Square Peg Pinhole

Winter 2011, ZeroImage Pinhole Shelby Park, Nashville I had someone I don't know reach out to me yesterday to offer encouragement after reading my recent posts. It was a kindhearted gesture. Thanks, you, for gifting me a much needed and appreciated boost. It reminded me, I need to be more kindhearted to strangers, it's how we improve this world. I woke this morning to snow. Not enough to keep me in bed away from work but enough to give me a smile. Living in Nashville means snow is a rare occurrence. We're on that just-might-snow-but-probably-ain't-gonna geographic line. It's common for folks just north of us, and east of us on the Cumberland Plateau, and west of us to get lots of snow each year. Could be Nashville is hot enough, urban enough, bad ass enough to repel the snow angels. Snow is joy, laughter, happiness, and all that cheese. Maybe the brightness created by reflecting light serves as a fleeting panacea for seasonal affective disorder. Maybe I sti...

I spent the evening creating. Not creating well, but it's a start. I dug out a pinhole camera I made several years ago using an Impossible Project Instant Lab. I charged it up and loaded it with a pack of year-old Polaroid 600 BW film.  I set the rig up on an old library card catalog. Light meter suggested ~2 minutes. I increased by half to cover reciprocity failure. It wasn't enough time. My first shot was under exposed. All that was visible was the center drawer and the light leak.  My second shot (the one here) was 9 minutes. It probably could have done with a couple of extra minutes. And I need to fix that light leak.  Creating tonight has helped soothe my heart a bit. I hope those bits increase as I continue to create more.  Shooting using Impossible Project Instant Lab Pinhole

I'm sitting here sifting through boxes, sorting my life back out, and I get excited about plastic things. These plastic things pictured, to be specific. I used the Holga and Diana a tad over the past four years, a roll each, perhaps. They've been tucked away. I never forgot them, just forgot I wanted to shoot them. The Reality So Subtle was an eBay purchase from more than a year ago and finally used for the first time last month. I read a blog post earlier today by Monika Danos on finding a new path after becoming ill recently, which has limited her ability to work in her darkroom. She ended the piece with:  " Art is a fight, and it is worth it. " Them's fightin' words. I'm trying to make plans for myself. I need something to occupy my time as I heal, as I find my footing, otherwise I risk TV, bourbon, and inertia taking over. I'm excited because I bought film to load in these guys. And I've decided to try the new Cinestill Df96 Monoba...