Bashfully Designed » Photography

Writing a Letter is Beautiful Too…

ashleyb — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 12:31:46 +0000

John and Yoko writing letters, a photo by Linda McCartney (via Meet Me at Mikes). The light in this photo is just lovely, like a summer morning (or, what a summer morning looks like in DC).

(My) Jon writing letters in a cafe in East Berlin. I took this photo back in 2007 when we were on a trip and it remains one of my favorite images of him. I was so nervous about being back in Berlin, trying to explain to Jon what that city meant to me and wanting him to really see it. Someday I’ll write about how I can clearly divide my life into before Berlin and after Berlin. I know I’ve alluded to it before. My relationship with that city is… something.

“Bell at Camp Evans Writing a Letter Home” via Val Wuthrich’s website Vietnam 68-69

Untitled image of a sailor writing a letter via Art of Manliness.

Wrangling Stamps and Postmarks

ashleyb — Tue, 18 May 2010 12:11:21 +0000

The Netherlands

Just a few shots of stamps and postmarks that have come through my mailbox lately… After seeing this Flickr set (via NotCot), I was inspired to go back and collect the stamps I’ve received into one spot. Eventually I suppose I’ll need to start scanning the postage, our point-and-shoot digital camera has a hard time getting up close enough to really see all the details. (Thus, apologies for the blur in some of the images below).

Poland

These stamps from New Zealand are heat-sensitive, I blogged about them here. I think they are really, really cool, so I figured I’d post them again.

Belgium

A stamp from the former Checkoslovakia (from a bag of stamps I purchased for cheap at the National Postal Museum).

These US stamps have such a great cancel.

Some Inspiration

ashleyb — Mon, 17 May 2010 12:40:04 +0000

Some of my current Flickr favorites… 1. Untitled, 2. USPS Platter, 3. Building of the Inaugural Stands, 4. Mail Room, 5. Vintage Check Writer 1, 6. llibreria – bookstore – Amsterdam – HDR, 7. you’ve got mail! air mail!, 8. British Parcels Post-sorting parcels for foreign mail (LOC), 9. gaimail2, 10. These chairs, 11. Morning Coffee, 12. Gunplay in the barbershop, 13. you’ve got mail! air mail!, 14. “Letter writing is the only device for combining solitude with good company”, 15. On My Desk 365/253, 16. dear Santa………

The Wintery, Bleak, Beautiful VA

ashleyb — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 12:48:42 +0000

Scenes from our weekend in the VA country– taken by a film camera!

2009 In Pictures

ashleyb — Thu, 31 Dec 2009 12:29:14 +0000

The year in review (in no particular order): 1. The H*yas for Choice, 2. Cinco de Mayo After the Feast, 3. Some Cool Tubes in the Brewery, 4. Tea For the Staining, 5. Working on the Wreath: Pins, No Neeles, 6. New Morning Routine, 7. My basil harvest, 8. Photographing the Serenity, 9. 14th TN Works on Stacking Arms, 10. Figure it out, figure it out, 11. Jon: An Effing Hipster, 12. The Bowens– So happy (and tired), 13. Ariel, As Obama Takes the Oath, 14. Bright Orange Couch, 15. DSCF3054, 16. Before the Race, Ready to Line Up, 17. Best Loaf Yet, 18. Mail Piling Up at the Playmobil Post Office, 19. Pickles in the Jar, 20. Veggies, 21. Drew, at his Finest, 22. Coffee and White Light, 23. Beer Garden: Astoria, NYC, 24. Canada Post box

Made using the Flickr Mosaic Maker.

Oh Diana

ashleyb — Mon, 21 Sep 2009 12:35:25 +0000

For Christmas last year Jon gave me a Diana camera, one of the toy cameras I’ve been jonesing after for quite some time. I didn’t have much time to play with it during the spring, school and life managed to keep me tethered to the ease of a digital camera. I’ve just started trying to play with it and figure out how to get really great, unique shots out of it… Clearly, I still have some work to do.

These are the two best shots from two rolls and Jon took one of them so… yeah, time to try again. Also, this film is not cheap to develop. Next time, I’m sticking with black and white. I know it is possible because other people are really, really good with the Diana.

Unlike the Holga, which made intuitive sense to me the Diana has been a lot harder for me to get comfortable with. And that’s okay, but I’m trying to get better and showing the stuff I’m not in love with instead of just the stuff I’m proud of.

Vacation: Border Crossings, Home Again

ashleyb — Mon, 24 Aug 2009 10:58:14 +0000

“Fresh” at Pike’s Market.

I’ve been busily working on some embroidery projects, which I’ll show you later this week, but for now– just some snaps for our week back in the northwest (Seattle and Vancouver, BC). We spent the week with dear, dear friends, family, excellent coffee, fun stationary stores, and good beer (some of it home brewed).

Yeah, I take photos of mailboxes.

Japadogs in Vancouver, BC.

Vintage signs in Seattle, WA. I like old signs– they make a city feel lived in (but not worn out).

Why yes, this is a table made out of a pinball machine. We went to Shorty’s, a pinball bar, with an old friend.

Cleveland Dam in Vancouver, BC

Ah! Zombie Walk in Vancouver, BC! They came for the tourists first.

Everything I like In One Place

ashleyb — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 13:18:28 +0000

We’ve been going to a lot of movies lately– in part this is because Jon loves movies and will sit through just about anything. Mostly, though, I think Hollywood has finally come out of its slump. For a while there was just nothing I wanted to pay $8 to sit through. That phase seems to be over. This weekend we saw Brothers Bloom (and I ended up buying some sunglasses like one of the character’s) and I am totally embarrassed to admit how excited I am about Away We Go.

Last night we watched The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford and I loved every minute of it. About 10 minutes in I was hooked. Jon pointed out that it is filmed like the kind of photos I like to take (i.e. slightly off center, linger on details) in a color pallet I love (blue-gray and bright gold) and the script sounds a lot like the poetry I enjoy. It’s a long movie, and I don’t know that it’s for everyone– you’ve got to love the 19th century, feel comfortable with long stretches of silence, and really bleak scenes of the American West.

My photo from a drive across Arizona, waiting for a storm. June 2007

Again, all the things I love. Lots of time spent watching clouds come across big American skies, golds and blues lit up by orange sunlight. I’ve only ever seen that kind of light in Texas and occasionally in Arizona and New Mexico– we didn’t even really get it in Los Angeles. Maybe that’s part of what attracted me to this film– I’m a Texan at heart and always will be. Even though I grew up in the 20th century, I still love big skies, orange light, rolling thunder, and quiet men.

I’m thinking of buying this movie to watch when I’m looking for a color pallet or for reassurance that I’m not the only person who likes detail photos.

Scenes from a Weekend

ashleyb — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:04:11 +0000

Hats for sale at Eastern Market (I got one, not quite like this)

Mannequins at DC’s Eastern Market.

Cigar Boxes for sale at Eastern Market

Gifford’s Ice Cream and the moon, Saturday night.

Bananas and my trusty Bailey Works bag.

Seconds? It IS a big apple…

ashleyb — Tue, 10 Mar 2009 10:50:28 +0000

Too bad we didn’t run into Rachel Maddow while we were there…

This is the place Washington said farewell to his officers after the Revolution. They have a piece of his hair, some teeth, and a portion of his coffin. Also, the NY Sons of Liberty met here. It occurs to me that, maybe, this isn’t as exciting for other people as it is for me. Moving on…

Jon looking at an exhibit at the incredible museum/art gallery City Reliquary in Brooklyn. If you find yourself in NYC this is worth the trip, it reminded me a little of the Church of Elvis except way less crazy/scary.

Inside Macy’s on Harold Square. I was so excited to get here, I watch the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade religiously, and it was amazing to see the part of the street with the logo painted on it.

I also spent some time playing around with my film camera on this trip– I’ve got to get them developed sometime this week. Its been a long time, too long, since I played around with film. I always forget that it really does look so much better. When Ariel was in town for the inauguration I dusted the big film camera off and like those photos so much more than the digital camera images (like this one, so much better on film).