The Weekly Download - Issue 5
Kicking Rocks & Fracturing Toes
Hey Film Fam!
Welcome to another sneak peek into what I’m doing in my little film gremlin corner of the world!
Some unexpected chaos happened this week and I honestly can’t wait to tell you about it - purely because it’s the silliest thing ever and I’m loving how some of you shoot me messages about how much you adore a little bit of gossip in amongst the fun photography updates! It’s lowkey giving besties having a sleepover vibes and I’m here for it.
So, let's dive into our weekly creative hangout! Grab your favourite drink (Girl, I need a fuckin shot this week, smh), settle in, and let's get cracking with it!
This Week in My World:
Be careful what you wish for, right?
Remember how I’ve been dreading the end of year and stressed out of my mind because I freaked myself out by realizing I only have 9 days “off” over the next 7 weeks? Well, ask (or in my case, complain) and the ol’ Universe delivers.
I asked for a break (heh) and I meant the cutesy kind where I get to have a really lovely vay-cay, kick back and relax, and have time to decompress before the new year where I hope by February I can hit the ground running again and do a serious overhaul of ‘Josie On Film’ along with my writing projects.
Instead, I fractured my fucking toe (now you know why I said ‘heh’) recently on Sunday, kicking a literal rock - by accident of course. I’ve been at the doctors multiple times, had x-rays, am wadding around in pain, and tomorrow I have to go see a specialist. Yay for me!
I did a spectacular job of chipping a literal chunk of my bone off right on the edge of one of my joints making it painful to use it at all - which I found out that’s kind of a big no-no - and why I have to take it a bit more seriously than a standard break.
It’s looking like a 6 week long recovery which brings us riiiight to the new year before I can be fully functional again - no gym, no heavy lifting, no climbing rocks again, no long road trips, no bush walks, etc. Basically, don’t walk if you don’t have to.
I’ve managed to negotiate my way through 3 chill-ish photography events that are upcoming (because I hate cancelling!) but I had to promise to be extra careful. And everything else? Postponed.
Fuck… not exactly ideal. So I guess ya girl got her wish in some ass backwards way after all!
Weekly Adventures
I was mostly working this last week and didn’t go out nearly as much, majority of my time was locked in to finish a huge gallery for a gorgeous couples shoot I did a little while ago (You’ll see a sneak peek further down!)
I spent a bit of time recalibrating and fixing my schedule and I’m actually feeling really good about the next month and a bit - I’ll be able to finish off the two major shoots I did with 8+ rolls each - which translates to around 150+ hours of editing alone for each one, or 19 x 8 hour days (or the classic overworking 12-14 hour days means I’ll smash each one out in 10 or so lol)
And then I can dev my final batch of film for the year and have a quick little break before the new year kicks off, yay!
I did manage to have a weekend free for the first time since August - between appointments, my weekly classes, and other events mainly in the Blue Mountains I just haven’t had a moment to myself, or to spend with loved ones.
So I was really excited to finally take a trip down the South Coast and spend some quality time with Jordan, and even managed to go to the beach twice!
Chasing Waves? Nah, Kicking Rocks
First stop was Saturday night, where we went a little late so we were mostly lit up by street lamps, and it was windy as heck. I did take my camera but quickly realized it was way too dark to bother shooting film and instead spent my time collecting seashells. We bailed and went back home where I locked myself away in Jordan’s office to work on The Artist’s Way before bed.
Sunday was meant to be another cute photo walk moment. I wanted to finish a roll of Fomapan 400 before loading some Colorplus again, and Jordan had a specific spot he wanted to show me at a Port Kembla beach.
We had been once before but bad weather had to cut the trip short so it was nice to be there during a nice day for once and take advantage of the gorgeous sunshine we snagged in between the wild storms that have been happening. I had my Ricoh KR-10 Super, and was also testing an Olympus Muji-II point and shoot with Kodak Gold, and Jordan had his N50 as always.
I pushed myself to shoot some more abstract things and get out of my comfort zone, keeping in mind I had mainly B/W film loaded. And I was having a blast! We made it onto the main part of the beach and I couldn’t resist feeling the sand against my skin, so… I took my shoes off.
Around the corner from the main area of the beach is a little tunnel with water, and I immediately walked through the little stream flowing from it into the ocean, and was excited to see that the water was lovely and cool. A little further along are the rocks, and a mini waterfall which looks gorgeous.
(Sadly I didn’t take any photos on my phone as I was focused on being in the moment and shooting film, so you’ll have to use your imagination.)
This is where things slowly start to go wrong - dear reader - and I’m sure when I tell you that I decided to walk on said slippery rocks barefoot, you’ll cringe a little.
I wanted some lovely photos of the stream and the splashing mini waterfall and the seagulls playing in it, so I carefully climbed around them and was going to tip toe across the rocks to the large flat area that is the upper shelf that links to the cool rusty pipes Jordan wanted to shoot. Jordan was concerned and suggested I should go back down the little waterfall, walk around, and climb the dry bigger rocks instead. “Please don’t slip on those rocks, we don’t need you to get injured today.” - aka, famous last words.
I listened to him, climbed down, and didn’t slip on the wet rocks like he was worried about. Instead I began climbing the dry rocks perfectly fine - until the last step up where I mis-stepped and essentially kicked it, and fractured my toe in the process.
You're probably thinking “Wtf Josie?!" - and believe me, I know! It’s so bloody stupid and frankly embarrassing that my first ever broken bone is from kicking a damn rock because I’m clumsy.
I thought it wasn’t too bad so I stood in a pool of cold water which was soothing, and then spent another 20 or so minutes trying to convince Jordan we can just be really careful and slowly waddle around taking photos.
Eventually I admitted defeat, got some hot chips as a snack and then went back to Jordan’s so I could pack my car. I had to drive nearly 2 hours back home - and then last minute decided to see a doctor who immediately ordered X-rays and within an hour after that - yep. Fractured, lol.
What a way to spend my Sunday, right?!
Creative Updates
Week 1 - The Artist’s Way, Completed!
It feels so bizarre to keep track of it and talk about it so frequently, but it’s also holding me accountable and I kind of love that!
One of the key points of TAW is to not look at your ‘morning pages’ (or for me, evening pages) and to just write, close the book and move on with your day - so I won’t be able to share specific snippets to Midweek Musings and Interlinked until a few more weeks pass!
I will say I have been procrastinating some days because it brings up big uncomfortable emotions, especially as I’m a traumatized girlie with CPTSD and D.I.D as you know. But I’ve talked to other creatives and apparently the whole first month is just absolutely brutal yet profoundly healing - they all encouraged me to keep going, it gets better.
I’m surprised at what’s been coming up for me as well, and how it’s been inspiring and influencing my writing overall. Kinda cool to see!
I did miss out on my weekly reflection because of my little fracture emergency - but I’m planning on catching up on that tomorrow and making a longer writing session out of it.
I lied about not buying more film cameras… again.
Maybe this is why I fractured my toe, to restore order?
I nabbed two more Ricoh’s for an insanely low price. Another Ricoh TLS 401 which I plan to rebuild and make content of that process, and a Ricoh KR-5 which will be my first body of.
Both are gorgeous mechanical cameras and that’s what I look for when doing CLA and repair practicing.
And you know me, I see a Ricoh, I gotta save it. Shout out to Andy for giving me the heads up - you must have known I’d have talked myself into getting them hah!
Newsletters
Still working on a few! This week is a more chill week so I’m carving out some time on Thursday/Friday to prep a handful of Midweek Musings.
These kind of go hand in hand with TAW so I have to work my way through some things before I feel that spark and know what to write about
I also have my microphone set up ready to record voice overs - so I’m excited about that too!
Getting Serious & Killing The Doomscroll
I’ve set up my phone to literally bully me out of doom scrolling and instead have picked some easy creative activities I can do during this timeframe if I feel like I need to be distracted or soothed in some way.
Instagram is limited to 2.5 hours on work days, and 1 hour on non-work days. My phone locks the app until midnight hits which has been kind of annoying but also helpful.
TikTok is daaaangerous so it’s on a 30 minute lock too.
Games and other distractions are the same.
Productive apps, e-books, google docs, emails, etc are all unlimited. Although having said that, browsing websites and looking at current Black Friday Sales is strictly off limits!
And I’ve streamlined my ‘emotional support pile’ of stuff to be just 2 things to choose from instead of a handful of different books, journals, crafts, etc. Otherwise I get stuck in decision paralysis and stare at the ceiling for hours on end - just as bad as doom scrolling.
I just need to fix my fucked sleep schedule next!
Behind the Scenes + Sneak Peeks!
Nick + Mel - Dark Lovers
As mentioned I finished up this gorgeous couples shoot I did with Nick and Mel, my amazing friends who braved the insanely cold winds at the end of Winter to get these shots.
We went with a bit of a punk vibe with vibrant red RGB continuous lighting, and utilized a smoke machine and of course my glowy 80’s filters as well for some extra drama when the highlights popped off.
They matched outfits which was so fucking cute and did an amazing job at being all loved up while I snapped away.
I’ll be posting a few carousels on Instagram this week, but for now have a few sneak peeks!
I used my Ricoh KR-10 Super with a 28mm f/2.8, and my XR-10PF with a 100mm f/4 lens. Along with of course, the Pentax 17.
Juggling all three cameras with very different lens lengths meant I was walking back and forth constantly. But I’m a prime girly and will never use zoom lenses on shoots because I adore creamy dreamy bokeh and shooting wide open whenever possible!
This wasn’t a paid shoot - and this wasn’t for any Pentax 17 marketing.
This was just a fun free shoot between besties, and I’d always wanted to practice doing a couples shoot, so I’m really grateful they took the time out of their day to go along with my vision and trust me to try something new!
I think we all killed it! I’m in love with how it all went and I’m so excited for my next couples shoot with these two lovebirds!
What I'm Exploring + Weekly Recommendations
Makeup Overhaul
I’m kind of in a bit of a ‘declutter’ mode - and if you didn’t know, I used to be a professional HMUA till I had to step back in 2023 because of my spinal injury.
I still have my massive makeup kit which I need to go through and get rid of expired products, and whatever is left is now just my own personal kit.
It’s been a mixed grieving process for me, because it was a massive passion and I was insanely proud of not just shooting and developing my own film, but doing the entire production including Hair and Makeup, and costume design for my shoots.
I really miss wearing makeup, but sadly with my disabilities I don’t have the energy to do a 2020 era full beat drag inspired gothic glam everyday like I used to - however my therapist recommended I attempt to wear lipstick every day for a week or so and see if that shifts my mindset about it a bit. So I’m doing just that!
Tea Time?
I’m tempted to try Matcha tea - but I’m scared to commit and end up hating it because the starter kits seem a little exxy.
I’m a huuuuge lover of all things herbal teas and I often make my own custom mixes, but they’re getting a bit bleh and boring for me right now.
I do highly recommend anything with mint because I’m obsessed - still sad that T2 don’t do Vanilla Mint like they did years ago. I’m finally all out :(
If you have any tea recommendations, please let me know!
Community Recommendations!
I asked a bunch of you on Instagram what I should do now that I’m being forced to rest and I got some great recommendations for cool tv shows and books.
I’m definitely going to be binge watching Outlander again and catching up on where everyone else is at. I stopped watching it around Season 5 and don’t really know why!
I’m also considering reading the book finally which has been on my TBR for ages.
So thank you for the reminder of that gorgeous show, and I’m keen to try a few of the other recs you gave!
Questions of the Week
Okay, time to confess - what was your most ridiculous injury? Can you beat mine?
Do you feel like you treat yourself nicer when you have a physical injury, versus another injury such as an ‘invisible’ health flare up, or mental health issue?
What’s your go-to feel good activity when you’re feeling a little sore and sorry for yourself?
Share your thoughts in the comments, or send me a message, and let's have a chat! :)
Josie’s Weekly Words of Wisdom…
Short and sweet this week (because again it's nearly 1am by the time I’ve finished editing this again oops)
Don’t. Kick. Rocks. - even accidentally!
And don’t climb on shit barefoot when you should know better.
Accidents happen, but geez kid, you could be a little smarter about a few of them…
Thanks for tuning in!
As always, don't forget to check out my Instagram for more frequent updates, behind-the-scenes content, and video versions of these weekly check-ins!
Thank you for being part of this journey! I appreciate your support and your willingness to connect with me this week, and have our cute little catch up.
Please leave a comment, shoot me a DM, or have a chat over on Threads or Insta with me.
Till the next one,
Take care!
xoxo, Josie
