shari pastore photography

Photography Classes

2011-08-07T21:02:00.006-04:00

Ok. Short and sweet... I will be teaching a photography class at The Studio starting on Wednesday, September 7. Please spread the word if you are in the King George area. I've included the descriptions of the classes below! Oh, and wish me luck. I need to create 3 class curriculums by September!!

Photographic Explorations for Kids

Students will learn how to use their cameras and how to take better pictures while having fun. They will learn Camera Basics which will include basic photographic terminology, how a camera works, and how to use its basic functions. Students will also learn Composition Basics, which will include the “Rule of Thirds”, types of lighting, and what to consider when taking a picture. We will have Critiques, where students will learn how to analyze a photograph, point out its compositional properties and express what is means to them. We will also be exploring creative ways to use photographs in art projects, which will include manipulating images, transferring images to various surfaces, and creating interesting ways to display photographs.

Photographic Explorations for Teens

Photographic Explorations for Adults

Students will learn how to use their cameras and how to take better pictures. They will learn Camera Basics which will include basic photographic terminology, how a camera works, and how to use its basic functions. Students will also learn Composition Basics, which will include the “Rule of Thirds”, types of lighting, and what to consider when taking a picture. We will have Critiques, where students will learn how to analyze a photograph, point out its compositional properties and express what is means to them. We will also have discussions where we will investigate topics suggested by students. Students will also have the opportunity to attend instructor led photowalks and explore creative imaging techniques.

January Ramblings

2011-01-02T12:50:00.006-05:00

Hello my Faithful Followers. It's been a while, I know... I've been doing some soul searching recently on what it is I really want to see and do with my photography. This, of course, causes me to really look at myself and what type of person I really am. And that is kind of scary!

Things I've noticed about myself, by looking at my uncompleted past projects...

I get bored easily with long term projects.
I work well under pressure, which is good since...
I'm a procrastinator.
I need detailed plans with short term goals.
I need to write things down.

So, some goals I've come up with...

Set up short term projects (creative and organizational ones)
Make detailed plans (mini-goals for each project)
Keep a notebook of all my ideas and tasks (no matter how silly or mundane).

For January, the project is organizational. A few months ago, I organized my negatives into notebooks according to the camera it was shot with. Now, I need to organize my digital files and have some of my negatives professionally scanned. I think this is a very good way to start off the "new" me.

Polaroid

2010-10-16T13:34:00.004-04:00

I know. Polaroid no longer makes film. But some very determined people decided to "re-invent" the instant photograph and The Impossible Project was born. I was never really a "Polaroid" photographer, but I did have a One-Step around and occasionally would pick up a pack of film at the store when I thought of it. Well, after spending too much time on Flickr and seeing so many beautiful Polaroid photographs taken with the Polaroid SX-70, I just had to have one of those cameras. Not to mention the incredible engineering it took to build such a beautiful camera. Once I get it into my head that I want a camera, I cannot seem to let it go. And for the last year, I've been searching for a reasonably priced and working SX-70. But, there is such a demand for that camera, it's rare to see nice ones for under $100. Since the film is upwards of $20 a pack, that was an investment I was not willing to make. Until...

About a month ago, while perusing Craigslist for cameras (as I often do), I decided to search on "polaroid". And much to my surprise, I saw an ad for "Polaroid SX-70 Time-Zero Autofocus - $7" in Sperryville, VA. 7 DOLLARS? It had to be a piece of junk. 7 DOLLARS? But, I had to click on the ad. And it said, "excellent condition, working, with a pack of refrigerated expired Time-Zero film". What? You can't even buy Time-Zero film for $7 on eBay! So, I just had to see if this was really true... You know what they say about "too good to be true". I emailed the person asking for more information. A few days later, I got a call...

I talked with the man selling the camera for nearly 20 minutes. He was a pediatric dentist that used to use the camera at his office before digital cameras. He was so very pleasant to talk to and seemed like such a nice person, that I just had to be honest with him about the price of the camera. He said that he had no idea that it was such a valuable object in the "photographic world", but that he really didn't care about making money on the camera. Well, we talked photography, The Impossible Project, and darkrooms. His son was into photography once and had an enlarger sitting around. He asked if I wanted that, too. How much? Free. Really? Yes. Wow. Since we live over 2 hours away from each other, he said the next time his son (who lives closer to me) came for a visit he'd hand the stuff over to him and I could pick it up.

Weeks went by, I was only slightly worried. Then I got a call from him. His son was going to visit him and he was going to give the camera and enlarger to him. Then the part came when I was literally speechless, which is very hard to do to me.... His father had an old Polaroid 250 that had the portrait and macro lenses and a flash with flash bulbs. Did I want it? How much? Free. ..... Hello? Um, wow. *laughs* Seriously? Yes. He said his 90 year old father would just love the fact that someone would want to use it.

Wow. I picked them up from his daughter-in-law October 15. These cameras are in working, near-mint condition. For $7. I went to Batteries Plus and they still make the 4.5V battery for the 250. I'll have it in a week. I'm ordering the pack film online. I have shot 1 frame in the SX-70. I'm in love with it. The picture is far from good. I think I was excited and nervous to see what would happen when I pressed the red button...

...and I can press it 9 more times.

Blog? What Blog?

2010-08-03T10:25:00.005-04:00

Oh yeah, this blog. Hello, loyal readers (what few I have left!). It's funny that I feel I need to apologize for my lack of CotW posts. Truth is, I've never been good at keeping up with those sorts of things (I could never do that 365 without going mad). Honestly, I think I do those types of things as a creative jumping board for what really matters to me.

Oh, but I digress. Quite a while ago (I'd hate to say a year, but it might be nearly that), my neighbor suggested that I look into the local dance/art studio that had opened in the area. Her friend had started it and was looking for local artists to possibly teach there. She suggested that I teach photography. I laughed. I don't teach...

Then, I met the owner at a get-together 4 or 5 months ago. We chatted a bit about what she was looking for and I said I'd think about it. Then in June, I decided that I either needed to do it or just say no. So, I just said, "yes". Once that contract was signed I couldn't turn back. And I had 3 weeks to get a class together!

I spent those 3 weeks poring over all of my photography books and old class notes to come up with a 3-day workshop. The first day was basic camera instruction and photographic composition. Then the class would go on a photo walk-about where the students could practice and ask me questions. The final class was to be a critique of the photos they had taken.

The class went without a hitch and I had a blast teaching! Everyone said that they had learned a lot and the only "critique" was that I seemed nervous at the first class. I laughed. I said that I seemed nervous because I was incredibly nervous. I am deathly afraid of public speaking and "public speaking" to me is any more that 1 person! :) It was so much fun, I'm going to do it again!

Here is my class during our photo walk-about, taken with the Lomography Spinner 360°:

SoFoBoMo 2010

2010-06-24T11:04:00.003-04:00

And this is why you haven't seen me in a few weeks. :) Since last year was a bust, I decided to really make an effort to complete this year's book. The truth is, I love film. It is also really difficult to complete a book of 35 photographs in 31 days and shoot film. And I didn't want to shoot digital and spend hours in Photoshop trying to recreate the lovely look of film. But, if you remember... I just got an Android and downloaded the Vignette app for it. This lovely app lets me set up the look and feel of film before I even start. So, Photoshop was relegated to merely adding the text and the black borders (to make the book assembly much easier).

My book is called, "Little Horses". I've had these miniature Breyer horses sitting around since I picked them up at a thrift shop a couple of years ago. I had always wanted to use them in a series of photographs and I thought this would be a perfect time. My goal was to make the viewer unsure if these were toys or actual horses. Some, I think are quite successful... Others, not so much. But, I like that, as well. Overall, I'm happy with what I have accomplished in 19 days!

So, without further ado, the book...

Week 14 - Camera Phone (CotW)

2010-05-25T20:13:00.005-04:00

"Seriously?", you say. Yes, seriously. This week (or 2... I stopped counting), I used my good old camera phone. Well, actually, it's a new phone. With a 5MP camera. I can download apps. Camera apps. But, it's not an iPhone. It's the Motorola Android. It's awesome, I love it. I bought an awesome camera app within the first hour of owning the thing. I sat in the parking lot playing with it. It's fun.

"What's so great about a camera phone with an app?", you ask. Well, it makes all my digital pictures look like they came out of a lovely fantastic plastic camera. I can include light leaks, square format, "fake" frame numbers when I "bleed" to the edge of the film, x-pro, polaroid frames... This list goes on and on. This lovely app is called, Vignette. And I'm in love (at least for a little while).

It will never replace my film, because, well... nothing in this world can replace film. But, it is a lovely little toy and I'm having fun. Isn't that what photography is all about?

My favorite, by far (and I love A LOT of them), is the one I took of my daughter swinging.

Week 13 - Lomography SuperSampler (CotW)

2010-05-16T18:43:00.003-04:00

This week brought me back to play with another multi-lens single-frame camera, the Lomography SuperSampler. This camera's lenses take 4 mini-panoramas as opposed to the Quad-Cam's window like frames. I especially like this one of my daughter as I think it captures childhood perfectly. Just think of all the happy children you've seen splashing in a fountain...

Week 12 - Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim (CotW)

2010-05-11T20:06:00.004-04:00

It seems that my motivation for the Camera of the Week is slowly waning, which oddly coincides with the end of the list of all my toys. And since I'm shooting film, there is always a lag between when I shoot and when I receive my images from the lab and it gets a bit confusing. I suppose I should start keeping better track. This week I received 2 rolls of film (weeks 12 & 13), but I slacked on shooting an entire roll of film since both cameras had film from my "Spring Break". Ah well...

So, the Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim is this lovely little plastic point and shoot camera that I bought a couple of years ago on eBay for a measly $12 including shipping. I've seen these little gems go for $20 + shipping! Wow... I'm so happy I jumped on that bandwagon before they became popular! :) They have this lovely "ultra wide" 22mm lens with incredible vignetting. People sometimes call it the Poor Man's LC-A. This little thing gets tossed into what ever bag I have with me and is always pointed at something fun!

This week I shot with Kodak 64T slide film and cross-processed it in C-41. Poppies in the Median was my favorite on the roll from the "actual" CotW Week (not Spring Break). Those are on flickr....

Week 13 - Lomography SuperSampler

Week 11 - Noblex Pro Sport (CotW)

2010-04-29T11:31:00.004-04:00

It's nice to have friends with cool cameras. This (3) weeks' camera was the Noblex ProSport panoramic camera that my sister-in-law's very generous boyfriend loaned to me. After taking and entire roll of my fingers (because of the very wide angle lens), I figured out just how to hold the thing. It is a very heavy camera (I'm so used to plastic ones) and holding it with just 4 fingers (2 on top and 2 on bottom) seemed dangerous. (Don't worry Jerre, I had the strap around the wrist ALWAYS!) I did, however, get 2 rolls of film with absolutely NO fingers!

I still don't know why I shoot color film... Everything looks better in black and white. Of course, 9:30 isn't exactly the ideal time for good morning light either, so I guess I deserved that. And I still have to work on scanning cross-processed film, but those negs were pretty dark anyway.

I thought the Fredericksburg Battlefield would be a great place to really tryout the panoramas and I was not disappointed. However, I do need to go back again to get some shots with another camera (Holga) of a tree I absolutely fell in love with.

Week 12 - Lomography Supersampler

Week 10 - Seagull 4B-1 TLR (CotW)

2010-04-15T19:18:00.007-04:00

If you follow my blog, you may remember my Technical Difficulties with my beloved Seagull TLR. Well, I decided to shoot with it anyway and just move until something in the frame was in focus!! It certainly exercised my creativity in composition. This weekend I will be heading to Dominion Camera to see if they can fix my baby...

Surprisingly, I have 2 favorites this week and I just couldn't decide which to post, so you get both.

After taking a Spring Break, CotW 11 continues this week featuring a Guest Camera, the Noblex SportPro Panoramic camera. It is on loan from the generous boyfriend of my sister-in-law. Woohoo for fun new cameras!

Technical Difficulties

2010-04-04T20:50:00.005-04:00

Well, CotW 10 has had a very upsetting technical problem. When I took my Seagull 4B-1 out for its week, I noticed that its focusing knob was completely useless. It wiggled freely on its post, but did not come all the way off. So, basically, it is stuck with a focus of approximately 3ft. This is upsetting for many reasons... First, this was a gift from my husband for my birthday nearly 5 years ago. Second, there is no local repair shop for this type of camera and was told that repairs for regular cameras run about $160. This camera was about $200... Third, I cannot find a repair manual or anyone online (so far, I'm still looking) who can even give me an idea of what kind of repair this would even be. Fourth, I'm afraid to open it up and then find out I can't put it back together even if I could fix it. It is still a mystery as to how it could have broken while stored in a camera bag wrapped in a padded Domke wrap.

So, I thought to myself, "hmmm, most of my other cameras either have a fixed focus or none at all, so why should this one!" and I used up the last 2 frames on the roll in the camera and shot a whole other roll with the camera focused at 3ft (I hope).

While we wait for the film to come back from the developer, here is a favorite from a few years ago...

Week 9 - Yunon YN500 (CotW)

2010-03-23T19:08:00.004-04:00

Well, this camera has again stumped me as to when or why it decides not to advance the film. I thought I figured it out after the first roll and was *extremely* careful to be aware of my fingers during the winding this time. Well, there they were random partial double-exposures.

I went to load the camera and since I hadn't used this camera in over a year (check out the last post on it... March 2009!), I had forgotten about the roll of film inside....oops again! The camera resets the film counter back to "S" when it is opened, so when I reached 24 on the counter (and I knew the roll inside was a 36 exposure) I was wondering why it wouldn't wind (except a click or so, enough to cock the shutter). So the last frame on the roll turned out to be 5+ exposures of my daughter, a beach, and some drift wood.

CotW 10 - The Seagull (which I know has film in it, I just wish I knew what speed)

Week 8 - Quad-Cam Gold (CotW)

2010-03-20T20:25:00.010-04:00

This week's camera was my "new" Gold Quad-Cam, which is very similar to the Lomography ActionSampler. It has 4 lenses that fire consecutively so that you can capture 4 small frames of action on one 35mm film frame. Lomography once had an option of turning these types of images into "mini-movies" looping continuously through the 4 frames, but not anymore. This was the first ever roll through this camera for me and I was not disappointed. While out with this camera I had 2 different thoughts: Will this subject 1) make a good "mini-movie" OR 2) allow all four frames to work together as a single composition. So, I actually have TWO favorites from this week...

The Mini-Movie (painfully put together and artificially looped for 8 seconds of viewing pleasure):

The Single Composition (with 4 frames):

Currently shooting CotW 9 with my Yunon YN500

Week 7 - Holga WPC (CotW)

2010-03-13T18:24:00.004-05:00

So, Week 7 came and went without a hitch. I only ran 1 roll of film through the WPC,which isn't a lot since it takes only 6 images on a roll! I do believe there was some kind of user error with the camera, because all but 2 images had this line where one side of the image was lighter than the other. I think it was the problem of not opening the shutter quick enough for the short exposure times (2-4 secs). I absolutely love this camera. It's a huge piece of black plastic, that makes beautiful pictures.

CotW 8 is using my new Gold Quad-Cam. Four pictures, one frame.

Week 6 - Golden Half (CotW)

2010-03-09T19:55:00.004-05:00

I can't even begin to explain the elation I felt when I looked at this first roll of film from the Golden Half. It was amazing how long it took to take 48 images on a roll of film, when I can shoot hundreds of images on a digital camera without a thought. It's funny, how using a film camera makes me slow down and think about the image instead of just snapping away. Each frame is precious. From the first look at the negatives, this one really stood out. I am not happy about the reflections in the glass (I attempted to block them out), but this is definitely a window I will visit again real soon!

Week 7 Camera of the Week is the Holga WPC. The first roll is at the developer!

Week 5 - Pinhole Blender Mini 120 (CotW)

2010-03-03T16:48:00.004-05:00

Well, week 5 of Camera of the Week got off to a bad start. After days and days of dark grey skies and snow, I finally took the Blender out for some fun. I also decided to shoot with a zone plate instead of the pinhole. Unfortunately, with the roll of film inside (ISO 400) and the aperture of f/64, the exposures were less than 1 second. That is quite difficult when your shutter is a piece of gaffer tape! There were light leaks on most of the roll caused by opening up the can and... OOPS ...finding a roll of film in there. The color on the roll wasn't very colorful, so I changed it to black and white... I definitely will take this out again in the spring!

This week's camera is the Golden Half Chelsea Maika edition. Stay tuned...

Week 4 - Holga (CotW)

2010-02-15T19:55:00.004-05:00

The Holga never seems to disappoint, even when its handler is less than enthusiastic about the subjects it captures. Of course, this was the first week of the Snowpocalypse and snow was absolutely the only thing around. I finished off an old roll still in the camera, which had pictures that I had taken in Annapolis (during the warm summer light). I had a nice one of the old barn, but how many blog posts can one do on a barn that is just a lump of lumber? So, the selection of the week was from the roll of Ilford 3200 that was completely shot in the back yard during the snow.

The Week 5 CotW is the Pinhole Blender Mini 120. Since I have been literally snowed in for much of the week (and I could not stand to take any more pictures of snowy trees), I have extended it through this week. I hope to take it somewhere a little more inspirational...

Week 3 - Plastic Panoramic (CotW)

2010-02-09T16:03:00.006-05:00

OK, I could finally get out of the house today and pick up my film from Richmond Camera. This roll was from the nameless 35mm panoramic camera I bought on eBay for $5 (including shipping). It is the most basic point & shoot camera (no controls at all) and ONLY takes panoramic pictures. Well, to my surprise every negative came out nicely exposed (however, not all were nicely composed). The real challenge came in cutting the negatives as there is maybe 2mm space between them.

There is also this odd looking light leak that occurs occasionally and with no obvious reason. I have 2 negatives that were taken in the same general direction within seconds of each other and one has a leak, the other does not. The lens does seem to be very fuzzy (maybe needs a good cleaning). And since it only cost $5, I won't mind taking it apart and checking out the insides. I may even be able to fix the image counter!

All in all, I was happy with this first roll. Here is my favorite of the bunch!

Hopefully, I will get my film back from my CotW 4 (Holga) in a few days. This week's camera is the Pinhole Blender Mini 120.

Hmmm...

2010-02-07T17:27:00.003-05:00

So, this week will have no post for CotW since the east coast had a blizzard and my film is stuck in Richmond or Fredericksburg. So, hopefully I'll have 2 posts for next week. My Holga film is here and ready to be developed when the snow melts. :)

In the meantime, a view from my porch...

Week 2 - Agfa Clack (CotW)

2010-01-28T18:53:00.005-05:00

So, week 2 (Jan 17-23) was spent with a camera I had not picked up (except to move out of the way) for almost 2 years! The Agfa Clack is a medium format camera that takes 6x9 cm negatives. Nice and BIG! Well, I finished the roll left in the camera (from 2 years ago) and one other roll. The rolls were color, but there is not much color in the world in the middle of January! And since I'm such a black and white junky, I had no problem turning the only picture worth sharing (out of 11, since 5 were taken 2 years ago)into a b&w beauty.

I think I am almost finished the roll in the nameless panoramic camera (the counter is broken!!). So, maybe I can get that to the lab this week!

The Diana F+ (+ accessories!!)

2010-01-22T19:54:00.005-05:00

So, on my last birthday (over a month ago), I decided to go ahead and splurge on something I'd been looking at for awhile. And since it was nearly Christmas, and the Lomography Store was having oodles of sales, I decided to make a purchase (or 3). I really thought I'd like the Diana Mini, but it was so...limited. So, I decided to get the Diana F+ because you can buy so many more accessories! There was a great sale if you bought 2 or more, and I'm always a sucker for a sale. So I ended up with the Diana F+, the 35mm back, and the wide angle lens.

I'm happy...

Week 1 - P-Sharan (Camera of the Week)

2010-01-21T12:47:00.006-05:00

The week of January 10-16 was the first week of my "Camera of the Week" challenge. Of course, it would happen that the P-Sharan was the first out of the bag (literally). That has been the camera that I've been using almost exclusively since I got her. Ah well, that was the chosen camera. Not too much exciting to talk about, except when I got that roll of film back, pressed it against the window of the van to see it better, my breath was taken away.... I am amazed EVERY time I unroll that film. Everything looks lovely through that pinhole...

I'm using the Agfa Clack this week... Stay tuned!

It's Been So Long..

2010-01-10T16:39:00.007-05:00

...that I actually had a "Welcome back to Flickr" comment on one of my pictures. Has it really been that long? Apparently, 6 months or so. Wow. It's amazing how things fall through the cracks when life gets crazy.

I've still been working (albeit slowly) on the "Impressions Through a Pinhole" book. My motivation ebbs and flows, which is to be expected in any creative endeavor. I have rolls of film just waiting to be scanned! In time, in time...

With this new year, I've decided to "share the love" with all my various toys. It seems I have cameras (and "toy lenses") I've completely forgotten about! So, I've written all of their names (including the Lensbaby & Pinhole Bodycap) on small slips of paper that I will pick out weekly. The goal is to use only that camera for the week and shoot at least 1 roll of film.

That should mean I should have at least 1 blog post a week, too. Just in case you missed me!

And So It Goes...

2009-07-12T17:33:00.006-04:00

I am still working steadily on the book, "Impressions through a Pinhole". I've also installed BookSmart from Blurb, where I'll be publishing the book. I've started playing with the layout of the images and have found that many fit so well as a double page spread. I am thinking that I will single out my favorites or the strongest images on a spread of their own.

I am going to have these professionally scanned so I can make decent size prints of them (the negative is smaller than 35mm) and hopefully find a venue for a solo show once the book is done.

I have just recently gone through another roll from the P-Sharan and got 5 images out of the 16, so this has really gotten my excitement going again. I have nearly 25 images to choose from now. And now for another sneak preview...

No Mo SoFoMoBo

2009-06-25T13:09:00.007-04:00

As my faithful readers know, I signed up for SoFoMoBo way back when with the full intention of completing a photo book of 30 images in just 31 days. Well, I'm just 6 days to the end of my "month" and I have 15 images that I just absolutely LOVE and 15 images that I haven't even seen, yet. So, what to do? Well, I have decided that I will not be finishing the SoFoMoBo book. It is not because I am Giving Up. It is simply because I do not want to make a book filled with images that are just "OK" to me. But, SoFoMoBo has been an incredible jumping off point for what I am going to be doing. With these 15 images that I have already (all from the P-Sharan, of course), I will be completing a book by the end of the summer. It will be the book I wanted to make for SoFoMoBo, but with the time, effort, and creativity needed for the quality book I will be proud of. So, keep watching the blog for previews of the images for "Impressions Through a Pinhole".

My Heart is Broken...

2009-06-04T14:20:00.006-04:00

As I was making the daily trek to Fredericksburg this morning, I saw a heart-breaking sight....

2 months? No post?

2009-05-13T07:49:00.002-04:00

Well, I would love to tell you that I haven't had time to post because of all my creative endeavors that have been going on, but that would be so FAR from the truth. Actually, I've been in a creative rut lately and I'm supposed to be working on my SoFoMoBo. Well, I'm thinking as nice as it would be to do it in film, I will probably be doing digital since 30 days is such a short time and film so time consuming. In 15 days I'll be heading to Pittsburgh for my wonderful weekend at F295. I expect being around that many creative alternative photographers will spark the creativity in me.

I love my P-Sharan pinhole

2009-03-17T18:23:00.006-04:00

I know, I've gone on about this camera before. But, this camera is just giving me dead on exposures every time (and I mostly use the helpful little suggestions printed on the back). And that ghostly quality of them, is just to die for. ;) But, I mentioned in an earlier post about participating in SoFoBoMo 2009 and I've been thinking about how I was going to accomplish this task. I think I've decided to dedicate the whole project to the pinhole images I make with the P-Sharan. The most obvious obstacle, and biggest, of course, is the time it will take between making the images and waiting for the processing. Maybe this will get me back down in the darkroom for home processing. At least, I won't be waiting 2-3 days... This will put a crunch on at the end of the month, I suspect. But, seriously, how could I shoot with anything else???

First roll from the Yunon...

2009-03-05T21:41:00.005-05:00

I'm decently pleased with my new Yunon YN500 since every image came out perfectly exposed. I shot a 100 speed Fuji B&W film (the name escapes me and I'm not running down in the basement darkroom to find out, it's cold down there!). The only issue is that occasionally it only partially wound the film. It happened 3 times on the roll and seemed to occur randomly. So, I had a look. Well, since it is completely manual, it has this nice little button under the right-ish side of the camera to be used while only rewinding the exposed roll. It is a perfect place for someone's thumb while using the camera because it is aligned with the shutter button. So, apparently, I was occasionally pushing the button while advancing the film which, of course, caused the film to only partially wind and I got lots of junk. No happy accidents. Unfortunately, it also caused a partial double exposure of my favorite image on the roll, which I thought would have been better with out it. Luckily I could do a little dodge & burn in photoshop to lessen the effect, but you can still see a little of the ghost frame. The good thing about this??? I've got a sure way to do double exposures on this thing. So, I suppose I did get a happy accident, even if it was a discovery and not an image. Boy, did I ramble....

We are LIVE!!

2009-03-03T09:10:00.006-05:00

I've finally gotten around to finishing my new website. It's been a long time coming and I've still a few details to work out. I'm not sure if I'm happy with my "gallery" organization, but it's the best I can do for now. It seems that I'm not much of a cohesive themed photographer. :) Thank you to the good folks whose free stuff helped make this happen! I used a CSS Template from DCARTER, an Image Viewer CSS template from CSSPlay, and a contact form from The Site Wizard. Please be kind and give me any comments, improvements, and constructive criticism you may have. A note from my Contact page would be lovely! ;)

The big snow...

2009-03-02T11:22:00.004-05:00

...and the pond at the end of our street.

SoFoBoMo 2009

2009-03-01T15:19:00.004-05:00

I was reading Matt Allen's Photo blog this afternoon and he mentioned an event for photographers SoFoBoMo similar to the NaNoWriMo event for writers. So, in a nutshell, you have 31 days to make 35 images and create a PDF book of them. So, since I have been wondering about my project for the year and finding some sort of idea recently, I am going to take this opportunity to create something tangible that may actually turn into an actual paper book! We'll see. Thanks, Matt, for the info!!

Trees in the Wind...

2009-02-27T18:12:00.005-05:00

It's funny to look back at my photography just 7 or so years (postcards) and to see how different I see things now (abstract? or impressionist?). It seems the less discernible things in the photograph, the more I "see" in it. I was enjoying the backyard in this very windy, yet warm, winter day with my dogs and my daughter. I liked all the movement of the trees (while hoping they wouldn't fall on the house!), so I grabbed the D70s with the pinhole body cap and tried to capture the feeling of the afternoon. This one really struck me...

I received an email from B&H...

2009-02-26T15:32:00.004-05:00

Ok, not to exciting, except that its subject was "Proposal from B&H Photo". Now that was intriguing. Seems, they were interested in a "partnership" with my business website at inherdarkroom.com. This "partnership" means that I have a B&H Photo banner somewhere on my website as advertising. In return, I receive a small commission for each person that clicks through to B&H from my site and purchases something. So, tell your friends! Tell your enemies (you know, the ones that use that "other" brand of camera)! And let's all go shopping! :)

Black Film...

2009-02-20T13:35:00.005-05:00

That's what I got back from the 20 year old Kodacolor VR. I did, however, find these really cool green blobs on one end of the strip...

Kodacolor VR

2009-02-17T16:14:00.004-05:00

Hmmmm... Just finished the roll out of my new Yunon and I discovered this little gem inside. When I purchased the camera I had opened it to look inside, discovered the film, and immediately closed it. I knew it was Kodak because of the yellow, but I had no idea it was old. According to the wiki it was discontinued in 1986. There is no date on the canister, but this thing could be more than 20 years old???

Someone stop me now...

2009-02-14T13:07:00.006-05:00

Yes, I bought another camera...

Yesterday, while waiting to pick up Alexis from school, I took a little stroll downtown Fredericksburg. Anyone that's been downtown knows that it is not short of antique stores. Not being one for antiques, I never have gone in any of them. Well, after reading blogs of people that go out to these strange stores and find great deals on old/weird/fun/cool cameras, I had to try it myself. Well, the second store that I went into had an entire case full of old Kodak cameras (brownies, instamatics, etc) as cheap as $3 each and were in great condition. Well, I'm really not into buying cameras when the film is nearly impossible to find (i.e. 620, 126, 127, 110), so I passed them all up. Well, there was this one very oddly named camera that looked like a very small SLR. So, I asked to see it. It was, in fact, a 35mm plastic camera called a Yunon YN500 from Taiwan. I've never heard of one and I've not found any good info online. Well, this one is perfectly clean, with strap, case, & instructions. The coolest thing about it is that there are 4 apertures on the lens with the pretty pictures (clouds, partial clouds, "shiny", bright sun) that correspond to the following numbers on the other side of the lens (6,8,11,16). There is only one shutter speed, however, and no bulb. There was already a roll a film in it that I can't wait to finish and see what surprises this holds. Oh, and it was only $6.40 after the 20% Valentine's sale! :)

Isn't she a beauty???

Sifting and Sorting

2009-02-13T21:03:00.005-05:00

I'm still going through the negs from last weeks trip to the Fredericksburg Battlefied Cemetery. Seems the P-Sharan was the winner of the day with quite a few images I'm pleased with. The P-Sharan SQ-35 has 4 different photographic "styles" (regular pinhole, "soft focus", regular pinhole w/ vignette, "soft focus" w/ vignette). I was playing around with all of them that day and I'm liking the regular pinhole w/ vignette. I've noticed that the "soft focus" leaves a little ray of circles (like the pattern of the soft focus pinhole) and I'm not too fond of that. Besides, handholding the camera gives everything a soft focus, right?

I've Found It

2009-02-11T16:24:00.005-05:00

I've been trying to find a photographic project for myself. And it seems that I've been going about it in all the wrong way. You see, I've been thinking subject, subject, subject. Well, I've found my project and it turns out, I should have been looking for feeling, feeling, feeling. So typical of me.

My inspiration...

Around the Yard

2009-02-07T19:45:00.004-05:00

It was an unusually warm day for February. So, Alexis and I spent the afternoon putsing around the yard. We threw the ball for Moose, filled the bird feeders, hung the corn for the squirrels (who've eaten through a bird feeder to get to those seeds), and built a nest in the yard for a very large baby bird (Alexis). All in all, a very productive day. Don't even get me started about the frenzy of dessert making that I did this morning... I took out the Nikon D70s with the digital pinhole bodycap and made some images. Mostly, crap, but fun nonetheless.

Took the Kids for a Walk...

2009-02-02T19:08:00.005-05:00

No, not the human kid. And not the doggie kids, either. The fantastic plastic (and cardboard) toy cameras were out in the nice weather today. I headed to the Fredericksburg Battlefield & Cemetery because it has lots of walking space and incredible trees and hills. I actually shot 5 rolls of film. Of course, that's not too difficult since the Holga WPC only takes 6 images per roll. But, I did forget to wind the film correctly in it, so maybe in a few days I'll have another happy accident. Here are my babies, posing for the camera phone on the Sunken Road wall! :)

New Holga WPC....

2009-01-24T19:10:00.008-05:00

I just scanned the first roll of film from my Holga WPC. Very cool. My only concern is the terrible vignetting on only one side. It is almost as if the pinhole isn't centered. Don't get me wrong, I love a good vignette. I just don't want to feel as if I'm looking through a very small hole. Even though, essentially, that's what is happening. Anyway, I need to check that out after my next roll of film, because it's all loaded and ready to shoot color this time.

Anyway, about *this* roll of film... It was Fomapan 200 BW (I think). The exposures for the roll were 6-10 seconds each. And if you know me, I never read instruction manuals for anything. But, I decided to read this one because I knew there was some kind issue with skipping frame numbers to account for the extra long negative (6cm x 12 cm). Well, I set the counter for the wrong size anyway, even after reading instructions! So, the first few pictures were blended together. Not only did they make an even LONGER negative, but the images were taken along the river and included the upper & lower parts of the river. It turned out really nice, I think.

I need a project...

2009-01-04T21:28:00.005-05:00

Seriously... For this last year, my husband and I have been trying to get a business going and I've really put off any serious projects. My last big project was my solo show back in May 2007. I just cannot imagine another year of a little of this, a little of that, with nothing significant to show at the end. I am a goal oriented person, too. I am really not motivated without one. I cannot just go out and make a coherent portfolio with no "end" result. So, the next few days are going to be used to figure out what that goal is. In the meantime, I'll be shooting with my toys, enjoying flickr, knitting, and taking a metal clay jewelry workshop... See? No direction...

And all this has nothing to do with these two cute critters...

The first roll from the P-Sharan...

2008-12-29T19:30:00.005-05:00

I finally had a day to take my new P-Sharan out for a test drive. It was sunny, it was relatively warm (not that cold would have stopped me now), and I was *not* sick in bed, and I had plenty of people to look after my daughter. And I have to say the first roll was a total success. Nearly all the images that I remember taking were exposed relatively well and were just what I'd expect from a pinhole camera.... Blurry! Seriously, I was very happy with the first results. It's loaded with a roll of black and white film now and I'm going to try the cool filters it came with (soft focus & vignetted edges). Expect more from this lovely camera...

Sold!

2008-12-16T19:30:00.004-05:00

Yes, these two lovelies are sold. A few weeks ago, someone e-mailed me asking if I would sell prints of two images she saw on Flickr as a gift for someone for Christmas. Sure! Then I realized one of them was a Polaroid 600 that needed to be enlarged to 8x8. Yikes. Well, to my surprise, it turned out quite nice after the professional scan. She is buying these for a friend in Maryland who has fond memories of spending time at Colonial Beach. They will be mailed off tomorrow! Isn't Flickr is great!

Another Camera Adventure...

2008-12-15T20:56:00.004-05:00

Well, I've finished the P-Sharan in about 3 hours. I was hoping to take it out for a spin tomorrow, but it seems that the rain may be here and the camera is mostly cardboard. Oh well, I guess I can wait a few more days, since it took me 12 days to get it all together. Isn't she beautiful?

P-Sharan SQ-35

2008-12-03T21:08:00.005-05:00

Oh my... It's been awhile...

Well, my husband just couldn't wait until my actual birthday (Dec 6) to give me my birthday present. His excuse? I wouldn't be able to enjoy it on my birthday since we are having a birthday party for my daughter (also born on Dec 6) on Saturday and our neighborhood progressive dinner is Saturday night. Yeah, he just couldn't wait that long. It was good, believe me. He bought me the P-Sharan pinhole camera, but this is the square format one with a soft focus filter. It is SO cool. Now, I just have to put it together.... Stay tuned for the building of "Shar".

About the Weather...

2008-11-18T15:55:00.004-05:00

Weather is a funny thing. Just a few days ago it was a wonderfully sunny (yet wet from previous rains) and relatively warm (70 degrees) day. It ended with threats of severe thunderstorms and tornadoes (which never happened), but gave me this beauty. Now just 3 days later, there was ice on the back deck and there has been wind and snow flurries. There is something lovely about gray clouds that bring snow, however...

Storms and Tornadoes, Oh My...

2008-11-16T22:35:00.006-05:00

All day had been one of those dark and rainy days. But, then there were these beautiful snippets of bright warm sun. Very warm for a mid-November day. Then there was the threat of severe storms and tornadoes... And I had an (almost) five year old to get to a "very important" birthday party. Well, we braved the threat and on the way, I captured this beauty from the car...

Fall...

2008-11-06T22:58:00.005-05:00

Well, fall was here and now is nearly over. Our trees in the yard seemed to be quite uninspiring this year. But, as I explored a little further, I noticed this tiny fire red maple in the woody area of our yard.

Driving Rain...

2008-10-19T23:00:00.004-04:00

Well, I have arrived home from lovely (and warm) St. Pete Beach, Florida safe and sound. The drive was long and very boring. I am notorious (at least to my family) for my car sickness and my inability to sleep in a car. I am rarely ever a passenger and I NEVER ride in the back seat of any vehicle (unless I have an unobstructed view of the windshield). But, a 13 hour ride does mean down time. So, to entertain myself, I just took long exposures through the rainy windshield of the car. And from about 100 shots, I actually liked one.

Hello from Florida!

2008-10-13T11:09:00.005-04:00

Well, my husband and I made a 15 hour drive in our tiny Honda Civic Hybrid from King George, VA to lovely St Pete Beach, FL yesterday. Not a vacation. Well a working vacation. OK. We have started a software business and have come down here for the IACA training conference as a vendor. So, as I sit here behind the booth while my husband works his magic, I blog. While I haven't been able to really go out shooting, we did arrive yesterday right before sunset. And, as if nature new I needed something after a sleepless night of driving, she threw in a few storms over the setting sun and the Gulf of Mexico.

Like Mother, Like Daughter...

2008-10-10T16:13:00.006-04:00

About a year ago, my husband, daughter Alexis (then just nearly 4), and I went to a local produce stand for some pumpkins, flowers, and other lovely things that one can find only from rural road side stands. I was carrying my Holga around quite often then and Alexis always wanted to do what Mommy was doing. She had spotted this huge bright yellow mixing part of a cement truck near the produce stand and wanted to take a picture of it. So, when we stopped, I let her have the Holga and she walked over and took a picture. When it was finally developed, my husband and I were amazed at the picture she had taken. It was an instant favorite of ours. Anyway, when the FCCA had a Call for Entry for a national juried exhibition, "Child's Eye View", I knew I had to enter it. Well... I did. And it did. Got accepted I mean. The opening is on November 7, 2008 in Fredericksburg, VA.

Congratulations on your very first show my lovely Alexis!

You see...

2008-09-29T00:17:00.005-04:00

My holga is my best friend... whining child or not.

Negative Space

2008-09-25T13:43:00.004-04:00

The Center for Fine Art Photography has a Call for Entry for an upcoming show with the theme Negative Space. I will be entering 3 pieces, including Two Poles, Colonial Beach Pier After Ernesto, and my hope for glory, Bridge with Train taken with my Pinhole Blender...

I need another camera...

2008-09-18T19:59:00.003-04:00

like I need another hole in my head. I have finally admitted that I am addicted to collecting cameras. My husband long ago figured that out. Even my 4 year old makes cameras out of paper, pipe cleaners, and legos for me. I guess it's just hard for me to admit. Anyway, I'm contemplating buying a Vivitar Ultra Wide & Slim point and shoot plastic camera. I found out about this camera on flickr, of course. Yet, another addiction. While perusing my contacts photos I came across quite an amazing photograph by MyStillLife. Now that I've seen what the Ultra Wide can do, I need one for myself. *dripping with sarcasm* Because, as we have all heard before, "You must have a great camera to take such great pictures." I'm off to eBay...

For the Love of Film....

2008-09-15T16:07:00.006-04:00

Sometimes I wonder why I shoot anything but my Holga. Sometimes, I will go many months before finishing a 12 frame roll. What's up with that? I can knock off nearly 100 images in the digital camera before an hour is up! The ONLY nice thing about taking so long to get the roll developed is that I completely forget what is on the roll. Mostly, I am VERY happy with the images that come back developed. And every time I open the box, unroll the film, and press it against the van window to see what I've got, I'm overjoyed. Then I vow to make more images with the Holga. I get 3-4 frames in and... then it goes into the abyss for another couple of months, waiting for its turn in the sun. Ah well...

Long lost trip to DC

2008-09-08T22:54:00.005-04:00

I made a trip to DC quite a few weeks ago with the hubby & daughter. Reminder to self... Never take daughter downtown after bad night sleep. We were there for almost an entire hour! Seriously, I think the travel time in & out were longer than the time spent in town. So, my pictures were SERIOUSLY lacking even though it was a PERFECT sky that day. Many clouds and cool shadow & light play. Ah well. I did get a nice pinhole shot of the Washington Monument.

Dedication

2008-09-02T08:49:00.005-04:00

I'm sure I've mentioned this before (and I'm sure I'll mention this many times more from now), but there is this amazing painter, Steven Walker I met while working at the FCCA. After admiring (and drooling over) his work for nearly a year, I finally acquired not 1, but 2 pieces of his work. Now that I'm writing this, I feel like I need to post an image of those 2 pieces, but I'll save that for another post. Right now I dedicate this "big sky" to him...

Vacation

2008-08-29T22:16:00.005-04:00

This was the last big "hoo-rah" before school starts in September. My daughter and I made a whirlwind tour of the grandparents (my husband's and mine) this past week. With all the sleeping I've been doing (the joy of having doting grandparents), I have hardly time to check my email! I did get out today to enjoy the rural scenes in Parsonsburg, MD with the moody skies and all. Lovely!

The Apple Harvest

2008-08-17T19:09:00.005-04:00

Well I've harvested the apples from the famous apple tree today. It may be a bit early for them, but the black spots were steadily growing on some of them. And I really wanted to taste one!! They were tart, but I suppose if I wanted sweet apples, I would not have planted a Granny Smith. My daughter and I ate 4 of them, but, of course, they were pretty small. There are 3 left on the counter and I'm sure they will be gone tomorrow. Check out the slideshow of the apples from itty bitty, to this...

Death of the Countryside

2008-08-15T12:26:00.006-04:00

Well, the McMansions are coming. There is this beautiful farm (I believe it was called the Springfield farm) on the way to Fredericksburg from King George that was sold to a developer (the one, I believe, who owns most of F'burg now). It's been sold now for a couple of years. I knew it was happening when the cows disappeared from the hillside. But, this is the first sign of construction, I've seen. The corn has been nearly cleared from the field and the roads are beginning to appear. When the developments come, it truly is the death of the country....

Those tall trees...

2008-08-11T21:20:00.006-04:00

I was out in this beautiful unusually cool August day (76 degrees!!) making some images with the digital pinhole. Funny, how you go out with an idea and end up coming back with something completely different than you started with. I started playing with panning the camera up while looking at the many pine and tulip trees (two very tall types of trees) in our back yard. I like the vertical-ness (hmm... maybe I should have held the camera vertical!) of the image that wasn't planned...

Yellow Flowers and Rocks

2008-08-10T21:24:00.005-04:00

Took a walk down the pond at the end of our street. Didn't have a long lens to capture the beautiful lilies floating in it, but I did get this nice image of the yellow poppies (?) someone planted in the rocks. I took this with the Nikon Coolpix s600 macro feature. Love that thing!

Back to the Lensbaby

2008-08-08T18:37:00.007-04:00

I had a friend out to the country today for a visit with her daughter. She's also a photographer in the Fredericksburg, VA area. So, while she was out here I showed her some of my cool toys, including the Lensbaby 3G. She loved it SO much, she left with the intention of buying one for herself. So, since it was on the camera, I decided to take some shots this evening. I've been taking SO many pictures of pretty flowers, I decided it was time for a change...

I need a cleaning person...

2008-08-06T22:56:00.006-04:00

When I graduated college, I had my own place (rented apartments & owned a townhouse) for 7 years (until I got married). I had very clean, neat places. Then I got a dog (Dinah), then a boyfriend (now husband) with 2 dogs (Bubba and Danielle), then another dog (Rusty), then another dog (Jack), then a HUGE house, then another dog (Buckers, yes 6 dogs now), then a daughter (Alexis), then slowly 5 dogs, 4 dogs, 3 dogs, 2 dogs, 1 dog, and lastly 2 dogs (now Dinah & Moose). It is tough being the only neat freak in the house. I've spent the last 3 days cleaning, neatening, and otherwise trying to control this mess I've got growing around me. I'm tired...

On the Road Again

2008-08-05T19:48:00.005-04:00

Living out in the country has it's benefits. Quiet (no car traffic), DARK nights full of stars and the sounds of crickets. No homeowner associations saying your flowers aren't pruned correctly. Au Natural, baby. Neighbors I can't see!! But, then again, to get ANYWHERE we need to drive 30 minutes. So, I see a lot on my trips between King George and Fredericksburg. I see lots of corn, soybeans, barns, corn, soybeans, barns, old Virginia Renaissance Faire (I need to get in there and make some pictures), corn and soybeans. But, the one thing I look forward to EVERY time I make this trip is this one particular barn that I have photographed many, many times. I actually stop once in awhile, too. And I have a flickr set dedicated to it. Here is the "fly by" version I snapped today.

A present from the squirrels...

2008-08-04T18:36:00.006-04:00

I suppose I should go out and thank the squirrels for our wonderful garden this year. Not only did we have sunflowers popping up all over the yard, but we have discovered that they have also planted us a pumpkin vine. And since we have quite a woody/brushy property, it went unnoticed for quite a while. While out throwing a ball for my dog, Moose, I saw a bright yellow-orange flower in the brushy part of the back yard. I went out to inspect it and sure enough, a flower, on a HUGE vine. The leaves are larger than a small child's head (at least my small child's head). So, I headed in for the cameras and came out with this...

Snapped on the Pinhole...

2008-08-03T21:06:00.006-04:00

Well, after playing "macro" with my compact point & shoot camera for quite a few days, I decided to snap on the NO DUST digital pinhole bodycap from Pinhole Resource on to my D70s. So, the past few days have been full of blurry flowers and mushrooms instead of crystal clear ones. Ha, ha... I'm having fun and that is all that matters. Here is the blurry picture of the day!!

Huge Mushrooms

2008-07-31T16:10:00.006-04:00

I have these mushrooms that grow in my yard. They are really big mushrooms measuring over 9" across (yes, I measured them). I even make my husband mow around them (he thinks I'm crazy). I got down on the ground with the ants (maybe I am crazy) and took some pictures of them with the Coolpix macro feature. I'm hoping for a "faerie ring" soon!

I'm home

2008-07-28T20:14:00.004-04:00

Just back from a nice relaxing week at my parents' house. They live way out in the country just 10 minutes from town! :) Seriously... It's quiet (you hear cows mooing a mile away), pitch dark at night (real stars to be seen!) and I can get to a good coffee shop in just 10 minutes. Oh, and I get free babysitting and don't have to get out of bed until noon!

Took this from the road... waaaay out in the country.

Ah... The Beauty...

2008-07-24T19:22:00.005-04:00

My father has again purchased a Harley Davidson. He's had "quite a few" according to Mom... But, I got to go with him to the dealership to pick it up today and while I was waiting, I snapped a few with my Lensbaby 3G of some of the show bikes. This is one of my favorites and it is when they brought his bike out from the back.

The Apple Tree

2008-07-20T20:27:00.005-04:00

I have been documenting the first appearance of apples on a tree that I planted nearly 6 years ago. I have 7 that have survived. The tree is nicely "netted" to prevent the many birds & squirrels out here in the country from tasting them. I just hope I get to take one bite of these beautiful things. Here is a slideshow of their progress.

Casablanca Lily

2008-07-18T22:43:00.005-04:00

If you ever checkout my flickr stream, you will see a lot of these lilies. They are blooming all over the garden. Finally, a year when the voles and the boring beetles have not destroyed them all. We only lost 2 this year. The picture of the day...

Ok, 1 year anniversary?

2008-07-16T00:07:00.004-04:00

Yeah, it's been nearly 1 year since my last post! Yikes? Why is it that this is so hard. Is it because I'm a visual person not a verbal person. Ha, ha. Ask my husband. I think he would disagree about the verbal part. Ah, well. My goal is to maybe write at least once a week? Maybe write about each picture I post to flickr because shit, I'm there all the time? It's late (12:09 am) and I need to be up at 6 am because that's when the girl (daughter) gets up. Here is the pic of the day!

My new pinhole "Can-mera"

2007-07-22T20:47:00.003-04:00

Well, I've finally done it. I've made a pinhole camera from one of those decorative popcorn tin cans with houses covered in snow and decorated for Christmas. Just perfect for a hot July! Can't tell if there is a light leak or if it was the fact that my paper was expired. Not to worry, there will be many more to come! Here is one of my successful images from it.

I am old.

2007-06-08T21:18:00.002-04:00

Yes, at the age of 35, I am officially old. You see, here I am in Charlottesville, VA for the Festival of the Photograph and it is just after 9PM and I am in my tiny little dorm room with a glass of wine and soon a good book. There is a huge event with dancing, drinking, and a slideshow of up and coming photographers tonight that goes until 2AM. 2AM? Yikes, I am only up at 2AM if my 3 year old wakes me up. This afternoon, I listened to Sally Mann speak of her current work and she showed for the first time 2 new bodies of "works in progress". She is one amazing woman. She is the reason I came to this event this weekend.

It was a nice 96 degrees and humid today. Lovely for strolling outside weighed down with camera equipment. It's funny seeing SO many people carrying cameras or camera bags all over this little historical downtown mall. Oh, and these cool tags that everyone is wearing. It's like a being in a not-so-secret club.

So, off to bed for me. Tomorrow is a documentary film about Sally Mann's photographic process and probably some shopping.

Whew...

2007-05-21T21:18:00.002-04:00

Well, it's been 10 days since my opening and it went very well. I sold 4 photographs, so I'm only $100 in the hole. Yes, I was told this by a UMW art professor, "Of course you've sold them, they're pretty cheap." So, I was selling them at $100 a pop which is a nice markup for me, but still affordable. I guess I was there to sell some stuff, too! Ah well. One individual said he wanted 8 pieces, but he needed to talk to his wife. Well, I sent him a Thank You note for just talking to me, I'm still waiting for that phone call. Now, *that* would be a nice ending to the show! Here are a couple of pics of the opening that my sister-in-law's boyfriend took for me.

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" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_8A-Yj8KjWR4/RlJGEOy4E1I/AAAAAAAAAGM/DruMiR14OBA/s320/OpeningPortrait2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5067189569250136914" border="0" />

Check out my flickr account for images from the show!

Oh NO... Only 5 days left and...

2007-05-06T20:20:00.001-04:00

As I'm preparing for my show, framing my last 6 photos, I realize that I have 6 mats that I ordered with the wrong window size! Yikes! And yes for all you purists out there... I DO NOT cut my own mats. But, I think after this bit I will be. Actually, if I sell enough pictures I just may go out and invest in one of those super cool mat cutter devices. Anyway, 5 days and counting! Keep checking... I'll post some pics from the opening here. And on my flickr site!

11 more days!

2007-04-30T21:22:00.002-04:00

Well, the next 11 days will be spent cutting acrylic (husband is doing that!) and framing, framing, framing. Also, I hope to have a couple of collages (rose petals and daylily stems and lots of black) to show as well. Funny, how the "fun" goes out of art when you HAVE TO GET IT DONE!!! Ah, well. This is my only "hu-rah" this year. Husband is quiting job, starting a business, and well, we'll be basically income-less (except for that nice home equity loan to live off of) for the next year or so. Ah, to live like a starving artist... :) I'm still shooting and LOVIN' CS3 (once it finally installed correctly!).

Photoshop CS3 is HERE!!

2007-04-16T18:10:00.000-04:00

Finally, the download has started... You see, I pre-ordered CS3 a few weeks ago and have been anxiously awaiting the arrival of that e-mail saying it's available. Well, while checking my e-mail in F'burg this morning (my daughter in school after a VERY long Easter vacation), my wait was over, CS3 was available for download. I rushed home to start my download and ... WHAT!!! ... The huge storm that has been blowing for the past 36 hours knocked out our cable internet. Oh the horror!!! Well, it seems that our cable tv is still not working, but our internet has just come back (6:15PM). Who needs a stinking TV when they have CS3 to play with!!! Oh, I see a late night ahead of me! Yippee!!!!!! 15 minutes to go!

My first ETSY sale!

2007-04-11T22:12:00.002-04:00

I just sold my very first print on etsy.com. I am SO excited. Bye, bye "Under the Colonial Beach Pier"! Enjoy Florida!

LOOK!

2007-04-03T20:20:00.001-04:00

Well, actually I'm talking about LOOK3 in Charlottesville, VA on June 7-9, 2007. I luckily get the Aperture monthly newsletter where I found the advertisement for this amazing looking photographic weekend long event. It is the first year for the "3 days of peace, love, and photography" festival. There will be world renowned photographers giving lectures, classes, and exhibits of their work. Not to mention the "Yourspace" where apparently anyone can upload, print and display their images for all to see. Seems like a great place to be discovered. I've got my ticket... Get yours soon!

You are invited!

2007-04-01T19:28:00.002-04:00

I have finally published my invitations to the opening of my solo show on May 11 at the Margarita Restaurant in Colonial Beach, VA. Please e-mail me for more information. There will be stuff not seen on any of my various sites! Come check it out.

Pinhole Photography

2007-03-26T19:55:00.002-04:00

Seems odd that after all these years of photo classes and my use of "toy" cameras that I haven't ever used a pinhole. Not that I didn't want to, it just seemed so limiting since you basically need a darkroom nearby. Now, I'm talking the box (or paint can) with a pinhole and a piece of photo paper in the back. That nice big paper negative. Well, I was lucky enough to sign-up for the last spot in a pinhole workshop at Gari Melchers home in Fredericksburg, VA. It was taught by Steve Griffin, a professor of Art at UMW and pinhole photographer. His favorite subjects include the beach scenes of Colonial Beach, VA. This is quite convenient since his studio (including traditional darkroom) is just blocks from the water. Anyway, he set up this make shift darkroom a kitchen and 11 of us walked around the grounds with our pinhole paint cans that Steve provided. It was an amazing experience! I am even more motivated to build my own and get the darkroom in my basement back to work. Here is my favorite catch of the day. I scanned the paper negative and positive and combined them as a diptych.

Want more information on pinhole photography? Check out the Pinhole Resource and Eric Renner's book "Pinhole Photography".

Rusty

2007-03-13T21:21:00.002-04:00

"Here is the story of how Rusty came into my life... As the volunteer photographer at Friends of Homeless Animals in Northern VA, I would go to each dog run to find the new dogs that needed their pictures taken for the web site. While passing this particular overweight beagle mix with the name "Money", I was compelled to stop. I looked at him, he looked at me, and I said, "Ok, I'll go get a leash." And that is exactly what I did. Asking the FOHA staff about his past, I found out that he was at a yard sale with a sign around his neck saying, "take me or I'm going to the pound." Some good samaritan had taken him and brought him to FOHA. I had already adopted Dinah a year before, so I was not looking for another dog. But, he insisted that I walk him and spend the entire day with him in my Jeep. I left him at the shelter that Saturday, knowing I'd see him again the next weekend. I could not get him out of my thoughts. So, I decided that if he was not adopted that next weekend, he would come home with me. When I showed up that next Saturday, I was told that an application had been approved and he was one of the dogs the family was interested in. When I took him out of his run that morning and brought him over to my Jeep for treats, he immediately jumped in and again made himself at home. The family that came to see him wanted an immediate "bond" with the dog they were taking home. Well, seems "Money" had already bonded with whom he wanted because he completely ignored the family and they ended up adopting another dog that "bonded" more quickly. So, "Money" and I went back to the Jeep, he jumped in and I filled out the adoption papers. That was July 1, 2000."

Rusty (Adopted: July 1, 2000 - Died: March 10, 2007)

Call me Judge Shari

2007-03-10T20:17:00.000-05:00

Well, I judged the Northern District of GFWC photography show today (see earlier post). Was a nice experience. Saw some wonderful stuff there. Funny thing about it is that I was there with 2 other artists from the Fredericksburg, VA area that I was acquainted with. Elizabeth Seaver is truly a multi-talented artist. Starting off as a b&w photographer, she finds herself now painting, using mixed media, and block printing. She has stunning stuff. Deb Booth is predominantly a watercolor artist, but she seems to excel and most anything she attempts. I first saw her work during Pawsitively Fredericksburg exhibit where she airbrushed this amazing cat for charity. Check out their sites, tell them I sent you!

Another "Proud Mama" moment

2007-03-08T20:27:00.002-05:00

My 3 year old daughter drew her first self portrait (in orange dry erase marker) complete with toes & fingers! Gotta love it! She's an artist in training.

Frances Billes - Photographer

2007-03-07T22:06:00.000-05:00

Yes, I am still working on back issues of LensWork. And in the same issue as Radek Skrivanek (Sep-Oct 2005), is Frances Billes. This is a woman after my own heart. Her portfolios consist of hauntingly beautiful black and white images from abandoned structures or homes still occupied by family and all the physical memories that remain. One image in particular, "Aloha, LA - Doors" from her Transitions portfolio is a view consisting of many doors and doorways. This gives you the feeling of passing, through death or simply through growing up and leaving home. It is one that could capture me for some time. Luckily, many of the places she photographs are ones that she can visit over and over with new ways of seeing. Go check out her website. You will not be disappointed!

Radek Skrivanek - Photographer

2007-03-06T22:25:00.000-05:00

While reading the Sep-Oct 2005 issue of LensWork, I discovered photographer Radek Skrivanek. He was born and raised in the Czech Republic, but immigrated to the US in 1989. He received his degree from Tufts University in 1996 and is now teaching photography in San Francisco. The images I viewed in LensWork are from his Aral Sea portfolio. The Aral Sea has lost more than half its size and 2/3 of its volume due to redirection of water for irrigation purposes. The toning of the images cause make the viewer feel the loss of this very important body of water to the people of the region. His use of the large format allows the viewer to see details that would otherwise be lost in a smaller format. I am particularly moved by the images of the stranded ships, with no water in sight.

Proud Mama...

2007-03-01T21:18:00.000-05:00

First you need to know that while I love art, I don't really like the mess a 3 year old can make with art supplies... So, I have a HUGE plastic box full of paint, oil crayons, chalk, glitter, stamps, sponges, paint brushes, salad spinner, you name it. It is our summer activity... painting. I mean the kind of painting that makes our paved driveway have paint spots from last summer. Well, yesterday Alexis and I broke out all those supplies and painted... canvases, wood, packing foam from a computer box, and SNOW!! Yep, we still had little piles of snow on the north side of the house and half a snowman. So, we painted them. No, not with the snowman spray kits you can buy, but with craft acrylic & paint brushes, Pollock style! What fun.... Now, here is the "Proud Mama" part. I was off doing "real" art (yeah, right!), and looked over at Alexis and she is painting with a branch of pine needles!!! It's funny how you would normally be proud of your kids reading or counting, but I'm proud because my girl is painting with pine needles!!! I just hope to keep this experimental state alive as long as I can. Because one day, it will be "wrong" to paint with pine needles. Ah, she is such an inspiration to my creativity!

May 11th, 2007 - Mark your calendars!

2007-02-24T13:24:00.000-05:00

This is a very important date because I will be having my very own show in Colonial Beach, VA at the Margarita Restaurant. This will be my first "solo" show! I'm so excited about this. I've got lots to prepare! And I'm lucky enough that I have such a good friend (and a terrific cook) to help with the catering. She's already planning the menu (including dark chocolate cameras!) and it's still a few months away. So much to do... I need to get that camera out there and make some pictures! I'll be posting more as the event gets closer!

I am a Judge!!!

2007-02-06T14:29:00.000-05:00

I am SO excited. I just received an e-mail from Arts Chair from the Northern District of General Federation of Women's Clubs of VA. It seems they are having a small arts & crafts show at the Fredericksburg Country Club and want me (ME!!!) to judge the photography section. WOW! Here is the email I received:

"Ms. Pastore,
I am the Arts chairman for the Northern VA District General Federated Woman's Clubs. We will be having a small arts & crafts contest on March 10 at the Fredericksburg Country Club. Would you consider being a judge for the photography section? We usually have around 40 entries total divided into regular, digital and enhanced digital categories. We pay a small stipend of $25. The judging time would be 10:30am-Noon, although it probably wouldn't take but 30-45 minutes. I have looked at your photography on line and it is beautiful! I am hoping you will agree to be a judge. Please let me know if you have any questions."

Isn't this great? I just might make it in this little arts town after all! I'll be sure to let you know how it all goes!!!

Thomas Kellner - Photographer

2007-02-05T17:11:00.000-05:00

A while back I was doing the next best thing to actually making photographs; I was looking at photographs. Actually, I was trolling the web looking for photographers that inspired me. And it didn't take me long to discover Thomas Kellner, a German photographer. What I love most about his work are the "deconstructed" portfolios. These consist of architecture as well as portraits and are shot entirely on film (check out the negative info on the prints). This technique consists of taking many images of a subject, with each image being just a part of the whole. Each image is carefully composed moving the camera as if it were a typewriter (left to right, return, next line, left to right) and twisting the camera to create a dynamic view on each negative. Then the negatives are placed in rows and contact printed (which becomes the finished product) so that when viewed together, they create a brand new vision of the original whole. Needless to say, I am impressed by the mere determination it must take to execute the whole process. Each row contains the same number of negatives and every negative is perfectly composed as to fit the whole image. It almost seems as if you could straighten each negative and have a complete image with no missing pieces. I hope to have the patience one day to actually attempt a Thomas Kellner "deconstruction".

Photographer George Barr

2007-02-03T20:33:00.000-05:00

I have been slowly trying to catch up on 3 years of LensWork magazines that I have been unable to read until recently. In the Mar/Apr 2005 (no. 57) edition, they featured a portfolio of a Canadian photographer, George Barr. Although, he was "brought up" using classic large format cameras in black and white, he is now using digital and shooting more color. He tends to shoot mostly industrial and abstract type of work, which is some of my favorite subjects. I just love the lines and the large range of values in his photographs. Check out the portfolio that was published in LensWork. And if you haven't yet...Go get yourself a subscription to LensWork!

Pam Allen - Artist

2007-02-02T21:57:00.000-05:00

Wow. I just returned from First Friday in Fredericksburg, VA, where I take pictures for the FCCA. Well, I just discovered this wonderful artist who paints with watercolor on yupo paper, which is a synthetic waterproof paper. This allows her watercolors, inks, and acrylic mediums to pool and bead on the surface of the paper before drying. One benefit, however, is that if a mistake is made, you can easily run the yupo under water and wipe it off with a towel even after the paint has dried. Please visit Pam Allen at her website and see some of the beautiful images she creates. Unfortunately, the computer screen cannot begin to capture the depth of color and emotion of one of her large 20"x30" paintings.

Lomographic Society International

2007-02-01T22:02:00.003-05:00

If you are one of the photographers that always shoot by the book. You know who you are... Exact meter readings, perfect focus, perfect compositions, just the right amount of contrast, lock up that mirror and use that cable release. Sound like you? Then you need to head to the Lomographic Society International 2007. There you will learn how to take pictures with no rules. Get yourself a lomohome, go shopping, and "Don't think, Just shoot."

Oh, and while you are there, say hi to me!

"Itchy Dinah" shot with a SuperSampler.

JPG Magazine Rocks!

2007-01-31T15:44:00.000-05:00

I just discovered one of the coolest photo magazines! It's JPG Magazine. If you love photo magazines for and BY its readers then this is the magazine. The pictures chosen for each magazine are voted upon by the site's registered users. And the selection of pics come from uploaded pictures from the site's registered users! Of course, editors always have the final say, but what an amazing idea! And the magazine is BEAUTIFUL! It's hard to find in a book store in my neck of the woods, but when my husband went north (to Northern Virginia, that is), he picked it up for me at Barnes & Nobles. I read it cover to cover in a sitting. Go get one now!!

Camera Phone

2007-01-25T22:25:00.002-05:00

No wonder no one reads this blog. I hardly ever write in it. I would write more if I could take more pictures! Blah, blah. I did take some pics with my LG Cherry Chocolate cell phone this evening. I still say, it's damn good at night shots. I LOVE this little camera. Check these out!

Not a shot...

2007-01-19T15:11:00.000-05:00

Well, I never even looked through the view finder for anything except to take pictures of other peoples art work for the FCCA. Ah well. And my painting class was canceled today! So, a whole lot of nothing creative going on. I will be tackling my daughter's montessori school web site over the next week or so. Maybe that will get the juices flowing. Until then...