Listening to: Moon Safari - Air

Sipping green tea with mint and eating a bowl of Jordanian cashew nuts.









Ok, ok, that's what I'm doing right this second. In general this is what I am doing...

Returned from Jordan last weekend. It was a fantastic holiday in a truly wonderful country as I hope my photos attest. I've been selective so far, having not submitted all 800 that I took. I might put some more up soon. I returned having been stoned by children, almost walking off a cliff, getting (fake) married and breaking my nose in an unfortunate glass door incident. Happy times.

I'm working flat out now. Six days a week at the bank until 8th May so to get myself some much needed cash and then I leave the country on 10th May to take up residence in Chicago. Incredible. I've also got stuff to prepare before going, but I've not quite worked out what yet.

The record company is now up and running and we took The Recondites into the studio a couple of weeks ago where they recorded seven tracks for us, to be released in about a month's time. Find out more: http://www.therecondites.tk/

I'm tired but happy.

Listening to: ( ) Sigur Rós

Right, so I decided on Friday that this degree course wasn't for me and I needed to quit. In the space of not many hours I formulated a plan that actually seemed possible AND a good idea. I must hand over a great big slice of gratitude to Iana (as long as I get a slice of cheesecake in return).

So then, the plan:
- quit uni
- move to Chicago
- live with Iana
- work in a bookshop
- eventually (god knows when) come back to the UK and investigate Film Studies courses and go back to uni (a different one).

Excited? Bloody am. But all weekend I wanted to tell my parents that I wanted to quit, but I just couldn't bring myself to start the conversation. Eventually on Monday I rang them up and we talked for a long time, but they were fine about it.

So I'm going home in a couple of days, going to Jordan in a week's time and then after that moving all my stuff back from Birmingham and preparing for Chicago. I also have to sort out my record company things and recording with The Recondites so everything is sorted before I go away.

I'm really excited to be doing something so vastly different.

Watching: Nosferatu

I have issues. "What's new?" you say. Well indeed.

Its strange, I thought that I was doing something that I always wanted to do and I thought that if it wasn't right for me that it would become immediately apparent. I love archaeology, I love learning, I love Birmingham. But studying archaeology at Birmingham University just isn't working for me and after 6 months I think it may be time to call it a day.

I wish it were easy to just go and do something else, but what? I really want to do a film studies course, but can I find one to suit me? There isn't one in Birmingham and its too late to start in Autumn 2004 at a different university. So another year out? Looks like I might have to do that but it was difficult last time, I don't want to get depressed again.

Ideal situation.
I go and do an incredible film studies course in Chicago (which as far as I can see does not exist - the course that is, not the city).

Alternative.
A really interesting film course online. San Francisco Academy of Art do a great one but its not a degree. That means living at home and almost certainly having to find another job.

Likely situation.
God knows. I'll probably stew over it for ages.

I wanted to write a journal entry about the photography I've been doing recently. I've really enjoyed experimenting with the Minolta and doing lots of macros. I'm feeling good about my photogtaphy these days, I'm beginning to think I actually know what I'm doing.

However, my mind is just full of mixed-up-ness and there are no easy answers. I really need a break where I just don't have to think about anything and then address it all after a few weeks. I'm not sure I can do that, but I think I will have to try.

Just need to tell my parents now.

Listening to: Martina Topley-Bird (Quixotic)

How many photos have I taken in the last three days? A million?

Well, I got the Minolta DiMAGE (now entirely mine, muahahahaha) and a tripod down here and I couldn't resist snapping away with it on Monday afternoon while still in my room. I thought I'd experiment with macros cos I've never done them before and they can, when done properly, look wonderful.

I'm actually really pleased with the results and I just can't stop taking pictures of random little things. I promise to be at least a little selective when it comes to submitting work here on DA. Problem is, I've come without the USB cable and so I can't get any of the bastard shots on the computer at the moment, but by the weekend I should be up and running.

I have some more specific plans with the camera. I'm hoping I can set it up to do long exposures, which I have always presumed that I can, although it seems to have evaded me so far. I want to do some interesting (yes, interesting is good isn't it?) street stuff with passing people, we'll see.

Tomorrow I might go into Cannonhill Park here in Birmingham and take some interesting shots there too. This has however been my plan since I moved to Birmingham in September, so I wouldn't hold out too much hope, but lets hope.

Forefront of my mind at the moment is the photo potential of my trip to Jordan in just three weeks. I'm also hoping to do a sort of video diary of the time too, so I'll have to work out how to juggle that.

Listening to: Oh Daddy - Fleetwood Mac
Watching: Reality Film (David Bowie)

It is no secret that I am some sort of attention whore, that's why I'm here! But I feel inspired at the moment, and so I'm going everywhere with my camera and snapping away with that as well as having fun with digital things in Photoshop. Which is why I'm submitting so much at the moment, so I apologise to people who have me on their DevWatch. I just hope that you at least have a quick browse when you can just in case there's something there that might be the best thing you've ever seen. Or not.

So I'm having fun with my diddy Sony Cybershot, but I have plans for using the Minolta DiMAGE (digital SLR) a little more as it has now become entirely mine as opposed to a shared thing. So hopefully in the next week I shall be taking it and a tripod to a few places I have in mind and experimenting with some long exposures.

I'm beginning to define my style a little more now. I've found that I love high contrast B&W, I love street photography and I love repeating linear patterns, particularly in urban contexts.

Having said that, I love just taking pictures of anything and seeing how things turn out. A month today I will be flying out to Jordan in the Middle East for a week of travelling the length of the country. I absolutely cannot wait and you can guarantee that when I get back this gallery of mine will be stocked up with photos of Amman, Petra, Wadi-Rum, etc.

Finally, DA is slowly becoming the preserve of BowieNet's 19 year olds. And they're all superbly talented wenches, so please check them out:

Also, I've begun the process of uploading all of the photos I have taken of the Recondites in chronological order. They can be found at: