PEN & BULB

2020 was not the year to be a travel writer. And yet, from three months of enforced pause, a little poem emerged. “Here we are, April, hiding in my parent’s home” with “Too much spare time on our hands / but no inclination to soak the dishes.”

Through a collage of images, voices and sounds, we (attempted to) capture the sheer force and beauty of the Cornish coastline; “that remarkable play between water and wind and wellie boots.”

An Easter-inspired post about the preciousness of time, the optimism of bright coloured clothing, and the hope in returning holiday traditions. Also an homage to our favourite Easter treats; hot cross buns and Cadbury Creme Eggs.

A bad run-in with OCD shaped this poem as you can probably tell with lines like: “Damp so deep / you could mistake it for madness” and “heads hot crimson / dancing like full bowls of soup.” But with some moody, vintage-style photos, this post is also a celebration of a strange old town teetering…

Guest poet (who knew we did that?!) John Huish writes five haiku inspired by Amsterdam. Some Rembrandt-esque 35mm stills accompany.

Ah, well, the title says it all. Two love poems from a chilly trip to Budapest. Expect “steaming cyan” baths, “conversation amongst trees”, “a man selling nuts / from a bowler hat”, and more.

In terms of 35mm film there are some general preferences in terms of what stock you use to shoot certain things For example, Ektar is often used to landscapes and cityscapes, while Portra is a favourite for portraits; these are by no means set in stone but I will always have in my mind what…

Belgium, you beauty. There was more to Bruges and Ghent than mere ‘planten’ but a trip to the Ghent University Botanical Gardens inspired a plant-based poem for this post, and some luscious green imagery, too.

So. Much. Glitter. It’s a festival, what did you expect? This post is a celebration of the wonder and chaos that is Wilderness Festival, and is in no way sponsored by Wilderness or glitter though we wouldn’t say no to sponsorship from either.

This post jumps between different cameras, film rolls and locations – from coastal streets, to forests, to beaches. It also maps journeying thoughts as Pen & Bulb battle that classic twenty-something question: what are we doing with our lives?! Cue much melodrama.