Monday, August 10, 2009

French Freebies: girlies and grunge






Here are two gifts to you all from our wonderful French holiday. If you use them in your personal projects, please do leave a link here so that I can take a look!

We had a VERY relaxing trip in a lovely place but you'd hardly know it by looking at the contents of our camera memory cards. Most of my photographs are of crumbling, urine-stained masonry and pavements: evidence of my serious grunge habit and need to feed it at every available opportunity. To make great grunge, at least one of the following five factors are required: the passage of time, extreme climactic conditions, neglect, vandalism or pee. Not wishing to make the slightest insinuation about a country and people that I love, but the French do a far better class of grunge than you can get here in the UK. It was for this reason that I was to be found loitering in the riper exterior locations around the Gare du Nord, after my long-suffering partner and I had paid 7 Euros to leave our bags in a locker so that we could stroll up to Montmartre and get a quick glimpse of the view over the rooftops of Paris, before returning to England. But Ah! The streets of Paris are paved with glorious grunge and I was compelled to stop every couple of feet, sometimes (much to my beloved's distress) whilst balancing precariously on the edge of a pavement or half way across a crowded pedestrian crossing. This left us with about 45 minutes to dash up the steps to Montmartre, take photos of each other and (of course) one of a bit of wall and then dash back down to the Gare du Nord and onto the Eurostar.

My beloved has an equally sad addiction for dodgy electrical wiring installations but you have to go to Lithuania to really indulge in that one.

6 comments:

Caterina Giglio said...

LOL! I admit to this addiction myself! the one that afflicts you of course not the electrical wire thingy!

Lori Saul said...

I can't wait to see some (beautiful ) grungy art from you. Travel is so great- I too take pictures of strange things along the way (old doors,windows, crumbling things)often missing the tourist sites. Thanks for sharing some of your wonderful trip!

Unknown said...

I love your essential list of elements to grunge .... it would make a great signpost in any studio .....

you can really learn a lot about a relationship when a camera and a vacation is involved :) ...... my husband does a lot of eye rolling and moaning as I get my shots - but he's ever so thankful I did when the pictures come back :)

lynne h said...

HERE you are. for heaven's sake i missed you!

thank you for the images...

okay i'm keeping my eye on you now...

xo

Seth said...

The five components of grunge... now that is one book I would buy in a second. France sounds like grunge heaven!!

jamaica byles said...

Ha! great post...I too admit to pausng to admire grunge of which there is a plethora on display in the subways of New York...possibly rivalling Paris.Truley impressive.