double exposure!

Here's a photo from my first roll of film taken with my Holga 120N. Double exposed by accident, a pleasant surprise. Once of my favorites from the roll!

new bathroom pic!

Just one that I've taken with my Nikon L110. For some reason, I couldn't get the other one to work, I'm guessing the file is too large. I'm too lazy to resize now, so you'll have to wait!

notice the water-pump-style faucet!



the Holga!

Because online shopping is my talent, I recognized the importance of Amazon Prime early on, and signed up for a free 1-month trial. This free trial allows me to get FREE 2-day shipping on any order (!).

Since my decision to return Diana Mini (it seriously makes my stomach hurt thinking about it) I immediately began researching other plastic cameras, and settled on trying out the Holga. The Holga (also from our friends across the pond) originated in the 70s, and is famous for the same great quirks that the Dianas possess. Obviously, I bought one of the Holgawood series cameras, the Holga 120N "Jawz". This model is made to take 120mm film, however, I have purchased a cheap conversion kit so as to load it with 35mm film. The benefit to this is that I will now pay much less $$ for the film, and for the developing process. Not to mention that 120 film will only allow for a maximum 16 exposures (depending on which setting you're shooting in) whereas a 35mm roll will allow for 36 exposures.

Right off the bat, I've noticed some differences between my Holga 120N and the Diana Mini. The Holga is about 3 times the Mini's size, and because I was so familiar with the teeny-tiny DM, I almost fell out of my chair when extracting the Holga from her package. This is not necessarily bad, just different. Because I've only got 35mm film, I did the conversion right away, which merely consisted of removing the interior mask of the camera and replacing it with the kit mask. The kit mask extends to the left side of the camera and serves to hold the smaller 35mm roll in place, while also providing guides so that it may wind properly on the take-up spool. Wow, I'm just now coming to realize that I've learned so many new terms!

I actually thought that loading the Holga was less cumbersome than loading the Mini. Oddly enough, you have to tape the tongue of the film to the take-up spool, as there are no pegs for the sprocket holes to lock on to. Using tape just seemed natural to me anyhow.

Now, onto the best part. And this is a small victory for me, but definitely worth mentioning! The 35mm conversion kit includes an advance wheel sticker. Because the 35mm conversion kit camera back does not have the standard red window (the Holga back that the camera comes with has a red window so that one can see which frame they're on) I was provided a nice advance wheel sticker with frame counting capabilities. SO! I don't have to wonder if I've turned the advance wheel far enough, I can turn it until the correct frame number appears next to the arrow marking! When using the Mini, you are provided a counter window which is located under the advance wheel, and consists of numbers separated by dots. Sometimes the wheel would advance the number, sometimes it would not. I never really knew what it was doing.

Here's my new Holga! How pretty :)

This time, I hope to have some developing success so I can post my images! Cross your fingers!

the bitter taste of disappointment

The reason you have not seen any posted Diana Mini shots is this: I don't have any. Well, that's not entirely true. You see, I did shoot 2 whole rolls of film, I just have nothing to show for it.

Let's delve deeper.

We all remember my delirious enthusiasm when the Diana arrived. I took it right out my kitchen door and hiked up the ridge behind my house for some cool post-fall, pre-winter shots. I shot through tree trunks, I laid on my back in the leaves and shot through bare branches, I shot the back of my house, I shot the back of my neighbor's house, etc. I even shot my dog. Ha, sounds wrong. I was shooting in half-frame format so as to get maximum use out of my first roll of practice film.

Not long after my first shooting spree, I had a second. I took my Mini out and thought I was getting some great, artistic shots. I took pictures of our friend's baby, my friends, my friends playing pool, and I even tried the very intriguing (at least to me) double exposure. The concept was great, at least.

Eventually, I would take the film to the local CVS. And I must point out that I find it ridiculous that actual photolabs are going away. Not to get off track here, but the Wegman's photolab is gone, and so is Target's...wtf? Anyway, I went back to pick up my film and they informed me that they could not burn my pritns to cd, nor could they make prints. AND! they wanted me to know that some of my shots were double-exposed. I acted surprised by that last one. I came home and trashed the film.

Doing some online research revealed pretty quickly that the Mini does commonly suffer from film advance wheel issues, and I found a tutorial designed by a Mini owner that outlined a diy fix. Need I say more?

Hopefully, Amazon isn't reading this next part. With the help of my husband, we dismantled the camera, executed the tweak (which just consists of tightening a screw) to the advance wheel and put it back together. I then shot a roll of film in square format mode, with just a couple of wheel issues. I was pretty confident taking my film to CVS this second time, but, within 30 minutes of dropping it off, I got a call from the processor saying only about 3-5% of my pictures had turned out. I didn't even bother picking up the negatives.

That same night, I initiated a return with Amazon. I'm pretty sure the camera is defective, and instead of exchanging it for a new one, I've asked for a refund. Big let down. This will be my second time saying: Thanks for crapping on me.

Photo Editing!

I just downloaded Picasa. I'm probably the last person in the world to have done this, but I was really getting frustrated with Adobe Photoshop. And seriously, I don't consider myself technologically impaired, but in my opinion (remember, this is why I have a blog), Photoshop is not at all intuitive or user-friendly. A family friend of ours says he just "spent some time" with it and figured it out. He also suggested googling online tutorials. He is also retired. Just saying.

Surprisingly, I took the next 2 photos with my old trusty Olympus FE-280 that I am now eBaying. We all know that I now have a Diana Mini....and I may have gotten a Nikon Coolpix L110 in the recent future....but I digress.

Here are the shots I edited to my liking tonight. Both were decent to begin with, but I felt like tweaking anyway.


Wallace is a ham for the camera!



In his sunshine spot!



As you can see, I'm a sucker for soft focus. I'm an amateur, what can I say?

so much to do, so little time!

did i explain that the diana mini comes with a nice little book entitled "shoot forever"? i didn't think so. well, i have been shooting forever. it seems like it, at least. it's been 2 weeks and i still haven't managed to take 72 photos. is that terrible? before you answer: in my defense, my bathroom has been torn apart, rebuilt, we had thanksgiving, and i started a new job. yes, all that over the course of the past 2 weeks!

and! here is a link to my new etsy store, the wishing well. click pic.

yeah, made this. it's in the shop! also, i'm selling these on december 4, 2010 at the pleasant gap united methodist church.
for A LOT less than i'm trying to sell them for on etsy.



Trials and Tribulations!

So, the bathroom is {still} on its way to being finished. Nick and I have been working into the wee hours of the morning on the baseboards, the shoe moulding, and sanding and patching some spots on the walls.
I will post the final pictures when the job is complete! I want you to see the full effect all at once!

You know how my parents gifted us that generous sum of cash for the remodel? Well I stupidly thought it would be enough to *finish* the bathroom. We've got about $300 extra into the deal at this point, and probably still have some odds and ends to purchase. There have been a couple unexpectedly needed trips to Lowe's and Home Depot, but I guess that's life, right?

Anyway, I do have some exciting news...I'm going to be participating in a local craft show on December 4th at the Pleasant Gap United Methodist Church! It's the 2nd annual, so I'm hoping for a good turn-out. I'm trying something completely new this time (I suppose that goes without saying), and it's also motivated me to start a brand new Etsy shop. Nothing's listed yet, but I sure did have fun designing my logo!

Etsy shop banner

Business card!

Also, a Diana Mini update: I am a little more than halfway through my first roll of film, and the anticipation is killing me! Hopefully, I'll get through the last of the photos by this weekend, and have them developed next week!