Author Topic: How about a FESTIVUS Thread?? (Read 9555 times)

Late Developer · « **on:** December 17, 2010, 12:38:25 PM »

As Christmas falls on a weekend this year, how about starting to think about shooting some stuff that shouts "Christmas" (or whatever festivity you follow at this time of year)?

This could be anything from a Robin in a holly bush to surfing on Bondi Beach or a still-life of a pile of mince pies or Aunty Nellie slumped over a glass of egg-nog....!!

How about it? What does a typical "Festivus" look like to you??

gregor · « **Reply #1 on:** December 17, 2010, 02:34:04 PM »

maybe one of the moderators could swap out the title of this thread to the "Holiday Memories" or something of that sort. My main holiday has come and gone, but we also have a small xmas at home as well. I'll kick it off with this: when I get woken up at 5 in the morning it looks like this before I have my expresso !

LT · « **Reply #2 on:** December 17, 2010, 06:39:42 PM »

being non-religious and a humanist of sorts, I prefer "Winterval", or "Winter Break". It's not a holy(i)day for me though.

(sorry, I had to)

Late Developer · « **Reply #3 on:** December 17, 2010, 08:33:04 PM »

I used the term "Festive Season" so that it didn't contain reference to any religious denomination and would, therefore, be as inclusive as possible. The "festival" could be anything from "Up Helly Aa" to "Christmas" to "Winter Solstice" or, just a few days off work for the likes of myself - as I am a nontheist.

I'm happy to change the title if needs be, so apologies if I've offended anyone - that wasn't my intention at all.

Pete_R · « **Reply #4 on:** December 17, 2010, 09:59:04 PM »

For the last five or six years I've made a ~~Xmas~~ seasonal card from one of my pics. Here's this year's. I've changed the wording from the original so as to not offend any members of religious ,non-religious, minority, majority, polytheism, monotheism or atheism groups that might see it. With apologies to those who, for reasons beyond my control, will not be having a happy month.

(somone had to and it might as well be me)

Gakkenflex with aperture disk removed.

Late Developer · « **Reply #5 on:** December 17, 2010, 10:06:44 PM »

Nice one, Mr Angry. So what's all the fuss about in December, all of a sudden...??

Terry · « **Reply #6 on:** December 17, 2010, 10:30:26 PM »

I haven't had time to indulge in festive feelings this year. Here's last year's secular seasonal card image (taken with Portra NC in my trusty old Nikon F):

LT · « **Reply #7 on:** December 18, 2010, 08:26:41 AM »

Quote from: Late Developer on December 17, 2010, 08:33:04 PM

I'm happy to change the title if needs be, so apologies if I've offended anyone - that wasn't my intention at all.

no offence to me Paul - my Tongue wa firmly in my cheek when I made my comment above. I wanted to use the term 'winterval' because it's the funniest thing I've heard in recent years.

FWIW political correctness has it's place, but it's still Xmas to me despite my athiesm. But my I clean my carpets with a Hoover despite it being a dyson.

I think we've stumbled on to something with these cards though. Let's see who can come up with the most generic/interfaith/least offensive card.

Terry: Great card - but is it new year for all faiths?

Gregor - that is about the level of clarity in my eyes on christmas morning - It lasts until lunchtime, then a visit to the village pub ameliorates the situation nicely.

Late Developer · « **Reply #8 on:** December 18, 2010, 09:23:19 AM »

No worries Leon, I'd presumed as much but it's not always easy to be certain unless you can see the whites of someone's eyes when they're saying something

Unfortunately, I am not, nor shall I ever be, the most politically correct person. It's not that I have a problem with things, I'm just of "a certain generation" and a rather blunt northerner, to-boot. I do my best not to offend, though...

Snow arrived in the south east / east anglia yesterday, so I'm going to see if there's a chance of shooting something Christmas-y / Solstice-y / Wintry or just some people getting drunk and eating too much...

vicky slater · « **Reply #9 on:** December 18, 2010, 09:44:51 AM »

we have at least 4 inches here today, it's stunning...i know i should make the most of it but it's so bloomin cold :)

leon, i know quite a few people who don't do xmas or halloween etc, i don't really get it...to me it's just a tradition, i'm an atheist veering on agnostic but i still enjoy a good xmas carol :) each to their own.
(and if i've offended anyone, sorry)

and the sun's trying to come out now!

SuzanneR · « **Reply #10 on:** December 18, 2010, 12:54:34 PM »

I'm not particularly religious, but I like my tree each year, and my husband is Jewish, so he likes to light the candles on the menorah, so the kids get one big celebration each December and it's totally exhausting. At times, I'd love to ditch all the attendant work that comes with the holidays, and simply celebrate Festivus!!

Yes, indeed... Festivus for the rest of us!! Cheers, everyone

LT · « **Reply #11 on:** December 18, 2010, 01:38:20 PM »

Quote from: SuzanneR on December 18, 2010, 12:54:34 PM

Festivus for the rest of us!! Cheers, everyone

Festivus it is! That's even better than Winterval.

Happy Festivus one and all

Cheers

SuzanneR · « **Reply #12 on:** December 18, 2010, 02:28:53 PM »

I can't take credit for it, Leon (Seinfeld... ) but I loved the notion of it!!

Nigel · « **Reply #13 on:** December 18, 2010, 03:43:20 PM »

I think you'd have to be deliberately obtuse to be offended by a celebration of a festival you don't believe in. I don't happen to worship any god but I'm very happy to receive a card from someone celebrating theirs whichever it might be.

Merry Festivus and a Happy New/Mid year to everyone!

Nigel

Late Developer · « **Reply #14 on:** December 18, 2010, 03:58:02 PM »

Nigel, I couldn't agree more. However, our ex-next-door-neighbour is a Jehovah's Witness and she got really narky when we sent her a Christmas card (incidentally, we had no idea what he beliefs were when we sent it). There's no pleasing some folk....

choppert · « **Reply #15 on:** December 18, 2010, 08:17:31 PM »

Merry Christmas to one and all

Chops

original_ann · « **Reply #16 on:** December 19, 2010, 01:35:48 AM »

I like to be totally badass and wish people Merry Christmas right to their faces. I like to live on the edge that way

vicky slater · « **Reply #17 on:** December 19, 2010, 01:39:48 PM »

I do love Ann :)

Francois · « **Reply #18 on:** December 19, 2010, 03:57:25 PM »

Ann being badass... that must be scary

Even though I don't think it's possible

So, I do want to send a big jolly Merry Christmas to all!
A great big hug to all the girls (with a kiss on both cheeks to go with it)

And to all those who want to turn down a party for whatever reason, a big bah-humbug to you.

moominsean · « **Reply #19 on:** December 19, 2010, 09:15:51 PM »

i had a bad case of festivus once, but a couple weeks of antibiotics cleared it up.

moominsean · « **Reply #20 on:** December 19, 2010, 09:22:22 PM »

oh, and to soften the religious edge, a completely arbitrary...

Miles · « **Reply #21 on:** December 19, 2010, 09:57:37 PM »

If there's no Lord of Hosts, who's going to smite us ? It's been years now since we had one but it seems that only deities do the really good smiting.

And lo ...

Nigel · « **Reply #22 on:** December 20, 2010, 09:15:28 AM »

Continuing the, so Christmassy, abandoned chair theme...

LT · « **Reply #23 on:** December 20, 2010, 11:13:36 AM »

I've opened up the theme a bit - industrial installations and derelict concrete structures. A fitting subject for joyous occasions.

moominsean · « **Reply #24 on:** December 20, 2010, 11:38:51 AM »

fesitval.

LT · « **Reply #25 on:** December 20, 2010, 02:51:44 PM »

I doubt you would have heard of the ancient Midwinter Fesitval? It is the Sanskrit origins of the word Festival and the root of all the Indo-European words for Luxury Yacht. - Fesitval informing the proto-latin Fesitivus. And through a series of misspellings ended up Festivus > Feste > Foist > Faust> Uvula > Throatwobblermangrove etc.

Blaxton · « **Reply #26 on:** December 20, 2010, 05:20:17 PM »

Leon's etymology of Festivus sent me to my OED. I was amazed to learn that Festivus is not just a word created by Seinfeld writers. As to the rest of it, I'll only say that I like Leon's version better.

Before our nest emptied, we used to send out Festivus (we didn't call them that) cards with a family photo. Here's one from 1995 that, I think, depicts the seasonal sentiments expressed in this thread.

original_ann · « **Reply #27 on:** December 20, 2010, 09:25:40 PM »

That is a funny, funny xmas photo, blaxton!

Francois · « **Reply #28 on:** December 20, 2010, 10:27:35 PM »

Thanks to Google autocomplete, I now have an idea about what can go with festivus...

Terry · « **Reply #29 on:** December 21, 2010, 01:42:48 AM »

Leon: those are the best holiday images I've ever seen! You've captured the (generic) spirit of the thing to perfection.

Suzi Livingstone · « **Reply #30 on:** December 21, 2010, 11:52:39 AM »

Don't think I'm gonna get any time to log on between now and New Year so HAPPY CHRISTMAS everyone!

Hope Santa fills all your stockings and see yah next year

Late Developer · « **Reply #31 on:** December 22, 2010, 10:28:50 PM »

Yup, I'll second that, Suzi.

May we all have a healthy, happy, exciting and peaceful time over the next week or so. Whatever presents we might receive, here's hoping lots of them will be oodles of film.

Paul.

Ed Wenn · « **Reply #32 on:** December 23, 2010, 09:36:09 PM »

I find myself in Cornwall (far from home) doing the Christmas-break thing with my wife's family. Most of you will know how much I love Cornwall, but being here with so many people, in such a small space and in the dead of winter....hmmm, we'll see.

What I have done however which is of (slightly) more interest to the rest of you is that I have decided to give 'proper' film a go over and above instant film. I left the LF at home and dug out my Bronny S2A. I stuffed my camera bag full of whatever 120 b/w I had lying around the house and the house and set off downstairs resolved not to shoot any instants this week. My nerve held for all of 30 seconds before I also grabbed my Land Cam and a couple of packs of 125i....well, despite my best intentions to start home-devving again in 2011, there's no guarantee that anything I shoot this week will get processed before the kids leave home, so I need the 125i as a back up

The S2A is one of my faves though and I'm really looking forward to using it again (I think I can just about remember how to load it!!). I fitted it with a 'home made' lens (i.e. a loupe and lots of electrical tape). I tried the lens/camera combo out once, 2 and a half years ago and loved the results (see photo below)....then never used it again. Time to get back on it.

Ed Wenn · « **Reply #33 on:** December 23, 2010, 09:45:22 PM »

Actually, I tell a lie. After reading this post on Flickr it turns out I used the camera again in December 2008. At the time I posted to Flickr I was excited about how the photos would come out and looking forward to seeing the results etc.

Right.....

Erm, so that would be the exposed roll of Efke that I found in the camera this morning as I packed to come on holiday. I have absolutely no idea what's on it, but I'm intrigued now that I know I was once excited about the photos I'd taken. I wonder if the excitement expressed by my younger self will be warranted?

Late Developer · « **Reply #34 on:** December 23, 2010, 10:01:21 PM »

Beautiful picture, Ed. The red and black tape job? Well, I'm more a sky blue fan myself....

Terry · « **Reply #35 on:** December 23, 2010, 10:16:02 PM »

Well, we seem to have diverted from the festive anyhow, so here's a shot I took this morning on a roll of Efke 100. I got this Bencini Comet S and I had three rolls of 127 film in the fridge, so finally got out with it and shot something. I was struck by the absence of people in town today--hence the shot of an empty library window. I like the way the frame number intrudes into the picture area. I really like the way this camera gives 16 vertically oriented frames. Kinda cool.

LT · « **Reply #36 on:** December 24, 2010, 09:47:40 AM »

just found this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festivus

jojonas~ · « **Reply #37 on:** December 24, 2010, 10:58:00 AM »

leon, why didn't I see these photos earlier?? I'd have asked to use them and send out instead of my own embarrasing attempt with doodled hats and whatnot

Skorj · « **Reply #38 on:** December 24, 2010, 01:42:44 PM »

Does this tourist cliche from yesterday count?

Greetings from Tokyo regardless! Thanks all for the support and participation this last year. We're looking forward to the Year of the Rabbit. Skj.

Francois · « **Reply #39 on:** December 24, 2010, 03:26:11 PM »

Quote from: leon taylor on December 24, 2010, 09:47:40 AM

just found this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festivus

You mean you have an aluminum pole at home and enjoy wrestling visitors

original_ann · « **Reply #40 on:** December 24, 2010, 03:34:00 PM »

Gorgeous capture Ed!

LT · « **Reply #41 on:** December 24, 2010, 06:49:36 PM »

Quote from: Francois on December 24, 2010, 03:26:11 PM

You mean you have an aluminum pole at home and enjoy wrestling visitors

Doesn't everyone?

Alan · « **Reply #42 on:** December 25, 2010, 10:25:25 AM »

seasons greetings to all at FW from Galway Ireland !

Late Developer · « **Reply #43 on:** December 25, 2010, 12:37:25 PM »

.....put the beef in the oven an hour ago and just finished peeling the potatoes, parsnips and shalotts.

Happy Saturday to one and all......

Francois · « **Reply #44 on:** December 25, 2010, 04:23:15 PM »

Merry Xmas everyone!

Hope Santa brought something nice

Mojave · « **Reply #45 on:** December 25, 2010, 05:02:38 PM »

Happy Holidays and Merry Living to everybody!!!

Mojave · « **Reply #46 on:** December 25, 2010, 05:05:17 PM »

Ed, that image is just gorgeous! What is a loupe?

Francois · « **Reply #47 on:** December 25, 2010, 09:12:39 PM »

Quote from: Mojave on December 25, 2010, 05:05:17 PM

Ed, that image is just gorgeous! What is a loupe?

A loupe is the same as a magnifying glass. We use the same word in French

Mojave · « **Reply #48 on:** December 27, 2010, 04:40:26 AM »

I have a bunch of monocles. I want to know how to make lenses out of them but I have no idea.