Katherine Lightner

8 Exposures: Portugal

You were wondering if I’d abandoned the 8 Exposures series weren’t you? Well, OK, you weren’t but it’s back.

In fact on my holiday to Portugal at the end of May, I took a whole 64 exposures, 8 packs of Impossible Project PX70 Color Protection film. I’d decided that I wanted to capture this trip and this place in a different way, one that reflected its slower pace.

I was nervous about taking the film through airport security but the folks at Impossible had told me that it was OK to send the film through the x-ray machines in your carry on. I did ask the security officer at Heathrow to hand check my film to which she replied, “No.” My further questioning still led to a “No” so, in total, the film went through an x-ray machine three times. And thankfully, it still worked just fine. Well done Impossible.

At times, the elements were against me when shooting with the SX-70. On one particular occasion the wind was blowing so briskly that it blew away the dark slide and nearly my film as the camera ejected it. The dark slide I’d been using to shield the film was even blowing up backwards and into the viewfinder. And I’ve learned a lot about shooting in super bright sunshine on really warm days. Definitely required some adjustments from my normal shooting technique in dreary old England.

But overall, I am so pleased with how these images turned out. I’ve only just finished scanning (the worst part!) them in so now it’s time to start sharing them. And what better week to start doing that than Roid Week, a week during which instant film enthusiasts from all over the world share and celebrate this art form.

This series was from the first pack of film I shot on the trip.

The fortress at Peniche.

The view of the cliffs and the sea from inside Peniche fortress.

The laundry, hanging to dry at a house in Peniche.

Peeling paint on a building in Peniche a reminder of the weathering effects of the sun and the sea.

A walk along the old city wall of Óbidos revealed this window to a windmill in the countryside.

The church in the main square of Óbidos.

Vegetation covering the side of a house in Óbidos, it’s branches about to reach through the window.

July 17, 2013

Everyday Adventures

Weekending

a drive to Cornwall that took way too long because an overturned horse trailer shut the M5 + but a drive that was worth it + an evening stroll through Fowey with my little man + clotted cream and fudge ice cream + sitting on a bench just to stop and listen to the church bells + walking through the door to the secret garden + the best weather ever imaginable for an English seaside holiday + the sounds of seagulls squawking, a lot, very early in the morning + an early morning run along the South Coast Path + and when I say run I use that term loosely, unfamiliar and challenging terrain reminding me that I’m still unfit + soaking in all the wonders that mother nature created, making my heart jump for joy + blueberry crème brûlée + feeding the chickens and helping collect the eggs + looking for creatures in the tide pools + making sand castles + wearing my underwear to go swimming because I packed everything except my swimsuit + staying at Toad Hall + lots of jumping on the trampoline + making new friends and playmates + gazpacho with goat cheese bruschetta + the refreshing spray of the sea hitting my face

+++++

joining in the weekend that was with LEONIE and AMANDA

July 15, 2013

Everyday Adventures

Everyday Moments: A Different Angle

As the weather got warmer this Spring, this became his thing. I pick him up from school and instead of heading straight home, he insists that we run around in the big athletic field near the car park. It became our afternoon ritual, time spent running and laughing together.

The grass is neatly manicured, the lines of a rounders field painted in the middle. He runs full steam around the posts, willing me to chase him around. Despite all my training, I’m never quite able to catch him (wink, wink). Maybe this is why I run, to ensure that I’ll be able to keep up with him as he gets older and faster.

He’s a three-year old boy so rolling around in the grass is normal. I remind myself to get down to his level, to try to see the world as he see it, to not worry about getting grass stains on my trousers. And you know what? Rolling around in the grass is really pretty fun.

Please follow the circle around to the very talented Sarah to see what angle she’s found.

July 15, 2013

52 Weeks of Us

52 of Us: Twenty-Seven

July 12, 2013

Travels

10 on 10: A Trip to the Dorset Coast

We take a long walk along the coastal path. It’s warm but the sky is gray. The fields are lush and green, carpets of corn covering the countryside.

The little people are in tow, stopping every few yards to clear out the rocks from their shoes. Or to dig up sticks. Or to just sit. The walk takes an hour one way as we stop and start, little people asking to be carried. But we soldier on to the pub we’ve been told is at the end of the journey. We find it, it’s closed. The downhill journey home is much quicker, a mere twenty minutes as we race to beat the rain.

In the morning, the sun shines and we rejoice at the possibilities of outdoor adventures further along the south coast, to Durdle Door, a place I’ve long wanted to visit. It’s beauty is stunning, the water deep clear blue, the cliffs steep and rocky. We climb down the steep steps to the rocky beach where we soak in the sun, dip our toes in the water, and throw stones.

We’re ready for more adventures, there are more sights to see, so we climb back to the top of the cliffs, stopping one last time at the top to take in the view of the sea and the horizon. Ice cream awaits.

We venture to Weymouth, where a wide stretch of sandy beach beckons us. I’m regretting the choice I made to wear jeans, the sun has worked its magic throughout the day. The tide is out and the water is shallow, perfect for little people to run and splash in. He makes the biggest most genuine smiles.

We make amends for leaving the buckets and spades at the hotel by treating them to a turn on the trampoline. They jump and laugh, faces full of smiles. This is what being a kid is all about.

And then the perfect day, the beach day with weather so brilliant it was as if I’d ordered it off a menu. I’ve made the right wardrobe choice today, shorts. We’ve remembered the buckets and spades. I’ve forgotten my book but it doesn’t matter. The view is more than enough to keep me happy.

Please continue to the lovely Crystal to see what 10 images she has to share this month.

July 10, 2013

Older Posts

Newer Posts