Welcome Sondrine!

Laney · April 8th, 2015 04:06 PM

The other day I had a chat with the lovely Sondrine! We filmed it for you. Please make her feel welcome

trevor · April 8th, 2015 05:58 PM

Welcome, indeed to Sondrine. I'm so glad to learn that you are working on ideas for yet another folio. The library one is excellent; I hope you find a beautiful location soon. I can think of many exceptional, grand libraries with important rare book collections but, alas, they aren't private collections anymore but open to the public. So, in the meantime, I'll have to imagine you in such a setting. And of course, I come back to your premier folio frequently. It is among my very favourites and not just for this site. You have a wonderful eye as a photographer.

Thank you, Laney, too for the interesting and charming interview. It was far too brief. It would be great for you, Sondrine, to become a regular contributor to the forum. I believe you would have much to say of interest to the community.

Last edited by trevor (April 9th, 2015 12:22 AM)

polaroid · April 10th, 2015 10:04 AM

Hi Sondrine!!:):) Loved the video & a big welcome to the forum too!!! Many congrats on your totally deserved art prize win, your folio was incredible & I loved the totally inspired use of mirrors, using the shards of glass to present fragments of yourself for us to ponder & fit together to both reflect & reveal something of who you are. I thought it was amazing. Loved that you came to say hi in the video & would be super cool if you dropped by the forum too as I'm sure everyone would love to meet you. Plus I'd love to know more about the plans for your library shoot!!:) I think it's a really exciting idea. When they were renovating the library where I live, when it shut I remember thinking how exciting & cool it would have been if I could have sneaked in there somehow at night & in the stillness & emptiness explore the building & everything i could find, so the thought of you having that experience & enjoying the creative thrill of an ISM shoot too is really cool!!:)

Thanks again for making this video Sondrine & thanks so much Laney for creating such a warm & lovely way to present the art prize & I hope this has kind of become a new thing that you get to film in the future too!!:):) was so lovely to watch:):)

Ben xx

sondrine · April 13th, 2015 10:34 AM

Hello !

Thanks for the sweet messages ! What a wonderful welcome !!

I'm super keen to get the library shoot going, however still no luck finding a location. I'm conflicted about libraries at night, as I just finished reading a book called 'The Strange Library by Haruki Murakami' about a little boy who gets kidnapped by a librarian who leads him to a secret reading room beneath the library through a maze of dark passages.

I imagine my shoot more to be on a warm afternoon, with the sun streaming in through the dusty windows, little flecks of dust catching the light and dancing around me. Everything will be warm, and the smell of old books and leather will fill my nose. There, sitting naked on the big leather chair behind the desk, I'll rest my feet on the desk and flip through a book, and get lost in some one else's fantasies.

Thanks again for the warm welcome,
Sondrine xx

P.s
I found the naughty picture of Marie Antoinette and La Fayette and a web page on the scandalous rumous surrounding the 'harlot queen' ... enjoy ;-)

polaroid · April 15th, 2015 07:34 AM

Hey Sondrine!!:):)

Really excited to see you here on the forum with us:):) Thanks for your really cool contributions so far which show that it's going to be super-fun having you around here & i'm so glad you feel welcome:):)

Thanks for the update on the library shoot!! It's cool to know you're keen to make it happen:) The more i think about it the more i think i definitely agree with how you're imagining it being during the day. You painted such a poetic & beautiful image of the amazing light you'll get coming through dusty windows on a warm afternoon which will look a-m-a-z-i-n-g....you have such beautiful skin so with that light the shoot will be so ethereal & dreamy. The idea for the shot of you naked on a big leather chair, feet on the desk, immersed in the fantasies flowing through your mind from the old books you've found is such a beautiful thought & the scene is so vivid in my mind too as i LOVE the smell of old books too:):) I've been collecting old 60's photography books recently & its reminded me how important smell is to emotion & memory as the smell of old books whenever i walk into the second hand bookshop i found takes me straight back to when i was little & i'd spend hours in the library. All the libraries seem to have changed now with a lot of the old books swapped with computers & assorted gadgetry & libraries just aren't the same so your shoot will fill me with so much nostalgia & i hope you have fun hunting out different locations & i send you loads of good luck in your quest:):)

Ben xx

ps totally fascinating info on Marie Antoinette & the culture of scandal & rumour!!!:) i loved that period of history when we got to it in history at school, although mysteriously those pictures didn't seem to make it into the textbooks!!;)

sondrine · April 15th, 2015 05:15 PM

Hey Ben ~

Those books sound great ! I recently got some old books too, from a market. One is a little handbook on Palmistry (pun intended hehe), one is a book of lead light window designs, that I plan to colour in, one about the history of clubbing scenes around the world and an encyclopedia on Dragons and other magical beasts, which I was meant to give as a gift but kept it for myself ! The man gave me the books for $4, because he said I had picked an interesting collection and thought I was cool (score!)

What other kinds of books do you like ?

Sondrine xx

Last edited by sondrine (April 15th, 2015 05:16 PM)

polaroid · April 17th, 2015 08:51 AM

Hey Sondrine!!:)

Wow!! You have great taste in random eclectic second hand book finds!!:):) Just think of all the weird & wonderful life skills you'll pick up from that collection!! Learning how to read palms would be awesome!!! If you learn I'll have to send you a picture of my hand & you can tell me what mysteries it holds. I'm majorly jealous so I'm going to challenge myself the next time I'm in the second hand bookshop & see if I can grab some eclectic bargains too, although I don't think I'll ever beat yours for $4 but I'll let you know how I get on:)

I love books so much so my house is pretty much full of books everywhere!! The majority are photography books (I'm a photographer), either old books I've found or stuff by some of my favourite photographers (like Dennis Hopper, Josef Koudelka or Anton Corbijn). I have loads of art books too, mainly 20th century stuff like Warhol or Picasso & pop art books also, a lot of which I've cut up to make collages out of or stuck up on my walls. As for non art stuff, I have loads of music biographies & true crime stuff that I love reading (eg just finished reading a really scary but fascinating book about Charles Manson). Also have loads of Greek & Roman literature & books on ancient myth & mythology that I studied at university. Also loads of books about classic cars which I've loved since I was little (my dad had a 1960's MG sports car when I was growing up & I'm saving up for my own which I hope to buy as soon as I can). Also have some books on mindfulness (like Jon Kabat-Zinn & Eckhart Tolle) which I'm hoping will help with anxiety. Hope that helps give you an idea of my myriad of books that I like!!:):)

Ben xx

sondrine · April 17th, 2015 12:30 PM

You can definitely send me a picture of your hand Ben - it might take me a while, because I'm currently reading 'The Secret History' by Donna Tart and it's quite a long one ! (The characters are part of an Ancient Greek university class, so you might enjoy it/relate to it, with all the Ancient Greek and Roman references) The palmistry book is quite in depth, so I plan to read it like a novel.

I like the sound of your book collection ! Crime novels and art books are a good mix, and I have a little book of mindfulness too ! But really, if I were to explore your library, I'd definitely pick up the books on Photography, as I'm studying to be a photographer. My Dad's also a photographer, working in an Art Gallery, so he too has a mad collection of art books. And as for music biographies, you need to read Just Kids by Patti Smith . I recommend it to everyone as it is my favourite book. My boyfriend, who isn't a big reader, hasn't put it down since I lent it to him !!! It's so beautifully written and she's lived a crazy and exciting life, such a gooood read !

Sondrine ~

trevor · April 17th, 2015 07:25 PM

Ben, you should share some of your own photography with the forum if that isn't considered "off topic" with the staff. I too am a photographer but professional just to the extent that I use my work only in my business. Mostly I shoot as it suits me without worrying about a client or would-be buyer.

Good luck to you and Sondrine with your respective careers. I think you both have a lot to offer given your sensitivities and sensibilities.

Last edited by trevor (April 18th, 2015 12:07 AM)

sondrine · April 20th, 2015 10:08 AM

Thankyou Trevor :-)

polaroid · April 21st, 2015 07:02 AM

Thank you Trevor:)

Means a lot that you're interested to see my work. There is actually one of my photos over on the 'Send Me Your Inspiration' thread that I posted a while ago when we were talking about film photography (i think its on page 9 somewhere) which shows the kind of aesthetic/atmosphere I like to create & I'm always happy to share more of my work with people. Its great to hear that you're a photographer too & your lovely words to Sondrine & I on our careers was very very kind & appreciated, as was the equally kind happy birthday message you sent me over on the other thread. I send happy birthday wishes to you too & hope you had a great birthday however you chose to celebrate:):)

Sondrine it means a lot that you loved the sound of my book collection!! Was fun writing about it because it made me think about my relationship with books & feel proud of the stuff I own & made me think a lot about the things I want to find & read/enjoy next:) I'm thrilled you mentioned that Patti Smith book too cos i'm pretty sure I was looking at it in a shop a few years ago & made a note somewhere to buy it cos it looked really cool but somehow the thought must have got lost somewhere but now thanks to you mentioning it I will finally enjoy finding & buying it!! You have good taste in music biographies!! Love the sound of 'The Secret History' too & i'd definitely be fascinated by the Greek & Roman references. I haven't attempted to read a really long book for ages so i might see if I can find it & challenge myself!!

Its soooooo cool you're studying to be a photographer!!!:):) Your amazing folio showed that you have a real eye for interesting & engaging photographs & for expressing yourself though really unique ideas so as you continue with your studies you'll have to keep us posted on how you're getting on:):)

Ben xx

ps i'll see if I can try & get a photo of my hand which shows up the lines clearly that you might need to read my palm & interpret my future:) Then if you do read that book & need a hand to practice your newly found palmistry skills on then i'd be happy to volunteer:):)

Laney · April 21st, 2015 10:45 AM

You guys - you should totally post your photos on the forum! It's not off topic at all. Lots of contributors are interested in photography and it's lovely for us to know you share our interests.

trevor · April 30th, 2015 12:42 AM

Ben, I'm sorry not to have written sooner to tell you that I like your photography very much -- especially your approach to black and white. I usually am more moved by black and white than colour for a number of reasons, which I unfortunately don't have time to discuss now. I agree with you about Man Ray, especially his nudes of women. While I generally don't have "favourites" among artists, including photographers, Man Ray's photographs consistently resonate with me more than any others. Hmm, now that I think about it, I have similar emotions for Modigliani's works. And further back in time, Lucas Cranach, the elder. All lovingly sensuous, perhaps the more so because one feels that the subjects are exceedingly smart. (The idea of a sex slave is so unappealing to me while a very intelligent, self possessed partner is wondrous wonderful. (The staff at Feck know this.)

trevor · April 30th, 2015 12:48 AM

To bring this thread back on topic, Sondrine, you certainly inspired a lovely thread here.

polaroid · May 5th, 2015 11:23 AM

Thank you Trevor so much for your kindness & for saying you like my photography & my approach to black & white. I've had a really difficult few weeks & wanted to let you know that your comments have made my day. I really enjoyed reading your thoughts on Man Ray & others too:):)

Ben

#1 April 8th, 2015 04:06 PM

Welcome Sondrine!

#2 April 8th, 2015 05:58 PM

Re: Welcome Sondrine!

#3 April 10th, 2015 10:04 AM

Re: Welcome Sondrine!

#4 April 13th, 2015 10:34 AM

Re: Welcome Sondrine!

#5 April 15th, 2015 07:34 AM

Re: Welcome Sondrine!

#6 April 15th, 2015 05:15 PM

Re: Welcome Sondrine!

#7 April 17th, 2015 08:51 AM

Re: Welcome Sondrine!

#8 April 17th, 2015 12:30 PM

Re: Welcome Sondrine!

#9 April 17th, 2015 07:25 PM

Re: Welcome Sondrine!

#10 April 20th, 2015 10:08 AM

Re: Welcome Sondrine!

#11 April 21st, 2015 07:02 AM

Re: Welcome Sondrine!

#12 April 21st, 2015 10:45 AM

Re: Welcome Sondrine!

#13 April 30th, 2015 12:42 AM

Re: Welcome Sondrine!

#14 April 30th, 2015 12:48 AM

Re: Welcome Sondrine!

#15 May 5th, 2015 11:23 AM

Re: Welcome Sondrine!

Board footer