Maybe, Baby

Today was a bad day (all in my head, of course. Montonoy is hard.), but tonight was a good night. The husband and I went to the grocery store (by ourselves!), picked up a few things (our new nearly all organic and/or natural diet is still going well. $5.99 for a gallon a milk seems a bit high, but knowing that our children are not being pumped full of hormones and pesticides is a good feeling), and then went out to eat (yeah, yeah, Chili's is definitely not organic, but we are not fanatics or anything), and actually had uninterrupted conversation through the entire meal, and then we went to Borders (where I finally purchased a 50% off eclectic coffee bean grinder and some organic whole coffee beans), and Chris picked up a new jazz CD, and then on the way home I dropped off another roll of black and white film.

Photo: Digital.

Plug: Shots Magazine

A dear friend emailed me this morning with a call from Shots Magazine, "a quarterly, reader-supported journal of photography. Shots is characterized by its diverse, straightforward and bold presentation of images by photographers of all levels with an innate passion for creative, personal work."

Their next issue is devoted to portraits. I plan on submitting a dozen images (I will probably pick a dozen from my 365 Days Set), but first I have to figure out if portraits must include one's face.

Edit: Here's the definition I found (I love my dictionary):

1. A likeness of a person, especially one showing the face, that is created by a painter or photographer, for example.
2. A verbal picture or description, especially of a person.

That clears things up. This is going to be tremendously difficult picking out 12 portraits I like best that' I've taken.

Photo Credit: Shots Magazine; cover photograph: ERICA SHIRES

Blurry Bath Time Babies

I am learning to see past a technically "bad" photo to see the good that's really there -- the reality of the subject and the emotion rather than, oops, the focus is off. The thing about film that I used to find so frustrating (more so with my last two rolls) is the capturing a perfect subject but the photo quality is not so perfect. But when I look at this -- I mean, when I really look at this -- I see my children. My children. My beautiful, wonderful, perfect children and it overwhelms me with so much emotion. They love each other, and I see it here, and capturing that moment is what truly brings me joy. (I know I was giggling when I took this!) There is no longer a technical disappointment of "Oh, this is not good," but rather the emotional response and the joy of "Oh, this is so so so good."

Photo: Blurry bath time babies. Film.

Everything

I had long forgotten all about this fortune until I found it while rummaging through my bag. I got it a week or so ago while eating dinner with the hubs. His fortune was equally as telling saying that it was time for him to finish forgotten projects (he has a memoir he's been wanting to write, and comic books he's been wanting to do something more with). And yes, I do put some stock into fortunes in cardboard-tasting Chinese cookies, and so it's going to be a good year. The cookie said so.

Photo: Digital image.

Don't Know Why, Just Do

I have figured out my scanner, and that makes me incredibly happy because now my prints are matching with what's on screen. I've also figured out how to shoot with my glasses on -- just not worry about it and shoot. I took my 52-Weeks self-portrait today. I wonder how that's going to turn out. Unlike digital photography, my film camera does not have automatic focusing, and so I have to kind of measure how far I am going to be away from the camera and then set the focus kind of guessing where I am. I would talk about f.stops and the like, but I am still pretty clueless.

I sold another print today (I sold one yesterday, too), and it's the exact encouragement I needed. I've also discovered there is a local photography lab right here in town (I guess Dorothy was right; everything we need really is just in our own backyard). Here's to hoping they develop 120 film, too, because I would love to be able to afford to shoot more Holga. I've also got a couple of ideas lined up of things to go out and shoot, it's just a matter of setting aside some time to. We are moving this weekend, and everyone knows that moving is kind of hectic and stuff, but I also know that I work well under pressure, and so I know it will be just fine. I have my own bathroom (well, Chris, my husband and I do), and I have this hope of learning how to develop my own negatives and possibly learn how to prints some prints. But one step at a time -- Rome was not built in a day, like they say (whoever they are. Who are they anyways?).

Photo: Hidden.

Contacts, Schmontacts

I haven't been able to shoot much of anything lately because my contacts have 'gone bad.' In other words, I am unable to shoot film with my glasses on. I'm sure other people have figured it out, but my stupid head just can't. Hopefully, my income tax refund will be sitting in my bank account soon so I can pick up my lenses. Until then, I have three options: 1) figure out to shoot with my glasses on, 2) figure out how to shoot with no glasses on with everything all blurry, or 3) don't shoot at all.