10/1986

I know, not nearly as old a date as my previous post, but still impressive considering this is instant film that expired almost 13 years ago, and still more impressive is that it's Kodak, which was discontinued/recalled in '86 because of patent infringement. A fellow photog from toycamera.com gifted me two packages of the film a couple of years ago and in a camera-buying frenzy two weeks ago, I scored a $2 Kodak Colorsplash 50. I loaded a fresh J-type 6-volt battery and a pack of the expired film, and stepped outside on the porch and aimed into the fading evening light. I thought for sure the chemical pods would be completely dried out, so when these weird globs appeared, I got really excited. I think I'll turn the remaining 17 pieces of Kodak instant into a project. I'm thinking something as simple as abstract landscape blobs. I'm not sure yet, but I'm happy to have new camera to have some fun with, even if it's extremely temporary.

The first image is the very first piece of Kodak film I've ever shot. I mistakenly peeled it apart, thinking I was supposed to, but I fell in love with the bright layers of goop. The second image is the front and back of one piece of film that I didn't peel apart. I think I might try peeling more apart.

Chris, if it was you who gave me the film all that time ago, thank you! You've put an instant smile on my face.

09/1969

A couple of years ago, my grandma, aunt, and I were going through my grandpa's old photography stuff and we came upon a stash of Kodak Verichrome Pan 127 film. Most of it has been exposed but not developed (I'm working on changing that!) but there was one roll that was still sealed in its tiny yellow box, expiration date 09/1969. I took it home with me and it sat in my fridge until this past weekend. I found a tiny Brownie Chiquita camera on Ebay for $12, and ran the film through it at my favorite park while playing disc golf Saturday evening, and when I picked up the roll from Nichols yesterday at lunch, I almost cartwheeled my way through the lobby when I saw the developed negs. They still work! My grandpa bought this little roll of film, and I bet it never crossed his mind that his granddaughter would shoot it 40 years later. I bet he'd love to see what I did with it, and I bet he'd love that I have a thing for cameras and photography, just like he did.

Play

A new theme is up on my newest project, Words to Shoot By. Oddly enough, this one was a little tough. I finished my part early last week but never felt confident about the images, so I decided to troll the local thrift store this morning for better ideas. Really, I went there for ideas, not cameras. To my surprise, a line about 20 people deep had formed outside the doors. I was five minutes early, so I just hung out in my car with a little bluegrass and a Reese's Peanut Butter Egg. I walked in a few minutes later and straight back to the camera case where I found nothing of interest. Phew! A crowd of people in the toy aisle grabbed my interest and I spotted all of these cool vintage games. Battleships sunk me on the idea. I'm now much happier with these Polaroids.

Strung Up

I really should be outside enjoying the gorgeous spring sunshine on this lovely Saturday, but my Etsy shop has been gnawing at me despite my best efforts to forget about it for the weekend. So, instead of sunning myself in the backyard with a garden trowel and weeds in hand, I updated my whole shop! I added Thinker, Rainbow, and Poodle from my Local Color project, and one new Polaroid triptych, Three Clouds.

So what's up with these photos? My Polaroid triptychs and diptychs now come with these super sweet mini wooden clothespins and a length of twine for easy hanging right out of the envelope! Even better: I dropped my shipping prices on most of my items! I am now shipping First Class (instead of Priority) to help save my shoppers a little dough. Need more good news? My single Polaroid prints, all my square toy camera prints, and my vintage Lubitel prints are now frame-ready! I'm offering them at 5x5" so they'll pop right into Ikea's square Ribba frames! No cutting necessary. Just pull the print from the envelope and within seconds, it can be on the wall. Hooray!

Chips and Salsa

My husband really loves it when I take photos of him. He also loves it when I post said photos on the internets. (Note the sarcasm.) I've recently started shooting a lot of negative film again - as opposed to just Polaroid - as I'm sure you have noticed if you follow me on Flickr at all, and I've fallen in love with my vintage Diana toy camera again. It's been about two years since I used it last, and this image is from the last roll I ran through it back then. We kayaked Pineview that day. It was late June of the first year with our kayaks. We put in on what I guess you could call the neck of the Point. It was a little sheltered beach just past the sheriff's cabin on the north side, which as of last year is closed by way of new No Parking signs standing sentinel over the dirt parking strip. Anyway, we put in and paddled to a nice little beach further west on the Point, and played in the sunshine and ate lunch. I remember chips and salsa. That was our summer of kayaking with chips and salsa. We'd put our picnic lunch in a soft-sided cooler and tuck it in the stern of one of the boats, and off we'd go. Turkey sandwiches and chips and salsa.

We paddled more that summer than we have in summers since, and just thinking about it all makes me a more than a little nostalgic and very anxious for the coming warm weather, and just thinking about it also made me remember the video I made with my cell phone on what was probably our third or fourth outing that first year. It was 2006, April 22. It's still on my phone, pixelated and tiny, a nine-second clip of Travis happily drumming on the top of his kayak while floating amid the easy light of the soon-to-set sun. The water was glassy and deep blue, and seagulls chattered overhead. What fun we had. I am looking forward to getting out on the water again.

**My shop sale ends today! 25% off!**

Lupine

I went to a local nursery/garden center a couple Mondays ago and had a marvelous time wandering around, loading up a little faded red wagon with plants and seeds for my yard. The sun was out and it was warm and springy (as opposed to today!). I was in heaven. I toted along my Polaroid SLR 680, my Diana, and my K1000, and shot more photos than I have in a long time. I kept getting really funny looks from people, but I really felt that I was in my element there. I just love gardening, and garden stores. They're so full of potential, I get giddy just looking at tiny green sprouts ready to be embedded in the earth. And of course, adding a camera to the mix, well, I was in heaven. I'd never taken a camera with me to a garden store until now, and I think I'll have to make it a regular occurrence. The light in greenhouses is amazing. So soft and diffused. It makes me want to construct a greenhouse at home just for the light! I'd probably throw a few plants in, just to keep it real.

This Polaroid of Lupine leaves is my favorite from the day, and I've just added it to my shop, where it, along with everything else there is 25% off now through Friday only. I feel like I should make it more apparent that I'm having a big sale, so SALE SALE SALE!! 25% OFF!! Help a starving artist! Make a girl's day! Enable a Polaroid junkie to buy one more pack of film! Put some art on your walls!

Easter at Little Dell

We took the kayaks out yesterday for the first time this season, and although our outing began as a comedy of errors of sorts, it turned out quite nice. We left the house and drove up Parley's Canyon in Salt Lake City, headed for Little Dell, and saw that the water was ice-free and stunningly gorgeous, but the gates were all locked. Not wanting to break any rules, we headed for East Canyon Dam - or what we thought was East Canyon - and found ourselves driving down Emigration Canyon and back into downtown Salt Lake. Evidently we took a wrong turn. We drove back up Parley's, looking for a turnoff to East Canyon that we must have missed and found that the gate to East Canyon was also locked and was obviously inaccessible. So, with no other body of water but gorgeous Little Dell, we parked in the top lot next to the main road and carried our kayaks down a trail of muddy switchbacks and put in.

We were the only ones on the water (obviously) and it was glorious, to say the very least. It was a bit windy, but the sun was out in full force. I started out paddling with my pants rolled up to my knees so I could get a little sun, but the waves from the wind kept splashing me and it was ice cold, so I rolled my pants down and put on my spray skirt. I took my Polaroid 220 out for its first working outing, and my Kodak Duaflex III that I'd never shot film in, but when we were loading the boats up in the parking lot, we realized the dry bags didn't make it out of the garage. I was desperate to make some photos, so I brought them along without any sort of protection. The Duaflex was small enough to fit alongside my seat and stayed dry, but the 220 I pushed up in the bow of my boat and it got a little wet and there's a chunk of mud on the case, but they both worked great. This first Polaroid shot I made in my kayak, on the water, with wind, waves and cold hands. I like it. It's from my last pack of 669 that expired in June 2006. I wish I had more!

We paddled and floated around beautiful Little Dell for a couple of hours and then had to head home and north to a family Easter dinner. To get the kayaks up to the car, we opted for the internal road that was locked up rather than the muddy trail. We paddled to the boat ramp and headed up the 1/4 mile-long dry, paved road (where I shot this second Polaroid), and schlepped/slogged/hauled our boats all the way up to the car. After paddling against the wind for a while, your arms tire, then carrying two 42lb. boats and various lightweight accessories up a hill, up a 1/4 mile hill, well, let's just say that typing on my keyboard is the most strenuous activity I will put my arms through today. My hands, entire arms, and shoulders are trashed, but I would gladly do it again and again if it meant I could spend the day kayaking with my husband. I hope your Easter was as wonderful as mine.

***Don't forget! I'm having a BIG 25% OFF SALE in my shop now through Friday, April 17th!***

For Sale!

I'm having a SALE! Everything in my Etsy shop is now 25% off! This includes my new Polaroid prints, and all my favorite Holga and Diana toy camera prints, and Polaroid magnets. This is my first-ever sale, and it's on from now through Friday, April 17. 25% off! 25% off! All prices are as marked.

The Smell of Wet Dirt

After several weekends of thinking about doing yard work, I finally bit the bullet and did it Monday. I always think I hate working in the yard, but when I slide my orange gloves on, and plunk down on my beat up lime green knee pad, I realize it's not that bad. It's actually quite nice, especially in the springtime. I think Monday's task was made a little easier than usual though. Before I got my hands dirty, I stopped at a local family-run nursery for some seeds and some photo opportunities. I shot a bunch of Polaroids I'm in love with (but plan to use them for an upcoming post on Common Places if I can hold out that long), an entire roll through my Diana (that I've recently fallen in love with again), and half a roll through my K1000. I wandered around for over an hour, taking in the sunshine and the smell of wet dirt, and ended up bringing home zucchini, zinnia and poppy seeds, a forsythia and a lilac bush, and these four little planters. Two French lavender, one rosemary, and one hyssop. I'm potting them this weekend, but need some pots and soil first.

I spent most of the afternoon weeding and clearing out leaves left over from fall, and after dinner, dug holes for the forsythia and lilac bushes. As I was removing a few random blades of grass for the forsythia, I noticed a pile of deer scat. I was thrilled! Deer! I've had squirrels and quail before, but never deer. I hope they don't eat my plants. After planting my two new bushes, I shot these two Polaroids on my beloved deck just as the sun set, and I got really excited for the coming warm weather and dinners and weekend breakfasts outside, firing up the grill, backyard get-togethers, fresh strawberry margaritas, and warm zucchini bread.

One other note: We saw Adventureland Saturday night (and loved it) and on our way out, we spotted a photobooth. Trav offered to get cash and stand in line to get our pictures taken because "I know it's on your list." This is sappy to say, but it made my heart melt. He's that sweet.

Green

I've begun a new photography collaboration called Words to Shoot By with some friends and today was our first post. I'm so excited about the project, and the chance to work with some talented, creative photographers. These three images were my offerings for our "Green" theme. Check out our blog to see everyone's work. We'll be posting every two weeks.

Old

Nothing to report today. Instead, some old photos I've been playing around with.