6768 Miles Apart (in DIY bokeh)

There's something insanely Christmassy about DIY bokeh. Diana and I had a lot of fun sharing ideas for DIY bokeh filters and sending emails about our efforts. While we like to a no-fuss approach to photography, it's sometimes nice to get a bit technical and abstract. I had so much DIY bokeh goodness left over to share, I made a very short 24 second video too. Enjoy!

My pictures on the left, hers on the right. 6,768 Miles Apart started in April 2009. Our archives are here and here but our favourites are the Polaroid edition and the Disposable Camera edition. We also love Naomi and Marie from the transatlantic lens project & Adeline and Astrid from Her - Der.

Miles Apart Bokeh from ondressingup on Vimeo.

Blogsitting for Diana

I'm blogsitting for Diana at Our City Lights with a post on those unwanted, blurry, underxposed, weirdly framed outtakes languishing in your hard drive. 

Diana is my partner in crime for Miles Apart. Keep an eye out for our next Miles Apart Custom Bokeh special edition and visit our most recent special edition, Black and White 35mm Film.

6768 Miles Apart

We went for a long time without Miles Apart. And now, I think how silly that was. Sometimes you want to cut yourself off from the world and all your responsibilities. But having tried it, I realise now that this isn't an obligation. It's a joy. And so is she. See you next time for Miles Apart in 35mm Black and White film.

My pictures on the left, hers on the right. 6,768 Miles Apart started in April 2009. Our archives are here and here but our favourites are the Polaroid edition and the Disposable Camera edition. We also love Naomi and Marie from the transatlantic lens project & Adeline and Astrid from Her - Der.

last letters

UPDATE 12/10/10: After a long break 6,768 Miles Apart with Diana is now up. Visit Diana at Our City Lights or click on the collage below to be redirected to our photographic collaboration and its pocket history.

"It's almost unbearable to read all the human emotions it covers. It feels like looking into the sun as it's dying." Carol Ann Duffy comments on Ted Hughes' "Last Letters"

Ted Hughes was inscrutable for a number of years after the death of Sylvia Plath. I imagine that his silence played a large part in his vilification. Grief, and perhaps remorse, has steadily become a spectator sport. Images of a silent black hearse trailed by equally silent black-suited men and women, a road lined with crowds that stand twenty-deep, places blanketed by bouquets, letters, and candles. And of course, the anguished tears. Judges on the bench comment about the lack of remorse seemingly displayed by a criminal and it makes me wonder why silence is so often mistaken for indifference. Sometimes, grief, regret, and remorse, can curl up tight inside you, cementing itself between your bones, and sometimes, it feels like every breath rattles with the effort of what you hold in. No wonder you're silent. Perhaps for fear of what would happen, should you ever start to speak.

♥ Flowers for you ♥

6,768 Miles Apart

4:22 on a Saturday morning here. 9:23 am on a Friday morning there in California. I imagine that early morning in California looks something like a combo of sun, palm trees, a cluttered urban skyline, and concrete. Only a city girl at heart like me could be thrilled with that combination. Diana, in case you were wondering, early morning here looks much the same - except without the palm trees.

My pictures on the left, hers on the right.
6,768 Miles Apart appears every fortnight
Our pictures are no longer limited to the morning.
But our focus remains the same.
Read how it started here.
Look at the archives here and here.
We were featured here.
Visit Diana's etsy shop for your own piece of her pictures.
We also love Naomi and Marie from the transatlantic lens project &
Adeline and Astrid from Her - Der

deciduous trees, art swaps, and Miles Apart

UPDATE! Thank you for those who emailed me about the Art Swap. You're ace.

6,768 Miles Apart Disposable Edition is now up on Diana's site. Click on the pic to be redirected!

ANZAC Day. Completely by accident, we found ourselves in a tiny and deserted war memorial/rest stop just past the small town of Featherston. All around us, the trees were dripping yellow, brown and red leaves. A stark white cross against a velvety green lawn. A retired couple quietly eating a picnic lunch on a stone bench and table. Such enormous sacrifices made by millions of people in decades past. It makes you humble.

To lighten the mood, I'm looking for 3 people to join me, Franca and Katherine, Shirin for an Art Swap. You make something (anything you like as long as its handmade), you ask 6 other friends to do the same, and you send your contribution to an address I provide. Interested? Leave a comment with your email or email me: ondressingup@gmail.com and I'll provide you with more details!

♥Trench Coat from H&M ♥ Stripy top from Valley Girl ♥ Place of Interest: Featherston ♥

maximum clearance

My weekends have increasingly been spent lying listlessly in bed or on the couch, boredly watching tv or idly flipping through Victorian-era mysteries by Tasha Alexander. After the breakneck pace of work during the week with days that often end in unexplained, debilitating migraines, I find there isn't much left in me for the weekend. The will is there, dear readers, but the spirit is sorely lacking.

6,768 Miles Apart will be coming back next week with a special Diana and Ana go Disposable (camera, that is!) 16 picture special. Stay tuned.

♥ Jersey and Skirt from Glassons ♥

6,768 Miles Apart

I haven't been around the internet much. But there is one person whom I always look forward to talking with and that is Diana. Is it possible to feel like you're old friends with someone you've never met?

P.S. We've been getting a few queries around the time of day we take our photos. Originally, we started off true to our inspiration and took photos in the morning before 11 am. In August last year we announced that we were changing our brief and our pictures were no longer limited to the morning. This fundamental change to the project is mentioned every fortnight in our little signature below. Thanks, lovelies!

My pictures on the left, hers on the right.
6,768 Miles Apart appears every fortnight.
Our pictures are no longer limited to the morning.
But our focus remains the same.
Read how it started here.
Look at the archives here and here.
We were featured here.
We also love Naomi and Marie from the transatlantic lens project &
Adeline and Astrid from Her - Der

groundhog day

UPDATE 13/03 6,768 Miles Apart - Diana and I's photographic collaboration - is being hosted by Diana this fortnight here.



Did I mention that I sat next to Camera Obscura during dinner at Floriditas? Did I also mention that I didn't recognise who they were and started talking fan-girl talk about them? Yes. And I was wondering why they were looking at me with wide eyes and giggling unashamedly. When they walked out on stage, I felt myself flush from the top of my head to the tip of my tippy toes. It is a repeat of the Sarah Blasko incident. But they were great in concert. I think I had stars in my eyes. More gig photos of the fantastic Tracyanne Campbell here with the Patient Photographer.

♥ Stripy top and floral sneaks from Cotton On ♥ Dinner at Floriditas ♥ Gig at San Franciso Bathhouse ♥

6,768 Miles Apart

Carrying on from our Miles Apart Polaroid special which you can relive here, our lives have been so hectic and my internet connection absent, that we're a wee bit late with Miles Apart. During the last three weeks, I moved homes and developed an obsession with cushions and blue glass jars. Diana was visited by Carly, which made me dream of packing up to be next in line to use Diana's spare room. One day, Diana and I won't be Miles Apart. We might even make it together on the same picture! I'd be surprised if the world didn't end right then and there :)

My pictures on the left, hers on the right.
6,768 Miles Apart appears every fortnight.
Our pictures are no longer limited to the morning.
But our focus remains the same.
Read how it started here.
Look at the archives here and here.
We were featured here.
We also love Naomi and Marie from the transatlantic lens project &
Adeline and Astrid from Her - Der

6,768 Miles Apart

While Diana basks in the sun and spends Christmas with her family, I will be wandering big foreign cities wrapped in woolly jumpers, looking at landscapes covered in snow. We wanted to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a fun New Year's Eve. We can't tell you enough how much we enjoy and look forward to your support and comments since this project of ours started in April this year. 6,768 Miles Apart is taking a well-deserved break from now until 20 January 2010. Though it's a long break, Diana and I are working on an amazing comeback that we hope you'll all look forward to. One clue: there'll be POLAROIDS!!!

My pictures on the left, hers on the right.

6,768 Miles Apart appears every fortnight.
Our pictures are no longer limited to the morning.
But our focus remains the same.
Read how it started here.
Look at the archives here and here.
We were featured here.
We also love Naomi and Marie from the transatlantic lens project &
Adeline and Astrid from Her - Der

brief christmas hiatus

UPDATE: 6,768 Miles Apart - Diana and I's photographic collaboration - is being hosted by Diana this fortnight here. I think this set is one of my favourite examples of serendipity.

You may have noticed that I'm not around much on the internet these days. Forgive me. The holiday season is full of real-life distractions. There's nothing I would like better than to hang out on the blogosphere with my favourite ladies but it can't be helped. So apologies for the slower rate of posting and lack of commenting. If you need to get hold of me, DM me on my twitter (but note that I protect my updates!) or email me at ondressingup@gmail.com.

6,768 Miles Apart

Dear Diana,

I know its Thanksgiving where you are. Your email means everything to me. You are one of the most inspiring women I know, and at the same time, don't know. Thanks for you.

♥ ana b.

My pictures on the left, hers on the right.
6,768 Miles Apart appears every fortnight.
Our pictures are no longer limited to the morning.
But our focus remains the same.
Read how it started here.
Look at the archives here and here.
We were featured here.
We also love Naomi and Marie from the transatlantic lens project &
Adeline and Astrid from Her - Der

self-help shame

UPDATE: 6,768 Miles Apart - Diana and I's photographic collaboration - is being hosted by Diana this fortnight. Click on the picture below to be taken there!

My workmates and I were forced to attend a seminar about Marcus Buckingham's book "Strengths Finder". We spent thirty minutes answering a timed questionnaire with delicious questions like "When given a choice would you rather clean or rest?" and "Are tears a part of your life?". This recent brush with the self-help/self-improvement genre reminded me of a couple of years back when I braved embarassment at the public library by checking out a self-help book entitled "Why You're Still Single". If you're thinking of reading this book, I'll tell you the answer now - you're still single because you're reading this book rather than throwing back those cocktails, shimmying into your Freakum Dress, and showing those folks all the goodies you've got to share. Trust! Go on...share your self-help book shame.

♥ Blouse and clutch are thrifted ♥ Skirt from Glassons ♥ Pearl bracelet and ring gifted from mother ♥ Chain & leather bracelet from Diva ♥ Sunglasses from Cotton On ♥

6,768 Miles Apart

Diana and I can now point our camera lens and be struck with the feeling that this photo isn't just about us - these photos are also about each other. Creatives talk about their influences. Usually these people are dead or entirely inaccessible to us by virtue of their immense fame and power. But how amazing is it to be guided by someone who is only 6,768 Miles Apart?

My pictures on the left, hers on the right.
6,768 Miles Apart appears every fortnight.
Our pictures are no longer limited to the morning.
But our focus remains the same.
Read how it started here.
Look at the archives here and here.
We were featured here.
We also love Naomi and Marie from the transatlantic lens project &
Adeline and Astrid from Her - Der

6,768 Miles Apart

Diana took me to San Diego, where she had a breathtaking view of the boats moored in the harbour from her hotel room. I took Diana to the re-opening of a much-loved Wellington art gallery, whose facade was polka-dotted up to celebrate the Yayoi Kusama exhibition. Where does 6,768 Miles Apart take you?

My pictures on the left, hers on the right.
6,768 Miles Apart appears every fortnight.
Our pictures are no longer limited to the morning.
But our focus remains the same.
Read how it started here.
Look at the archives here and here.
We were featured here.
Visit Diana's etsy shop for your own piece of her pretty pictures.
We also love Naomi and Marie from the transatlantic lens project &
Adeline and Astrid from Her - Der

6,768 Miles Apart

Diana, I think if we spent the day together and incorporated all the elements below - it'd be in the running as one of the top ten best days of my life so far. One day, we won't be 6,768 Miles Apart. Count on it!

My pictures on the left, hers on the right.
6,768 Miles Apart appears every fortnight.
Our pictures are no longer limited to the morning.
But our focus remains the same.
Read how it started here.
Look at the archives here and here.
We were featured here.
We also love Naomi and Marie from the transatlantic lens project &
Adeline and Astrid from Her - Der