Saturday, June 30, 2012

What is right in the world - Part 2

 Last week, I started a series of posts entitled - "What is right in the world". Last week's post featured pictures of babies (babies that are not mine - which for the moment is just perfect for me).

Here is part 2 of 3: What is right in the world: Puppies!
(Puppies that are also not mine, which is NOT entirely perfect for me right now, but since we have so many loving and adorable puppy friends in our lives, it is alright. We'll have one of our own someday).

The ever adorable Friday
Taken with my Pentax K1000 & Kodak Max 400 colour film.

Playful and loving Mariana

She is the gentle giant

An adorable pug we came across in the park - doesn't he look so serious?

Taken with my Canonet 28 & Kodak Max 400 colour film.

My buddy Chopper

My first attempts with the Impossible Film Project - Taken with our Polaroid Sun 660


Sunday, June 24, 2012

What is right in the world - Part 1

I recently got back three rolls of film that I took over the last few months, and I noticed a few common themes... these subjects of my photographs are things that are right in the world. Things that make me smile, things that make the world a better better place.

Part 1 of 3 - Things that are right in the world: babies!

These little critters just keep popping up all over the place and making our world this cozy, happy place to be. There are even 4 more expected in the next few months!

Amelie is pensive


She also likes to practice her swimsuit pose!


Kate is one of the happiest babies I have ever met

See!

Photos taken with my Pentax K1000 & Kodak Max 400 colour film.

Claire is a dancing machine - just like her mom & grandma

She is a sweetheart

And she is a ham :p

Photos taken with my Pentax K1000 & Fuji Provia 100 (RDP III) Colour slide film.

Ryder is a calm and gentle soul

Photo taken with our Polaroid Sun 660 and Impossible Film Project Film

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Testing, testing, 1, 2

Amongst the "new to us" cameras that we received at Christmas time from our sister-in-law, was a Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2. An adorable folding camera, complete with bellows and a leather carrying pouch.The Zeiss Ikon Nettar 515/2 was produced from 1934-58 and uses the 120mm medium format film as opposed to the more common 35mm film (there is a good little review and description of all it's stats here).

Jeffrey & I were super excited to try this one out, because I think it might be the oldest camera that we own now. We had no idea if it would even work! The good news is... it worked beautifully! And produced some really neat pictures with interesting textures and tones. 

Unfortunately with 120mm film, you only get 8 frames and the cost of film and development can be more expensive than 35mm film. The benefit of medium format film is that you can produce larger enlargements with less grain.
However, since we rarely print or enlarge our photos (at least for now), the Ikon Nettar won't make it's way into our regular camera rotation, but I would definitely like to try it again now that I know what it can do, and pull it out for special occasions or specific shots. I'd also like to see what it can do with colour film.


Me! By Jeffrey


At the Farmer's Market

Duck Pond at Queen Elizabeth

The view from the top! Overlooking Vancouver from Queen Elizabeth Park

A nice place to rest

Our "new to us babies" - The Zeiss Ikon is the one in the centre

Sunday, June 17, 2012

L is for...

 L is for lots of lovely little things like....

Little Lady
Taken with my Pentax K1000 & Fuji Provia 100 (RDP III) Colour slide film.

Laying Down

Taken with our Polaroid Sun 660 and my first attempts with the Impossible Film Project Film.

Lest we forget

 
Remembering the soldiers who fought for our freedom.
Taken with my Pentax K1000 & Kodak Max 400 colour film. 

Lovers
Taken with my Pentax K1000 & Kodak Max 400 colour film. 

All photos submited to the Film26 Project - a group of people dedicating to taking photos with film. Every two weeks a different letter of the alphabet is featured to inspire the photos.

Saturday, June 16, 2012

Gastown Goodness

I need a quick break from packing boxes (yes, we are moving again! Ugh!) and so here are some leftover pictures from old rolls that never got posted. They are all taken in and around the Gastown area of downtown.

If you haven't been to Gastown in awhile (or ever)... I highly recommend venturing down there. The new restaurants, shops and sights to see... it's not just for tourists anymore!

Tasty, tasty sandwhiches from Finch's

Blurry pics from an evening at Guilt & Co.


In addition to several other games, they have a giant Jenga set!!

The glittering streets of Gastown on a rainy evening


Monday, June 11, 2012

Tonality

I am still fairly new to shooting black & white film, so I am no expert on what type of black & white film I prefer or even really what will look good shot in black & white. It is an interesting thing to do actually, because we see in colour, it is sometimes hard to imagine what the photo will look like in greyscale.
I don't know if it was the lighting on this particular day or my settings or the film brand or all three... but I am loving the contrasts and the grey tones in these photos.

Can anyone help me identify this flower?


crocuses




wall art at an elementary school nearby




All photos taken with my Olympus Pen F and Kodak TMAX 400 film.

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Statuesque

Ok, this is it. The last of my Las Vegas pictures... only 3 months after the actual trip. Phew! Just in time too cause we just picked up 3 more rolls of developed film!
For this last post - simply statues of the Las Vegas strip.

The Golden Lion at the MGM - this one is my favourite statue.

Statue of Liberty & a Roller Coaster??

  
Horse with the Bellagio Hotel in the background

All photos taken with my Olympus Pen F and Fuji Colour Superia Film.

Saturday, June 9, 2012

The life of a thousandaire...

In Las Vegas, it seems that you can live a life of luxury or a life of squalor... it all depends on how you roll the dice.
When we were in Vegas, we lived a modified life of luxury... not the life of a millionaire - but of a thousandaire (as my Dad would say). In the life of a thousandaire, you get to walk by all the luxury and settle comfortably on the edges. Which is just close enough for me, thank you very much. I look at the lives of the rich and think about the stress and the pressure that comes along with it - and I feel all the more content exactly where I am.
The Cosmopolitan Hotel & Crystals Shopping at City Center are the life of luxury on the strip in Las Vegas. Pretty to visit and to look at, but just in passing for me thanks.


Doesn't this look like a shot from a 70's movie about the future??

Giant crystal chandelier


A really cool window display made entirely from vintage sewing machines

Giant shoe in the Cosmopolitan hotel - I know cliche right?
It's Vegas - everything is a cliche.

Colour photos taken with my Olympus Pen F & fuji colorsuperia film
Black & White photos taken with my Olympus PenF and Kodak TMAX 400 film.

Monday, June 4, 2012

K is for Kidlets and Knitters

This week's Film26 Project is brought to you by the letter K and my "baby and sweater producing friends". Thank you friends for having lives that include interesting things to photograph - like things other than flowers, food and houses in my neighborhood.

K is for Kidlets - who seem to be invading our lives in the most wonderful way

* The above photo was taken with our Polaroid Sun 660 and my first attempts at using the Impossible Film Project's film. More on this experiment to come.

K is for Knitter's Heaven (or so I have been told by my needle-abled friends)

Yarn photo taken with my Olympus Pen F and Kodak Portra Film {heart}.

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Know when to fold 'em...

In my previous Las Vegas posts, I have included pictures of the lights, the architechture, the gardens, the hotels... but really, what is Las Vegas without the games? I didn't do a lot of gambling while we were there, but I enjoyed the occasional slot machine (I'm sorry, but no matter how you say it, "slot machine" just sounds dirty). I managed to snap a few photos of them too even though the lighting was less than optimal.

A skeeball racing game which I totally won on!




If we ever go back, I think I would like to learn a few more of the table games. They looked like fun.

All photos taken with my Olympus Pen F and Kodak TMAX 400 black & white film.