Medic Ball

Second Year Medic Ball images now online, click here to view.

Sorry!

I know, I’ve been a rubbish blogger recently… sorry! I’m trying to live life rather than blog it.

Recent stuff:

Been blown away by the generosity of friends (and randoms) who blogged/twittered about my hunt for Polaroid:

Holly :: Fran :: Coralie :: Dish :: Andrew :: David ::
:: George :: Suz :: Jonny :: Ally :: Scott ::

Sorry if I’ve forgotten or left anyone out - it’s not intentional!

Took photographs at last nights 2nd Year Medic Ball. Images coming soon.

Got a coffee afternoon today to continue fundraising for Uganda.

Been chewing on these words from Brandon, via Julie:

“…in order to experience such deep generosity, you have to become needy.”

Get Involved - Polaroid!

It’s less than 8 weeks now until I leave for Uganda/Rwanda, and I’m starting to get all the little bits and pieces organised - making sure I’ve got the camera kit I need, getting insurance, that kinda thing. One of the things I am hoping to do on this trip is to shoot with Polaroid a lot. I use almost all digital right now, but I still love Polaroid! Needless to say I was very sad when they announced they are going to stop making Polaroid film next year.

I would love to be able to take pictures of the kids and families I meet using Polaroid, so I can give it to them there and then to keep. Remember the joy and excitement of watching a Polaroid print develop? I’d love to be able to give that enjoyment to kids who’ve maybe never seen or held a picture of themselves before.

That’s part of the goal of this trip: using photography to create a sense of self worth, pride and value in an otherwise unnoticed person.

I want to give you the chance to help with this!

Polaroid film is too expensive for me to buy a ton of packets myself, so I thought, what better way for you to get involved than to donate packets of Polaroid film! For every packet of film you donate, I will take 10 pictures, leaving 9 with the families and kids in Uganda, and I will send one print back to you, when I get back to the UK. Sound good?

If you’re up for it, leave a comment so I can get your email address, or drop me an email at emmaboyd87 [at] hotmail [dot] com, and I’ll email you my postal address. Not too keen on leaving it up online here for everyone to see!

Thank so much for your help!

(P.S. This was Longbrakes idea originally - thanks for letting me borrow it!)

Art & Justice

Three posts in one day, I know, its a lot when I’ve been inconsistent lately! But I read this quote and it hit me, so I needed to post it…

“Art is love creating a new world. Justice is rolling up your sleeves and healing the old one.”

[N.T. Wright]

HT: Daley

Glencoe Review

A couple of weekends ago, I was in Glencoe, in the Scottish Highlands, celebrating Reubens 21st birthday. I had a fantastic weekend, full of music, food, and laughter. There was lots of musical jamming, from traditional to sing-alongs - worryingly we failed to find a happy song which everyone knew! Mikey sung a few of his songs - he’s fantastic! Reubens mum cooked for us all weekend, and made a feast for us on Saturday night. Saturday we walked around a big mountain too - along Glen Coe and back down Glen Etive. Very beautiful, especially as the weather stayed nice the whole time we were out walking. It was stunning!

Some visual documentation…

Dirty Mother

Dirty mother is a month long exhibition in Nexus focused on climate change. It is a partnership with Christiana Aid, Sanctus1 and Nexus.

This is happening in Manchester next month, and it looks great. If you’re anywhere nearby you should check it out.

HT: Jonny

Uganda Movie Night

Doing a little fundraising tonight for my trip to Uganda this summer - movie night at my flat. I’ll be projecting The Constant Gardener onto a wall in my room, providing some lovely folks with some lovely snacks, and they shall donate some of their monies (£2) towards my trip.

Be great to see ya there if you can make it!

Made In The Shade

I got an email on Friday to say that I’d been accepted for Made In The Shade, an indie craft market to be held at the The Lighthouse in Glasgow next month. I’ll be selling prints of my photographs, with all profits going towards my trip to Uganda this summer with Fields Of Life. It’s on the 24th May from 10:30am - 5:00pm, if you’re free come along and chat to me…

Bringing the creme of the city’s creative crop together for the first time, this event will showcase young design talent and encourage customers to relish in the exclusivity of the handmade one-off. These local designers, talented crafters and vintage lovers will present an unrivalled marketplace for handmade, quailty fashion and interior accessories, vintage clothing and retro wares and provide a brand new haven for seekers of all things stylish and eclectic – all of which are made in Glasgow!

Read more here.

Ireland & Fundraising

I’m back in N. Ireland for a couple days to do some fundraising for my trip to Uganda this summer. Things are going well and I’m getting more excited! I’m having a coffee morning at my family house tomorrow morning (if you’re free come along!), heading back to Glasgow on Monday.

Spent yesterday in the sunshine in Belfast. Grabbed a quick lunch with a good friend and mentor, had coffee with another blogger friend, and generally just enjoyed sipping iced coffee in the sunshine at Common Grounds while reading (High Fidelity, if you’re interested). Spent the evening with Jill in good ol’ Ballymena.

More later… gotta go clean…

Fragile Iconoclast

Ryan sent me a copy of the new Cobalt Season album, Fragile Iconoclast, which is launched on Friday. I’ve been listening to it all day today, and it is stunning. I’m gonna write a better review of it soon, but on first listen my favourite song is You & I. It’s an incredibly vulnerable song about pursuing ideals and being let down, about realising our limitations and yet still striving after ideals.

You can have a listen to a couple of the new tracks on their Myspace, but you should definitely order the CD/DVD - Travis from The Work of The People filmed the recording process, should be an interesting DVD!

Wanted to post the lyrics to You & I, because I am lovin’ it right now…

I’ve reached the end of my rope
Once again
And now and then
I find myself drifting

Hoping that you’d send me some hope
Or drop a line
Tell me I’m fine
Tell me I’m going somewhere

Oh, but as it stands just now
I sure don’t know
Which way to go
Which way is certain

And that’s thing with certainty
It’s got it’s hooks in me
Just won’t let me be
Let me be

BUT YOU AND I
BOTH ARE LOOKING FOR
AND WANTING SO MUCH MORE
THAN WE MIGHT EVER SEE

And if I saw that star
Shining bright
Walking at night
You know I’d run as fast as I can

And I’d send you a clue
Of what to do
So you won’t feel
Like I do

CAUSE YOU AND I
ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR
AND WANTING SO MUCH MORE
THAN WE MIGHT EVER SEE

They said, “Son, just let things be”
Oh, just let it be
And I used to be the one to point at hypocrites like me
But how the tables turn, how quickly this heart cannot feel

And I’ve grown tired of these memories, I’ve grown tired of these dreams
And I’m sick of hearing my own voice about things I’ll never be
And I need someone to renew my hope in a world I cannot see
As I open up these calloused hands thinking I might be set free
Set me free

[You & I by The Cobalt Season, from Fragile Iconoclast]