I’ve been trying to be more present and less digitally oriented (really rich coming from a graphic designer, I know, but I believe that it is necessary to train my creativity in various ways, thus my obsession with analog photography), so I tried to document every month last year with a roll of film. But, life happened and due to personal reasons I am still trying to process months later, the world crumbled and so did the last quarter of the year. Following my mental state, I managed to expose 2 roles of the 35 mm film, so a bunch of photos from October to December are gone and forgotten.
But, nevertheless, here are a few of them which survived, memories from my trip to London with my sister and her husband, where we did nothing more than walk, enjoy art, and eat, and it was just the therapy I needed at the time.
Decided to start sharing more free printables this year on my blog, so if you’d like a free yearly calendar A4/US letter size, click here to download it.
I had an idea of capturing every month of this summer on film. Unfortunately, my travel plans fell through, but I didn’t want to let that change my plan of making amazing memories. I feel that sometimes we forget to romanticize everyday life in our hometowns, as we often do when on vacation. And although I often have mixed feelings about the city I was born in, I must admit that it is beautiful, especially in the summer months. So, without further ado, I present Belgrade on analog film to you!
Recently I read an article that said how the recent flood of crying selfies/videos that all of a sudden flooded social media platforms serves the purpose of destigmatizing mental health. A person cries and then snaps a video, shares their vulnerability with his or her followers, showing that he/she too, is a person with everyday struggles, sorrows, and bad days, and in that way, connects more with their audience.
There is a truth to that claim, but I couldn’t help but wonder, isn’t vulnerability becoming another marketing tool, not necessarily wittingly, but maybe on a more subconscious level? Isn’t it too exhibitionistic? And is it really helping people struggling with mental illnesses or is it a literal cry for attention?
Social media gives us the opportunity to watch other people’s lives as if they’re scripted reality shows, and I think that we all sometimes forget that on both sides of accounts are actually real persons.
For me, grief, and distress are highly private emotions, and I do not prefer sharing them with a great audience. They are reserved for a close circle of people who also have the privilege to get the best of me on a sunny summer afternoon.
And although I am in no position, nor do I want to order people how to handle their grief for example losing a loved one, or a pet, or just frustration about a really bad day, I find it triggering and bizarre in a way.
If we are so comfortable and understanding when keeping our love lives private, why are we praising sharing the last moments of our loved ones online?
One of my last year’s resolutions was to get back to writing my blog, and as we can all see, that didn’t happen. But I keep renewing the subscription for this little internet corner of mine, as I am apparently emotionally attached to my social networks, so I have decided to give it another try, once again (eye roll, I know, I know).
As you may know, I am a profound lover of everything aesthetically pleasing, and I tend to photograph things that inspire me. So this time, I’m gonna share some of my favorite beauty products.
I do love a good hyelarunic serum, and I tend to purchase either Vichy Mineral 89 or Hada Labo Tokyo Gold Hidrator they go well with any moisturizer and are great primers for any makeup. And they do make your skin look more plump and hydrated.
The star of the show, and my holly grale product, is retinol, for sure. I have tried using the Ordinary one, as many of us did, but then I heard about a cult like favorite retinol called A313 and let me tell you, this thing has transformed my skin more than I have imagined it would. If you would like to read more about this product, from someone that has more expertise in the field than me, here is the blogpost that helped me decide to try it.
In the slideshow you can see how plumpier and healthier my skin looks like after a year of using it (October/April with spf 50, as recommended). And the sun spots I had are a loot less visible. Note that I am not wearing foundation in any of the photos.
And last, but not least, the product that I have been using for a few months but I’m already in love with, Key Molecule Exfoliating Lotion. Key Molecule is a Serbian brand with a less is more approach to beauty, and this lotion is a much cheaper (and in my modest opinion better) alternative to Biologique Recherche P50. Of course, don’t mix it with your retinol, but use it once or twice a week, at night, and your skin will be grateful.
imchasingsunsets 