Itsy Bitsy News ... And A Wee Landmark.

It's been a while since I last posted, but I'm content on two counts - one, that the last post continues to attract comments (thank you!) and two, that the gap hasn't been in vain. I've been busy changing a few things around here, but to see them you'll probably have to click through from your feed reader.

Look! 

New layout! 

New links section! 

I know the layout is not the best, but give me some back-pats, please. I hardly know any code and I did this all by myself!

The links section contains a few of my all-time and current favourite photoblogs, photographers and photomags. Some are friends, some all-time greats and personal inspirations. Some, just darned good. It's a dynamic list and I'll keep adding to it.

In other news, the awesome Editors at Londonist invited me to do a Londonist Behind The Lens, which is pretty much a description of me as a photographer, what photography means to me and my love for London. Also, I got to share a bunch of my favourite London shots (selecting which, was a te-ee-ee-dious task. I have thousands of London pictures, thousands...and I like about fifty of them. I was supposed to select seven.  Only. In short, aarrgh.) Anyway, do read it if you want to know just a little bit more about me. 

"Psychedelic City": Just one of my favourite London shots that did not make it to slideshow here.

Oh, and the other wonderful thing is that this blog just officially crossed the 10K mark. That's ten thousand unique hits (and nearly 21K page views) . Over exactly 1 year and 1 month. Not the greatest blog stats ever, but hey, when I started this I wasn't sure of getting even five hundred, so tralalalala! In other words, it makes me happy.

And so, to all of you who've supported this blog; to those of you who follow or subscribe to it; to each one of you who's ever left a comment, suggestion, constructive criticism or just a hello; to those who've sent me heartfelt emails: Thank You. 

It's been a good weekend. I'll soon be back with more.

~The Flaneurbanite.

A Year Full of Happiness

Tadadadadaaan!
Is that good text equivalent for a celebratory bugle? Because it's birthday time and I am all set to party!

I can hardly believe it but today marks one full year of Urban Legends!

I started this little blog after two years of a foolish hiatus from all things creative, in which I'd let my old photoblog die a lonely death; a time when I wrote and clicked a bit but let other things take over, which led me to a state when I thought I'd physically suffocate if I made any more space in my life for the banal, the uncreative, the mediocre...oh, all that is not important anymore! What's important is that I finally listened to that pleading voice in my head and gave in, once more, to the sheer joy of creating and sharing. I started out with a semi-pro camera that my Significant Other gifted to me in 2008, and my old faithful Fujifilm point and shoot; a reignited passion, and absolutely no idea where this was going to lead me. Who knew that by the end of of the year, this would have taken a life of its own and that I would find so, so much in the process.

"Now we are music together, sharing one cup" - Rumi

Through this blog, I re-communed with my passions - not just photography and writing, but also - cities. I'm blessed to be living in this wonderful city and this blog gave me the chance to make you see it the way I do. And then came the chance to visit other cities, other places and the chance to do what I love to do - tell stories.

Through this blog, I got some amazing opportunities - things that I hadn't even dreamed of finding when I started it. I discovered Londonist and the amazing bunch of people who run it. I got the opportunity to exhibit my photos in central London, and to be interviewed by the lovely Jaz for Londonist! Through this blog, my photos were discovered by the cool people behind Televisual and my photos went to print for the very first time! And through this blog, Metrotwin happened - the opportunity to shoot and write about two of my favourite cities in the world.

But most importantly, through this blog, I met so many of you who're reading this right now - you all who've kept me going at times when I wondered if it was worth the sheer hard work that has gone into this, and when the troll came visiting. Your comments, your encouragement, and most of all, your heartfelt emails have become a large part of this blog's (and mine) raison d'être.

What more could I have asked for?

****

2009 was a terrible year for a lot of people. I started 2009 in gloom and uncertainty myself as my job fell prey to the ugly recession just before it started. My income fell, my career nose-dived and so did my spirits. But you know what they say about a window opening up when a door closes?

This blog was my window. My window to you, my window to my own self and my window to happiness.

I still click with the same semi-pro, I still don't have the spare change to host this on my own domain (because I still don't have that job, darned recession!), I still don't have the heart to give away the old battered Fuji. But I have a year and a heart full of Urban Legends and no one can take that away from me.

Happy Birthday Urban Legends.
Here's to many more years of creative joy.

****

Now that I'm done with the sentimental soppiness, let me say sorry again for being so AWOL these last two months. I nearly let myself be sucked back into banality again but thank goodness for good sense and that constant nagging in my head. So yes, I'm back for good. Just you try getting rid of me now!

Here's what's coming up:

- An updated list of links to some fantastic photographers and photo-bloggers out there that you must visit.

- A brand new post (or two, or several..) from London.

- A new city, and several stories.

- A few old ones from 2008 and before. Who says I can only tell new stories? Stories are stories, it's the way you tell them, not when (or so says I).

- What? No, I'm not going to give everything away, so keep checking back.

****

And finally!
(Hey you in the back row! Wake up!) An awesome video that, to me, sums up the ethos of this last year on Urban Legends, and hopefully will continue to, in the years to come.
Enjoy!

Yours soppily, cheekily and stupidly happily,
Flaneurbanite.

:-)

Switching on Winter

I love light. As a child, I was known to switch on all the lights in the house because I loved it so (and then get a lecture from one of my parents about electricity costs and wastage). I have an associated fascination for lamps and string lights and streamers and candles and tea lights and lanterns..even bright resplendent full moons. I can almost imagine The Significant Other nodding his head vigorously at this admission as he recalls all the times we've been out and I've been busy admiring the lamps and light fixtures in the place while he tries to talk to me.

And that is the reason why winter in London is a miserable time for me. The mere six hours of dull grey light in a day are just not enough for my soul and now that I am a grown-up, I also realise the significance of electricity costs and the ramifications of wastage and have to unhappily adhere to grown-up norms of prudent living. Pah.

And so, when they put up Christmas lights in London - although a bit too early - I'm certainly not one of those complaining. Last night they switched on the lights at Regent Street and Oxford Street and I was there in a flash, soaking it all in.

I wasn't the only one, though. The moon seemed to be taking it in too (much to my delight).

I certainly needed the cheer.

(Another version of this was published on Metrotwin Mumbai and one of these photographs appeared on Londonist this morning).

On Londonist Again

The awesome Londonist gave me a nice little birthday gift by using one of my pictures to headline one of their posts again.

Disapproving looks
Originally part of this post

Previous pictures that made it to Londonist - this and this

Muchos Gracias, Londonist and Sally B! That's about all the Spanish I can speak!

Another London will continue here, as soon as I can recover from my fantastic trip to Spain. And of course, watch out for a lot of Spain on this blog - you really didn't think that I would return empty handed from there, did you?

Saying Thanks!

Two updates from me:

1. The good people over at Londonist have paid this little blog a huge compliment by interviewing me about it. I am totally floored. You can read the interview here. Please do read the last bit and let me know what you think of the prints for charity idea. [I'm particularly interested in contributing towards Child Welfare and Animal Protection Societies].

A Private Island in The City
Previously seen here.

2. Londonist also recently ran a photography competition in collaboration with Slowdown London, called Slow Exposure. The submitted photographs needed to identify with the essential ethos of the Slowdown London project, as well as with the quirky, positive, eclectic image of Londonist.

I am thrilled to report that two of my photographs (one of them above) were selected in the top 30 that will be exhibited for a whole month (24th April to 24th May) at the Ray's Jazz Cafe at Foyles (Charing Cross, London). Do please drop by the exhibition if you're in London (entry is free). Londonist is also organising a Private view and Party (RSVP) on the 1st of May at the same venue, where the top 5 winners will be announced. I'll be there, and I'd love it if you drop by and say hello! (I'll be the deliriously happy one). See you there!

And a huge thank you to all of you who've so far commented on or about this blog- here or elsewhere; sent informed critiques and suggestions my way; taken the time to dwell over the pictures and the stories I try to tell and continued to encourage me. I might not be in action for a few days but promise to be back soon with a whole lot more.

Another on Londonist

After this little surprise, there's another. Kind Londonist have used another of my pictures (see below) to headline their post.

I clicked this one at Saatchi Gallery in Chelsea on Tuesday, where they have an excellent new exhibition titled "Unveiled: New Art from The Middle East". My post on it, with the picture in context is here.

Hat tip: Anjali, who kindly brought my attention to it!

Photo of The Day / Caption Contest

How funny does this look?

The good folks over at Londonist have picked my photograph from my previous post as Photo Of The Day and are running a funny caption contest on it! I'm doubly pleased by this - one, of course, because they picked a picture by me; and two, because I'm quite a patron of wittiness myself and would love to see what people come up with. So please hop over and unleash your funnies on them in the comments section.

Also, if you live in London and don't already know about the Londonist, I strongly recommend adding them to your bookmarks - it's an excellent collaborative resource for what's going on around town - the quirky, the eclectic, the strange and hidden side of London that the newspapers won't tell you about.

Hop over now!