Long time no see.

Hello. It's been a while, hasn't it? I finally got around to developing the last roll of film I used up. All of these snaps are from last spring/summer/autumn. Now that spring is officially here again, I think it is time for a new roll. Or two. I hope you've been well. See you soon.









Camera: Kodak VR35 K40
Film: Kodak Gold 200

Some time ago...

These few photos are from the last roll of film I took this past spring. Spring almost feels like a lifetime ago now. I haven't been taking many photos since. The rolls of film I started earlier this summer have been languishing in their cameras waiting to be used. I know that one of these days I'll want to work on them again. Until then, it's all snow and frost, quiet and thaw.

Camera: Nikon FM 10
Film: Fujifilm 200

Half and Half

Toward the end of last summer and beginning of autumn, I decided to try out the half-frame format on my Diana Mini. Setting the camera to half-frame allows you to stretch a single roll of 35mm film much further than it would typically go. While on this setting it will produce a maximum of 72 photos. Fun! Despite my excitement and eagerness over this trial run, it took me forever to get this particular roll of film developed. It languished in my camera bag whilst I did who knows what for months and months. Ah, so things go sometimes!

Note: When I get my photos developed I always have the film transferred to an archival disc (for easy uploading and what not) as well. However, due to their unconventional formatting, my Diana Mini photos usually get squeezed together in the spaces meant for typical 4x6 frames. Sometimes I'll crop and separate them before uploading, but didn't much feel like it this time around. In fact, I thought many of these frames looked rather complimentary side by side.

Camera: Diana Mini
Film: Kodak Gold 200

More photos from this set can be found on my Flickr.

A bit of then, a bit of now

Camera: Kodak VR35 K40
Film: Kodak Ultramax 400

Here are a few of the latest photographs I had developed. Some are from this past autumn while some are from this past month. A roll of film can hold so much time (and conversely, so little).

In silhouette

Camera: Kodak VR35 K40
Film: Fujicolor Superia X-tra 400

While in my previous post I mourned the residual traces of Autumn and dressed accordingly, this one finds me celebrating relics of a bright and warm stretch of Summer (on film, of course).

Tea for thought

"Drink your tea slowly and reverently, as if it is the axis on which the world earth revolves - slowly, evenly, without rushing toward the future."  -Thich Nat Hahn

Camera: Nikon FM 10
Film: Kodak Ultramax 400

Adventures with Diana Mini

Last month, I spent Labor Day weekend with my dear friend Erin (formerly of the blog Ip & Audrey, she now uses Tumblr to post bits about writing and journalism). I brought my Diana Mini along for the ride this time. Here's a looksie into what we saw and did:

On Saturday, we took the T into Cambridge to stroll around and stop into stores we couldn't afford (think: Anthropologie and the Japanese import store selling Totoro things). We also savored our first pumpkin spice lattes of the season at Peet's. So good. In fact, it was the best I've had. A scrumptious Indian dinner followed. Samosas and dosas and Aloo Patter, oh my! Silly me forgot to adjust the settings on my the camera while down in the Harvard Square T station. These were the only salvageable pictures.

Sunday afternoon we skipped over to Ikea just for the fun of it. I had never been, so there was lots of oohing and ahhing on my part. Having lunch there was a must. After sitting down with my plate of Swedish meatballs, I pulled out Diana Mini ready to document the experience. The woman sitting at the next table eyed me suspiciously, thus increasing my nerves and decreasing my ability to center the shot. "Why yes, strange woman, I AM taking a photo of my food with a toy camera. What of it?"

Monday morning, before Erin headed into work and before I hit the road, we took a little walk (it's tradition) along the waterfront in downtown Plymouth. If you look closely in the right photo above you can see the masts of the Mayflower II. I climbed aboard the replica ship as a little girl, but haven't been on it during any of my last seven visits to Plymouth. Maybe next time!

Camera: Diana Mini
Film: Fujifilm 200

Smaller images were shared for the purpose of posting them side-by-side (hopefully they appear that way on your screens!). Larger versions of these photos can be seen by visiting my Flickr.

Fleeting Summer

Hello there. The end of summer is upon us taking with it the long and lazy hours of golden daylight, vibrant arrays of wildflowers and refreshing ice cream outings. It all slips away so quickly, but the enjoyment is there to be savored long after the temperatures cool and the vegetation fades and withers. I contributed a small collection of film photos for the Summer Stories series that Emily of Ruby Slipper Journeys hosted this summer. Go and have a look if you'd like.

Camera: Nikon FM 10

Film: Fujicolor Superia X-tra 400

Photoswap 2011

Have you heard of the photoswap that Rhianne of For the easily distracted hosts? Some of my favorite bloggers have participated in years past and this time around I thought it would be fun to join in! The idea behind the swap is simple: each participant is assigned a partner and then develops a roll of film (or disposable camera) that the other has taken.

My swap partner was Cesar of The Dead Format. In addition to the roll of film I sent, I included a letter in which I mentioned how exciting and daunting it was taking photos specifically for someone else. Photographs can be really personal things if you think about it. One element about being partnered with Cesar that I really liked (apart from his beautiful photos, of course) was that we shared photos from the opposite ends of our country. He is based in downtown Los Angeles and I call rural upstate New York my home. It really reinforced how much I love the vast diversity of the United States.

The rest of Cesar's photos can be found here and at the It's A Photoswap 2011 Flickr group.

Diana Mini double exposures

I got the most recent roll of film used in my Diana Mini developed the other day. Toward the end of the roll I finally got the hang of advancing the film properly (remember this post?) and was planning on sharing some of those photos... but! they got transferred to the photo disc all wrong. Grr. It's weird because the actual photos printed fine, but on the disc they're all split down the middle (half in one frame, the other half in the next). Oh well. I did end up with a few more happy accidents to share. The one of the pup is my favorite.

Camera: Diana Mini
Film: Fujifilm 200

Trash to Treasure

Well, I created this silly little blog feature a year ago, did a post or two and then forgot about it. Tonight I have decided to bring it back even though a handful of previous posts highlighting thrift and flea market finds have essentially been in the same vein. I have a few ideas for upcoming Trash to Treasure posts, but this one will focus on my dad's barn. The interior, to be exact, and all the randomness housed under its roof. Apart from tools and chickens, there is much to be found in the barn. And I'm not talking just hay and spiders. The lofts are stacked high with old chairs, the shelves are lined with old signs, bottles and oil cans among other things. Every time I go in there my eyes focus on something that I had over-looked last time and then I cannot help but laugh inwardly about our pack-rat tendencies. I can attest to the fact that certain things seldom, if ever, get used, but then there are those times when something stashed away in the barn is just what you need for a project or for repairs.

Camera: Nikon FM 10
Film: Fujicolor Superia X-tra 400

Floral ephemera

Camera: Nikon FM 10
Film: Fujicolor Superia X-tra 400

Diana Mini and Me

A few months ago I treated myself to a new camera: the Diana Mini. We're not the best of friends yet, but we're warming up to each other. I'm having a hard time advancing the film properly while using the 24X24mm square format (I haven't tried the 24X72mm rectangle format yet). The directions are very clear stating to ''advance the wheel anticlockwise until it stops [...] in square mode 1/2 a turn.'' Simple, right? Yeah... I'd like to think so. I have good faith in my ability to follow instruction manuals, but I really don't know if it's me or the camera. I suppose it all comes down to good ol' trial and error. I'll get the hang of it eventually! In the meantime, here are some shots from my first trial roll.

If you look closely, this is actually a subtle double exposure.

Notice my film advancing skillz! All joking aside, I do like this one.

As far as happy accidents go, this is my favorite.

Diana Mini and I are heading out on a walk now. Be certain that any progress made in our friendship will be shared at a later date :)

Camera: Diana Mini
Film: Fujifilm 200