearly predictions in Russh Magazine are a tradition. But what I really love this year is the still life photographs that go with each star sign. They’re such fresh, evocative, and simple takes on the personalities of the zodiac!

Gemini - Susan Miller Astrology for Russh

Gemini

Scorpio - Susan Miller Astrology for Russh

Scorpio

Libra - Susan Miller Astrology for Russh

Libra

Pisces - Susan Miller Astrology for Russh

Pisces

Aries - Susan Miller Astrology for Russh

Aries

Bath: A Postcard

by Amber on December 11, 2011 in Travel

Why is a raven like a writing desk? More photos from my weekend away in picturesque Bath, Somerset. It’s so pretty there, I couldn’t stop taking photos.

Farmhouse breakfast at Monkton Farleigh. I was so sleepy I poured coffee into a juice goblet…

Below is a photo of the Bertinet Kitchen, high on the hill above Bath. This is the home of aforementioned best pain au chocolat EVER. It’s not just a bakery – it’s also a kitchenware shop and they host some classes that sound amazing. For instance: a four day course on baking, pastry and patisserie, and recently Anna Hansen, of Modern Pantry fame, taught there.

We asked our taxi driver He dropped us off by the canal, a few miles out-of-town. From there we walked back into the centre. I loved the sign written names of the canal boats. Crispy Duck!

And to finish… a touristy shot of the girls and I outside Bath Abbey, grimacing at the cold and the encroaching rain! If Bath is this nice in the middle of winter, it must be glorious in summer.

November in Photos

by Amber on December 7, 2011 in Photographic Evidence

Some bonus photos from November. Things I learned: East London can be a vampire. Brussels is naught as boring as people say. But you need to wrap up warm.
November felt like a really busy, stressful month, but compared to December so far, it was a doddle.

Bath Spa: Aquae Sulis

by Amber on December 7, 2011 in Travel

Photos from a weekend away in picturesque Bath, Somerset. I got up ridiculously early in the morning, and jumped on a train to meet my pals Ali, Wayde and Shona. The first thing we did, and one of the highlights of our trip – was visit the Roman Baths.

There we walked around the remains of an ancient temple – constructed in 60-70 AD; and bathing areas, which were developed over the next 300 years. Over time the complex has grown, with other buildings built above street level in the early 19th century.

And this was just the first few hours of our visit! The architecture of Bath is gorgeous. More coming soon – including details of the place where I had the best pain au chocolat of my life…

Winter Wonderland

by Amber on November 24, 2011 in Notebook

My new happy place is Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. It’s an architectural dreamscape, where Austrian clichés meet Christmas kitsch. Amusements include mulled wine, blizzards of fake snow, roasted chestnuts, animatronic moose heads, the carousel bar, reindeer races, fairy floss, pretzels, talking trees, ice-skating, krugs of beer, fun fair tokens, and of course, a visit to Santa.

It’s absolute madness and I love it.

Saturday Strolling

by Amber on November 21, 2011 in Notebook

Last Saturday I was a tourist in my own city. Which is quite easy to do in London. While I am beginning to know the East End well, the West is a whole ‘nother story. So I decided to get myself lost! I caught the tube to Kensington, then spent a few hours at the Victoria & Albert Museum, gazing at all the art. After a few inspiring hours, I walked through Hyde Park, around the Serpentine, making friends with a few birds.

swan

Yep, I has wonderful time wandering in London; just people watching, stretching my legs, and admiring nature. Best of all, it was FREE. I spent about a quid on my whole adventure. (I really like saying the word quid in private, but not actually to anyone.) Which to brings to mind a saying I like (source unknown) that rather inspired my move here: “If you’re going to be poor, you may as well be poor in one of the greatest cities on Earth”.

Belgium City-Break: Brussels

by Amber on November 21, 2011 in Travel

Belgium has a great mix of cultures – half Flemish, half French. Brussels in particular captures this spirit – it’s in the Flemish side of the country, but the majority of inhabitants are native French-speakers. It’s a lovely place to explore. You’ll probably notice a common themes running through these photographs; Brussels is famous for waffles, chocolate, frites, comics (it’s the home of Tintin), and the Manneken Pis.

Tintin and Snowy! Spotted from the train rolling into Bruxelles-Midi/Brussel-Zuid station.

An example of the two languages living side by side. Also, Brussels has really nice trash cans.
(Is that an odd thing to notice?)

The Grote Markt (or Grand Place) was a square of breathtaking buildings. Gold, ornate, and utterly gorgeous.

Brussels has lots of cool street art/comics painted around town. There’s also a museum dedicated to comics!

The finest Belgian chocolate – in owl form.

A true polyglot, Brussels melds old and new architecture.

Putting the Pis in “piss-take” – there are tributes to Brussels’s favourite son, the Manneken Pis, everywhere.

Then after a night out and some excellent French food, it was back to London. I think we’ll be back to visit very soon – Belgium is only 1 hour 50 minutes away from London by Eurostar. It’s amazing to someone who has spent their entire life living on an island!

Belgium City-Break: Antwerp

by Amber on November 19, 2011 in Travel

This week Thom and I zapped off on the Eurostar to Belgium for our first city break since moving to England. Being ~~greedy~~ ambitious adventurers, we figured we had enough time to see the sights of both Antwerp and Brussels. After getting up way too early in the morning for my liking, we caught a breezy train to Antwerp – one of Belgium’s Flemish cities.

The beautiful cathedral in the heart of the old quarter. We stayed in a quaint little hotel right behind it.

It seems like you can get waffles everywhere in Belgium – even from train station vending machines.

We stopped for coffee & lunch to escape the chill. Despite my mittens, I wasn’t prepared for how cold it was!

There are dual language editions of this daily newspaper, in two different colours (green for French).

Antwerp’s retro-winkels, AKA vintage stores were great. Best find: a set of antique chocolate moulds for €20.

We spent most of out time just wandering the streets, ducking into interesting shops, and taking photos. One evening we went spent a few hours in a tiny bar, making friends with some locals, and then later, the Frites man. It amused him no end to explain all the different chip and mayo options to two enthusiastic tourists…

Next stop: Brussels!

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