the sweet light » Film photography and natural light.

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Film. Kodak Ektar 100.

I should have mentioned this sooner… But one thing leads to another, and it slipped my mind.

It’s been in the works for over a year now.  And a few of you have already noticed – 5 of my images were selected by Ikea for a postcard set.  Included in the set are: collect your thoughts, keep looking, music, the journey, and urban vintage.  Each of these images bring back such sweet memories for me.  They were all taken in 2009, and in many ways – my photography and style have changed.

I received these in the mail from my publisher, but I have yet to actually see them in the store.  A few more trips to Ikea are in my near future!

And yes, this these images are from the same roll of film as this.

Finally, I participated in Lindsay’s Photography Month series by sharing a few film photography tips. Thanks, Lindsay!

Posted in film
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  • Lucent Imagery - January 22, 2012 - 9:02 pm

    Oh wow, that is incredible! Congratulations!ReplyCancel

  • Pink Ronnie - January 22, 2012 - 9:38 pm

    Gabrielle, that is so amazing! And those are such beautiful photos as well. That must be quite exciting for you – I shall look out for them here in Sydney as well!
    Ronnie xoReplyCancel

  • Suzanne - January 23, 2012 - 1:35 am

    Oh my, how exciting! There’s something so very special about being published…whatever the form. Next time I go to Ikea, I’ll look for these.ReplyCancel

  • Nina Designs - January 23, 2012 - 3:01 am

    Whow! That’s great! I’ll make sure to buy them next time I visit Ikea! I absolutely love your photos!ReplyCancel

  • Suzie - January 23, 2012 - 6:52 am

    congratulations, they are wonderful!ReplyCancel

  • Daniella - January 23, 2012 - 10:17 am

    How exciting! Congrats!ReplyCancel

  • Lindsay - Shrimp Salad Circus - January 23, 2012 - 10:40 am

    Ahh – that’s SO exciting!!! Congratulations!ReplyCancel

  • alice - January 23, 2012 - 11:47 am

    Oh my goodness! That’s huge and awesome!! Congratulations. :)ReplyCancel

  • Lindsay - January 23, 2012 - 12:15 pm

    Oh, awesome! I wish I had an Ikea nearby so I could pick them up. Congrats! :)ReplyCancel

  • anka - January 23, 2012 - 4:28 pm

    How nice! Hope they’ll bring them to Romania, too!ReplyCancel

  • Vickie - January 24, 2012 - 1:40 am

    wow! congratulations, they’re gorgeousReplyCancel

  • Sylvia - January 24, 2012 - 1:49 am

    Oh my, congrats!! I’ll look for them next trip to Ikea!!ReplyCancel

  • GayleV - January 24, 2012 - 11:13 am

    How fun!! Always a fun thing to see your images in print! On store shelves will be even better!ReplyCancel

  • margaret - January 25, 2012 - 12:02 pm

    beautiful and congratulations! Cant wait to get my hands on a set.ReplyCancel

  • Janice - January 25, 2012 - 1:08 pm

    Wow, that is amazing! Congratulations! :)ReplyCancel

  • Astrid - January 27, 2012 - 10:36 am

    Wow! Congratulations so much!ReplyCancel

  • Esra - January 27, 2012 - 3:19 pm

    Congratulations. I’ll definitely look for them next time i’m in Ikea.

    I’ve been following you photos on flickr and just came to your blog. Your work is absolutely beautiful.ReplyCancel

  • Carolyn - January 31, 2012 - 11:32 am

    I picked up a pack last week when I was shopping there. It was kind of cool to think I’ve been following your work for some time now and here it is on the shelves of Ikea! Well done you! :)ReplyCancel

  • Mary - February 2, 2012 - 2:19 am

    Wow that is wonderful!!!
    You are in for a treat seeing your work in Ikea, it should be exciting! Many many congrats.
    xoReplyCancel

  • the blogging life and some tangible inspiration - February 10, 2012 - 6:26 am

    […] and I went frantically through all their offer, because I was looking for something in particular: postcards by Gabrielle Kai. And I found […]ReplyCancel

  • sausalito for brunch » the sweet light - February 13, 2012 - 4:00 am

    […] to thank those of you who have emailed, shared pictures, and sent such kind words when finding my postcards in […]ReplyCancel

  • a trip to ikea » the sweet light - March 4, 2012 - 9:06 pm

    […] now, I’ve only copies of my IKEA postcards sent to me by my publisher.  I knew that I needed to go to the store and see them […]ReplyCancel

  • christina - January 28, 2014 - 6:47 pm

    i don’t have an ikea near me, so i just happened to buy these the last time i was visiting family. i planned to get them framed to decorate my craft room. however, a good friend of mine has recently really gotten into photography and i want to send them to her as a gift. i checked ikea’s site and they are no long available. do you know anywhere else i can get them? thanks so much!
    christinaReplyCancel

Polaroid 600 film

The first two images from my last pack of polaroid film….. I’m not quite sure why I held on to this pack for so long.  Maybe I was waiting on a grand trip to someplace special?  I’ve decided to devote it to capturing my everyday.  I don’t need a special occasion, right?

I’m working on two photography projects that I’d like to share with you.  Currently, a visual journal is a little place where I collect images I take on my iphone.  These are images that I post on instagram, but I wanted a better place to view them online.  You can see the original polaroid above here.

Secondly, I have decided to do a 365 project once again this year.  I have titled it, the seemingly mundane – everyday captures of my life that may seem mundane to most, but are little captures of beauty in my day to day life.  I plan to use a variety of different mediums for this project to keep my creativity flowing – instant film, 35mm, but the majority of images in this project are digital.   I happen to like the variety.  Daily updates will probably not happen, but I will upload my daily pictures as my schedule permits.

And finally, I’m enjoying Maegan and Corinne’s new collaboration – Thoughtfully Irrelevant.

Please feel free to share any projects that you are working on, or any creative projects that you are enjoying right now – I’d love to know.

Posted in film, polaroid, polaroid 660
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  • Katelyn - January 18, 2012 - 10:17 pm

    I am in love with your site. Every photo is beautifulReplyCancel

  • mary - January 19, 2012 - 10:13 am

    I absolutely *love* these images – so dreamy! Adding your iPhone journal to my reader – I’ve set up something similar, too. I’m taking so many more shots using my iPhone than my Big Girl Camera 😉 …just much more convenient for me since I’m back working full-time.

    And love, love your 365 images! Perfection, in my eyes.ReplyCancel

  • maegan - January 19, 2012 - 5:00 pm

    I love both of those projects, Azzari! They will both become regular stops on my online journeys! And thank you so much for the nod to Corinne and my new collaboration! We’re so glad you like it!ReplyCancel

Film. Ilford HP5 400.

My heart is full after a long holiday weekend.

I thought that I would explain to my daughter the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  Little did I know that she would blow me away with her understanding of issues and ideas that I thought were way to complicated for a 5 year old little girl.

And I think she put it best by simply stating….

“Mommy, because of Dr. King, we can all be friends.”

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Posted in black and white, film, my life
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  • leila - January 17, 2012 - 4:36 am

    ohh, that warmed my heart. so sweet : ) and i love these photosReplyCancel

  • Janice - January 18, 2012 - 9:47 pm

    The first photo is so exquisite. I love your detail and the contrast. Beautiful.ReplyCancel

  • jenny - January 28, 2012 - 12:47 pm

    these are beautiful! i just bought that same film and i knew i could find images on your site to see how they should turn out. :)ReplyCancel

Film. Ilford HP 400.

Loving this black and white film.  Images I captured in December, and just got around to developing.

More soon….

Posted in black and white, film, little ones
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  • Birgitte Brøndsted - January 13, 2012 - 2:26 am

    I love the first one! Also love the new simple layout of your blog :-)

    Ciao,
    BirgitteReplyCancel

  • suzie - January 13, 2012 - 3:34 am

    I love the softness of these, beautiful.ReplyCancel

  • Karin - January 13, 2012 - 7:11 am

    Lovely shots. Especially the fire place and the little girl with the water can.ReplyCancel

  • Daniella - January 13, 2012 - 10:38 am

    Love the fireplace wood!ReplyCancel

Film. Fuji Superia 400.

I’ve never been much of a coffee person until recently.

Now, I need a cup to get through my day.

All I need is this moment.  5 minutes, actually.

Preferably with a cookie.  And a bit of peace of quiet.

To recharge, refresh, and renew my spirit.

Posted in film, Food and Drink
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  • Karin - January 9, 2012 - 6:53 am

    I’m not much of a coffee drinker, but that chocolate chip cookie looks delicious 😉ReplyCancel

  • Daniella - January 9, 2012 - 10:30 am

    Yum, looks good.ReplyCancel

  • Lucent Imagery - January 9, 2012 - 6:32 pm

    So glad you try to grab those moments just for you. It must be hard to get but certainly cherished and important. I too have been drinking coffee more often when we are out and about. One thing I’m yet to learn, is where the term “cup of joe” came from?? Is that an American thing? Hope you are well lovely.ReplyCancel

  • Gretchen - January 9, 2012 - 9:49 pm

    Looks amazing!!! I would love to sit down with that coffee and cookie!ReplyCancel

  • kylie - January 15, 2012 - 2:37 pm

    it looks like a lovely moment.
    (im a big coffee drinker … for the coffee, and the 5 minutes of quiet.)ReplyCancel

  • Pink Ronnie - January 22, 2012 - 9:41 pm

    Looks just perfect – I like my cup of tea with a cookie too… been eating too many lately, actually.
    Ronnie xoReplyCancel

Film. Kodak Ektar 100.

Something happened when my film was processed, and those two red lines appeared on every shot from this roll….

Just another lesson that with film, you never know.

You never know what you will get.

It’s an element of surprise, really.  But sometimes you have to embrace things that are less than perfect.   Isn’t that just what life is all about?

Posted in film, home is love, yours truly
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  • Rachel | heraura.com - January 4, 2012 - 9:53 pm

    The same thing happened to me with a roll of film from my honeymoon, there were two thin red lines very similar to yours. Kind of annoying but it also gives it some character :)ReplyCancel

  • Sharon Caillier - January 4, 2012 - 10:18 pm

    Your pictures are beautiful even with the red lines. The elements in your photos are so nice that I hardly noticed the lines. I truly enjoy your work.ReplyCancel

  • Nina Designs - January 5, 2012 - 2:25 am

    Call me weird, but I kind of like those two lines 😉
    I’m a big fan of your photography!
    Oh, and my real name is Gabriella.ReplyCancel

  • TraceykinohioTraceykenard - January 5, 2012 - 11:02 am

    Red lines? What red lines? LOL! I agree – film shooting is all about the surprise. I still like the shos with the lines & good for you for giving film the time of day; once the “diggy” age arrived, I never looked back :-)ReplyCancel

  • Lindsay - January 5, 2012 - 2:06 pm

    These are so pretty! Still, it’s pretty annoying to find that you spent all that time and the roll didn’t turn out like you expected. A gamble it is…ReplyCancel

  • Karen - January 6, 2012 - 10:30 pm

    These are beautiful.ReplyCancel

  • postcards » the sweet light - January 22, 2012 - 8:24 pm

    […] And yes, this these images are from the same roll of film as this. […]ReplyCancel

  • Heather - January 25, 2012 - 11:16 am

    If these were processed in a photolab at a convenience store such as CVS or Walgreens, the lines are from their photomachine and not your actual film. I work in a photolab and we have that problem a lot. It is something to do with the chemicals not being balanced properly.ReplyCancel

Sometimes, I love my kitchen even better when it is lit by candlelight.

There is something about winter and candles – they somehow go together perfectly.

 

Posted in digital
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  • Daniella - January 2, 2012 - 10:36 pm

    Agreed! I light some candles as soon as I get home from work.ReplyCancel

  • Karen - January 3, 2012 - 7:03 am

    Your picture looks so inviting and cozy…ReplyCancel

  • tracey k in ohio - January 3, 2012 - 12:39 pm

    What a lovely shot. Truly warm & inviting. I always keep candles going in the winter, especially in the kitchen while cooking. Otherwise, little tea lights sprinkled here & there while the snow is raging outside gives a warm, safe feeling :-)ReplyCancel

  • margie - January 4, 2012 - 1:56 am

    so true, tonight we ate a candelit dinner in front of the television for no other reason than It is freezing outside.ReplyCancel

  • Jenn - January 4, 2012 - 6:13 pm

    I am so in love with this website. All your images are alive.ReplyCancel

A year ago, I bought a Pentax 35mm film camera on ebay that was older than I am.  Little did I know how much I would fall in love with film photography.

Learning is a process though.  Imagine my reaction when I went to pick up my first roll of film, in which I am carefully composed each shot, and it came out completely blank.  I was crushed.  But I didn’t let that stop me.  In fact, it motivated me to truly learn my craft.

Looking back at these photos from my first few rolls, I am reminded of how far I have come.  How unsure of myself I was a year ago, and how more confident I am now.  I still have a lot to learn in this new year, and new directions I would like to take my work.

I’d like to share with you some of my favorite film images from this past year….

 

I’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for visiting this little space of mine over the past year.  Your emails and comments (I read each and every one) mean the world to me.

Happy New Year, my friends.

Posted in film
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  • Maegan - December 30, 2011 - 7:58 pm

    It has been a joy to watch you grow and experiment in this craft at which you are so inevitably gifted! Film found you just as much as you found it! Happy New Year to you, Azzari!ReplyCancel

  • Jay - December 30, 2011 - 8:19 pm

    Beautiful depth in all the photos. I love the one with the floral curtain.ReplyCancel

  • Line - December 30, 2011 - 9:57 pm

    simply beautiful, happy new year ★ReplyCancel

  • Daniella - December 30, 2011 - 11:17 pm

    So many great photos! Wishing you all the best for the new year! Can’t wait to see what pics you take in the new year :)ReplyCancel

  • Vickie - December 31, 2011 - 6:34 am

    these are gorgeous.

    I hope your 2012 is full of wonderful things :)ReplyCancel

  • traceykinohio - December 31, 2011 - 9:25 am

    I have admire your talent since I stumbled across your blog when you were first starting out, and I’ve been coming back, daily. You are SO, SO talented & have inspired me to keep pushing on w/my photography. Thank you for sharing your beautiful life thru the lens – here’s to a great 2012!! :-)ReplyCancel

  • Karen - December 31, 2011 - 11:04 am

    These pictures are just lovely I can’t decide which is my favorite. Happy new year.ReplyCancel

  • Carolyn - December 31, 2011 - 12:53 pm

    Such beautiful images. I am rediscovering film too, after abandoning it for a couple of years. The conviniece of digital was what sold it to me, but the results of film cannot be replaced it seems! happy new year!ReplyCancel

  • Rachel Del Grosso - December 31, 2011 - 2:45 pm

    You are wonderful. I can’t wait to see what you come up with in 2012!ReplyCancel

  • Suzie - January 1, 2012 - 5:24 am

    Wow, I can’t believe you only started so recently. These photos are beautiful, the light is wonderful. Have a great 2012! xReplyCancel

  • Pink Ronnie - January 2, 2012 - 6:00 am

    These are oh so very beautiful. You have inspired me to buy my very own Pentax and to start learning film…. thank you for sharing these precious photos. And hope you’ve made a wonderful start to the new year.
    Ronnie xoReplyCancel

  • Janice - January 3, 2012 - 1:49 am

    These are all wonderful :) And I know exactly what you mean about the first roll coming out less than perfect (ohhh, do I know!)

    Happy new year!ReplyCancel

  • melody - January 4, 2012 - 10:39 pm

    just found your blog through flickr. You really have a way of seeing the light and I love your detail photos!ReplyCancel

  • Paula - January 5, 2012 - 9:21 am

    Such an inspirational post! You’ve picked up film photography in such a short space of time and take such beautiful shots. And you really know your film. I’ve just started to get into film using an old Olympus SLR. Had my first disaster loading ISO 100 for (mainly) low light conditions. The majority of shots failed but I learned more from this experience than any digital experience so far. I realised I need to really get to know this camera, it’s settings, what film it ‘likes’ – yep, i should have gone with 400 in this case. Oh, and I adore your daughters dress in the previous post. Your blog is so gorgeous :)ReplyCancel

  • kylie - January 5, 2012 - 8:43 pm

    all are so beautiful.
    i recently got a pentax k1000 and have dived into film – gosh, i worry each and every time that the roll will come back blank! but, i am slowly learning.
    (love the top two images!)ReplyCancel

  • Jill Jennings - January 6, 2012 - 11:47 am

    Lovely photos. Thanks for sharing your journey with film.ReplyCancel

Scenes from our table this morning….. (and the first from a party last night)

Merry Christmas to you!

Posted in digital, Food and Drink, home is love, little ones
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  • Karin - December 26, 2011 - 4:35 am

    Lovely shots. And that first picture is adorable.ReplyCancel

  • Diane - December 26, 2011 - 1:20 pm

    love the warm hue of the morning photos and that first one is precious!ReplyCancel

  • Rachel Del Grosso - December 26, 2011 - 4:41 pm

    These are just beautiful as always!ReplyCancel

  • Kristina - December 26, 2011 - 6:51 pm

    merry Christmas to you too!ReplyCancel

  • Vickie - December 27, 2011 - 1:54 am

    these are gorgeous & I love the red dress/gold shoes :)

    hope you all had a lovely christmasReplyCancel

  • Daniella - December 28, 2011 - 12:07 am

    Love the first pic! How cute!ReplyCancel

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