Friday, June 25, 2010

Darkroom

You know, darkrooms are ingenious little closets.

the room's called "dark," but it's all about light.

You go in, turn the lights off. You use a red light, but it doesn't stress you, because for some reason, it's the only shade of calm red there is. You pour the chemicals into their respective basins, and it smells. Somehow it's the most delicious smell of gross there possibly could be, because that smell is the photography smell. You get out a strip of film, and you pick a frame. Brush it off. You place it in the frame carrier, and shove it into the enlarger. You turn on the light and open the diaphragm all the way, roughly estimating at the size you want the image to be, and then placing the focusing tool on the image. You crouch down, carefully focus the image, and then you close up the light. Magic will soon begin.

Magic is a lot of tedious work, come to find. Tedious, magical work that feels like play.

Set the timer. Careful, paper! Place it carefully, turn it on. Time is up! Turn it off, Slip! Into the developer, and sweet! Here it comes!

Stop bath, let it rinse. Wash, wash, wash. Wash. Wash. Hang, dry. Can't wait. Take it out, out into the light. It's like birth: out of the womb, into the light, covered in liquid.

Add a filter, change the time. Do it again, again, again, until it's right. Hours go by, but who cares? You are making magic. You are making a print: you are painting with light.

Darkrooms are ingenious little closets.

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Be Envious, Because My Life Rocks.

I'm going home in July! Of course, the main purpose is to go to Tabbi's wedding. However, these are the other things that I really, really look forward to doing/going to while I'm home:

1. The Hill Cumorah pageant!
2. Rita's Italian Ice
3. Knoebel's grove
4. Marino's OIP
5. Wegman's subs
6. Ricket's Glenn
7. Montour preserve
8. Drive in movies
9. AVATAR THE LAST AIRBENDER!!!
10. Grandma's house

The best part? I'll be doing these things with all of my FAVORITE people ever, my brothers and sisters!! I miss my family so, so, so much. I have the best times when I'm with them. I think about them every day.

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Oz. Or Rather, Home.

Look at all of the shapes!


Again, shapes. And happy graduates.


The picture above is in color.



Can you see the observation dome reflected in the JFSB window?


I love circles.

Summertime is Lovertime, Part II.









Tuesday, June 8, 2010

A Short-Lived Career in Wedding Photography, Part I.

I pretty much had no idea what I was doing.

Luckily, my "subjects" were tots rad(that means "totally radical." So far only me and my son use it. Don't worry, it'll catch on).

Kids these days.

"(...)"

"I'd like to teach the world to sing... put your hand in my hand!"

"There were these two penguins.."

"Can't read my, can't read my- no you can't read my poker face!"

"Wait.... what are you doing up there?"

"Try to smile... like normal. Not normal for you, but normal for other people."

"Oh look, a tree- go hug it!"

"I fell down into a burning ring of fire."

Oh yeah. If you didn't notice, these are engagement photos. They are in love.

Saturday, June 5, 2010

Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

This is a book that I have loved for a long time.

I read it again just last week-ish. It is a retelling of the story of Psyche and Cupid. It is about faith, love, growing up, the nature of beauty and ugliness, reality, holiness, science, sacredness, and most of all, it is about the atonement of Jesus Christ. It is not one of Lewis' popular novels. The symbols are slightly more buried than they are in the Chronicles of Narnia. It is, however, thoughtful, well-done, faith inspired, and inspiring.

"...For all I can tell, the only difference is that what many see we call a real thing, and what only one sees we call a dream. But things that many see may have no taste or moment in them at all, and things that are shown only to one may be spears and water-spouts of truth from the very depth of truth."

Waiting for Godot

It's GOD-dough, not god-DOUGH.

Do you ever feel like you're waiting, waiting, waiting for something to happen? And it never does? Do you even know what it is you're waiting for? Is every day a blur, a dream, and you can't understand how to get yourself out of this funk, this funk that doesn't exist, except for the fact that you're waiting?

And you can't remember, but suddenly you realize, you've been waiting for years?

Waiting for what?

This is the book for you.

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Angels and Airwaves: Live in Salt Lake City!


About a week ago, I went to see this group with some friends of mine. It was all kinds of fabulous. Part of me was worried they might not be as good live, but I was very pleased.

Did you know that Tom DeLonge is a Sagittarius?
"...we feel alone, in a strange blue ocean, and we're all scared as death to die. I'm not the one to admit it's helpless, I have a sense we will be alright!"

I freakin' love this band.