Georgia likes baked goods

Georgia at the Rocking Horse Bakery, Winthrop

My friend, Georgia was a good enough sport to sit for this pinhole portrait. I can't remember how long I made her sit still, but I think it was about 2-3 minutes. Taken with my Zero Image pinhole when I was in Winthrop, WA a couple weekends ago with my mother.

Georgia is a big fan of baked goods which is why this post has the title it does.

Icelandic horses

While traveling in Iceland, it is common to see the horses that are unique to the country. There is something special about them - thick coats, disposition, hardiness...I'm not sure and I've done zero research on them. I can tell you that they're generally friendly and curious. They are also very beautiful with thick manes.

Toadstool

We're lucky in the Northwest to have so much rainfall and generally moist weather since we get the craziest mushrooms and fungi. I've been working on a portfolio of black and white images of fungus for a while now. This image isn't included in the collection since it's a different camera (a Lomo super fisheye) but I like it so I thought I'd share.

Madame Marie

Madam Marie's - Asbury Park, December 2013

"Did you hear the cops finally busted Madame Marie for tellin' fortunes better than they do.

For me this boardwalk life is through babe. 

You ought to quit this scene too." 

- Bruce Springsteen

Wheatridge Grange

This is a film photograph I took in Eastern Washington a couple years ago. I may have posted the original before (though I don't think so). This is a version where I've used filters to "scuff" it up a bit (uh...just a bit). This picture just makes me feel sad when I look at it...completely covered with siding, no windows, abandoned. The only people who see it are the few people that pass by it as they're speeding down the road.

Recent pinhole

This photo was taken with the Zero Image pinhole camera. I took it in the Tide Flats area of Tacoma. I especially love the glowing amber color that can be seen inside the pipes.

Iceland wildflowers

Recently, I had some film developed that had been sitting in my Lomo Fisheye for an extended period of time. I was surprised to find that some of the shots dated back to our 2009 trip to Iceland. This is one of the pictures on the roll that I like quite a bit.

Wheatridge Grange

Someone had taken the time and effort to cover the exterior of this building with metal sheeting to keep it from getting damaged. However, they never bothered boarding up the doors. The back side interior of the grange was in overrun by pigeons. It looked like prime hanta virus breeding ground. Needless to say, I didn't go inside. I took this picture last month with my Fujica 6x4.5 film camera.

Double exposure surprise

Last weekend, I developed four rolls of film. While loading two of them, I noticed that they didn't feel right...one loads roll film for development completely in the dark so you can't visually inspect what you're doing. I thought it was odd that there was tape attaching the front of the roll to the paper backing. I chalked it up to it being slightly odd film (Adox 50). While I was in the development process (18 minutes of developer time gives you a lot of time to ponder things), I realized that I probably was developing two rolls of unexposed film. Although this possibility was extremely annoying and seemed more likely as I continue to think about it while processing, I didn't scrap the process because there was a chance that I hadn't screwed up (a very, very slim chance).

Well, one roll was completely blank. However, one of the rolls had been sent through two different cameras on two different occasions. The results were surprisingly good. One set of shots had been taken on the streets of Paris with my Lubitel square format while the other set had been taken at Burroughs Mountain at Mount Rainier with my Fujica 6x4.5.

The mannequins had been abandoned in the street along with some garbage. Notice how there are two shots overlapping the Paris shot in picture one. There is a slight overlap of two shots in the second picture.

Although I was bummed that I screwed up with one roll (especially since Adox 50 is a soon-to-be disappeared film), I am really happy with my error. I don't know that I'll do that deliberately in the future, but I might consider it.

Stumps of Alder Lake

This photo was taken with a Fujica 6x4.5 using Efke 100 at Alder Lake in Elbe, WA during last Thanksgiving.

Cheapie camera

I took the shot below with an Ansco 1065 camera that I found at a yard sale or Goodwill or somewhere else like that. It cost me all of about $2. The camera has a fixed lens with absolutely no focusing other than distance. As far as aperture, it has Cloud - dull or bright and Sun settings for 400 ASA and Cloud, Sun - hazy or bright settings for 100 ASA. That's it. I'm not sure if the picture is fuzzy because I moved or because I was out of the focusing "sweet spot" (whatever it may be).

Construction site shack

Anyhow, it's a great camera to take with me on my bike since I don't care if it gets sweaty from being pressed to my back or if I drop it or it breaks or it gets rained on or anything, because it cost about $2. Cheap or not, I think I like this little guy.

Film shots of Crysta

Here are a couple shots I took of Crysta with my Lubitel. The first one was with a flash, which gives it that cool look of her set off from the blue blue sky. I'm really pleased with how the flash worked with the Lubitel, especially on a bright day.

 This second one is without the flash. You can tell because the separation of foreground from background is less dramatic. Also, there's more shadow on her face and there's a bit of motion blur in her hands. Although this is an odd photo because of her pose, I really like it. It's as though she was just struck by an amazing notion or an invisible creature. Or as though she were part of a modern dance piece.

 

Another abandoned place

This time it's an abandoned lumber business. Unfortunately, the entire grounds are fenced so the best I could do was to squeeze the camera through an opening and hope for the best. Taken with my Fujica 6x4.5.

Abandoned lumber business

A portrait - Bridget

Bridget - Lubitel camera

Western Washington Fair in Puyallup

Although the Puyallup Fair ended at the end of September, I thought it would be fun to post a couple Lubitel shots I took last year of the park. Though I don't normally print things large, I'm tempted to try to make a really big print of the 2nd image since there's so much going on and tons of color.

Mighty Mouse

Whack

Oddly enough, the Flaming Lips were playing at the fair this year. What a show...I still get high thinking about how great it was. Here are a couple (not very good) shots from the show.

Sorting

I've been gradually sorting through old photos recently. Attempting to match pictures with negatives (if I can find them) and organizing the negs into labeled sleeves in binders. This has never been an issue with my black and white work since I always put those negatives away. Color work is different since I don't do the developing and I often receive the negs long-sleeved and rolled up after they've been scanned.

Anyhow, the nice thing about going through old photos is occasionally finding little gems that appeal to me now more than they did at the time. Here's a shot I took in Ft. Lauderdale in 2009 (fortunately, I was able to find the negatives so I could scan the original file in and work from that).

Florida phone booth

Peninsula "dirt" pile

Actually, it's not a dirt pile, it's a gravel pile. I am enamored with dirt, sawdust, gravel, rock, compost, etc. etc. piles that you find along the road. A lot of them are there because they're needed for some sort of road project. Whatever the reason, they bring me weird photographic joy. This one was shot with my Fujica 6x4.5, my new/old favorite landscape camera. "New," because I'm interested in using it again. "Old," because I used to use it an awful lot.

Gravel pile, Olympic Peninsula

Film ends and a farewell

A great feature of film (though some might call it a defect) is the ability to squeeze an extra half-frame out of a roll of film. At the very end of a roll when you think you've got one more shot, sometimes the film counter can miscalculate a bit (couldn't possibly be a result of a messed-up load by the photographer). You take your shot and realize it's a half-shot or less when you try to advance the film and find it stops abruptly. Although it can be frustrating to think that last incomplete shot would have been perfect if only..., I often like the bits of pulled emulsion and snags that show up. An example:

Levi

I like the wisps of light that cross over his face and the "crud" creeping up his chest. Reminds me a bit of spirit photography, though without the ectoplasm.

On a sad note, the neighbor cat who was in the habit of dropping by to visit (and occasionally sneaking into my house) seems to have disappeared. I saw a sign posted by my neighbor, which said that the little guy had gone missing. Unfortunately, I'm afraid he may have been eaten by coyotes, since I saw one walking down my driveway around the same time the cat had gone missing. I miss the little guy, especially since I am currently without a pet. He was pretty funny and awfully friendly.

Bye bye, Sukey.

Some teens - digital & film

Here are some photos I took of my neighbor's kids. All but one were shot with the Mamiya C220. I under-exposed them awfully, but was able to get decent prints from them (though I wouldn't want to blow them up).

Katie

Katie 2

Sam & Ben

Sam

The last shot is the digital image. A very recognizable look to anyone who works with teenagers.

A photo