to all of those listening

I found myself accidentaly checking out the blogger page and what struck me was that people were still reading my ramblings, even though a few years had passed. It's incredible. I find it hard to believe, but still the Internet itself is something that never lets things go. They're always there.

all the summer dillemas

When summer vacay hits in and you have so much time on your hands. What do you do to make the constant dillemas stop flowing your way? So much time to think about stuff is not so good. This year, unfortunately, I spend my summer at home, where the weather is very unpredictable. We get a lot of rain and rare truly summery days. I found the most comfortable place ever to pull through it, my bed. It's been so long since I wrote anything. It must be because I have this weird thing about not being able to reach perfection. Once I realize I cannot reach perfection, my motivation drops. This is very unhealthy to live such a life.

hello back!

Lately I do feel this weird blockade that I cannot find my way to pass while expressing my feelings. Actually, recently, I don't have power or will to express myself at all. This is why I didn't write much, because every time that I tried, was a failure. Maybe the crisis that I am facing it's happening because I feel like adulthood is just around the corner? And I am nowhere near settled. I focused more on my businesses, marketing my photography work. And it paid off :) Maybe it's just like any other morning, that caffeine will make me go eventually. And the mood swings, they will go away too. Of course I have so many photos to show you. Maybe I wasn't shooting too often, but since I've been gone, I completed a couple of rolls. Switched back to my beloved Helios lens. Hello again, bokeh times!

on how I decided to start selling images as stock

Monetizing my own images was somehow always at the back of my head. It wasn't until my friend Allie made an Etsy store with her own photographs that I finally decided to to the same. Etsy wasn't such a great idea though, because later on I found out that people choose this site to go for stock images very rarely. For about a month now, I've had my Creative Market store opened, and this time I truly feel its potential, as my photo was handpicked and is getting some views and likes finally!

I have decided that if I want to buy myself a new camera, my own photographs should work and pay for it. We will see how it goes, I am very motivated and happy to be on this path though.

Have you ever heard of term stock images? Stock photography? It's photography done by another person, that once being purchased, can be used by you! OF course there are different types of licences. Some do and some don't include commercial use. If you're a lifestyle blogger like me, and you struggle to take high quality images to feature your posts and wonderful thoughtful texts, then you might just love stock!

There are so many places to go for stock photos for free, then why to buy it in the first place? Well, I strongly believe that there are people out there, who want something unique. By setting my prices as low as I could, (Creative Market lowest is 2$, and I am prepared to create photo bundles for that price too!) I want to give people a chance for getting cheap, unique photography for their websites. You know that when something's free, immediately a lot of people have it and use it. I wouldn't want my blog to look like somebody else's that's why I started taking my own photographs when I started. Analog stock photography is even more unique!

Anyways, I am leaving you today with a link to my store and some photographs that are already up for sale! :) Happy browsing, I hope you find something for yourself!

Visiting Mocak - Modern art gallery in Krakow

While in Cracow, we visited a bunch of galleries, because most of the usual exhibitions are now available at a reduced price for students, what a cool perk! Modern Art Gallery called MOCAK is the first one that I will be talking about and sharing some photos.

What caught my eye immediately after we left our coats in the cloakroom were the exhibits that we could see in the main corridor of the gallery, before even entering the exhibition part of the building. Guess it is all one big piece of art. There were vending machines standing in the hall, each of them in different color, filled with canned drinks of some kind. As I came closer, it struck me that it was indeed an art piece "Satisfaction Guaranteed" by Joanna Rajkowska, a provocative work involving vending machines with elements of her body for symbolic consumption.Each drink type was something unusual. Representing a human need, things somehow so appealing, yet sadly not achievable by some liquid in a can. That was a very cool project in my opinion. "melon flavored drink with an extract from the retina, strenghtening the vision. edition limited to 500 cans."

there's something about these movies (1)

Every now and then I stumble upon some wonderful works of film makers. A few of the recent ones that I've found are based upon people's anxieties. Some were there to make my days a little more brighter. One is an exceptionally beautiful piece about having a soul of a traveller. So I've decided that every few weeks, I will be showing you one of those movies. It's not going to be long, just a moment of your time. Hopefully by doing so, you will get to know some new amazing directors and experience the ideas behind those videos. So here we are today with the work of Paul Trillo that caught my eye on my facebook feed today. Thank you for sharing Natalie! :) I share so many thoughts with the main character, scary.

If you watched it and liked it, why not share this post onto facebook or twitter, so other people can see it? Let's share the love for short movies full of inspiration! Your K.

travel diary: kraków

You know what indicates you have just had a great trip? When you come back home and all you want to do is to start planning another one. 

This is honestly the first photo I have taken in that amazing city. It wasn't well thought over, just a capture of the first thing my eyes saw when I entered the Main Square of Krakow. See the wall on the left? I just refused to wait until we pass it by completely. As always the camera that accompanied me was Canon AE-1 Program and photos in this post were shot with Agfa Vista 200 film, Fuji X-tra 400 & Kodak Ultramax 400.

We did a bunch of things during that trip. We visited a Cat cafe, oh what a horrendous experience.  We did lots of sight seeing and museum visiting, which I loved. We grabbed Japanese fast food - takoyaki, which are made from batter and squid - also called Octopus balls :) I finally saw the Lady with an ermine painting, which is a life must see I guess. I will definitely split the whole story into a few posts at least! So if you are interested, click the read more and let's start!

before travel thoughts

the wonderful calendar is by Karolin Schnook

Tomorrow I am going to Cracow to spend a couple of days there. Weird, but I don't feel too adventurous at the moment. I keep wondering whether I am even capable of pulling it off like that. Anyway. It's going to be another point on the map that I'd have explored. I want to make a promise myself to shoot, shoot and shoot some more. We'll see how it goes. This little post is so I don't leave you here with no goodbye. It will take some time until I develop new film, so it may be over a week until you hear from me again. You're more than welcome to check out my other social media, as I am pretty active on Twitter and Instagram nowadays. So if you are from Cracow and you would like to hang out during my stay there, contact me via those media for the most immediate response. 

If we were on a coffee date I

Thanks to Allie, I got introduced to this fun linkup by Heartnatured, which is a perfect way for me to share my thoughts over a cup of virtual coffee, are you ready? That's a first for me!

If we were on a coffee date, I would tell you how much I am relieved to finally have some time off after this semester is officially over for me. That perhaps the cold, that I currently have, found me just in the right time, when I spend days under my blanket, waiting until the sleep falls on me. I hate colds. My sinuses hate colds. They somehow strip me off of every desire that I have in my mind.

I would tell you that in January I have done some work as a Local Exchange Officer of International Association of Dentals Students, which got me very interested in doing some travelling this next summer myself. I am currently looking into my options of exchange to Spain, if the language doesn't get in the way. I would love to live in Madrid or Barcelona for a few weeks. I feel like that would give my life and thinking some perspective. And certainly, this blog and my camera would love it too. This is crucial, as I always try to please those two as much as I want to please myself. Then I'd take another sip off our delicious caffeine treat and continue my stories.

No place for beginners or sensitive hearts

The moment I realized that I started to listen to music that my parents used to listen to in our home was somehow significant. I would now spend my evenings listening to Sade & Simply Red, and it was as if I could feel my body getting old. I would dream of somebody holding me while those songs play in the background. I would beg the world to go back to how I was before I felt love, because feeling it for the first time was the feeling worth waiting for. Sometimes I feel so blessed that I have a future ahead of me. That there will be people who become my friends, there will be feelings, now I know that for sure. We're spinning, spinning madly on. We're made to repeat our mistakes, we're meant to live, bleed, get back on our feet. I see a proof for that in every day that I experience. I'm not sure why today I am in such an emotional mood to write such things. I don't feel the negativity, I only feel hope. 

it's complicated

It's complicated. This is how I would describe my life at this point. I feel so utterly tangled up in things, I no longer know where I am headed. Although from time to time, I can picture myself in that cosy apartment, with the Nutcracker score playing in the background. Light, big interiors that over the years I would have filled with my things and my loving. Smell of baked apple pie. A fluffy cat sleeping on my knees. But once again, I bet if I ever have a cat, it will be mean and it will end up hating me. And I will call it weird names like Mr Jinggles or something connected with food or worse, dentistry, as I originally wanted. The Nutcracker and other of Tchaikovsy's works will always remind me of my childhood years. The happy and clueless times. 

going on a journey

Beginning of the year brings me much thought about life, choices and love. I would always say that I live for the little moments of happiness and true emotions running through my veins and causing shivers down my spine. It is so good not to be blinded by love. I feel like it is such a bliss to be able to look clearly at the people who are now in my life. Have you ever felt proud of the progress you've done? It's like being in a situation and being able to relate to it, knowing how your old self would react. And here I am today, with my grown up self behind my eyes, and I am no longer scared or weak. I am no longer needy and I don't have to settle for anything I am not sure of. And if I am not sure of something, maybe it's not entirely up to me to decide. What lasts lasts, what doesn't doesn't. Even if it lasts only for a minute, I want to hold onto that feeling for as long as it can be. And now the word entirely is stuck in my head, as I guess I have always liked how this one is pronounced. Weird thing. But that wasn't what I meant to talk about in this post... We were supposed to talk about my journey, so let's do it!

97% by Ben Brand

I am such a huge lover of short movies that I really really wanted to share this one with you. I found it awhile ago while browsing the net. It's a short movie about reality of looking for a love interest in today's world. I guess something we could all relate in the meantime of swiping left and right on Tinder, couldn't we? It is not really a Tinder story, yet it covers the topic of searching for that one true match. What would you do if you found out that your 97% match is less than 25 metres away from you? Enjoy! :)

hello, hello 2016!

Hello New Year! I am excited to welcome you at last. // We actually welcomed 2016 three days ago in Gdansk with my high school friends and their pals. I thought I would meet you here for a little talk. Gdansk was exceptionally beautiful on the first day of the new year, though its cold (-10 degrees of Celcius) made us wish for a cup of hot coffee or chocolate. We strolled the streets of the city as friends would. We smiled and laughed, took photos too. There was thirteen of us on the New Year's Eve and seven on the walk the day after (I was the odd single one obviously). In today's post I would like to show you some of the never seen on this blog photos, because I featured them on my Instagram only. If you want to check out my Instagram, please do! :) This post will be full of non-analog photos, which I snap with my iPad when I don't have my camera at the moment or want to upload something fast without having to worry about shooting the whole roll. 

First photo is of my friend AJ with whom I became friends after we sat together in the history class in high school. She has a heart of gold and now also the most helpful man I have ever met as her boyfriend. // Second photo is of the centre of Gdansk's Old Town with the Neptune's Fountain on the left and gorgeous tenament houses on the right. // Third is view of the Motława River.

my short goodbye to 2015

Apart from the very big title I feel like I don't have that much to say about 2015. I was nothing close to what I had imagined myself to be this year and for that I am so sorry. I was supposed to write more, love sufficiently, be a great friend. Somehow I fell down from the pedestal and became a person who did none of the above. I'm sorry. I tried. I tried to make myself the best I could be. But once it started to pile up lying to myself and acting not the way I felt like I should, it became too much. I took a huge break from blogging. I had stuff to focus on. I've gone through a breakup that still leaves me hanging, to be quite honest. I have so much on my plate right now, but at times I forget about that and smile at life anyway. Well again, that's life, it happens, right? I want to give you one advice though. Don't ever imagine what you don't want to become, because life might give you just that. Maybe with slightly different appearance, finishing touches. But you might end up being so close to what you've disliked. Just don't give yourself that. Spare it, honestly. Now on the positive side...

Christmas illuminations of Warsaw

 

Merry Christmas everyone!!!
Every time I try to sit down and write something I can feel the way I am shutting down. Shrinking. Words just don't want to flow even though my life has been a change after change the last month. I decided to keep you out of it, because I was never sure what another day may bring. You might've followed my Instagram or Twitter but there I did not share much too. Now I am a free human being, making plans that might keep me going for the next months. I was always about plans and feelings. I have always made many stupid mistakes. Or putting it differently, I always made stupid decisions. They are not all mistakes I believe. I made myself a promise once - I want and I'll try to live my life to the fullest and trust my gut. It made me hurt sometimes to do so, was not easy to follow the rules I created for myself. But on the other hand, it brought me experience and memories to never ever let go of. It seems like a fair equation to me.

Let there be light by Sara Martins

Hello, My name is Sara and I am a photographer from Porto, Portugal.

Some years ago I started a blog called randomplacesfamiliarplaces to share my photos and connect to others with same love for analog photography as me. I am inspired above all by light, the beginning of it all. How it changes during the day, how it brings to live the smallest of things.

Because I lead a simple life in a wonderful yet quiet city, my focus goes to immediate surroundings and what makes my heart beat with tenderness and love:

what, when, how

When I was in the junior high school, my best friend (at a time) and I used to have this quote taken from one of the teen drama books, it went "Do not spoil what you have by desiring what you have not, remember that what you have was once among the things you only hoped for." It is by Epicurus and somehow it landed in front of my 13 teenage eyes. It is pretty likely that at that time I had no idea who Epicurus was (even after taking philosophy class two years ago I can recall that he was Greek and a philosopher and started his own thinking path). So I was very young, but this quote made its way into my heart, even though I am not a person of words, I am a person of calculation, growth and cells. I do not know it for sure, but it is one quote that has followed me for almost ten years, everywhere I went, I sort of live by it. It is a sad quote, almost tragic because it presents evolution of the mind and how it will always run ahead of us, changing our direction before we realise it. Thanks to this blog I can now share it with you, and it makes my heart grow fonder.

Q & A with an artist | Mateja Kovač

H  e  l  l  o !  As I promised, I am coming back with a new series of posts where I will do little interviews with some extremely talented people! It will be a great way for me to work out how much time I actually have to spend on blogging nowadays. I found our first artist, Mateja, on Etsy (Oh how I love it, truly!)  She comes from Croatia and has a degree in Art! I was immediately drawn to her works and decided I just have to own one and put it on my wall! :) Pictures in this post were not taken only by me. I wanted to show you more of Mateja's works and I only own one. I asked Mateja a couple of questions, here are her answers!

About surviving and about fall.

Do you know how I managed to survive the first month of fall?

{succesfully staying very true to myself}

I drank as much coffee as I should have.

Just for the taste of it. Not even because I needed an extra energy boost to stay up during the nights. I sort of gave up on going out to get coffee, although it required alot of self-restraint, because so many times I caught myself thinking of getting that one cup on my way home from groceries grabbing. I would always think that it might be few coins closer to my dream vacation or new phone. It helped!

I began working on new projects.

In late September I got so many new ideas on how I would like to build up some community around this blog. Of course I turned to Etsy sellers first, because I very much enjoyed working with some in the past. Quickly after that the packages started to arrive at my door, which required more photos being taken each day! Soon enough (next week to begin with) I will be showing you the second of the collaborations with those great people! Discount codes are coming too! This is exciting. Check out my first collab- BEST FALL SCENTS TO BE FOUND ON ETSY.