The Ordinary Eye

All Change

2009-07-09T10:24:00.000-07:00

So after what seems like for ever sat in front of a computer screen, the blog has been moved into my website. This means this blog your reading right now, will now end.

But, honestly, don't be upset (like you would) all you need to do is go straight to my website and click on BLOG. Or just click on this...

http://jamesbowden.net/blog

...that will take you right there. Please bookmark or follow along on RSS. I will aim to put all the old content up there, and new content will be added all the time, especially as I've got a few pretty exciting projects coming up in the next few months.

enjoy.

Robin Hood & Ferries

2009-07-06T08:14:00.000-07:00

Fforest

2009-07-03T02:39:00.000-07:00

Its been a busy ol week, though not allways with the work, the waves have been GOOD!

Shot a wedding at the weekend at a wondefull spot called FForest farm in west wales, and it was a simply stunning day. So now im labouring through the thousands of shots and editing them down, sheesh its tough. Tomorrow I get back the films I shot too, 120 & 35 and loads of polaroid love.

Here is a few previews of the day.

I love storms

2009-06-26T02:42:00.000-07:00

We had this great little lightshow over us last night. So whilst Anna mourned the loss of the king of pop, I stuck my camera out the window and took these.

Super Eight

2009-06-25T13:43:00.000-07:00

Last year I shot a load of Super 8 film, got them processed and then forced my friends and family to sit in a dark room whilst I projected them on the wall with my temperamental projector. Needless to say not many people stuck around till the last film.

So, eventually I sent them off and got them tele-cinied. What that means is that we can enjoy them on the screens now.

I personally think it's not the same...but it's better than letting the films gather dust in the corner.

This one is mostly shot on Lundy Island and a little bit in wales. Silent and unedited...just how we like em.

kit

2009-06-25T05:03:00.000-07:00

Kit, it's a personal thing...but I'm always intrigued into what everyone else is using. Be it cameras, lens', film stock, wetsuits, bread...whatever...It's just nice to know.

So here is a little picture of what I am mostly using at the moment, no I don't keep them in the fridge, in fact I don't know why I put them there, but anyway...

a good weekend

2009-06-21T15:17:00.001-07:00

Planning

2009-06-16T05:07:00.000-07:00

big plans are being made...niiiiceeeee

The Project

2009-06-10T09:55:00.001-07:00

It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle.

-- Ernest Hemingway

1952 Vincent Black Lightning

2009-06-06T15:04:00.000-07:00

Click here for my favourite track. And as for the photo...this is Rollei Free, hitting over 150mph on a Vincent Black Lightning, in 1948 and smashing a world record for motorbikes in speedos (aparently he tore up his leathers in a crash just before this attempt)

Matt Squared

2009-06-06T05:18:00.000-07:00

fellsy...no PS, no saturation slider, nothing...

Processing

2009-06-05T14:48:00.000-07:00

Just picked up 18 rolls from the lab...it's been a good afternoon!

here is a few bits from oz mixed up with the batch.

Travel Companion

2009-06-04T10:53:00.000-07:00

I've talked about it many times, but my Rollei 35 has risen the the ranks and is now sitting pretty as my favourite camera ever.

Now that is a pretty big call, I mean I have alot of cameras (thanks ebay) but as a travel companion it's hard to beat. It may not have the sharpest, crispiest of lens', but it sure aint no coke bottle lens either. It's got that kinda trashy but sharp combination that is hard not to love.

The B35 model was one of the bottom end rollei 35's built in the late 60's/early 70's and to make it cheaper they put in an uncoupled solanium (no batteries) light meter. Sooo anyway, what this means is you can read the light meter, set the aperture, shutter and focus...all from waist level, it takes shooing from the hip to a new level. This means you can go for all sorts of sneaky little shots, and roam the streets firing this little mini away and G public is none the wiser.

I almost cried when I broke my Rollei in Warsaw earlier this year, got the shutter and lens barrel jammed somehow. So a few days later whilst sitting in my hotel room in Moscow, I set to work on it with my penknife (the little screwdriver bit to be precise) and rebuilt it, it was fiddly and I ended up with 3 spare screws at the end of it, but it was fixed...and worked like magic. Now try fixing a broken modern digi camera with a penknife, yup, It's just not going to happen.

So hats off to Heinz Waaske, the German designer that created the top dog in my camera bag.

Slides

2009-06-04T05:39:00.000-07:00

So from my office in the garden I have been organizing all sorts of little things... and some exciting ones too, but along with that, I thought I would finally get aquatinted with flickr, so here is the first little slideshow of some of the film stuff from the train journey I took earlier this year.

Ania

2009-06-02T08:13:00.000-07:00

Ania, my connection in Warsaw (on the left) and the cousin of a good and talented friend from Tasmania, Pickles. Thanks to the both of you for all your help at the start of this year...

Chaff

2009-06-01T14:21:00.000-07:00

So whilst the mass organisation of my life continues I'm still sifting through the Sweden shoot files, sorting the wheat from the chaff so to say. These are just a few of the offcuts I pulled off the pile this evening, they won't make the cut, but I like them none the less.

Jack being angry, Jon being stressed and Karin looking all country living.

zzzzzZZZ

2009-05-30T16:55:00.000-07:00

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ...uhh...time for bed

Whilst in Sweden

2009-05-30T16:47:00.000-07:00

While over in the land of lakes and elks we did a few things for howies new company...teepay. It's a cool idea and me thinks it should do pretty well, and shooting these tee designs was much, much fun!

me hand

2009-05-28T09:08:00.000-07:00

this is about me, now i love to write, but writing about yourself…now thats not easy.

this should be going up on the website...soon as poss.

byron love

2009-05-28T08:58:00.000-07:00

visit this if you have a chance. It's my good chum Jonno's blog. He was one of my hosts over in oz and has a great little thing going down in byron bay.

Sorry about the board buddy!

Sweden for 15 seconds

2009-05-20T23:42:00.000-07:00

Just a quick update from sweden...Fredrik and his chums shaping the trails...

Wellingtons Hut

2009-05-14T04:42:00.000-07:00

Hidden steep on the slopes of Mount Wellington is this wonderfull little hut. It's hard to find, hard to get too and even harder to breath once the stove is lit inside.

Escapades

2009-05-14T04:27:00.000-07:00

So I'm back from a wondrous time of going AWOL over in Australia, and now it's time to get back to work.

Shortly after arriving back I got handed a copy of the howies Summer 2009 catalogue, and I was pretty chuffed with the outcome. My train escapade is featured in a 26 page feature in the middle of the book and even the cover, Not only that, but the product work I did with Anna and Zoe in australia is looking good on the other pages. So massive thanks to the howies guys for giving me the opportunity to do something a little different for them.

Yesterday I rushed up to bristol to set up a small exhibit I will have running in the howies stores in Bristol and London, my train and Factory work is being featured in their 'Staircase Galleries' and you might spot a few other pieces of mine scattered around the shop. So if you find yourself in either Carnaby Street, London or Queens Road, Bristol...pop in a have a peruse, hopefully I will be able to change the prints a couple of times, to keep things fresh as a daisy...

Now I'm enjoying the sunshine in Tenby Wales, before heading off to Sweden on Sunday for the next...Job? (sounds strange calling it that)

Reasons

2009-05-12T08:13:00.000-07:00

10 Reasons to go slow

1. Footprints, those dirty little carbon ones
2. It’s cheaper
3. To challenge yourself
4. Because the other people tell you that you can’t
5. Because you realise you can
6. To go somewhere new
7. To learn how to pack light
8. To realise that the journey is important
9. It’s something to talk about over a wine fuelled dinner
10. To travel.

Slow Down

2009-05-12T07:55:00.000-07:00

You need to go somewhere far away, somewhere eight time zones and seven thousand miles away, or somewhere just a little too much of a walk away. How do you do it, well you chose the easiest and quickest way, don’t you? Book your flight, check in at the airport, twelve hours and your there. Pick up the car keys, hop in the front seat, ten minutes and your there. Job done.

It’s not the only way though, there is another way.

It’s called Slow Travel.

It takes longer, it’s harder, takes organisation and at times it’s just not comfortable. But slow travel isn’t about comfort, effort or time. Slow is taking the train to china, or taking the bike to the shop a few miles away, slow is about enjoyment and reward. But what slow is mostly about is simply going slower, enjoying the ride and stopping off to smell the roses along the way.

After all, there isn’t a rose to smell in an airliner.

Van Diemen's Land

2009-04-30T21:10:00.000-07:00

Cold nights, chopping wood, camps, log cabins, sunburn, dirt, snow, driving, campfire cooking, fishing, boats, no internet, no mobiles, no plan...love it

Peed

2009-04-12T04:01:00.000-07:00

Pawns, pros, points, peaks and packing the car. All the P's in Byron bay.

Happy Easter

Moving Up

2009-04-09T00:37:00.000-07:00

I'm upgrading, spending hard and thinning out on the clutter that I drag around the world in my camers bag(s) I feel bad getting rid of some gear that has done me proud, but I guess you gotta keep up if you want to compete...and compete I need to do. The credit card is burning white hot and some people have picked up some bargains.

I love the rollei though...thats going nowhere.

Here is a rollei, Xpro shot of compadre matt and father shurman walking to our little corner down the coast.

Analog Australia

2009-04-05T03:59:00.000-07:00

Australia on velvia...

Its still good times down under.

The Wreckers

2009-04-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

Built in 1911 the 2000 tonne TSS Wollogbar. One of the fastest ships in Australian waters it was capable of reaching Sydney from Byron Bay in little over 18 hours. In 1921 she ran into difficulty just off the coast of Byron, wrecking her props and unable to hold anchor in an Easterly gale, She ran aground and torn apart by the storm.

Today she lays the foundations for some of the areas finest sandbars.

The lovers' land bike crew, took it to pieces last night.

Beefy

2009-03-31T04:38:00.000-07:00

Earlier in the year I went surfing with a young Ian Botham.

Riding land

2009-03-31T04:09:00.000-07:00

So we ride.

The last three weeks have been tough living. Get up, surf, lunch and chess with the Fells, surf with the boss (our host AL) and then dinner with the family.

My only complaints are the growing sea ulser on my chest and surburnt lips on my face...small prices to pay for a life like this.

Things are brewing though, and all this downtime has given me time to think up some new ideas. It's got me excited.

Time to make some plans.

Surf first though.

oh and read this... loverslandblog.com

Bondi Bowl

2009-03-25T04:27:00.000-07:00

Leaky leaky...

Suffolk Park

2009-03-25T04:08:00.000-07:00

I've been pretty quiet on here of late, and this is why.

I start my days with this just down from our house in Suffolk Park, then we coffee and breakfast, then we surf...

thats about it for last few weeks...

relax

Cold trains

2009-03-20T00:10:00.000-07:00

Another train in the freezing country (russia) seems such a long time ago now. Right now though it's warm, the waves are fun and pizza is on the way!

Shooting

2009-03-13T23:37:00.000-07:00

The photographer shooting the model shooting the photographer shooting the model...

Playtime

2009-03-13T23:20:00.000-07:00

Work done, now it's playtime!

We had a pretty manic week getting the shoot done in last week, what with the bag of clothes getting stuck in customs and the rain upsetting play. Still I think it was a success and we've heard good feedback from the people at the top, so all good me thinks. Kinda happy about that.

Pretty much as soon as the last shot was taken we uprooted and caught a cheeky flight up the coast, so now Anna and I are staying with some old friends in Byron Bay and the sun is baking down, the waves are clean and the water is warm. A recipie for sun baked skin and crispy smiles. Tomorrow we're off to Noosa Heads, longboards in the sunshine...mmmmmm.

Above is Zoe, stylist, producer, model and my wonderful sister. Thanks for everything zo!

Sitting Atop The Flowers

2009-03-05T02:56:00.000-08:00

Underground

2009-03-04T04:06:00.000-08:00

Ok so apologies first, I know I've been a littl on the quiet side this past couple of weeks or so. No excuses other than, just enjoying the sunshine! So residing right now in Zoe's lovely flat overlooking bondi beach, and I've been catching up on saltwater and sunshine and trying to recover some of the fitness lost whilst spending 3 weeks sat on a train.

Today I recived all my films back from the lab, it's allways a little nervracking/exciting to see whats come out, and what didn't (especially as most films we're used in a penknife fixed camera)

Some shots came out well, and others...well, not so well.

Tomorrow the clothes arrive from wales, so we can begin our little shoot for howies. Got to keep the ball rolling.

Above are two pics back from the lab today...I love shooting on the subways! (top london, bottom moscow)

Job done

2009-02-24T06:14:00.000-08:00

Well the factory job is in the can, and hong kong is drawing to a close... here is hoping that they liked what they see.

Tomorrow we fly to oz, work first then it's holidaaaay (I'm drying up, I need ocean)

The Numbers....

Days on the road: 21
Distance traveled: 7940 miles (roughly)
Trains caught: 8
Trains missed: 1 (thanks to the welsh snow)
Time spent on trains: 9 days 2 hours
Photos taken: 1371 x digital, 396 x 35mm, 29 x medium format, 19 x polaroid, 1 x camera phone
Countries visited: 9
Visa’s issued: 5
Visa’s rushed through last minute: 5
Amount of money spent on visa’s: too much
Books read: 3

Ipod music hours: 40
Instant noodles eaten: 16
Severe Man flu caught: 1
Man flu downgraded to mere cold: 1
Flights taken: nil

Trips of a lifetime: 1
Best job’s ever: 1

Spring Springing

2009-02-19T06:38:00.001-08:00

Well relaxing back at the hotel and I've just had a chance to browse the new Spring howies catalouge, and I have to say I'm pretty chuffed with the outcome. Two weeks spent driving from wales to portugal turned out pretty good.

Good team, good work, good shit.

Honkers

2009-02-19T03:45:00.000-08:00

I made it!

17 days, 11 countries, 8 trains and nearly 8000 miles later… I’ve made it to my final destination, the great city of Hong Kong.

That was some journey to work!

More when I've gorged myself on the masses of food Hongkong has to offer...

Chinaaaah

2009-02-17T05:36:00.000-08:00

So China...

Today was my ‘day in the city’ as I leave Beijing tomorrow on yet another 24 hour train ride down to Honkers (the final destination) and even though I walked till I dropped, I barely even scratched the surface of what this city has to offer. So after mulling my options over a coffee this morning, I decided to bail on the tourist route and just wander…up and down the back streets, through the old hutongs, ate ‘who knows what’ from the street vendors, chatted chinglish to cheery old blokes, took plenty of pictures and got properly lost.

I did learn a few things today...

1: The Chinease are very friendly people

2: The Chinease love to spit

3: I'm bringing a skateboard to Beijing next time

4: There is no point trying to walk around the city, review the scale on the map next time.

5: There really are more bicycles here than you can belive

A good day. Time for a beer to wash down the dog meat.

Cheerio, more from Hong Kong.

Into, then outa Mongolia

2009-02-17T05:05:00.001-08:00

Well, I made it to China, and what a train journey.

6000Ks, 5 time zones, countless stops, -40C temps, 2 border crossings and we pulled into Beijing Central train station just 2 minutes late. Quite unbelivable when you think that the train from Hinton Admiral to Bournemouth is never, ever, on time.

After sitting at one of the crazy moscow stations I was begining to worry about whom I'm going to be sharing my 'kupe' class cabin with for the next week. It turns out it was a Mongolian footballer and Arsenal supporter named Nick. Unluckily for him, I know nothing at all about football and his only english was football related...still by the end of the week we became friends, and it was quite usual for him to call out my name in a worried tone when I was out at a station and he thought the train was going to pull off without me. He also liked to share his rancid Mongolian 'tea' and thought it was hilarious that it almost made me puke.

It turned out that the train was swarming with us english speakers, we had at least 5 other english, 2 irish, 2 danes & 2 swedes...and that was only in 'stearage', there we're a couple more brits in first class I think.

Our carridge became the english hangout, and soon it was endless card games, endless 'instant' noodles and endless hours spent with the nose pressed against the window. The highlight came every 5 hours or so when we pulled into a station, we we're out there before you could say "wait...it's -40 out there!" and usually back in just at fast.

So anyway, an epic train journey it really was. Siberia really is quite an amazing place, and I can't wait to go back and spend more time in mongolia, that place just looked unbelivable.

Beijing is ringing...

In numbers...

2009-02-10T05:38:00.000-08:00

I have a few hours to burn till my Trans-Siberian train leaves Moscow, so...
...The trip in numbers...so far...

Days traveling: 7
Distance traveled: 1918 miles (roughly)
Trains caught: 6
Trains missed: 0
Hours spent on trains: 42
Nights spent on trains: 2
Flights caught: 0
Cameras broken: 1
Cameras fixed: 1
Rolls of film used: 5
Digital Photos taken: Lots
Russian Vocabulary: 12 words (& a few useful phrases)
Mandarin Vocabulary: 0 words, 0 Phrases!
Countries left to visit: 3
Distance left to travel: 5580 miles (roughly)
Days left on the rails: 7
Days left to Hong Kong: 8
Beef Strogonoffs eaten: 2
Days till next blog: 6-7ish?!

speak soon everyone...

(oh the pics are of a few funny things I've seen around moscow!)

Muscovites

2009-02-09T10:00:00.000-08:00

Usually the first word I learn, when learning a new language is ‘thankyou’ Not much use here! No body uses it, or please, or anything polite. So in order to not stick out, like the polite Brit I might seem, It’s rudeness all the way!

Saying all that, Moscow is quite a place, especially negotiating the underground palace (the third picture) that is the metro, dordle here to try and figure out the crylic map and your swept off wherever the crowd is heading.

Hiked (and slid) around the usual tourist traps today, and tomorrow it’s off to the markets before catching a week long train to china. Will get there in the end...

Добро пожаловать к Москве (welcome to moscow)

2009-02-08T10:18:00.000-08:00

Well after a rather interesting overnight train ride of broken down trains, border crossings, wheel changes, and my first experience of grumpy russians...i'm in moscow!

After a long walk this crazy city, I kicked back at the hotel and set to work fixing my beloved Rollei camera.

After 2 hours of intense keyhole surgery with the leatherman...I think it's fixed. Check the new fixed version above, complete with sticky plaster holding it together. At last I can get back to shooting some film.

Tomorrow it's off around Moscow...here we go!

Sleeping to Warsaw

2009-02-08T06:26:00.000-08:00

So onward from Cologne, and my first experience of European sleeper trains. First things first, time to practice my newly learnt ‘ipod’ polish on my cabin mate, a rather large polish woman. After a few strange looks, she gathered what I was trying to say, and then proceeded to laugh at everything I said from then onwards. Not the biggest confidence builder I must say. After a rather stuffy nights sleep we were pulling into Warsaw central to meet my Australian friends cousins, my hosts for the next few days in Poland.

Hanging out with the ‘It’ girls of Warsaw, wasn’t quite what I had mind for this trip, but embracing new experiences is something that I have learnt well over the years. So that’s how it went down.

My good friend from Australia sorted out this leg, his cousins met me off the train and since then I have been whisked around the city, shown the sites and walked the busy streets. The girls love the city and it showed in how much they wanted me to see. I have to admit though, I had no idea what to expect from Warsaw, in fact I knew very little of the place except it was flattened in the war, but I was pleaseantlysuprised, and one thing is for sure, they like to party!

After getting to know some good new friends, it’s back to the journey at hand… an overnight sleeper train to Moscow. Russia awaits.

Onward, towards Hong Kong.

2009-02-03T10:22:00.000-08:00

After a crash course in snow driving trying to get out of tenby (thanks anna!) I have at least made it to london. Walking through a blizzard in swansea to get a coffee was interesting.

Tubes negotiated, snowballs thrown and 1 passport with fresh visas collected (thanks god)

Tomorrow, London - Brussels - Cologne and on to Warsaw to meet a friends cousin who I've never met and whom is looking after me...

more soon.

Riding the rails

2009-01-30T14:45:00.000-08:00

It's been a frantic few weeks of organising, but things are now falling into place for a fantastic job, and the trip of a lifetime.

On Tuesday I'll be leaving for Hong Kong to document a factory for howies. The interesting part is that I've got to get there overland (no flights) and that means trains. So 7 tickets, 5 visas and a fair few hours on exchanging emails and this 8000 mile trip is ready to roll...

Carmarthen, London, Paris, Brussels, Cologne, Warsaw, Moscow, Beijing, Hong Kong...16 days

I'll be sending back regular updates and photos to the howies blog (and this one) so the story should unfold as the month progresses.

lets roll.

Developments

2009-01-20T14:48:00.000-08:00

So, plans are being drawn up, reservations made, embassies contacted... an exciting project is just around the corner, mere days away...

I can't wait.

Longing

2009-01-08T14:54:00.000-08:00

It's from the late autumn but it's getting me in the mood for flying...

My Rollei 35

2009-01-08T14:32:00.000-08:00

Thought I might just pop up a picture of the lovely little number thats rocking my world. It's early days but I'm loving the results...just the balance of trashy but sharp that I like so much.

Little bits of celluloid love are falling out of this german machine...these two are from new years day, on a beach, in wales.

Christmas Presents

2009-01-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

So a new year is here and it's shaping up to be an exciting one, plans are being made, budgets (uh?) are being drawn up and maps un-rolled on tables. It should all kick off in 6-7 weeks time, but more information on that coming soon...

Christmas and New Year gone again, and all went well. Here are a couple of pictures from my latest ebay obsession, a lovely Rollei 35.

Rain

2008-12-16T12:39:00.000-08:00

No reason, it's just an oldie I like, and wanted to share.

Ektachrome VS

2008-12-09T14:51:00.000-08:00

Ektachrome VS 100 - send it through the wrong chemicals and things start bleeedin...

2008-12-09T14:50:00.000-08:00

George

2008-12-09T14:44:00.000-08:00

This is George. He likes to write, elaborating and bending on the truth to create stories that make you laugh or make you cry. We're have an epic adventure and collaboration starting in the spring. Yeah boyeeee, I can't wait.

Rodding

2008-12-05T07:38:00.000-08:00

It's not all about swanning around in foreign countries. There is still the day job. Introducing 'Boron Rodding'

Few people know what it is, and If I told you... you wouldn't understand anyway.

Rock Oh

2008-12-01T14:09:00.000-08:00

Ali Baba

2008-12-01T13:52:00.000-08:00

This week a year ago, I took a little extended trip to Morocco. Two good mates, three weeks driving around a dusty country looking for waves, no work, no plan, just how it should be...

Parochia

2008-11-30T13:48:00.001-08:00

Loose Fit and The September have collaborated with the release of there new 'zine Parochia. Issue one features an article on those rubbish plastic russian cameras and my work with them. LOMO, gotta love them really.

Frootful

2008-11-30T12:52:00.001-08:00

Meet Nick Radford, he's a grand chap and is not only a maestro on the longboard but a skilled illustrator. He's putting the ink to paper at the moment and creating some artwork for my new website.

Living off the land

2008-11-30T12:26:00.000-08:00

A winter photoshoot taking place in the middle of summer was always going to be a tough assignment, but back in August the heavens shined (or more like opened) for the howies 'Live off the Land' photoshoot. It rained, it was cold and it was windy. Just perfect.

The catalogue just landed in my postbox, and I was delighted to find a number of my shots made the cut. It's always nice to see things printed.

Sleepy

2008-11-30T04:51:00.000-08:00

Aron Jones. howies Art Director, Mac man and sleeping champion of the trip.
Likes to hug it like a baby.

Safety Chuckle

2008-11-30T04:29:00.000-08:00

Another snapshot from the howies shoot. Mr Safety Chuckle, Jack Crisp extends his arm around Lydia, our multi lingual, cheese making, student model. All whilst Paul sneaks away to surf.

Sam Fishes

2008-11-30T04:11:00.001-08:00

Sam Boex is from Porthleven in cornwall. He's got some serious skills on the surfboard, runs a 3d design company and likes to spear the fishes. I had the pleasure of getting to know this fine chap recently on a trip to portugal.

Here is Mr Boex, post surf, pre spearfish and after changing clothes many, many times. Thanks Sam.

The Eye Opens

2008-11-30T04:03:00.000-08:00

With things moving forward in almost all aspects of my life, I thought it probably about time I start telling the world about it...via the big web

So bear with me whilst I get my head around this blog thing, and along with that, the website is coming along nicely too. So soon there will be allsorts of online visual treats for all!

Keep in touch