last rest stop

Untitled, a photo by Hilary (curioush) on Flickr.

at the end of a long drive
Illinois

Main Street St. Charles

Untitled, a photo by Hilary (curioush) on Flickr.

The Rooflines of Cherokee Street 6

Untitled, a photo by Hilary (curioush) on Flickr.

The Rooflines of Cherokee Street 2

Untitled, a photo by Hilary (curioush) on Flickr.

down but not out

Untitled, a photo by Hilary (curioush) on Flickr.

back to life for black and white

I loved my old camera.  I took some of my favorite photos with it.  It did well with closeups, and its black and white setting was just so nice (neither are qualities shared with my current camera, even though it does other things very nicely.) 

It began having troubles a couple of years ago and only worked sporadically.  The viewfinder kept going out and that just wouldn't do.  So I replaced it with the new guy and have rarely had occasion to pick it up since then. 

Yesterday I was looking at the light as it came in the window and the way it was gently highlighting the plants above my bed and I wanted to capture it so I tried to fire up the old camera because it seemed like a shot that was perfect for it -- something that needed a little close-up detail, and that I was envisioning in black and white. 

At first the camera didn't work but I tried different batteries and jostling this and tugging on that and it finally kicked into gear and took the photo above.  I am happy to have it revived; it's like an old friend I've been missing.

the Windows of Cherokee

Final photo class was last night. I mostly just developed some photos from my friends' wedding last week. Never did get into the darkroom to make prints, as I suspected I mightn't. Maybe I'll take the class again in the Fall to learn that component.

This is from my Sunday-morning outing to Cherokee Street a few weeks ago. Even when there is almost nobody out, it's surprising how many people want to chat you up when you've got a camera! Within about 10 minutes I got three questions about what I was doing ("are you going to buy that place?", "did you photograph my house up the street?", "did you see that one building -- you know the one -- up the street?") I was feeling a little shy about that so I didn't last too long that morning.

Last film class eve

My last film-development class is Tuesday night and I've still not made any prints. I shot some film at my friends' wedding the other night, I would love to at least get that developed tomorrow night. Looks like I might have to take the class again to learn to make prints.

I don't want to wait until Fall to keep developing! I really like doing this. Have been pricing the minimum equipment/chemicals I'd need to do this at home. Not sure that I need one more bunch of art supplies to have to wade through, my house is not all that big. But I am fairly weak-willed when it comes to art/craft supplies. Stay tuned....

Another water intake tower

Originally uploaded by Hilary (curioush)

the other water intake tower in the Mississippi River at St. Louis

taken from the Chain of Rocks Bridge, an old alignment of Route 66

with a Holga using Ilford Delta film

developed by me!

first 120

Originally uploaded by Hilary (curioush)

I developed this photo last night. It's another one from my Chain of Rocks Bridge misadventure the week before last.

One of the main reasons why I wanted to learn to develop film was so that I could develop 120 (medium format) film, which is what I use in my Holgas and Diana. And now I've developed my first roll, this one, last night.

I've still got a lot to do to feel like I'm comfortable doing this, and the class is more than half over and I haven't begun to think about making prints yet, but I'm having a great time doing what I'm doing and seeing what I get.

FINAL DAY of sale, off to Cherokee

Just about my favorite place in St. Louis right now is Cherokee Street. Besides City Museum. And all my other favorite places. But really, I love it. A lot of cool stuff going on and it just keeps getting better. In fact, did you know I have another blog? Well, I do. Trying to keep track of all the art-related goings-on on Cherokee. Because there are a lot. Galleries, art supplies, music, dancing, theater, etc. Here's that blog, should you ever want to take a peek.

I need to take some more film for my developing class Tuesday, so I'm packing up the cameras to go take some on Cherokee right now. Sometimes I feel awkward taking photos when there are a lot of people around. Despite ... well, everything about me, I don't always love attention. So my hope is early-ish (for me, anyway!) on a Sunday morning it will be pretty empty over there. We'll see.

The photo above was taken from the upstairs of Foam. Don't they have a great view? I can't wait until that place opens. I think I read a rumor there may be something brewing (I swear this was an unintentional pun) sometime this summer. The photo was shot on Ilford Delta film on my Canon AE-1.

For anyone who was considering ordering a photo or postcards during my 30% OFF sale -- it ends as soon as I wake up on Monday morning, so place your orders now! Take advantage of the sale!

3, 2, 1 & Chain of Rocks

You know how people will do the dumbest things for love? Well, I'd never do that. That's dumb.

I will, however, do dumb things for photographs! Boy howdy.

I needed to finish a roll of film for my film developing class this past Tuesday.

On Sunday I awoke to light rain outside. Looked at the radar, thought it looked like it was going to clear up for a good while, drove to the Chain of Rocks Bridge, which is an old alignment of Route 66, now a pedestrian and bicycle bridge. I got about 2/3 of a mile onto the bridge when the skies opened up and the rain began to pour.

But I got like four photos -- including this one above, so you know, totally worth it. And -- this is from the very first roll of film I've ever developed. Hooray! I've done it!

The sale? In my Etsy shop? Just three -- 3 -- days left!

Only 4 more days for 30% off ALL photos; more film developing

Last night I finally developed a roll of film! All things considered, it could have gone worse. I would like to do at least a couple few more before I feel like I've sort of got the hang of it. Haven't made any prints yet, but maybe next time.

Haven't finished scanning last night's roll so here's another one from last week's. This is from the garage roof of St. Louis University Hospital.

That sale I won't shut up about? The one that's 30% off any and all photos in my shop? That ends Sunday! Hurry hurry, step right up!

Don't forget 30% off SALE & at last -- film developing class!

The film developing class I've been wanting to take has really started this time. Last night a couple of other students and I began a 5-week black-and-white-film-developing class. I have whined about doing this for some time, so I'm really excited to have begun.

The photo above is from one of the rolls I shot for the class, on Kodak Tri-X film, with one of my Canon AE-1s. I have bought several different kinds of film and am nerdily keeping track of which photos I shot with which film (and which camera) so if/when I hit upon something I really like I'll find a formula I can stick with.

I must confess that I didn't actually develop the film myself. The instructor used the rolls I shot to demonstrate the process of developing film. But I watched! I was standing right there! I asked many many questions! I hope to develop a roll or two next week, and then get to printing some at some point.

Oh oh oh -- the sale I'm having in my Etsy shop? The 30% off sale? That's only going on for just about 10 more days, so if you have been eying something, now's the time to snap it up! If there's a photo you like but don't see in my shop (or you want a different size, etc.) let me know and I'll be happy to see what I can do.

Darkroom class: a whole brand new one

Okay, I believe I'm starting film developing class next week, for real this time. Yay!

Got to talk to the instructor on the phone last night and she said I could bring 120 film in addition to 35mm, which is great because I love to take photos with my medium format "toy" cameras (Holga and Diana) and I've not been delighted with any of the prints I've gotten so far from when I've sent that film out to be developed and so now I can try my hand and it and see if I can get something a little more like what I had in mind.

The above was shot with the Diana at Bellefontaine Cemetery in North St. Louis, at the grave of General William Clark (as in Lewis &...), double-exposed with Louis Sullivan's masterpiece Wainwright tomb.

(blog post title sort of swiped from Michael Bernard Loggins. Have you ever encountered his work? Get your butt over to the This American Life web site and listen to a reading of an excerpt from his Fears of Your Life. It is beautiful.)

Things and stuff

 

More postcards! Just got four new photo postcards today and boy do I like them. If you come see me at Foam during the Cherokee Street Open House this Saturday, tell me you read my blog and I will give you one FOR FREE. No foolin'.

--
I've been keeping an eye out for the community colleges to post their summer continuing ed schedule, and I found it today and there are two more sections of the black and white film developing being offered, so I'm going to remain hopeful that one of those happens and will register again. Yay!


--
Seems like there was something else but I forget what so be sure to check back because I know you won't want to miss whatever it was. If I was thinking it, you want to know about it!

Phooey!

 

Turns out that the blank roll of film was NO problem, because my film developing class, which was supposed to begin tonight, has been canceled. So now I've got to come up with a new plan to learn the process. More than a few folks have told me that it's fairly easy, but I'm more of a learn-by-doing than a learn-by-reading type, so I was hoping to have the chance to try it out with instruction a few times before I attempted to tackle it on my own. Anyone local who has ideas on somewhere else to take a course in this?

The photo above is one of the handful of digital photos I took on Saturday's excursion. The Knotty Pine Inn and Motel is in Breese, Illinois, on Old Route 50. I had fried chicken there.

Oh, before I forget!: I am super excited to be participating in the Cherokee Street Open House on Saturday, April 4. Mike from Foam* has generously offered to let me have some photos on display the day of the open house. My first solo show! Yay!

If you are in STL that day, won't you pretty pretty please come by and see me? It would mean the world to me. Holler at me for details. I promise to continue to harrass you about this until it's over.

Love,
Me


*do you know about Foam? It's going to be a coffee and beer place (but way more than that) opening at the corner of Cherokee & Jefferson, right where the statue is. Got to take a peek in it the other day and the work that's in progress there is way cool. Come take a look!

STL Handmade

up the road
Originally uploaded by Hilary (curioush)

St. Louis Handmade is a relatively new blog with a mission of promoting local handmade goods.

They were kind enough to include this photo in their Saturday Showcase today.

Keep an eye out there -- really neat stuff being featured regularly!





(This photo was taken in Kansas, near where my cousin lives. Off to the left there was a homestead of some ancestor -- I can't remember who. My oldest sister keeps track of our genealogy.)