Heading West

I've been wanting to take more self portraits, but I've found that getting a good focus with a manual camera has been nearly impossible for me. For some reason, I just can't 'get it.' But a quick search today gave a really simple answer --it's called reverse focusing. What you do is use a tripod. Put your camera on it and then figure out where you want to place it, and where you want to aim it at (that is, where you will be). Then, take off the camera and go to the spot you will be at and then set the focus so that you are focusing on the tripod. Manual cameras, I guess just care about distance, not so much a particular object, and so then you take the camera back to your tripod, set the timer, and scramble to your spot, pose, and wait for the click. Advance the film, and repeat as many times as you can stand to. Sounds simple enough, huh? Now I just have to give it a try. I will let you know how it goes.

[For some more ways of setting manual exposure, go here.]

Photo: Black and white film. From my Trainspotting Set on Flickr.

Knotted Up Inside

I shot some film over the weekend, and I am pretty happy with what I came away with. I am in the process of posting more prints for sale in my Etsy Shop. I have more to say, but I am all knotted up inside. Periods suck.

Cold Feet or Not, I am Diving In

I have narrowed things down to sixteen fifteen photos. I have to make my final decision and get these prints sent off tonight. Wish me luck, people. I am still struggling with feelings of insecurity, but I'm sure that will pass.

Cold Feet

I have cold feet. I am rethinking about submitting to Shots Magazine, but for some reason I am feeling like my work is not good enough to submit. It might just be hormonal or something, but I am feeling rather insecure.

Photo: self-portrait, film.

Logan

Logan has adjusted to being in our new home. I almost typed "finally" before that adjusted, but I stopped myself because three days to adjust seems more like a short while than a long while. The first night here, he was pretty much scared to go to sleep -- or maybe too excited -- but the second night, he was plain old stubborn (I think he gets that from his dad, or maybe from his mom, but probably from the both of us) and I sat with him and sang and talked to him while he "screamed it out." I was there, and so I know he wasn't so much scared as stubborn. Finally, I said, "Look, Logan, this is your bye-bye bed; this is your room; Mommy is here. You are tired. Go to sleep, butthead." And I left the room and shut the door. He yelled for about another 7.27 minutes, and I am guessing fell asleep. He slept for 14 hours. The next day, he seemed better and he even napped after crying for about 5.24 minutes. And last night, he went to bed without a peep. I am relieved. He's adjusted and in record time which leads me to believe he is a healthy, well-adjusted little guy.

Photo: Film, Logan watching TeleTubbies at our old apartment.

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.

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.

Winter's Berries

I shot an entire roll of black and white film using my FUJICA st605n on New Years Day. As my third roll of film, I am pleased. There is something so very Zen about being in the snowy woods with nothing by the sound of a nearly-frozen creek, birds calling, and the whoosh of clumps of falling snow from trees. You may view the entire series at my Flickr page.

Photo: Winter's berries available at my Etsy shop.