Newcastle Maker Faire

Back at the end of April my work hosted a huge event called Maker Faire. It was a whole weekend celebrating maker culture, creativity, building and hacking and it was AWESOME! I had a pretty busy time working on of the 'BioHacking' stands but I did manage to get a little time to check out what was going on. I also have a wonderful mother who took lots and lots of photos of some of the cool things people were doing.

Some of the event isn't really appropriate to this blog (and you can check out more info on Maker Faire in general here), but I did want to share just a few of the pictures of amazing sewing, knitting, crafting and costumey things I came across.

Crafty things:
There was a stand where you could design your own pattern and a machine would convert it to a bitmap and knit the design for you:

 Trying your hand at Japanese braiding, you can make some really nice bracelets with this technique:

A full size knitting mannequin robot!

And for the geeks among us:

The Rebel Legion were there with some of their costumes, in progress props and costumes and lots of bits and pieces to look at. They were excellent, the quality of their costumes was amazing and they are all very technically accurate, I was so impressed! I thought about wanting to make a Princess Leia costume but I have to say the accurate aspects of the costuming is something that is a little beyond me at this stage but one day... You can check out more form the Rebel Legion here:

The Northern Charity Daleks also made an appearance, they were pretty scary... although one of them is wearing a fez:

We were also making accurately scaled solar system bracelets (these were designed by my friend Emma!):

Oh and this dude:

During the day I was hanging out with one of the DIYBio teams from GenSpace all the way in New York, they brought naturally coloured bacteria that you could paint with, so I was helping people out with that. That's my mum painting at the table with me:

Here are some of the plates people made, mine are the pacman ghost and the rather messy tree. I have to say I was surprised by how well they turned out.

I would definitely recommend heading to a Maker Faire if you get the chance. There are several different mini maker faires across the country - definitely worth a look.

Oh yeah, and there was a robot that painted in pancakes!

Screen Inspirations: Dressing like Audrey

A bit of frivolous fun and dressing up in todays post.

I was recently inspired by that Galaxy chocolate add featuring Audrey Hepburn. This idea of bringing classic actresses and actors back to promote products has been around a while but I found that that this recent advert was a little bit special.

Audrey Hepburn has been a classic icon of vintage, film and classic luxurious glamour fans for many many years, so it makes sense to use her iconic image in the chocolate advert. The advert itself has pretty impressive special effects and I love the look of the dress so I was inspired to have a little go of dressing like Audrey myself.

I already had a button down tea dress that looked the right sort of colour however I did not have the chocolate brown accessories so I had to resort ro a black belt and scarf around my neck.

My fringe was already in that slightly shorter style at the time so I pinned my hair up in a pony tail (that wasn't any where as neat as hers...) and swept it to the side to try and emulate her look. Eye make up and lipstick is the very classic 1950s-1960s flick and classic lips that isn't too different from my usual style. I have to say, I am very envious of her eyebrows, they are a lovely shape... I think I will need mine doing professionally again to get their proper shape back :(

I even managed to pinch some vintage shoes from my Grandmother, they are around 30 years old but in pretty good condition and fortunately in my size!

Let me know what you think?

Scarborough Vintage Faire

A few weeks ago I took the day to visit my husband in Scarborough and it just so happened that there was a vintage fair happening at the Scarborough Spa.

Naturally I decided that I had to visit! The weather was pretty nice so I was pleased to be able to wear a nice dress, and get this, go out without a coat. We even managed to find the time for a nice stroll along the promenade on the way there.

I decided to dress for the occasion and wore a lovely Jager tea dress, that may or may not be vintage. It is black with multi-coloured flowers, good-old shoulder pads and even pockets (which always make me desperately happy). I bought it off eBay and cost in the region of £20 so I am pretty pleased with it. I teamed it with a red cardigan from M&S and the ever reliable retro seamed stockings from What Katie Did. Lastly the brogues are from Clarks and are super comfortable  they come in so many colours too and are really durable I would highly recommend them.

I even did my hair, but it was the first time I really tried to style it with the fringe so I'm not sure it turned out too well...

The fair itself was really busy, I blame the bank holiday for drawing in the crowds but it is good to know that business is good. Lots of stalls to look at with lots of the standerd stuff, dressed, records and nic-nacs. The prices were very mixed some were very reasonable and some more expensive but they did generally reflect the quality of the item - there wasn't any faux vintage Primark either!

While browsing there was musical entertainment, a pop up hair salon and lindy dance demos etc so there was lots to keep you occupied. The husband and I even managed to get in a bit of dancing on the empty dance floor (they also had lindy lessons running throughout the day if that's the sort of thing you'd fancy).

Overall it was pretty enjoyable and at £2 entry it was one of the cheaper vintage fairs I have been to. I enjoyed it quite a bit although I am not a fan of fairs in general (I prefer charity shop rummagings).

What is the best vintage fair you have been to?

A Trip to Malham and Vivien of Holloway Jeans

Around this time last year we had a few moments of nice weather and I went on a trip to Malham in the Yorkshire Dales with my family. I had sort of let the whole thing pass by in the haze of thesis writing but it all cropped up again when I entered one of the photos I took on the trip in a picture challenge competition on Instagram.

It was a panorama challenge so entered a shot of the steps near the cliff edge and some of the surrounding fields. It was a beautiful day so I was very lucky to be able to catch the blue sky (especially given how awful the summer was). Seems that I got a lucky shot, since my photo was voted the best of all the shots (over 400!) so I was pretty pleased.

Here's the picture by the way, what do you think?

I'm not really a person that is best suited for hiking so I really struggle to find clothes to wear for something like that. All I can say is thank goodness for my Vivien of Holloway 40s style jeans, the wide legs are super comfy for walking and they work well with a blouse and sneakers.

That's my brother in that shot too.
Kinda weird to see me with the blonde streaks and no fringe again but oh well.

Maybe I am developing some photography skills? I'll keep practising for now though.

Dr Whitwood I presume...

Well hello everyone! It's been a little while. With good reason I'd like to hope, I have spent the last few weeks prepping for my PhD viva which was this month.

The viva is the final hurdle of the PhD where examiners read your thesis and point out all of the mistakes and quiz you on what, how and why you did what you did. I spent most of the last 4 months terrified of this event but when it came to the day I was pretty nervous, but somehow not as bad as I expected.

My PhD has been very draining mentally and emotionally and as the culmination of 4 years hard work the viva is simply a daunting prospect.

Anyhow, I have good news! I passed! The dream is realised an I am going to be able to call myself doctor *big happy face*.

I got a pass with minor corrections so I need to rework a paragraph here or there and adding a couple of extra figures to my intro. It was a better result than I dared hope.

Deciding on what to wear on such a day was an absolute nightmare but I thought I wanted to feel comfortable and confident so I decided on a black dress from Monsoon, it has a swishy skirt and lace around the collar and shoulders.

I wore my hair down during the day, but for going out celebrating I put it up into a 60s inspired beehive.

I know this is a fairly short post, but I hope to see you more often now!

Guest Post: How to Find Free Photographers to Improve Your Cosplay Pictures

Hi there everyone! Getting back into blogging slowly after a little gap (more on that later) with a rather good guest post on a topic that is certainly of use to me, and hopefully to you whether you cosplay or not.

How to improve the quality of your photographs by working with photographers. I am definitely hoping to use some of these tips at a later date! Anyone heading to MCM Expo next week, this is something for you to think about too - Enjoy!

*****

How to Find Free Photographers to Improve Your Cosplay Pictures

As a cosplayer there are few more satisfying moments than seeing a quality picture of yourself in a finished costume, especially if it's then shared and admired by other cosplayers. This could be via your own Facebook page, on a picture sharing website like Deviant Art, Flickr or Reddit, featured in a blog article or published in a magazine. Sadly many cosplayers are content with a low quality camera phone picture or a simple capture from a compact camera when we could get a lot better.

The general consensus is that having pictures taken of you by an experienced photographer or even someone with a good level of photography experience would be expensive, but this isn't always the case.

My aim here is to show you a number of options that you might consider for getting high quality pictures of yourself for a very small amount of money or even for free.

About Me

I own and run the Otleyrun Fancy Dress website and have a keen interest in photography.

As an amateur photographer I've taken pictures of a number of cosplayers, all of which I did for free. It was a great way to build up some experience and try out new ideas that I wouldn't usually do during a paid shoot. Free shoots allow both cosplayers and photographers to get a little more creative. Sometimes the results are fantastic, while on some occasions they aren't.

Here are a few examples of pictures I've taken during free photoshoots:

Before jumping into a shoot with a stranger it's important to consider your safety above all else. Please don't randomly contact a person and visit them in a private place. I'll cover this and a few other considerations at the end of this piece.

Here are a number of sources that, as a photographer, I would recommend you check out to find people to take quality pictures of you in cosplay.

Model Mayhem

If you've never visited ModelMayhem I highly recommend signing up for a free account and browse the talent on offer.

You can customise your searches to show only local photographers, which is really handy. Send out a few messages to any that offer TF (time for) work and see what you can negotiate.

It's also worth posting a casting call for photographers, which is free and announces that you're looking for local people to work with. That way interested individuals can come to you. Set the duration of the casting call to the maximum (I think it's a year) so that the listing will be active for a long time and new members have a chance to contact you. Newer members to the site are usually amateurs (most of the pro's were signed up years ago) so they're an important group to target.

Most photographers list who they've worked with previously on their profiles. Don't be shy, message the models and ask them about their experience with the photographer. This can weed out a few creeps and help you identify the decent people.

Finally please ensure that your profile is kept up to date, is spell checked for errors (pet peeve of mine) and clearly states what you're looking for. You'll likely get messages from people who don't take the time to read your profile but a well written and detailed profile will attract some quality applicants.

Cosplay Websites - Cosplay.com

If you don't have an account on here shame on you! It's a must have for cosplayers but there are many others like it. It's free to sign up and get going straight away.

This is a great site for networking with other cosplayers and might just lead you in the right direction of a few photographers as well. Ask around the local scene or post on your profile that you're looking to work with local talent. Both have worked for me in the past and they should work well going forward for you too.

Gumtree or Craigslist

These sites can yield very mixed results, but they're a free resource that we can all take advantage of. You can either answer model or cosplayer request posts or post one of your own.

I always ask applicants from free ad sites for a link to a profile on a more recognised site such as Cosplay.com or Model Mayhem as most genuine cosplayers will have a profile on one or both. This helps to prove that you're genuine.

Photo Sharing Websites: Deviant Art, Flicker and Reddit

I mentioned near the start of this piece that photo sharing websites are a great way to gain exposure and showcase your cosplay. They're also a great way to network with other cosplayers and photographers. You could send a polite message to a local photographer asking if they're open to free work or ask another cosplayer for a recommendation.

Conventions and Events - collect business cards or talk with photographers who approach you

If someone with a camera asks to take your picture at a convention you should always ask them where the pictures will be published (if at all). If they mention that they're a photographer with a blog or picture sharing account jot down the web address or ask for a card. Get chatting with them as it might just open doors to opportunities in the future.

Facebook Groups

Many cosplay groups exist, such as the UK Cosplay group, which bring both cosplayers and photographers together. Some groups set up photography events where all members are invited to attend and get shots done by multiple photographers. It's a great way to build up a diverse collection of shots from people with a range of experience. Some might also do some post production work on your pictures that will really make them stand out, for better or worse.

Important Considerations

If you're going to meet up with a photographer for the first time it's vitally important that you consider a few things before going ahead with it. Here are a tips to help identify the best people to contact:

• ·       Check for feedback from other people. If you find that the feedback is more negative than positive find someone else.
• ·       Make sure that the final picture edits will be made available to you for free and get a time frame for when this will be done.
• ·       Ensure that the final edits won't be used for commercial gain by the photographer unless you're compensated.
• ·       Only meet in a public place to shoot or take someone with you. If you're adamant about going alone make sure you tell a few people where you're going.
• ·       Offer to meet the person for a tea or coffee at a local cafe before shooting with them so that you have time to gauge how genuine they are.

I wish you all the best of luck with your current and future cosplay projects and hope that this article has provided you with a few ideas. If you do end up getting some pictures taken by a local photographer please share a link to the final edits so that we can all see the results.

A Vintage American Clip Hat and a Rainy Day Outfit

What a mess the weather has been, many weeks of drab, then one day of sun, then more drab. I'm so fed up with the coats and to boots, I'm ready for a bit of change. Thing is, the weather is not ready to allow me to do this.

Anywho, for an early trip into town to post off some eBay goodies (postage has become incredibly expensive by the way!) I decided to wear a favourite little hat of mine. It is a vintage clip hat from the US and it doesn't need hat pins of anything so it is lovely and versatile. I love the cute bow on the front, however the fabric is a soft velvet that I'm fairly sure wouldn't stand up to the rain.

Even the inside is beautiful!

So since the weather is so rubbish I needed a giant umbrella to make sure that my hat was not ruined by the rain. This umbrella has been featured on this blog before but that doesn't stop it being awesome! 

And finally here is the rest of the outfit, it is a green pleated double layer sheer skirt (with no labels), a black jumper from Wallis and an M&S rain coat. The coat has a hood, but that would have squished my hat :(