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....

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.

Meet the new boss

Originally uploaded by Hilary (curioush)

I bought this guy last weekend off of Craigslist. Earlier in the week I bought the Polaroid SX-70 off of Craigslist that I used to take this photo of the Canon.

This all started with this photo of my grandpa feeding my dad.

A few weeks ago I was back-and-forthing with my friend Darren on Facebook and he asked about this photo and what a great look it had and we got into a photography discussion and it reminded me that I really want to learn to develop film before the opportunity passes me by.

I sort of came to photography from the wrong direction. Or the right direction. My direction. Anyway, I started with a digital camera and then began to shoot a little film in a Holga and then picked up Polaroids and have a few other film cameras but I've never really learned the fundamentals of photography. Someday I'd like to have a little darkroom but first I need to learn how to develop film.

I see that there are classes in film development at the community college. So I needed to get a camera that would be worth shooting with. I've always liked the looks of this Canon, the AE-1. It's just so handsome.

I've been vaguely poking around eBay and elsewhere for a while, thinking maybe I'd pick one up someday. Conversations with Darren and the community college course schedule arriving in my mailbox just about collided with me getting a tax refund in the mail. Most of that is more than spoken for, but I took a little bit and bought this camera and the SX-70 last week. I got terrific deals on both and I am so so happy about that.

I've been cracking open photography books and magazines, which is a change because my heart's not been in the learning and reading for a little while here and I'm feeling reinvigorated and excited about photography in a way that I've been missing for a bit.