New additions to the Photo Arsenal

I've always wanted a little film Pentax to play with. So when we found a Pentax MX at an estate sale for $20 with two lenses and the only problem was the light seals had long ago turned gummy, I felt like I had a gem. So I spent $10 on a pre-cut seal kit from a seller on ebay, and spent an entire morning cleaning up my new baby. Now I have a working Pentax camera and my first experimental shots were on some expired Kodak 200 speed rolls that I picked up at Goodwill.


The photos turned out with a bit of a green cast to them, but I'm still excited to see what will come out of that little lovely from a fresh roll of film.

For my birthday I received a film/slide scanner that has been just wonderful to work with. I scanned not only that picture above but I've been working on scanning my mother and grandmother's old slides so they can be printed as photos and all the siblings can have copies. I can't wait to get it set up again and get cracking on that project.

Holga-moon

Right before Richard and I got married I decided to treat myself to a new camera. A holga, actually. I wanted to do some more experimenting with film since I've really gotten out of the film habit since I invested in a DSLR waaaay back in 2006 while working for the Advance Titan. It was one of those things where I started out carrying both my film and digital cameras with me so I could choose which one was better for the situation. Most of the time, if I was taking pictures for myself it was the Minolta (my film slr) but if I had to be able to email it the next day or send it over for the paper I used my Canon Rebel. After a while of luging both rather heavy cameras around I decided for the sake of my back to only carry one and by default that became the digital.


For ease of use I decided to go with the Holga 135 so I could continue using 35 mm film, after all I have a whole plethora of cameras in my collection that were designed to work with 620 film and are already really hard/expensive to find film for and get the film developed.


I'm still trying to decide how much I really like the holga. I like the style of picture it produces, and I like not knowing exactly what's going to come out of it. But there are somethings I need to work on, like understanding depth of field in this dinky little plastic lens, because contrary to popular belief there is a difference between soft-focus and way out of focus. I think I need to work on taking my small flash with me so that I can work with more than just "available light" - I've already wasted an entire roll because I've basically forgotten how to gauge light without a meter.


In the end, I know its a fun little camera, and as I keep trying to drill into the photo club kids - it's not the quality of the camera you use or even what you shoot - it's how you present it.

Honeymoon Photos

I finally got a couple rolls of film developed from our honeymoon, including one of my the first rolls I used in my holga and from one from the underwater camera. I can't wait to get prints made and fill up our new photo albums!

Etsy Art Discoveries no.1

I've been having so much fun getting my Etsy Vintage Discoveries together every Tuesday, that I've decided to expand to two more each week with new themes - Etsy Handmade Discoveries (Wednesdays) and Etsy Art Discoveries (Fridays).

If you have a shop you would like to have considered for an Etsy Discoveries feature leave a comment below.

To celebrate my first week working with the photo club at Richard's school this feature is all photography.


Swinging at Tibidabo
from bomobob



Sunshine Motel
from Roadside Photographs


Stalks in Blue
from Citrus Tree


Travel Light
from sfgirlbybay

Home again, Home again

It was a quick trip out across the state to visit friends and we have already returned. But these people are certainly worth driving 10 hours round-trip! I miss them dearly already, and it is hard to deal with the fact that they are no longer a mere hour's drive away.

Ninja Stories II

We even managed to make a quick jaunt to Minneapolis and accomplished wondrous things on a strict time table! We dropped by two locations of Ax Man Surplus stores, and I managed to lose only $16 on complete necessities.... and a pirate flag. I hear rumor, although I'm not sure how true, that they are run by the same entity that embodies American Science and Surplus, which will still hold title of "favorite junk store ever" in my heart. It was a complete and wonderful surprise to discover Ryan, an old friend, working at one of the Ax Man locations. We planned so much on the fly for this trip that I didn't have time to get ahold of him when we decided to go into Minneapolis - it was pure serendipity that we should find him at the first place we stopped.

We also managed a 35 minute trip into Ikea, which is probably record setting. We have been looking for good recycling bins for a year now, all the while knowing they had exactly what we wanted at Ikea but not being close enough to a store to make the trip for just those things worth while. We got in, found the bins, made a tiny detour though toys, bedding, and 'As Is' and got out and onto our next stop - The Mall of America!

Previously, I had never been to the Mall of America, nor had I necessarily wanted to go but I remember how awed we were as teenagers when the Mall of Georgia opened, and I am all for amusement parks in odd places (Dutch Wonderland, anyone?). It was totally worth the 45 minute expedition. I got to see the Apple Store, mostly Richard's doing, and Lego Land, for which we are both to be blamed, and watch the log flume which really does get you wet. It was fun, we didn't spend any money, and while I may not say no to a mall trip the next time I'm in Minneapolis - I never have to do it again.

ps - I'm reopening the photography/art shop on etsy - natajean.etsy.com - there are a few prints up already, and everything should be in full swing by next week

On the schedule for tomorrow:

- Shopping with Mom

- Further organizing the studio

- Stock photos

- Calling about potential nanny job