A Little Texture

I love trees. I love their majesty. I love their function in the natural world. I love the wide variety that can be found in their bark.

Although, sometimes I have to remind myself to stop and admire the things I enjoy most. 

All the worrying I've been mired in for the past year has helped to prevent me from letting myself enjoy some of those simple things I love. I think I haven't felt worthy of joy. When your world is disintegrating, it's easy to feel like it's warranted. But it's not.... not really. It's just life. And remembering that you are supposed to feel joy as well as pain is sometimes hard.

And that's what brings me to the texture in this tree. Hills & valleys.... AKA: Texture. It's rough, but it can also be beautiful.

Just rambling on a Tuesday afternoon....

Once More, With Feeling...

Egads! It's been too long since my last post!

As always, life can tend to get in the way. But after uncertain circumstances, things seem to looking up. I'm teaching more than ever... and at more places! I am far enough into the creation of my "Intro to DSLR" book that the writing of the s*^~ draft is almost complete and I can start shooting examples. I have been able to pick up new clients and maintain most of my favorite old ones. 

I finally seem to be getting the upper hand with my scheduling and am therefore able to book more gigs. I'm even signed up to take a couple of courses at Queens University this summer (yes, I enjoy getting to be a student as well sometimes!).

I might actually be on the upswing.

I even have a couple of new photo series percolating about in my brain! The positive momentum is a pleasant reward to sticking to it.

So here's to moving forward! I'll be posting and writing more articles on everything from the basics of photography and creativity to lambasting my muse when she refuses to get out of bed to even just posting the random image of beauty.

Andiamo babies!

"Power Up and Transform, Baby!"

Happy New Year!

I'm welcoming the NewYear as most Southerners do --- by fixing one of the many versions of Hoppin' John as a significant meal.

The meal consists of black-eyed peas (for prosperity), greens (I prefer to promote my financial gains with spinach), rice (because you just have to have a starch) and some country ham for flavor (because pigs represent positive motion when they forage). I'll probably break down and thrown in some cornbread just because it tastes good.

Yes, I know I'm speaking in stupidstitions, but that's OK. This is one of the traditions that my family has enjoyed for years. Besides, it's all healthy. And I'll write out my goals and dreams and resolutions as I eat so I can remember where I want my life to go in March when I start feeling overwhelmed.

So... Happy New Year y'all! I wish us all a wonderful year in 2013!

Double Exposure

I've always been fascinated by double exposures... I usually get them as happy little accidents as opposed to well-planned, intentional images. It's kind of a relief from trying to control everything in a picture.

Analogue for a Wednesday

If it hasn't become obvious yet, I am smitten with low-fi cameras. And it's inspiring me... Playing with my Holga and BelAir has gotten me seeing the way I used to see when I only had a film camera. I'm more purposeful... really thinking through the shot before I even look through the viewfinder... being equally conservative and gutsy. I'm getting back to my street-shooting self. Even when I'm out in a field.

Merry Christmas Eve Y'all!

I'm just finishing up some experimenting with some new-to-me cameras before I take some time to play with family... I am getting some interesting results with the Bel-Air X 6X12. I have a feeling there's a lot of operator error going on, but I kind of like the results. I used my stand-by film, Ilford Delta 100, shot one roll with the wide angle lens in 6X6 format and shot the other roll with the normal 90mm lens in 6X9 format.

I got quite a bit of unintended (but welcome) double exposure action going on. I'll keep testing it... probably to the annoyance of my family members. So far, I'm loving the surprise results.

Whatever you celebrate, I wish you all good cheer and peace...

Playing with New Cameras

Like a lot of my photographer friends, I'm on the email list for quite a few photography stores. I normally glance at the message and then delete as quickly as possible so I won't be tempted by something that won't really serve me.

But there was one email I received right before my birthday from the folks over at Lomography. They were announcing the launch of the new Bel-Air X 6X12 medium format camera. Actually, it was more of a tease than an announcement, what with the bellows, the retro styling and the two interchangeable lenses... and the pre-order discount. Yes, they got me. They got me good.

It took about a month for me to receive the camera, but it was worth the wait.

The appeal of the Bel-Air X 6X12 lies in it's ability to shoot in three different formats: normal 6X6 medium format shots as well as 6X9 and panoramic 6X12.

I shot the first roll in the 6X12 panoramic format. I had wanted to use my favorite film --- Ilford Delta 100 --- but when I went to look for a roll, I couldn't find any. (It was hiding in my still unpacked luggage from a Thanksgiving trip...) So I went with a roll of expired Fugi and totally ignored with fact that it was E-6 process film --- slide film.

I went to my favorite tree across the street from the entrance to my neighborhood. In six quick exposures, I was done. As I was driving to the lab, I "saw" the E-6 label in my mind and cursed. It was not a problem... I just made sure they did not cut or mount the film after processing.

The images I got are not Pulitzer Prize winners by any stretch of the imagination. But I have a good idea of what I will get when I pull the Bel-Air out of my bag. I found my rolls of Ilford and am waiting for them to get back after a trip to the garden.