Florence in memories

This trip happened over a year ago but I never got the chance to post the pictures. Florence was actually the city in Italy that I liked most - not only because of its amazing buildings and art, but also the atmosphere and the people. I remember how Tereza and I were walking around random streets hearing live music around, climbing up the hill to find a church which was pretty plain compared to all the master pieces you can find in Rome, yet had the silence that I cannot compare to any of the other places. I could have been sitting there for ages just being. We've met a lot of random people who took us around in palaces or very fancy hotels (of course knowing, that such teenagers would never afford to stay in one of those). We've come back to our favourite piazza with a merry-go-round for like 10 times and didn't get bored of that place. That weekend was amazing. Florence is for dreamers. I'll come back one day.

If I just turn and run

Yes, I know that right now I should be doing a lot of things and not blogging. But believe me, one cannot study 24/7, however awesome that would be for achieving good results in the exams. The study week is going ok. I don't think that I study enough, but I'm keeping myself in a fairly good mood by having nice breaks, sleeping with the window wide open and the summerish breeze blowing to my face, listening to the birds in the mornings and dreaming quite a bit when sitting on the windowsill and sipping the strong green tea that helps me not to fall asleep while reading about the causes of the WWI. I've been listening to "Fake Plastic Trees' by Radiohead since yesterday. And that's basically it.

It's very weird how fast I came back to my initial mood/character that I thought I've left in Lithuania. Living alone in the room for almost a week, now it feels completely fine not talking to anyone for days, doing all the random things (e.g. having the same song play for 100 times just because you like it) and living in your own little world. I don't know if it's a good way, but I guess I need it right now. It is also very interesting, if not sad, how after the school has ended and we don't really HAVE to spend that much time together with the other students, people somehow all crawled back to their little lives. Oh well.

Anyway, I've started this as another inspiration post, so a few findings of mine: ---Photography of Mariah Jelena. She's the first person I see, who is proud of being Eastern European. Should I start writing this everywhere too? Suddenly sounds exotic, huh.---Your Evil Twin. Awesome random photography. Stylish life, I'd say. ---A stylish Polish girl. Uuu.---Alex Stoddard. I've probably mentioned him already. But his photography is just so inspiring, as well as the 365 project. And the fact, that he's so freaking young. Worth checking out, definitely.---Ann He. I heard that she's being blamed for coppying Nirrimi's style. Well, very similar. But still cool. And again, so young.---There is something magical about Slavic models, especially if the photographer is as skilled as MaratSafin.---A bit too much of photoshop for my taste, bus very awesome ideas. Lissy Elle and Rosie Hardy. ---The most inspiring TED talk I've ever seen. I don't why I haven't put this as my very first finding. The best way of spending 20 minutes of your life - watch it here. And check out JR's project's website (you'll understand what I'm talking about after you watch the video).

Carlota

Photography: Ieva Blaževičiūtė (me)

Model: Carlota

Make-up: Carla

Assistant: Sergio

Italy 2011

We tried different places and a bit different concepts and I'm very happy that the pictures came out in different styles - a bit of darkness, a bit of sakura, a.k.a. Japanese style, a bit of smiling in the grass and then a few close-ups of the model. And a lot of bugs and insects involved in the process...lately I've been torturing my models quite a bit, during the last photoshoot the model was massively bitten by mosquitos and all scratched because of the bunch of branches I've put her in. Not mentioning me balancing on the ruins of a wall/building and holding other branches with my teeth and legs so that they do not block the view. I'll post those pictures later, please look forward, haha.

And once again, the colours are somehow changed...I'll try to find how to fix this, yet for now I can just be sorry that you cannot see the pictures the way they're meant to be.

Happy Easter everyone.

Haven't felt such peace for a long time. Today's song - Leon Somov and Jazzu 'Getting nowhere".

School? Finished? What?

Yesterday was my last day of classes. Highschool is over. Forever and ever. We had a very cozy leavers' dinner, awesome night sleeping in the school building and writing notes to the first years and then a crazy day desperately trying not to fall asleep during the last day of classes. I also very randomly did a very nice photoshoot and later on was talking to the model for a few hours. This is an aspect that I love about photography - getting to know the models. People are beautiful, both inside and outside.

My future life is getting into a shape that I can actually start forming a bit. Most likely (90%), I am going to stay in Europe and study in London. I was constantly trying to understand where I want to go more and now it seems that going to US is not going to work, so I guess it has been decided for me. I am happy to know, but a bit confused, though excited to slowly start creating my new little home somewhere in London for the next 3 years and maybe more.

But there are still 4 months of summer in between the end of the exams and the start of the university. I was thinking about things I want to do...Travelling, of course, is very tempting, yet knowing how expensive it will be to live in London, I think I'll have to stay in Lithuania for the whole time. And you know what? I'm happy about it. Of course, it's going to be one of the last chances probably to spend a longer time with my family and everything - home is home. But there are also so many things I want to do. So many areas I want to challenge myself in. So many things I want to remember. So many things I want to learn. So many parts of 'Ieva' who lived in Lithuania before the college that I want to explore. Little things. Start studying Japanese again. Remember my Russian. Read books for pleasure and in Lithuanian. Learn sewing clothes. Learn cooking. Make myself some cool things. Make some cool things for the others. Start learning Korean maybe. Take care of all the websites that I'm in - maybe finally make a normal personal one. Start some new projects (e.g. 365 by amazingly inspiring alex stoddart). Look through all the inspiring websites and artworks that are occupying 'my favourites' section without being paid enough attention at. Work. Do photography. Write. Contact my friends again. Draw. Paint. Juggle. Do all the things I haven't had time for these past two years.

And not having the IB hanging over my head, like now. I have one study week and then the exams start. Luckily enough, my conditional offers are very low - at least one good thing about applying to art universities - so less pressure. On the other hand, I cannot just not care. Will do my best. And that means that I'll have to study this week. However strongly I want to do photography right now...which I probably will, just postponing the editing part.

So yes, all good things come to an end. I don't know why I'm writing all of this down when there's still more than a month left here. But time flies fast, especially when there's so much to do. But hey, another good thing about studying in UK - I will be able to visit the college anytime I want. I hope.

Arts week - done!

Well well well, the arts week is coming to an end and I finally have some free time. Last week was so hectic trying to polish all the little things to make it all work nice... I did not participate in many events myself, but did help organising a bit, as well as running around with my camera wherever I was asked to go to. The week was amazing. I loved all the theater performances, the open mic, all the little events that were happening around. Everyone did so much - very inspiring. I'm so exhausted at the moment though, trying to put myself together in order to start studying - I pretty much have my FINAL exams in two weeks... On top of that, I still haven't heard from all the universities and I cannot decide on where I am going to go next year. So a bit of confusion with this and some misunderstandings between me and some of my friends has resulted in one lost Ieva silently wandering around Duino trying to understand what she feels and what she wants. I'm getting there. Actually, if you observe well, you'll see my most recent model Sergio from 'Silence wanes' photoshoot in one of the pictures, just in a bit different outfit... I am probably going to do another photoshoot tomorrow if everything works fine. Hopefully it will. We managed to get two artists outside of the college to perform for us - Anna Giustina with her fabulous contemporary dance performance and Kaiser Naif acoustic duo with their strong energy, despite the fact that the lights in the auditorium were freaking out for some reason.

The pictures below are of the cards I made to thank people for participating and helping with the whole arts festival. It took me a while to make a whole bunch of these... The blue logo was designed by Rajah and me, pretty much Rajah drew it and I was eeehm, an idea generator:) The last picture is me in the working process and the cards being made.

Silence wanes

Model: Sergio, assistant:Merita, photography: Ieva Blaževičiūtė (me). Italy 2011

For some reason photobucket really changes the colours of images, I've been trying to repair that by increasing the vibrance, yet the colours are still not the same as in the original images. Facebook distorts the colours less, so take a look at my fb album here.

The whole photoshoot was a different experience, because a) done at night, relying on my non-existent flash-reflector skills (hey, need to learn that somehow, huh?) and b) I don't get to take pictures of guys often c) it is a whole new experience to edit pictures when the model has darker skin. Nevertheless, I enjoyed it very much, the company was great and I'm happy about the results. Behind the shoot image with that day's assistant Merita and the lovely model Sergio.

Hey,

I wonder. Completely burnt out today.

Prom!

Some pictures from our lovely prom that we had last month. Posting a whole bunch of pictures on facebook, take a look at all the college people here. I'm pretty busy with the arts festival and other things, so I'll update you guys with what is happening later! P.S. I simply love these pictures.