Shadows, Jane Eyre, and Marc Chagall

This photo reminded me of the novel Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. It makes me think of the mansion where she worked, lived, and met her true love. This mansion was very creepy on the moors of England, with an insane woman living upstairs. Below I have a few quotes from the book.

"While I paced softly on, the last sound I expected to hear in so still a region, a laugh, struck my ears.  It was a curious laugh - distinct, formal, mirthless.  I stopped"

"Women are supposed to be very calm generally: but women feel just as men feel; they need exercise for their faculties, and a field for their efforts as much as their brothers do; they suffer from too rigid a restraint, too absolute a stagnation, precisely as men would suffer; and it is narrow-minded in their more privileged fellow-creatures to say that they ought to confine themselves to making puddings and knitting stockings, to playing on the piano and embroidering bags"

"In the deep shade, at the farther end of the room, a figure ran backwards and forwards.  What it was, whether beast or human being, one could not, at first sight tell: it groveled, seemingly on all fours: it snatched and growled like some strange wild animal: but it was covered with clothing and a quantity of dark, grizzled hair wild as a mane, hid its head and face" 

Some afterthoughts.

Last night I was looking up paintings by one of my very favorite artists, Marc Chagall. I found this one called White Crucifixion. I think that is absolutely stunning. I love how there is chaos all around and then there is a beam of light that highlights Jesus on the cross. It is so full of meaning, and beauty.

Here is a close up. 

Fresh From the Dark Room

Here are two photos that are for my current assignment in my Photography class. The assignment was to put a chair somewhere, and then to photograph it at different times of day, and different angles and depth of field all the time keeping the chair in the same location. These are the two I picked from my roll, I like almost all of my exposures so it may have been the most difficult part of the assignment for me.

My cat Sloan loves to be in the back yard, he made a happy little model for me.

This one I find a bit lonely, and depressing.

More from my Diana F+!

Please keep in mind that the photos here are meant to be unpredictable, light leaked, not the best focus, etc.

This is a picture I took of my Argus Antistigmat, or Argus A.  I bought this camera at a quaint little antique store in Fawnskin, CA. Fawnskin is right by Big Bear Lake. I was so excited to find a camera that is old, and uses 35mm film. It wasn't until later that I realized this little beauty has no shutter. I think that if I put black electrical tape over the lens that I could do a pin hole-esque type exposure. It is really a sweet little camera, it was produced in the 1930's, has a body made of Bakelite, and the lens unit is able to extend.  

This is a photo of my Kodak Instamatic, it is a very cute thing, but I don't know that I will ever use it. It takes a funky film that is smaller than 35mm. This one I purchased at a garage sale.

This is a shot I took while doing some street photography. The little girl was so adorable, and I thought it was a loving moment with her and her mom. I remember being little, and how Mom was like a security blanket, there is a very special bond between mother and daughter which is so precious.

I think that I may have taken this one by mistake, I really love it.

A picture I took in an antique store, they have a great collection of vintage cameras.

I was trying to achieve the effect of the cook looking like a ghost. I think the tripod or camera moved ever so slightly causing the whole thing to look doubled.

Anther photo of my Kodak Instamatic.

Love this one! Dias De La Muerta! 

Cash Tails

This really doesn't go with the story, but it is my latest.

Spent to much money today. Please tell me, what is one to do when the money tell me to spend it? When the cash expresses that it's fondest desire is to support the faded economy. All the little Georges, Franklins, and Lincolns want to do is be put back into the system. 

Franklin wrote to me just last week from Wall St to tell me his elation that he was presented with the opportunity to "stick it to the man!"

George phoned this morning with tears of joy in his little green eyes, heard through his wee voice sharing his glorious tale. He was a small beauty shop in Kansas' first dollar. George, being born in 1929 is enjoying a beautiful retirement in a comfy black rectangular frame.

My good friend Lincoln, who was with me for a few months back in '01 is benefiting from a fulfilling career as a child's allowance money.

So, you see all of this currency I spent have gone unto rewarding lives of there own. What kind of person would I be if i had deprived them of these joys? My heart weeps for the millions of dollars that are thrown into savings accounts, trust funds, and bonds every day! Tell me, what did the dollar ever do to you? Why this? Why monetary prison.

More of my work

This is a pin hole picture that I took and my computer decided to crop it, it was bigger but I like what the computer did with it.
It is part of my series titled "Adventures of the clogs." Which stars my beloved lucky brand clogs. I will eventually post the series as its own post.  Hopefully with small poems under each picture.

This is an example of a panning shot which was part of an assignment for my class, it still needs some refinement, but I like it enough.

This is a contact or proof sheet. This is what I use to see which of my exposures I would like to make into a full sized print.

ramblings

Currently, I am listening to Micheal Buble, I am remembering when I truly fell in love with the idea of romance. I think it was a deadly combination of working at a restaurant, where I was constantly miraged with the sight of attractive couples having enchanting dates at a comfy table that I was obliged to arrange for them, and I was on one of my Buble' kicks. The song "Wonderful Tonight" was an anthem played over, and over in my car. This song was written by Eric Clapton, I listened to the Buble' version. Somewhere around a year later when I was watching a documentary about The Beatles I discovered that Georges wife, whom he loved, left him, and was wed to Eric Clapton. Anyways, how does this relate? Well, I will tell you that it is said that Wonderful Tonight was written for Georges ex wife. The song that brought me to a deepened love of romance, was actually related to a tragedy! Poor George...

Butterflies

Summer breeze wisps over my skin. The sweet smell of lush pine. Small smudges of purple, orange, yellow, and blue play along my path. I am on a hike, alone, in the wilderness, experiencing a unique sense of bliss.
As I trek along this ethereal trail I ponder art experiments, ways to conduct them and other pleasant things. God has provided us with the best art, and therefore the best inspiration.
"He leads me beside quiet waters..."
As I walk I discover that I missed a turn on the trail. So I turn back and take the route down to the most tranquil stream I have experienced. I cross over the water by way of stones, then I experience something unique: whilst I am approaching many yellow and coco colored butterflies begin to rise up from the earth. I walk through them, surely this must be the type of quiet waters spoken of in Psalm 23.
"you prepare a table before me..."
Coincidently my destination for that day was table rock.
"In my fathers house there are many rooms... I am going there to prepare a place for you."
Just as he prepares a table for us, he also prepares space in heaven. If the beauties of the hike were so great, imagine how much better heaven will be.
"You know the way to the place where I am going."
We must follow Christ on the trek of life, through life's fields of poppies, mountains, cliffs, and quiet waters.

Stream of Consciousness

Lately i have been doing exercises in stream of consciousness. Here is one I prepared for you. In most of my stream of consciousness exercises I am honest with what pops into my head, and I would be embarrassed to show you some of them. It is a good exercise, and would recommend it. I have learned about myself, and have become aware of some thought processes that I need to change.

Chained to a tree, she longs to see her grace reflected in her cool wake.

Stream of consciousness exercise. Related to the book Ulysess. I can’t wait to read. Hope other book club members will not object. Maybe read on my own? Grecian cover? Ernest Hemingway. The sun also rises. Yellow and orange. Matador. Quick precise phrases. Brett. Evil. Mananizer. Jake, loves brett, cool guy, people pleaser, misused. Robert cohn, kinda a moron. Liked him at first proving himself to be a wuss. Micheal weirdo, puts up with too much from Brett. Characters shallow. Taken in by beauty of Brett. Do not see the caddiness to her.....dogs, puppys, cats. Sloan. Felix. Sloan. Black fur. Soft. Snugglebug. Lomo lc-a love. Want it. black metal body. Fabulous pictures. Grainy high color saturation. Beautiful picture of attractive male in back of a truck . it appears to be Africa or spain. Matador, bull fights. Horns. boxing. Blood spilling steers being injured . inhumane. Sad. Swords in side. Jesus. Nails in hands. Hanging on cross. Wounds on sides. Emancipated me from punishment of sin. Heaven. Glory. 

new obsession

Vintage Love

Well, I have become obsessed over getting another camera for my collection. I thought that my Diana was all I would need of the big name lomography cameras, but I was wrong. While spending some serious time looking through many pictures on lomography.com I have been struck on numerous occasions of the sheer magic, and mood that is captured by a little camera known as the Lomo LC-A. There is a certain grainy quality that I just can't resist. Readers, i am afraid that I am going to end up blowing more money on another toy! This is the sort of fear that I fancy. Yes, I still love my Diana, and would never replace her. The Lomo LC-A, of course would not be a replacement to my beloved blue camera but a brother to her.

Readers, as far as my photo class is going, I am slightly behind on the current project. Part of this I attribute to the large distraction of lomography. I find it more difficult to try, and take a whole role of a subject assigned. Analog photography offers endless possibilities, that is why I am so drawn to it. Taking a roll of shadow pictures is not as easy as it would seem, I guess it is a good exercise to try and stretch my abilities to make the images worth looking at.

So, if anyone wants to give me a very early Christmas present, I would like the Lomo LC-A please!

Class

I am just going to throw in some pictures that I took a while back.

Here is a paper that I wrote for my ASL class about photography class, I am kinda proud of it.

Again, loving the contrast here

Photography Class

On Thursday September thirtieth I attended Santa Rosa Junior Colleges elementary photography class, in which I am enrolled in, from twelve pm to three pm. I would have been at the deaf celebration in Sacramento if it weren’t for this conflict in schedule. At class the teacher, R. Breth, showed us students six different images that are almost identical. This was an example of a success for the project that we have been assigned, taking an abstract image, that we have taken ourselves, and developed, then printing it six different times using filters zero, one, two, three, four, five, and six.  After about forty-five minutes of lecture, it was time for lab work. Unfortunately, I lost my negative that I was using for the project, and a print. After much thorough searching, I was able to find the print, and a few other important things that I thought were long gone. The precious negative, sadly, was lost to me. Without the negative I was forced to begin the project once more. I found my second choice negative, which was one of the two that Mrs. Breth had told me it was okay by her to use. Then without much shock, but enough agitation I discovered that all of the enlargers were in use, after I was suffered to wait longer than I would have deemed enjoyable. When an enlarger was ready for me to use, I commenced get my negative centered, and focusing. After this, I made a few test strips, to decide which exposure would be best. After determining the exposure time, I easily made for prints using filters zero through four. I developed these four, and was quite pleased with the outcome. There before me sat four perfect prints with variations in contrast with beautiful print density.  

Abstract

Recently in Photography class our assignment was too take abstract photos, and to print a serious of them using filters 0-5. Being the scatter-brain that I am, naturally I lost my negative that I was using for this project so I after searching oh so many a nook and cranny in the photo lab, I decided to regroup. I began the project again, the first photo in this series is my first choice, and the second is one I had to settle for. I am disappointed to be wasting this much paper, I will have to be replacing mine soon. I am glad for the next project in which we are assigned to take pictures of shadows, and if it rains... reflections! Anyways, I am hoping to get some creativity on! Thanks for reading, and thanks for the comments, they are appreciated much!!!

  

Diana F+

Well there here!!! Photos from my beloved Diana F+!
This roll was my first and I am still getting used to how completely manual this camera is so many of the images didn't turn out the way I planned. Needless to say I am very happy with my good results! There were definitely some fortunate accidents.

Bottled Elegance

This exposure lasted 6 minutes! I removed the lens from my Diana in order to use the pin hole setting.

Neglected Fountain

I am pleased with the Dianas beautiful color spectrum.

Enchanted Doorknob

Repunzel's Tower

Self Portrait

Self Portrait

Sweet Success

Self Portrait Through a Pin Hole

Today I accomplished the surprisingly challenging task of making a decent pin hole exposure on my very own homemade pin hole camera! Here it is, a picture of me in my back yard.

Time Travel
Taken with Ansco Shur Flash on 120 film 

Little did I know it when I woke up this morning. Nor when I ate breakfast and drank coffee. Not even when I was sitting in church did I know it. But today, my friend, marks a milestone in my life. Today is the day that I purchased my very own brand new Diana F+ Qing Hua. 

This whole ordeal began to rear its head lasts week. Yes, I have been craving a lomography camera for a while. Yes, ever since I allowed myself to explore lomography.com this want intensified  greatly. I used to believe that the Holga 135bc was for me, with its marvelous vignetting, vivid colors both on the camera itself and on film, and lest we not forget its marvelous reputation. In my mind owning a Holga instantly brings you a type of intelligence, and respect. Once I began a true investigation of this matter giving all cameras equal opportunity I discovered that the DianaF+ is the queen, no let us say empress of lomography cameras. Naturally I HAD to have one.

So today a wind of determination was thrust upon me, and I discovered that in Berkeley Ca. there is a photoshop with an extensive supply. In my car I went, almost mad with the prospect of having this new toy within my hands, and at my house within this day. 

I drove somewhere around two hours, of course I stopped for lunch at Guini's Deli. Toscano salami, smoked swiss cheese, lettuce, tomato, sprouts, mayo, mustard, and "Guini Juice" all snuggly within a sour dough roll, transported into my mouth. Where upon meeting my tongue everyone had a lovely chat with my taste buds. Well after about ten delicious minutes, I headed back to my car, where I overhead my taste buds having a nice long tete-a-tete with some Halvah. Behavior to be expected by those scurvy brats.

On the road I went, on my noble quest. I made a wrong turn and almost had to pay a toll to go over a bridge that I didn't want to be on. So typical. Luckily I avoided the bridge and eventually found a photographers version of The Cave of Wonders. Looking Glass Photographic Arts, within these walls lyes a myriad of not so typical cameras that are simply mouth watering. I took a quick browse before I commenced to ask about my new prized possession. I knew not whether I was sure to purchase the El Toro model, online it looked pretty spiffy, but there was the competition of the Qing Hua model. I made sure to take a good look at both. The Qing Hua took my heart. It is absolutely exquisite. The top and the flash, have a design that you would find on English China in a beautiful cobalt blue. This camera can do anything. Pin hole, instant, regular, regular with sprockets, colorflash, normal flash, you name it. No it doesn't produce crisp life-like photos using 7000 pixels. Yes, it is unpredictable. Absolutely, it is amazing!

Struggle

Here is something I wrote this July when I ways working at Camp Round Meadow.

Man Vs. Nature
Taken with my Yashica TL  Electro on highway 38

Wind hurling in and out of my lungs.
Sweat pouring out of my cells.
I can feel my heart beat as if it was pounding an ancient African rhythm.
Legs moving up and down, back and forth, propelling the feet which are attached to them merely by the means of some tired ankles.
Soles pounding the dust.
Eyes see a haze of brown, and green.
I can feel the thin air leaving me less than satisfied.
Gasping for breath, and energy, I press on.
Relief! I steady strong flow of endorphins rushes into my veins, supplying all of my inner being.
Friendly smiles from passer-byes bring me encouragement.
Up the mountain I tread.
Suddenly, like a beacon of light in a thrashing storm I see a small meadow of sorts, filled with purple, yellow and orange.
I have reached the worlds most beautiful flower bed.
The refreshing calm that these flowers bring me is unique to this day. It may never have the same effect for me.
"Do not worry about tomorrow."
Live everyday for itself, and enjoy all of the beautiful things God has created.

Well, I have to say I am less than enthused to write today. For one it was scorching hot! And two this heat just resulted in me feeling sluggish, so I really didn't do much this afternoon. I did spend I lot of time reading The Great Gatsby by F Scott Fitzgerald which I must say is completely, and utterly fascinating. I do have to admit that while I was lounging by the pool, in my swimsuit, on a comfy white recliner perched near the edge of the hillside, reading The Great Gatsby, I did relate myself to the story in the form of feeling a bit decadent.
On the photography front, a couple of boxes did manage to become painted a lovely shade of black. I have resolved to bring more than one pin hole camera to class, just in case...
So for today I will bid you adieu.

Being the eternal procrastinator that I am, this morning started out by waking up early enough to create a pin hole camera for my class this afternoon! I decided to use a koi watercolor box. I went into the garage and rummaged for some black paint, returning triumphantly with a can of black spray paint, leftover from the glory days of model rocketry. The task at hand seemed to be a simple one, paint the inside of the watercolor box black, for lighting purposes, and later install the pin hole "lens". Whilst painting the spray paint ceased fire, it was all gone. Alright no biggie. I just filled in the small portion I had left with black marker. It looked good to me, I have to admit I thought I was pretty clever with my long low box, what a cool image this would produce. 

I studied sign language for about ten or fifteen minutes. Such a dedicated pupil! Put on my 70's bell bottoms, and wedge sandals, which make me over six feet, maybe not the best shoes when one would like to meet guys.

Unfortunately, I timed myself wrong and walked into class about 25 minutes late. For those few self extremely self conscious moments when I was walking to a vacant seat I spotted on the lower right half of the room, I very much wished that I had decided to wear some shoes that didn't make me appear like Lurch's granddaughter!  

Calistoga Hot Spot
Taken with Ansco Shur Flash on 120 film

As for my pin hole camera that I thought was the shizz, I was informed that it was in fact to low for a large long image to be exposed to the light. So naturally, I tried, and failed to succeed in modifying it with some cuts and black tape. It was so close to working actually, if it wasn't for those pesky light leaks! Who discovered light anyway?

The teacher suggested that I start a new one in class, long story short, I ended up walking around campus with the most white elephant camera ever. It is a very large box, and I had a few people even laugh at me. Maybe laughter is the road to friendship? 

My advice: make sure you know what you are doing before you turn in an assignment.

New Day

Pleading for Another Chance
Taken with my Ansco Shur Flash on 120 film

Today is a new day, a fresh start. What are you going to do about it? This is a motivational speech to myself. God has shown you an abundance of grace, what are you going to do with all of these blessings he has bestowed upon you? 
Proverbs 13:4 "The sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the desires of the diligent are fully satisfied."
This blog is something that I am starting for the benefit of myself, and hopefully others, to document my day to day life, and the progress of my goal to become a professional (artistic) photographer.


Camera that I am obsessing over today: Lomography Colorsplash Camera


Second on the list: Homemade pinhole camera that I am yet to make for tomorrows photography class.


Today started out like any other typical in the life of me, woke up later than desired,  ate cereal etc.
Later I went to search for a job. Unfortunately had a mishap with my Beetle by In-N-Out. I reckon that if it had been someone else standing there after they had driven one wheel of there car into a major dip in the road, rendering it stuck, would have been terribly embarrassed. Luckily, for this hypothetical person pulled from my imagination, it was indeed me standing there looking like a fool. Being prone to funky situations, I am quite used to this type of thing. Fortunately, for me, I have an extremely handy dad who was able to come and assist. The situation was resolved, but not until my mother shows up also to see the wonderful mess I put myself in! 
My advice: be careful when you are driving and rocking out to music simultaneously.