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P-Sharan Pinhole Project

A couple weeks ago, I picked up one of the new pinhole camera kits at Dancing Bear Toys - The world's best battery free toy store. Which just happens to be located in downtown Frederick! I've been really excited about it, but haven't had time to assemble it until this weekend. When there's 30 inches of snow outside the door, the idea of staying inside and assembling a pinhole camera is very attractive.

First, I assembled all my materials. The instructions don't mention this, however, I think it's necessary to be fully caffeinated before beginning this project.

This is what it looked like after assembling pinhole level & shutter lever (step 1) and back cover (step 2).

Warning: Beware of mischievous cats who like to play with small camera parts.

After completing step 3, I was really making progress. "Constructing the film folder" had 20 sub-steps ... Yikes.

Finished! It took me 2 hours and 20 minutes, but I took some email and stretching breaks. I do not recommend setting this up on your coffee table and kneeling for 2 hours straight. Not that I was silly enough to do something like that.

My only dilemma: All the stickers are so awesome! Which one should I use to cover my camera???

Also not included in the instructions, but highly recommended: When you finish assembling the camera, reward yourself with a whoopie pie.

Assembling this was a little tedious, but the directions were very clear and the pieces are well-constructed. I think it's best to view this as a puzzle or a project, and it's pretty enjoyable if you set aside the appropriate amount of time. If you're in a hurry to use the camera, the assembly process will be frustrating and you're likely to make a mistake.

Next step: Testing a roll of 35mm film! Stay tuned for results.

Disclosure: Dancing Bear Toys provided a sample product for this review. I'm planning additional blog posts and hope to coordinate a pinhole workshop in the near future. Let me know if you're interested in participating!

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Lumberjack is back

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Do Not Disturb

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Oh Abe ... If you could only see us now ...

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The Windowsill

I'm in the home stretch of a 365 project, and I'm not going to lie to you ... This month has been the absolute hardest. It seems that whenever I'm not working, it's dark or raining. The first week of January, I decided to do a series of photos of my windowsill at work. Mostly because it was the only place that seemed sunny and full of life.

My paper lantern, reflected in the window:

A sprig of purple heart in a glass of water:

Ok, this is technically not the windowsill, but its shadow on the wall:

The purple heart stems, sprouting roots:

One of my tiny succulents in the late afternoon sun:

So what's the point of this series, aside from supplying photos for my 365 project? The point is that inspiration won't always hit you in the face. Sometimes you have to go looking for it, and sometimes you have to make do with what you have.

Speaking of inspiration, I fully expect to be inspired by my friend Beth's new personal blog, My Point of View, about food, photography, life, and work. Check it out, won't you?

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2010 photo calendars: Free to 5 good homes

(updated Thursday, Jan. 14)

Yep, I made a photo calendar this year ... My first time trying that out, and I was pleased with the results. The vendor I used only provided a few options as far as quantity, so I ended up with a few extra. Anyone need a calendar? I'll send one to the first five people who email their snail mail address. I'll mail it for free anywhere in the world, so international friends won't feel left out.

Wow - That was fast! Calendars are all gone. Thanks for playing!

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Looking back & looking forward

Happy New Year! I always find this time around the holidays and at the beginning of a new calendar year to be a nice opportunity to take stock and set some goals. I turned 30 in the past year, and it's been kind of enlightening to contemplate the changes in my life over the past decade:

I've lived in 8 houses in 4 states, and worked for 5 different companies. I got engaged and married, and we bought our first home together.

I learned how to garden. (I knew how to grow things, but it's different when it's your own land and you're really trying to nurture your own food.)

We adopted 5 sweet kitties, 4 of whom are still with us.

I started to lose interest in writing and performing my own music. But I discovered digital photography, and then re-discovered film photography, including polaroid.

We moved to Frederick, and have really started to feel at home here. It's a beautiful city with interesting people, many of whom have become friends through Twitter, work, or volunteering at the Delaplaine and Maryland Ensemble Theatre.

So what's the plan for 2010? I've never been a fan of resolutions, but I do enjoy working toward goals of some sort. I'm on track to finish my 365 project before the end of January, and I've already signed up for classes that will help me learn to develop my own film and mat and frame my own prints. (All of these things are part of a more long-term goal to exhibit my work.) We want to continue to grow more our own food, eat locally and in season when possible, and eventually eliminate meat from our diet. I'm also setting a personal and professional goal of improving the timeliness and thoughtfulness of my correspondence ... As much as I value thank you notes, I'm pretty horrible about writing them.

Here's hoping that this year is even better than the last. What are your goals for the new year?

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In search of Frederick's best chocolate ...

I must confess: Sometimes I get a little bored with Twitter. When that happens, I try to shake things up with a silly survey. On Thursday, I asked my local friends where to find the best chocolate in Frederick. (Here's the poll, if you want to keep track of the results.)

           

I've had chocolate from every place on the list, but haven't actually visited every store. I think that's the only way to really provide an accurate analysis, don't you? So I met some friends at The Perfect Truffle, the chocolatier currently in the lead. This shop no longer serves soups and sandwiches (boo!) so we selected a few chocolates and headed up the street to Frederick Cellars to try their new bistro menu for lunch. The personal pizzas were a hit! And we all enjoyed truffles for dessert. We sampled Northern Lights (dark chocolate mint), Salted Caramel, Peanut Butter, and Spiced Rum.

Disclosures: I have no relationship with or connection to The Perfect Truffle. Frederick Cellars is currently a member of the Frederick Chamber, but the opinions shared here are my own and I've not been compensated for my review.

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The return of the polaroid photobooth!

The polaroid photobooth is back at the Delaplaine this weekend! I'll be shooting with my Polaroid Mio & Instax Mini film on Saturday, from 11:00 a.m. until the film runs out. Each credit card-size photo is $5. Slip one inside a holiday card to a special friend! There's more info on the Facebook event page. (It's all part of Local Color, a great opportunity to shop for locally handmade gifts!)

Disclosure: I'm a member of the Delaplaine's board of directors.

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Inspired by Dry

SWEET! This photo is currently featured on Dry Soda's web site. :-) 

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