I'll skip the excuses for being a poor blogger and just get right to business....
1. The United States just elected its first black president, and I feel that I should at least say something about it, so bear with me:
I will not say who I voted for or what I believe, in an attempt to avoid random angry comments from people. I will say, however, that for the first time in a long while, I have hope. I am so tired of hearing how horrible our government is, and hearing that things need to change, and I am just happy to finally hear that change is coming. Even bad change is change, and anything that changes has a chance to make something better. I wish The future President all the best, and I hope that he may be numbered among the great in our History.
2. I have a job. after what seems like ages of joblessness and searching and interviewing, I have landed the perfect job as a Graphic Designer. I am so excited to have finally reached the point in life where I will no longer have to wait on tables or hold temporary jobs just to make money for gas. This job comes with an arsenal of fantastic benefits and perks, and I could not be happier.
3. Troy bought me a flickr pro account today. randomly. So that means that I have something to keep me occupied until I start my new job, and I will be scanning in my moleskine paintings. I also no longer have to delete pictures just to add more. so keep an eye out for flickr updates.
4. Troy and I have been re-thinking the marriage thing. I mean, the marriage is still on, its just the Wedding that is up in the air. There is alot to consider, but I think that, once we make the big decisions (venue, food, day) things will be fun, and much more easy. and, FYI, i do not want to hear wedding horror stories. I wont say that mine will be different, because I know it wont, but I refuse to allow fear to run my wedding.
Now, if I could just afford the dress I want. Believe it or not, it is part of the Disney's Princess collection. It is beautiful, but I am afraid of the price tag.
5. We have begun working on our future home. Its a complicated narrative, so I'll save it for a later day.
6. I have finished my first moleskine book. I'm addicted, and I'm glad. The motivation and creative outlet is good for me.
7. Maryland might get its first snow flurries this weekend. Not sure how I feel about it yet. I'm not really ready for it.
8. "If All Goes Wrong" just came out, and of course Troy bought it that day. If you are a Smashing Pumpkins fan, or just a fan of music and the artistic struggle behind good music, you should see the interview with Pete Townshend and the documentary. Genius. BIlly Corgan always has a way of taking my own personal beliefs and putting them into words.
9. The Pour House closed down. The Pour House is a local coffee shop in my town, and, while it was always packed with obnoxious teens and the prices were pretty high, it was still a local business beloved by the community. I spent the better part of my highschool and early college years there, and now I cannot believe it is gone. I have been going less and less in the past few years, but it felt good to know that the place would be there if ever I needed it. NOt to mention, now, that is one less local business. some person's savings and dreams, devoured by the economy. As much as I love starbucks coffee, I would rather see the local starbcks shut its doors, at least starbucks has a chance to come back. a local business, however, cannot just bounce back, it sucks up every resourse the owner has, and then thats it. I try my best to patronize local business as often as possible because they have more integrity and sincerity toward customers than a giant corporate chain. But, alas, the pour house is no more.
10. Gas is currently 1.97 in my home town. How crazy is that? I do not even know what else to say about it. lets just leave it at this: I hope it stays that way.
11. finally, a word about football: HURRAY RAVENS. lets just keep moving forward and I'll be happy.
thats it for now. good day to you, my random reader.
Showing posts with label lomography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lomography. Show all posts
Friday, November 14, 2008
Sunday, July 13, 2008
some more lomo
So here they are. I have finally posted some more of my lomo pictures. these are all lc-a pics, i'll get some more holgas up later, but i must first confess that i have not been using my holga as much as i would like. 120 film is just to hard to work with without a dark room. not only is it more expensive than 35m, it is crazy expensive to process. i once spent 29$ on a roll that turned out completely black because they were night shots, and the lab person pushed them through and corrected them, and didnt let the machine process the tiny bits of light i had captured on purpose. not to mention all of the labs in my area are a pain in my ass.so, like i said, holgaing shall wait.
in the mean time, these first pics are from gettysburg. living so close makes it a good place for some creepy pics. actually, i'll be heading to g-burg today!!! how exciting.
i honestly didnt expect this shot to turn out. its hard to get used to film after growing up in the age of didgital point and shoots. im not used to committing to a shot and waiting to process it before i know what works. so these are grave markers of the unknown bodies of soldiers.
how eerie? and yet beautiful. i love the white stones all around the perimeter of the grave yard. and i love, even more, how my lc-a picked up the green!!!!
here is troy :) the first night i got my lca. it was an accident. I had just put the film in, had no idea what was going on, and i captured a pretty ghastly pic of him playing with his camera.
a certain resivoir near home. believe it or not, the sun is the bright spot on the right. the one on the left is a rainbow and its reflection in the water!!! it looks like some result of the camera, but it is literally sun and rainbow. it was even more cool in person.
and a blurry xmas pic...it looks so 1980!
stay tuned. there are so many more. these are just a random few from the 8 rolls i already have scanned, out of the 15 or so that i have taken. i might reinstate flicker, just so i can use more space. google is stingy with its 1G of space across programs. I'm lately a lazy memeber of lomography.com, so maybe once i have my "lomohome" (who comes up with this stuff?) put together, I'll post a link. either way, i love showing my pics off, so i have to do something, right?
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
6. Lomography
I am not a photographer. Not by any standard. I cannot focus properly, am not patient enough to line up a shot and take it properly. I know very little about all of the elements of photography that count. But i love taking pictures.
I actually learned what I do know about photography from an ex- national geographic photographer. he was Australian and his name was Andy. The man knew his stuff! He taught me everything I have since forgotten about shutter speed, film, processing, aperture, the works. I spent three weeks working in his dark room, helping him develop his own shots and also the slides for a summer camp slide show. Lots of fun. I became obsessed for a while with trying to take interesting pictures. But, as with everything else I start, I didnt follow up on it. Not like my mother would have let me. Waste of time, she said. and so, like Sign Language, Soccer, Gymnastics, Dance, Swimming, Ice Hockey, Piano, Singing, and Girl Scouts, photography became one of those things I have done but do not do.
Until Lomography.
my Lc-a (may it rest in peace) was a chance to capture fun moments, to see the world through a series of color, shape, and shadows once again. not much is needed, the film is basic 35mm, cheaper the better. it allows for mistakes, most of the best shots are mistakes. over-exposure generally doesnt happen. as long as you look for color, you get results.
I feel like I might finally have the hang of it, setting the distance properly was a problem, but now that I understand the distance between feet and meters, I am hopeful. I have a whole slew of things I want to shoot. It is a free way to express my view of the world. no paint involved. I like a form of art that literally takes seconds. some paintings can take weeks. wriing a story can take years. lomography takes a second.
And it encouraged me to get out and about. I wanted to go anywhere and everywhere. a perpetual search for color and strange shapes. I wanted to experiment. I still do. I hope to have a new Lc-a before spring is in full bloom. I cant wait to get pictures of flowers blooming and the fake snow from flowering trees. and summer sunsets and beach pictures and trips and new places.
I havnt had my Lc-a for four or five weeks, and yet, when I see something that appeals to me, I still begin to reach into my giant coach bag for it. talk about a lasting impression. a very easily made friend. I almost always forget about my Holga, though. does that make any sense? I dont think so. Holga is a bit of a disappointment. mostly because it requires 120 film. I cant stand spending $20 to process and print a roll of 12 exposures. not to mention how expensive the film itself costs!
I'll have my Lc-a back soon enough, I guess. In the mean time, I continue to study up and learn more about it, research film, make notes of things that i want to snap pictures of. And play with my crappy Kodak point and shoot. horrible camera!!!! absolutely terrible. how is the cheaply made russian camera better than a brand new Kodak? you tell me!
Yay Lomogaphy!
I actually learned what I do know about photography from an ex- national geographic photographer. he was Australian and his name was Andy. The man knew his stuff! He taught me everything I have since forgotten about shutter speed, film, processing, aperture, the works. I spent three weeks working in his dark room, helping him develop his own shots and also the slides for a summer camp slide show. Lots of fun. I became obsessed for a while with trying to take interesting pictures. But, as with everything else I start, I didnt follow up on it. Not like my mother would have let me. Waste of time, she said. and so, like Sign Language, Soccer, Gymnastics, Dance, Swimming, Ice Hockey, Piano, Singing, and Girl Scouts, photography became one of those things I have done but do not do.
Until Lomography.
my Lc-a (may it rest in peace) was a chance to capture fun moments, to see the world through a series of color, shape, and shadows once again. not much is needed, the film is basic 35mm, cheaper the better. it allows for mistakes, most of the best shots are mistakes. over-exposure generally doesnt happen. as long as you look for color, you get results.
I feel like I might finally have the hang of it, setting the distance properly was a problem, but now that I understand the distance between feet and meters, I am hopeful. I have a whole slew of things I want to shoot. It is a free way to express my view of the world. no paint involved. I like a form of art that literally takes seconds. some paintings can take weeks. wriing a story can take years. lomography takes a second.
And it encouraged me to get out and about. I wanted to go anywhere and everywhere. a perpetual search for color and strange shapes. I wanted to experiment. I still do. I hope to have a new Lc-a before spring is in full bloom. I cant wait to get pictures of flowers blooming and the fake snow from flowering trees. and summer sunsets and beach pictures and trips and new places.
I havnt had my Lc-a for four or five weeks, and yet, when I see something that appeals to me, I still begin to reach into my giant coach bag for it. talk about a lasting impression. a very easily made friend. I almost always forget about my Holga, though. does that make any sense? I dont think so. Holga is a bit of a disappointment. mostly because it requires 120 film. I cant stand spending $20 to process and print a roll of 12 exposures. not to mention how expensive the film itself costs!
I'll have my Lc-a back soon enough, I guess. In the mean time, I continue to study up and learn more about it, research film, make notes of things that i want to snap pictures of. And play with my crappy Kodak point and shoot. horrible camera!!!! absolutely terrible. how is the cheaply made russian camera better than a brand new Kodak? you tell me!
Yay Lomogaphy!
Sunday, January 27, 2008
SkiLiberty
After years of seeing Ski Liberty in the distance from the giant hill on 97, I finally got a chance to go there. We (my family, troy, and Aaron) went tubing last night and then stopped at Tony’s in Tawneytown for some pizza. I expected tubing to cost more than $16 per person, but by the end of the night, I changed my tune. 16 is reasonable, but the lines to get up the hill and then back down are so long that you really only have time to go down four times.
On a week night, or any night when it is not so crowded 16 would be reasonable, but the crowds made the lines move so slowly that it really wasn’t worth it.
I find it ironic that on a crowded night, like a weekend night, the cost is $16, but on a weeknight, when you will get more chances to go down the hill and the overall experience will be better, it only cost $12. Makes no sense. In the future, I will want to go on a weeknight.
I loved the snow machines. It was awesome watching them blow snow high into the air, but the snow would hit you in the face on the way down.
It really was not too cold last night, either. I did not start getting cold until the end of the night. Other than my face, I was warm.
I took many pictures with my Lc-a, but I am worried that it was too dark for them to turn out correctly. If I could be sure, I would just double expose the whole roll, but I also took some direct sunlight pictures, and they would white out. I often miss having a display screen to preview my pictures. But I guess that’s part of the game. The nature of the beast, as Troy would say.
Today is my last free day. I plan to do nothing. Nothing. I am going to wear pj’s all day and a hoodie, and my Ugg boots. I plan to not go anywhere and sitting around Troy’s house all night. Maybe watching a movie. Gonna be a good day.
Now, if my parking pass could be here today, that would be great.
Schedule for the semester:
Monday:
Writer As Reader- 5:30-8:00
Archeology Of Language- 8:15-10:45
Tuesday:
Publication and Performance-2:00-4:30
Seminar in Writing: the Modern Tradition- 5:30-8:00
Wednesday:
Work.
Thursday:
Work.
Friday:
Contemporary Literature- 2:00-4:30
On a week night, or any night when it is not so crowded 16 would be reasonable, but the crowds made the lines move so slowly that it really wasn’t worth it.
I find it ironic that on a crowded night, like a weekend night, the cost is $16, but on a weeknight, when you will get more chances to go down the hill and the overall experience will be better, it only cost $12. Makes no sense. In the future, I will want to go on a weeknight.
I loved the snow machines. It was awesome watching them blow snow high into the air, but the snow would hit you in the face on the way down.
It really was not too cold last night, either. I did not start getting cold until the end of the night. Other than my face, I was warm.
I took many pictures with my Lc-a, but I am worried that it was too dark for them to turn out correctly. If I could be sure, I would just double expose the whole roll, but I also took some direct sunlight pictures, and they would white out. I often miss having a display screen to preview my pictures. But I guess that’s part of the game. The nature of the beast, as Troy would say.
Today is my last free day. I plan to do nothing. Nothing. I am going to wear pj’s all day and a hoodie, and my Ugg boots. I plan to not go anywhere and sitting around Troy’s house all night. Maybe watching a movie. Gonna be a good day.
Now, if my parking pass could be here today, that would be great.
Schedule for the semester:
Monday:
Writer As Reader- 5:30-8:00
Archeology Of Language- 8:15-10:45
Tuesday:
Publication and Performance-2:00-4:30
Seminar in Writing: the Modern Tradition- 5:30-8:00
Wednesday:
Work.
Thursday:
Work.
Friday:
Contemporary Literature- 2:00-4:30
Sunday, January 6, 2008
Lc-a pics
So I finally scanned in all of my Lc-a pictures. Took me long enough. I only posted a few of my favorite in this blog. Next on my list of things to do is upload them all to lomography.com, and/or flicker. one thing at a time, though. First things first: I need a shower and some breakfast. Uploading can wait for some other day.perhaps captions would be advantageous.
up first we have the Zen Duckie. part of my second test roll.
Believe it or not, this is paint, paintbrushes, and a plastic watercolor palette.
this is the one I mentioned in my last post where I thought I had wasted a shot on the ceiling.
Another of my new favorites. Those are lights hanging outside at Power Plant Live in Baltimore on New Year's Eve.
The Harbor Place clock. Still a long time till midnight!!
Alright, enough stalling, time for a shower.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Adventures in Lomoland
I now have several processed and printed rolls of 35mm shot with my Lc-a, and I love it. Lomography is a different world than photography. It requires the same attention to detail that a normal photographer must have, but relies more on happy accidents.
On new years eve, I walked through harbor place and the Pratt street pavilion in Baltimore, shooting random shots into the crowds of people, and a few of them turned out alright. One particular shot is of a few people in a magazine shop. The shot shows the people, but is mostly of the ceiling. I love it. I distinctly remember taking the shot, holding the camera in front of my belly and shooting upward, thinking that I had just wasted a shot on the ceiling.
When I received my camera, I was disappointed that the film counter does not work, but now, the number 36 (where the counter is stuck) is a lucky number that reminds me that I have a constant flow of unlimited shots. Not knowing when the last shot is coming, I will never try to reserve a shot; I will never hold the last exposure for something special. All of my shots will be random and mixed up.
Without the counter problem, I never would have investigated and analyzed the way the camera works, and would not have realized that, by loading the film with as little lead as possible, I can add extra exposures to my roll. I think I knew that this was a possibility with a manual camera, but I never would have put two and two together.
In spite of everything I have learned about my Lc-a and about photography, I must admit to my one unforgivably stupid mistake: judging distance incorrectly.
When I studied the prints from my first three rolls, I was dismayed that all of the close-range shots were blurry. I insisted that the camera must have a problem, because I am not an idiot, I can judge distances well enough to know when something is a foot or three feet from my face.
There in lies the problem: feet. I feel absolutely foolish for not considering that the camera was made in Russia. America is the only place where feet fill in for meters and inches override centimeters. Even as I type, my face is burning red and I am laughing at myself.
The worst part is that I never would have figured it out if Troy had not pointed it out to me over dinner. How humiliating.
But I am still alive, and so is my beautiful, cheaply made, black brick of a little camera. No harm done. Another lesson learned. The rolls were a success.
As soon as I find the time (and stop being perpetually lazy) I want to post some of my shots in my blog. I am even going to open an account on lomography.com and upload my pictures to a home page and compete in the contests and create a lomowall. A brave, new world has opened up to accept me, and I shall enter: camera and meter-stick in hand.
On new years eve, I walked through harbor place and the Pratt street pavilion in Baltimore, shooting random shots into the crowds of people, and a few of them turned out alright. One particular shot is of a few people in a magazine shop. The shot shows the people, but is mostly of the ceiling. I love it. I distinctly remember taking the shot, holding the camera in front of my belly and shooting upward, thinking that I had just wasted a shot on the ceiling.
When I received my camera, I was disappointed that the film counter does not work, but now, the number 36 (where the counter is stuck) is a lucky number that reminds me that I have a constant flow of unlimited shots. Not knowing when the last shot is coming, I will never try to reserve a shot; I will never hold the last exposure for something special. All of my shots will be random and mixed up.
Without the counter problem, I never would have investigated and analyzed the way the camera works, and would not have realized that, by loading the film with as little lead as possible, I can add extra exposures to my roll. I think I knew that this was a possibility with a manual camera, but I never would have put two and two together.
In spite of everything I have learned about my Lc-a and about photography, I must admit to my one unforgivably stupid mistake: judging distance incorrectly.
When I studied the prints from my first three rolls, I was dismayed that all of the close-range shots were blurry. I insisted that the camera must have a problem, because I am not an idiot, I can judge distances well enough to know when something is a foot or three feet from my face.
There in lies the problem: feet. I feel absolutely foolish for not considering that the camera was made in Russia. America is the only place where feet fill in for meters and inches override centimeters. Even as I type, my face is burning red and I am laughing at myself.
The worst part is that I never would have figured it out if Troy had not pointed it out to me over dinner. How humiliating.
But I am still alive, and so is my beautiful, cheaply made, black brick of a little camera. No harm done. Another lesson learned. The rolls were a success.
As soon as I find the time (and stop being perpetually lazy) I want to post some of my shots in my blog. I am even going to open an account on lomography.com and upload my pictures to a home page and compete in the contests and create a lomowall. A brave, new world has opened up to accept me, and I shall enter: camera and meter-stick in hand.
Saturday, December 29, 2007
it came today!
I received my leningrádskoje optiko mechanitschéskoje objediniénie today! My LOMO LC-A. I took a few test shots and sent the roll to Wal-mart for processing. I hate wal-mart, but here they serve a purpose: its not like they can screw up LOMO pictures.
I am a bit worried about my new toy. The counter is not working properly. It does not automatically set itself when the back of the camera is opened like it is supposed to. I checked various LOMO websites, faq’s and forums, but nothing has helped. Perhaps I will take it to a camera shop tomorrow.
Even if the counter never works, I’m sure it will not hurt anything. If nothing else, it will help me keep my shots random and unplanned. That’s the point, right?
Things I want to shoot:
Old neon signs
Bright colors
The male/female sign at Penn Station
A cherry blossom tree in full bloom
Autumn trees
Large groups of people
Clowns
Fire works
Lights. Lots of lights.
Wet paint
Lights reflected on a wet road
People in the lower bar at Brewer’s Art
The Charles.
Paper Moon
The Domino Sugar Sign
Tide Point
Fells
Looking up at Shot Tower
Flowers
Lots of people.
Strangers
My sister in her crazy red dress
Umbrellas
People with cool hats
The best shots are the ones not on that list, though. The more random, the better.
But for now, I’m not shooting anything. I’m going to bed. Hopefully tomorrow will be sunny and LOMO-idealic, and the guy at Penn or Ritz will help me fix my counter.
I am a bit worried about my new toy. The counter is not working properly. It does not automatically set itself when the back of the camera is opened like it is supposed to. I checked various LOMO websites, faq’s and forums, but nothing has helped. Perhaps I will take it to a camera shop tomorrow.
Even if the counter never works, I’m sure it will not hurt anything. If nothing else, it will help me keep my shots random and unplanned. That’s the point, right?
Things I want to shoot:
Old neon signs
Bright colors
The male/female sign at Penn Station
A cherry blossom tree in full bloom
Autumn trees
Large groups of people
Clowns
Fire works
Lights. Lots of lights.
Wet paint
Lights reflected on a wet road
People in the lower bar at Brewer’s Art
The Charles.
Paper Moon
The Domino Sugar Sign
Tide Point
Fells
Looking up at Shot Tower
Flowers
Lots of people.
Strangers
My sister in her crazy red dress
Umbrellas
People with cool hats
The best shots are the ones not on that list, though. The more random, the better.
But for now, I’m not shooting anything. I’m going to bed. Hopefully tomorrow will be sunny and LOMO-idealic, and the guy at Penn or Ritz will help me fix my counter.
Wednesday, December 26, 2007
awaiting LC-A
I cannot wait for my camera to arrive. Troy coudn't keep it from me. He ordered it from Sweden, and we are still waiting for it. LC-A Lomo. how exciting. I love my Holga, but there really is nothing like the actual LOMO. Most of the lc-a's are Chinese reproductions, but this one is the actual Russian-made camera. It will be nice to use 35mm instead of having to find, buy, and develop 120. My Holga was a good start. I learned alot about "toy" cameras, but 120 is expensive, and hard to have developed (for those of us without the luxury of a dark room.)
Troy, on the other hand, got a rebel XT. Not quite an LC-A, but I'm pretty sure he is happy. beyond happy.
He is an amazing photographer. don't tell him i said that. I, however, am not. I'll admit it. Thats why i love lomography so much. there is a method, but you don't have to have a method. the less method you follow, the better the shots. troy is just happy to be able to use raw files in aperture. I'm just happy to open and close the shutter and then see what happens.
the lc-a should be here by thursday. we shall see.
Troy, on the other hand, got a rebel XT. Not quite an LC-A, but I'm pretty sure he is happy. beyond happy.
He is an amazing photographer. don't tell him i said that. I, however, am not. I'll admit it. Thats why i love lomography so much. there is a method, but you don't have to have a method. the less method you follow, the better the shots. troy is just happy to be able to use raw files in aperture. I'm just happy to open and close the shutter and then see what happens.
the lc-a should be here by thursday. we shall see.
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