35MM FILM PHOTOGRAPHY

My film camera has been on the side of the my desk waiting to be used again. After I developed my first roll of film (some of the photos from that you can see here and here) I put a black and white roll of film in. It hasn't been touched since then. I haven't taken my film camera out with me anywhere, preferring my DSLR instead. But with a whole roll just sitting, waiting to be used, it's time to take it out and give film photography another go.

One thing that's both great and not so great about taking photographs on film in you're limited to shots. There is no delete button. You have 36 frames to take your photographs and once that's finished up with, it's done. You have to take the time to think about the shots, compose them, and work out if you actually want to take that shot. It's not just composing the shot but also setting up the camera. No auto mode here, you control your aperture and shutter speed. You have to think about it and that makes the process much more fun.

If you've thought about getting one, I'd really recommend starting out by seeing if anyone in your family has one lying around. I brought mine off eBay, there are lots available online, but the prices can be high. Also, check out charity shops or a camera shops if you have one near you. In terms of film there is a lot of different options out there. The colour film I used was a roll of Fujifilm that I got off eBay in a pack of 3 for around £10. My current roll is from Ilford which is slightly higher in price. There are a lot of different options to suit anyone's budget.

Have you shot using film before? If you have, I'd love to know what film & you use camera you use. And if you haven't , let me know if you plan to in the future or tweet me @afloralcrown.

Follow on Bloglovin'

DAY TRIP TO LOOE & STORMY SEAS

A few photographs taken whilst visiting Looe in Cornwall yesterday and a local beach to me.

Follow on Bloglovin'

RACES AND EVENTS 2015

When you follow a bunch of people on Twitter who are into their fitness and have amazing blogs (I'm looking at you Charlie, Sophie & Leah - to name just a teeny handful!), you soon start to build a list of events that you REALLY REALLY want to participate in. This is where I've found myself at the moment. With more than I have fingers (and nearly toes) of events that I want to give a go in 2015- here is just a few that are top of my list.

In terms of half marathons (a distance I seem to have fallen in love with after only completing two so far) I'm looking at both Plymouth and the Eden Project again. They're both ones I raced this year and two I thoroughly enjoyed, so hopefully I'm definitely looking at entering both of those.

For shorter distances the first race I'm looking at falls the day before my 21st birthday. You know you love running when you are actually disappointed you can't celebrate your 21st doing a race as it falls on a Monday! So Sunday 1st February sees the first Cancer Research Winter 10k race in London being held. Now, I love London. I love running. And 10k is a lovely distance. Plus, it's the day before my birthday and I know quite a few people doing it. This race is top of my bookmarks at the moment and I'm edging ever closer to booking that place to run!
For another 10k event I am seriously hoping that ELLE & Nike run We Own The Night again in 2015. I LOVED this race (you can check my recap here). It was a great experience and an event I want to do again next year!

I'm also looking at a duathlon, the Adidas Thunder Run (a24 hour race), Tough Mudder, Reebok Spartan Race, Men's Health assualt course and the London Rat Race!

If you have any suggestions of events or races that I NEED to have on my list and enter then please do let me know or tweet me @afloralcrown.

Follow on Bloglovin'

EDEN PROJECT HALF MARATHON 2014

On Sunday 19th October I ran my second half marathon. It was at the Eden Project in Cornwall and I really really enjoyed it. I had signed up with three weeks until race day, as a spur of the moment decision as I was craving running another half marathon. After looking at the hill profile I headed into the race with an aim of matching my first half marathon time. I knew the hills would be tough so I wasn't particularly expect a fast course. I was incredibly happy indeed when I noticed my pace throughout would mean I would actually achieve a PB!

I would highly recommend this course. Although the hills were tough (I actually ended up walking part of most of them) I very much fell in love with it. The scenery was lovely and I loved the trail aspect to it, running through the woods and past rivers. The weather definitely helped, it was beautifully sunny with no wind. These sorts of conditions would have meant a challenging hot race in the summer, but due to the cooler Autumn months it meant it was pretty much idea weather. Racing the last mile, pretty much all downhill, into the Eden Project itself was pretty spectacular. It was a fantastic setting for a finishing line and who doesn't love a downward hill to the finish?!

Signing up with three weeks to go until race day meant I was feeling fairly under prepared, with the furthest distance that I ran in "training" being 7.5 miles (just over half of the distance I would need to run on the day). Because of this and challenging looking course I was slightly worried about what my time would be. I wanted to beat my Plymouth time but knew that it realistically might not be possible.

Rather than going into the race worrying about the time, I decided to change my outlook on the it. Although I wanted to aim for a good time my main thought was that I wanted to enjoy it. If I beat my time, I beat it. If not then, I've still just ran a half marathon and had fun doing it. This attitude definitely helped. Sometimes forgetting about beating a time (though this definitely was still in my mind) and simply taking the time to enjoy the run can mean so much more. I don't know whether it was because I'm fitter now than I was in April or if it was the positive attitude I had (it was probably a mixture of both) but I came away with a personal best and a new time to beat.

Running for the fun of it and experiencing a new course, scenery and a new challenge is one of the best things, and something I love, about running. It also means when you do surprise yourself and achieve a great new result, that feeling is something completely amazing! I ran this race with such a high and it was a great feeling seeing my time progress so much since my first half marathon. I completed this half marathon in 2:09:35 a whole 17 minutes than my first attempt at this distance in April! My aim now is to hopefully match, if not potentially beat, this time when I race the Plymouth Half Marathon next year in April. If I do, I do and if I don't? I keep entering ones and improving my training, technique and speed until I do, and enjoy every minute of doing so.

I have definitely fallen in love with those 13.1 miles of running and can't wait for my next one.

Follow on Bloglovin'