this morning as the sun was coming up (well, the light in the fog was getting increasingly bright) i was on a side road where a lot of bicyclists park to start their ride.

a biker parked next to my car and, while he was getting ready and waiting for his friends to show up, casually asked me about my camera and what i was doing. the first question was, “is that a hasselblad?”

i was using my shen-hao (shown previously) so it was a little funny. i told him about the camera and showed him one of the polaroids i had done to check focus and composure.

i think with the bellows extended, a hasselblad might fit inside the shen-hao.

i’ve always thought it was funny when people posted about that question, and now it’s happened to me.

for those not in the know, there are many models of hasselblads, very fine swiss made cameras. they have been very popular with professionals and serious amateurs. they are system based cameras: a basic body, a lens with built-in shutter, multiple backs (polaroid, film, digital). it’s the kind of camera system you grow into and pass down to your children (because they last for generations).

- filed more reports than ever, helped others file reports

- got flack on a poorly scheduled and potentially dangerous internal audit

- dealt with multiple groups of external auditors

- none of my 2005 “goals” were done to completion (only one of them has measurable work done)

- the admin i helped hire got fired within the same year

the good items to report:

- did not go postal or flip out under pressure/stress like he did during the data center move

- did not start using pot or other mind altering substances, alcohol consumption remained level

- will return to work after the holiday break is over

chinatown buttons. found these in an alleyway. shot on provia with my pentax 6×7. with the light and the buttons, how could i pass this up? scanning this made me realized i might have left the previous picture (chris and jon) backwards. oops.

i got my film back today. i’d nearly forgotten what kind of film it was. fuji provia 100F and 400F. the rolls shot with with my rolleicord and pentax 6×7.

the image above is from the pentax.. that’s chris and jon. we went shooting one day at the ferry building, then up to chinatown.

everything came out great. the quick scans i did are pretty decent. but everything looks like it was exposed properly, even the roll from the rollei. shoot chromes, i am always worried that i will overexpose and lose information on the film. i’ve had some not-quite-there frames but overall my luck has been good.

looking at transparencies through a loupe is really spectacular. putting my eyeball right up to the objective checking out the detail and color.

getting back into shooting, i am brewing all sorts of ideas in my brain. i need to find the time and attention span to follow through with one or more of them. :-/

1 bottle castell de falset 2005 montsant
3 tbsp dijon mustard
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
2 garlic cloves minced
3/4 cup dry breadcrumbs
2 large chicken breasts sliced into halves or thirds

open the wine and pour a glass. set the bottle aside to breathe.
preheat the oven to 450.
start on the wine while you mince the garlic.
mix the mustard, tarragon, garlic, and olive oil in a bowl.
salt and pepper the chicken pieces, cover in the mustard mixture, then completely coat in breadcrumbs.
lay the chicken pieces on foil on a baking sheet and put into oven; bake for 15-18 minutes, turning half way through, until golden brown.

serve with wine.

i also whipped up some potatoes (peel, parboil, toss with salt and italian seasoning mix, pan fry in evoo). oh, did i mention the wine?

yum.

tonight we had a fabulous evening with ann. it was supposed to be with boman and jimmy, but neither of them could go.

when i was in elementary school, my parents would take us to the indiana repertory theatre to see the nutcracker suite. it’s a great performance to see at chrismas time, and it was composed by one of my favourite composers, tchaikovsky. i suggested we go.

we managed to avoid the lots and garages by scoring a parking spot two blocks away. then we headed into the fabulous jardiniere. highly rated on citysearch and a block from the war memorial opera house. ann recommended biale zinfandel, which was superb.

then the performance. it was fantastic. lots of children. free cookies and milk during intermission. and plenty of childhood memories for me. all except the freezing temperatures and icy roads. this, i think, is the only ballet i’ve ever seen. and i’ve seen it plenty of times, but years ago. the dress and sets were awesome and the performance was moving for me.

i’m so glad i got to go. thanks for making it happen, boman.

this is my brother tom, and his wife michelle.

i figured out what was causing my reflective negative scans to turn out bad. well first, this is not the right way to scan negatives. :) second, the answer seems to be curves adjustment in photoshop. i mucked with it just enough to get the above scan looking presentable. now all i need to do is get some darkroom time.

today i got around to getting some of my photo chores done. i took 3 rolls of provia (mixed 100 and 400) to the lab for processing. tonight i managed to get 4 8×10 sheets developed. these were shot when my brother and his wife were in town. luckily, it looks like all four came out great. everything looks pretty sharp as far as I can tell. i will see once i’m able to make a contact print. (that reminds me.. maybe i’ll shop around for a contact printing frame)

the camera in use is a factor in photographs. if it takes me a second and an electronic flash to take a picture of someone with a small point and shoot.. it’s completely different than using an 8×10 camera, metering the light, asking the subject to hold still, and sliding the film holder into the back of the camera.

running through my checks (stop down the lens? close the blades? cock the shutter? not move the camera?) before i get around to actually exposing film. “look at the lens for me. hopefully i didn’t forget anything stupid. last time i did this i was taking blurry pictures because i’d had a few drinks.. hehe”… smile… zzpddzzzzzzzzzzz. “thanks!”

it also helps that i was taking pictures of family.