Scheming

It's finally sunny out, after a morning of snow and an afternoon of numbingly cold wind, and where am I? Sitting inside in front of the computer, of course. It's a sad state of affairs, but also one that's worthwhile. I've mentioned Vanessa's Three Winks blog once before here in this space, but I just spent a fair amount of time perusing its entirety when I should be out throwing a Frisbee or doing yard work at the very least, and she's gotten me thinking. You see, Vanessa's space is filled with film photography of the loveliest kind, with beautiful colors, silvery grain, pleasing compositions, golden light, unexpected light leaks, and a general comfortableness. It's the kind of photography that resonates with me and lingers in varying compartments in my mind. I just dig it. So what has she gotten me thinking about? Starting a new blog. Another blog. Another space to post my work. Why? I don't know.

I've had an account at Wordpress for quite some time but have never done anything with it. Maybe that time is now. I really like the idea of a photo-only blog. No words, other than a title. A place to let my images speak for themselves. (Little voice inside my head: isn't that the point of your website? Well, yes but...) Blogs appeal to me in a way that websites don't. Websites often seem sterile, for lack of a better word, mostly because I don't know how to maintain 100% of my website. If I did, maybe I wouldn't have a desire to start a new blog. So who knows? This may just be one of those harebrained schemes of mine or it could be the start of something exciting. I guess we'll see.

On another note and speaking of Vanessa, she and I are working on a little project together, a series of double exposures. We're each shooting some 35mm film then switching and running each other's rolls through our own cameras. I just sent my film off to her today and am anxiously awaiting her film in the mail. I can't wait to see the results! I think I'm going to spend a lot of time with my Pentax K1000 this weekend.

And on a final note, the Polaroids above are my latest offering for Words to Shoot By. We had our third open call for entries and received some beautiful work. I had hoped for more participation both from our regular contributors and from guests, but no dice. I was discouraged by the low turnout but hope for the best next time. Head over there and check it out.

Beta BFF

1. magnolia, 2. corrugated, 3. garage, 4. wall, 5. Ute Cab, 6. turquoise, 7. CO., 8. Keep it...

The amazing Impossible Project just recently released its new PX680 Beta film designed specifically for Polaroid 600 cameras, or in my case, the Polaroid SLR 680. It can be used in SX-70 cameras with an ND filter as well. Their first color film, the PX70 Color Shade, seemed really beautiful when it came out several months ago, but it's a drop in the bucket compared to the PX680. This new film is the bee's knees. I just love it and am so happy I was able to get my hands on a few packages, thanks to awesome Anne at the New York Impossible Space.

My husband and I went for a long walk on Sunday evening and came across a lot of magnolia trees. I wasn't carrying a camera with me (of course) but drove back Monday morning and shot my first PX680 image. I tucked it away in my bag and drove home. About 20 minutes later, I pulled it out and gasped. The colors! On Tuesday, I went downtown to pick up some b/w 35mm film for a little project I'm working on with the lovely and talented Vanessa and while I was there, I wandered around an almost vacant industrial area and burned through an entire roll of 35mm redscale in my K1000, as well as five more PX680 images. I'm in love. I shot the remaining two images yesterday afternoon near my house on Main Street and got a few funny looks from passersby, but as always, I just smile.

Kaleidoscope

This week on Words to Shoot By, we chose a unique word to interpret with our cameras: kaleidoscope. I had such a fun time shooting for it, even though my original idea was squashed by my fear of blasting through my last two packs of Polaroid Spectra in mere minutes. I had planned on shooting quadruple exposures with my Minolta Instant Pro and some Spectra, but after doing just one and seeing how terribly overexposed it was, I opted for something else. I thought on it for a couple of days, then Googled "online kaleidoscope" and found this fun website. I immediately began drawing my kaleidoscope, then shot a few digital exposures at around a quarter of a second, half a second, then one full second and saw some crazy variations. I cleared my drawing board and started over again and again, adding new elements each time. I had a ball and shot over 200 images! Overkill, yes, but it was just so cool to experiment with. These images above are my favorites of the bunch.

PS: Words to Shoot By has an open call for entries again! The word is "habit" and the deadline is Saturday, April 23. Join us, won't you?

New Addiction

Just because I've been enjoying a lot of down time lately doesn't mean I remember to post here. Oops. I'm currently waiting around for the weather to improve and the snow to melt so I can get back out on the road for the Forest Service. I've been reading a lot, knitting a little, wasting a bit of Polaroid film, and cooking quite a bit. I've also picked up a new hobby... biking. I started biking on a machine at the gym recently and thought, "You know, I should be doing this outside." A bunch of internet research and one trip to REI later and I've got myself a new trail bike! It's a Novara Mia bike that's super speedy on paved pathways, comfortable to ride, and it even came with a nerdy little bell.

I got the bike two Saturdays ago, then promptly came down with a sinus infection, so I stayed inside most of last week. When my sinuses and the weather cleared up last Thursday, I was out the door! My husband and I took a three-mile ride that night and I couldn't wipe the smile from my face. I felt like a kid again on my awesome new bike! Friday morning I pedaled about 10 minutes on a dirt path, then another hour on a paved trail out around a pretty pond near town. The bugs were intense but the sky was breathtakingly blue. My husband rode his bike to work that morning so on his way home, I met him three miles from our house and we pedaled home together to yummy crock pot fajitas.

Saturday morning was - for me - epic. We met some friends and rode 18 miles of the Legacy Parkway Trail, which runs the length of its namesake highway. We rode nine miles north from the southernmost trailhead, smiling all the way, then came the time to turn and head back south. Normally it wouldn't be a problem but a storm was approaching and here in northern Utah, that means sustained and gusty winds from the south, so our nine miles back to the trailhead were difficult, to say the least. There were a lot of stops to rest. All in all it was a fantastic ride, and ended up being four miles longer than the longest ride I've ever been on, and I can easily say that I am now addicted. I can't wait to get out again!