Canon to Praktica

Identity is largely assessed via the materialist ideal of each individual. This is usually shown via clothes, appearance or lifestyle which are all elements or effects of wealth. The sociological changes in consumer patterns has meant that the on going technological advancement presents huge shift in product induced identity. Companies, price, symbols, styles, user interface, Apps, and shape have all become key necessities of today's consumer needs.

It is not a question of what was current yesterday rather what is current today. The 24 hour multi-media platform accessibility  means that fads and crazes often begin and end within a 48 hour period. A consumer is bombarded and fed with information so often that the element of shock or interest is hard to maintain for a single news story or video. 

This was extremely evident with the recent KONY campaign video which went viral on 5th March, and since then it has had over 79,000,000 views. People expressed a high level of support for the video, it reached an audience across every platform as well as exploding globally across news programmes. Shortly after its release there were floods of people unsure of the viability of the story its self, as well as communities rejecting the video due to race related issues.

A week later and the story has dropped from Facebook news feeds and twitter altogether and now stands within the search engine.

Yet, within this world of the new product reigning over last weeks model, our love for all things retro continues to regenerate across society. The best example could be one APP on the 'Google Play' android market, the Retro Camera. This APP transforms your mobile phone photos into old and imperfect pictures that a pinhole camera would take. Therefore after spending your £180 for a phone with a 5MP camera you then download tech to transform it into something you could potentially find in an old cupboard, thus unlocking a physical thing and developing a skill. Although that's a whole new debate, the simplification of skill based activities such as digital editing, sound production, filming, DJing and photography has allowed a larger populous to experience creating something using their hands instead of their brain. Although digitization is highly supported and allows projects to be completed with ease and efficiency I cannot help but think that it has taken the skill out of the trade.

Which is what led to the discovery of two old film cameras in my house, a Canon AV-1 and a Praktica MTL3 both of which belong to my parents. It has added a new life to capturing images, from the sound of the click once you press the button to the sheer weight of them. To walk around holding these cameras fills me with pride, not only does photography appear within my parents past but to my granddad and great granddad as well, photography was a huge part of their lives and I hope to share their love for it and pass this down the future generations.
These camera's have lasted for decades and are still widely appreciated however the new digital canon's are being constantly out dated and it's seen to be cool to have the latest camera. One of the key reasons I feel is that there is an air of suspicion surrounding old cameras, how does it work, how do you get the film in, what does this button do? I think it's this that I particularly enjoy, because I have no idea if the pictures I take are good and the journey that I will have to take to find out fills me with excitement.
In recent years the physical photo album has become non-existent and replaced by online albums which can be deleted with a click of a button. Which means that in an instant, memories can be lost. My aim is to create memories to look at, hold and preserve.
In this 24 hour consumer world, I often dream of life without my laptop, however in spite of this my online appearance is highly important to my social life as well as my career aspects. Although secretly, I do still constantly look forward to the next power cut, finally able to unleash the candles and bring back the smell of birthdays and family memories.

KONY 2012

War Horse

The tale of a man's best friend

It begins in the heart of the Devonshire countryside, where a horse brings hope and courage to a family famished by   poverty and the past. The first 10 minutes of this film are without dialogue, but are hugely gripping. It pulls you into the story and takes you on the journey as well.

There is a huge balance of pain and hope that keeps you watching, hoping that one will finally triumph the other. The scenery and cinematography compliment each other so well, you almost begin to wonder how some of the scenes  were even possible because they seemed so real. I refer to where "Joey" the horse is running through no man's land and becomes trapped by the barbed wire. There are so many things to be taken away from this poignant moment, it really makes you think about the suffering that we all go through and for what?

There were some points when my eye brow raise, for example all of the non English speaking characters spoke perfect English until shouting orders. Perhaps the use of subtitles would have helped the plot a little? It does however draw in many different people, making a network of hope on screen. All linked through this marvellous animal.

Although the film is very emotional, it is one of those which has you laughing and crying at the same moment. There are one or two laugh out loud moments which are executed brilliantly as well as times where you want to scream "Noooo" at the screen...oh, just me then?

I do implore you to watch this beautiful film, it will make you smile at points where you didn't think it was possible and cry when something amazing happens. There are so many films that use animals and it just doesn't work, but whoever trained the horses in this film deserves a medal. The horse had its own character, you could almost see what it was thinking. It had more personality than most actors have, which isn't really hard these days.

Sarah Jessica Parker really has improved a lot since Sex and the City 2.

Next Review: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Keep watching

crazy-welsh-woman

iBrand therefore iAm

Dear Nobody,
People have become obsessed with sharing information, on twitter, on Facebook and annoyingly on both at exactly the same time. Today's society is run by information, who is the first to know, who is the first to share it, retweet it and take the originators glory?
Mark this, 10 years ago people would actually remember information such as Birthdays, now we have this nagging application that lets us know everything. Great...right? It's so "handy" that we don't even need to remember things any more. Nor do we need to watch the news, television programmes or the weather reports because 9 times out of 10 it will already be posted in the digital tundra, people would have already reviewed it, liked it and commented.
However, the number one thing that aggravates me is when people go on and on about themselves when really nobody cares or we're too jealous to. That has a lot to do with it, jealousy. Do I really care that your student loan is in? For once could I not just spend a day, not being reminded of things I have forgotten. I forgot your birthday, I forgot about that party, I forgot that the film I really wanted to see was on Channel 4 today.
On the contrary, if we do not want to see this then why not simply sign off, turn off, switch off, what ever you call it there needs to be a point where you think, hang on I don't actually have to scroll through my 500 friends day. As a result, something like this post will happen. I mean who am I kidding, do I think I've escaped? I have 7 tabs open at the moment, everything I need to access at the click of my mouse, little numbers pop up. Luring me into the popularity, the need to be "seen", I mean that electronically and digitally. This need, drives us to share and the sharing is driven through a need of care. We want someone, anyone to acknowledge us.
The many ramblings of the human race must scream this out, but it is silent because it lies in the 2.0 dimension. Whether that is real is a whole other argument.
Thus is moves me on, why oh why do we waste our lives staring at a screen, we don't even have to sit down any more. We can be running, skipping, skateboarding, swimming, holidaying, sleeping, walking up stairs, showering and still be connected to the world. It is true that technology has moved physical and social boundaries, the structure of the earth is now mapped by telephone signals and WIFI hotspots. People on holiday can share wonderful pictures instead of actually being on holiday.
Now don't get me wrong, my name is Laura Harrington and I'm addicted to Twitter. It really gets to me though, I would prefer to be seeing the world with my eyes and not my phone. There's nothing I can do about it, I'm hooked for now.
Recently I got a book entitled "Eat that Frog!", it's to do with procrastination and getting important things done. I literally believe that it will change my life. It has already, it had made me more aware to time and that if properly managed you can actually live.
This blog is going to become my film review blog, I'm eating my frog right now. As of tomorrow I will review  one film on here everyday. In theory I should have 366 entries by the end of the year. It being a leap year, that means one everyday and before you start yes I have already reviewed 8 films and they will appear as well. I've not forgotten everything.
It's time for you to eat your frog. Today, you should go and do something that you have been putting off, even if it is scary...like checking your bank account. You need to know that life is real and if you put things off the only person you are fooling, is you. So go on, I've done it. Your turn.
Yours,
the crazy-welsh-woman

Digital Disaster

http://www.flickr.com/photos/preshaa/1059891342/

Have we become a world obsessed by sharing, one which is driven by documenting everything and seeing the world through a tiny screen instead of with our own eyes?
We have become so used to watching that we quite often forget what it is to physically participate. Is it a bad thing? Many people have built careers out of it, but if everyone is busy recording the same thing then who is watching?
On the contrary theorist Van Dijk suggests that even with the availability of sights such as YouTube and Soundcloud 1 in 10 of us is actually producing content. Therefore it begs the question, what is happening to all of that footage, all of those photos. Are they lost within the plethora of daily clutter or are they being saved for the right moment?
Speaking as a producer of my own content, I think I fit into both of these categories. I'm forever filming short clips, bits and bobs because I know I will use it later on but sometimes I think we record things purely because we can. If everyone else is doing it, you don't want to be the odd one out. Right?