cobaltika

it was a good weekend for a working weekend. friday i walked home from the office in yet another snowfall. this one was beautiful. such a treat. i can’t remember dinner, neither of us have been very interested in cooking lately, but i’m sure we had something. mostly i worked. up saturday morning. worked. laundry. downtown for India Palace and some windowshopping. more work. haircut. a little bread and cheese and olive for dinner. work. a taiwanese movie “Three Times”. sleep. work. some errands. more work. La Parilla shrimp tacos. a long wander with the camera. BLUEBIRDS. home. work. popcorn. work. sleep eventually. my life is a bland sweet pudding lately. not meaning joyless or dull. just calm. so comforting.

more pictures

church north lawrence kansas : olympus xa2 - real film - photoshop

i have longed claimed that i am not a “Real Photographer” and have mostly avoided film and the math/science aspects of Real Photography. most of my image-capturing devices have been digital. film and developing are expensive. the darkroom is stinky (in an interesting way). and i have limited time and patience. the instant gratification of digital photography is so lovely. artistic risks are possible, even for the cautious.

a few years ago i bought a Holga, then some eBay polaroids, acquired some cheap plastic 35mm cameras to abuse the lenses with nailpolish and scratches. hmmmm. it was so interesting. worth the wait and small expense when cool things happened! soon enough i find i have also a collection of vintage film cameras–a Lomo, Olympus XA2, Smena, a Diana clone, Brownie Hawkeye, Ensign Ful-Vue. there is a plastic box of many films in the refrigerator. i realize i am now “into” film, but still don’t quite see how it happened. i have even caught myself looking at film SLR’s on eBay. migod.

i will say though, that when it is cold and dreary and all looks the same every day for months, it is quite lovely to sit and work with some Real Photographs and film and my beloved–Photoshop.

i know i am behind. i have seen this stylish “look” all over flickr & photo sites. sometimes it is real crossprocessing. in fact, that’s what i believed it was. no one ever said… it is funny how people are so secretive about techniques that are just photoshop plug-ins. i know if i am doing something particularly unique that i have figured out, i don’t want to give away my style and “secrets” either, but hey. if it is a photoshop plug-in or action that *anyone* can use? so i downloaded Urban Acid. and have been having a great time experimenting with it. of course all the images look alike, but oh well! it’s too cold to play outside.

this week has been sleep. eat. plod to the office. (sleep) keep the little XA2 in pocket anyway. use it some. sleep. share a few words with my poet. sleep. every day has been the same color and temperature. we have undertaken the entire 3-DVD series of Bleak House. started last night. i love it. it keeps me awake.

going away for even a day, only 30 miles away, was refreshing. it was gray and dreary, not the best light for kansas city, for sure, but we had a great day nonetheless. sliver was packed and sent to betsy first, so that was out of my hair. i don’t know why Mailing Things is so stressful for me? first to the Kemper, met mi poeta’s amigo (sans baby and wife today … waaaah. i like them TOO.), looked at sanditz and fujita, neither of which i was crazy about, but that is ok, one always learns something by looking. then yummy lunch in the cafe, to mi poeta’s appointments, passing a large cemetery on the way, which i decided to go see while he was busy. found it was the Union Cemetery, where i had been before, but made driveby shots anyway. went back, found him, to Costco (avocados, blackcurrant/blueberry juice, tiny peppers, mozzarella and MORE) and our favorite thrift store (brand new polaroid close-up camera and a hair straightening iron for $3!!). to a Real artstore (one sheet of Arches hot press for transfers, some Golden matte medium instead of the nasty Liquitex, two odd colors of tissue - shopping online is my only option now as i despise Hobby Lobby, it is a wonderful treat to go to a Real artstore and touch and see). a walk in a big park and then to the movies - yes again - Heading South. hmmmmm. odd. then home in the dark. it was good.

now it is back to the grindstone, but look. friday already!

(image background texture from triberadio. always wonderful.)

i found some:

the old garage by the studio. digital infrared. summer 2003.

the old garage by the studio. manipulated. summer 2002.

tonight: a curry made of kale, tofu and butternut squash. omigod. mmmm!