alternative[foto]graphy

New Friends & New Adventures

2010-01-11T22:33:00.000-08:00

Well, it's a new year...and for me, a new year equals new cameras! Hooray! But that's not the only exciting new thing happening around here... My sweetie just moved to Phoenix, AZ. Another hooray! A new desert-y area to explore with Nathan! Anyways, let's talk cameras. The two latest editions to my ever-growing eclectic camera family are a Polaroid Land Camera 103 and a Keystone 60 Second Everflash.

The Keystone 60 Second Everflash is one beast of a camera:

Let's just say... it's not the prettiest camera I own. It's basically a copycat Polaroid camera. I had never heard of Keystone Flash before until photographer Sean Rohde introduced me to it in his blog about it here. I was intrigued. I found one cheap off of eBay and took it to the desert to try it out:

It's pretty nice! I like it. It's different. I think it's going to become a regular in my camera rotation. My other new toy is a Polaroid Land Camera 103. Another Land Camera you ask? Yes, I know I know. I have a bunch. What makes this one so different? Well, I bought it from a old Camera Store that's going out of business up in LA for $20. It was brand new. I figured what the hey, what's one more camera, right? I put some new batteries in and took it with me to AZ to help my boyfriend move.

The first few images turned out like CRAP. I had everything set up right but the Polaroids were extremely unexposed and so dark you could barely make anything out of them. I was frustrated. Did I get a lemon? I had one shot left of a pack of expired ID-UV film and I figured it'd be worth it to test the light meter out. I cranked it all the way to lighten and aimed, this is what I got:

Quite possibly one of my favorite Polaroids ever! Look at the vignetting! I've never been able to get such vignetting out of any of my Land Cameras. Here's some more Polaroids from my time in AZ with my 103:

I'm absolutely in love... I love the colors and feel the 103 gives to the Polaroid. Can't wait to explore AZ some more with it! I already have my next trip planned and it's just a few weeks away!

Palos Verdes, CA.

2009-11-15T19:01:00.000-08:00

Nestled just north of the hustle and bustle of where I live in Long Beach lies a beautiful and pristine area known as Palos Verdes. Palos Verdes is actually the name given to a group of coastal cities located on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

I'd heard a lot about the Peninsula before but I had never had the chance to check it out. Yesterday I had the unique opportunity to explore the area for the first time. I had no idea what to expect and absolutely no idea what I was in store for: beautiful cliffs, dramatic vistas, crashing ocean waves, and oh yah, my favorite... abandoned houses! I had my Polaroid Land Camera 440 along with me for the trip and I am quite pleased with some of images I was able to capture:

The area known as Portuguese Bend on the Peninsula suffered a tremendous land slide in the late 1950's. The land movement continues to this day and requires constant road construction and maintenance. The land slide destroyed many homes in the area which still remain on the cliffs. I've been to many abandoned places before... but nothing quite like these houses. They seemed so erie and completely out of place, being surrounded by such pristine beauty...

Pano-rific!

2009-10-28T11:04:00.000-07:00

I was up in Seattle over the summer and I found myself in a Goodwill hunting for cameras. This particular Goodwill was pretty big with a wide selection of cheap, cheaper and even super-cheaper cameras. I was only really looking for any Polaroid camera's I didn't have, but one little plastic black 35mm, an "Ansco Panoramic" camera, caught my eye. Here's one out of the package, brand-spanking new. I bought it for a whopping $2, packed it up and took it home with me to sunny California.

I honestly really didn't think too much of the camera and forgot all about it for a few months. However, I ended up heading back to the Salton Sea area last month so I decided to take my little pano with me.

Ch...I'm pretty stoked I did. I really like what I got with the first roll. I have never shot with a pano-type camera before and I really like wide frame! The colors, for the most part, are pretty so-so, but I chalk that up to my crappy expired Kodak I loaded into it. I think some b&w would look sweet.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with my new cheap little plastic pano :)

The September Playlist.

2009-09-25T14:51:00.000-07:00

As most of you know, I love photography. But, alas, there is more to me than just expired film and crappy old cameras. I also love music. Yes, yes, big shocker, I know. I often take a Polaroid or a photo that reminds me of a particular song. Or, I hear a song or album that inspires me to do something new or unique with my cameras. Creativity often inspires more creativity.

September will usher in a new aspect of this blog...monthly playlists inspired by Polaroids. Polaroids and music. It's as simple as that. These playlists will highlight current projects and photos I've been working on as well as showcase music that deserves to be showcased. Take a gander...and check out the featured artists and songs.

Curse of Weeds by Horse Feathers

Sun 660, expired type 779, Salton Sea, CA.

Old, Old Fashioned by Frightened Rabbit

Emulsion lift of an expired ID-UV shot onto a 600 blank Polaroid. Joshua Tree, CA.

Wake Up by Arcade Fire

Sun 660, expired 600 from '03, Joshua Tree, CA.

Marshland by Breathe Owl Breathe

Countdown 70, expired ID-UV from '08, Joshua Tree, CA.

Thinking, Drinking, Sinking Feeling by Slow Club

Sun 660, expired type 779, Orange County, CA.

Good Ol' Fashion Nightmare by Matt & Kim

Countdown 70, expired ID-UV, Salton Sea, CA.

Fair and True by Festival

SX-70, expired 600 from '03, Los Angeles, CA.

Seeds May Fall (Feat. Justin Power) by Portland Cello Project

Spectra SE, expired 2004, somewhere out in the Mojave desert, CA.

Sunol by Will Stratton

Land Camera 440, expired ID-UV from '08, Los Angeles, CA.

Morocco Through a Plastic Lens

2009-08-31T10:55:00.001-07:00

It's August 31. Summer is officially over. I thought I'd mark this grim and sad day with a blog photo update. I'm sad to report that I did not shoot half as much as I wanted to these past few months. Life has been extremely busy, as usual, and money for film has been practically non-existent. I blame the bulk of my money woes to an AWEsome trip that I was able to take in July to Northern Africa. My boyfriend, Nathan Watkins, is an extremely talented photographer with a passion for travel and helping those in need. He spent his summer in Morocco working and doing photos for Friends of the Rif , an amazing organization that helps provide homes for villagers displaced by a massive earthquake that hit the area in 2004. He invited me to come out for a few weeks to see Morocco and take part in the work he was doing there. I was super stoked, to say the least. The trip was incredible and totally surpassed my expectations. I can honestly say I fell in love with the people and culture there.

I brought along a bunch of cameras with me. They also seemed to take quite a liking to Morocco. Here's a few of my favorites, taken mostly with my Land Cameras and my trusty old Holga:

Polaroid Land Camera 440, expired 689, outside Fes, Morocco.

Polaroid Land Camera, expired ID-UV from '08, Chechaouen, Morocco.

Polaroid Land Camera 440, expired 689, outside Al Hocima, Morocco.

Polaroid Land Camera 440, expired 689, outside Fes, Morocco.

Polaroid Countdown 70, Fuji 100B, in the Fes marketplace, Morocco.

Polaroid Land Camera, expired ID-UV from '08, Chechaouen, Morocco.

These photographs don't do the country justice. I offer them merely as an unique and somewhat different look into Morocco, through cheap plastic lenses and vintage old cameras. I can not wait to go back...next time with plenty of more film!

Photography wise, I have a few outings planned for September. It has been far too long since I've been to the Salton Sea and I've been itching to explore more of the Joshua Tree area. Ironically, now that summer is over I'll have more time to go shooting and exploring. I promise to keep posting and to keep this updated.

Meet Miss Diana...

2009-06-01T19:00:00.000-07:00

I recently adopted a new camera into my family... An authentic Diana F! I found her all alone and abandoned in a house full of single bachelors. She was up on a mantle, dusty, unused, and broken. She cried out for a good home! I gladly embraced Miss Diana into my lovely little fold of cameras...

Mind you, Lomography lovers, that this is one of the original Diana cameras, created way before Lomography was ever created. The camera itself is a medium format toy camera completely made out of plastic. They were originally produced in the 1960's to the 1970's in Hong Kong by the Great Wall Plastic Company. Other then that, there is little else known about the true history of the Diana camera. She is still somewhat of a mystery. After the Great Wall Plastic Company started producing the Diana, many variations of the camera started becoming popular as well. These 'variations' are commonly known as Diana Clones. Even though all of the clones have slight differences, they all, for the most part, take 120mm film and take 4cmX4cm sized negatives. My Diana F is an "F" because it originally came with a flash attached to the top of the body. My new Diana's flash, unfortunately, was completely broken and was left in pieces. I decided to take it off of the camera for both shooting connivence and for aesthetics.

I was, at first, unsure of the Diana, even though it was an 'original'. A while back, before I knew any better, I purchased a Diana+ recreated by Lomography. It lasted a whole two rolls of film. And the images it produced were nothing to get excited about. But this new Diana was authentic and even better, absolutely free. So, I decided to give her a chance.

I took her along with me on my last trip to The Salton Sea. Here's some results:

All in all, not too shabby! I was quite surprised when I looked at the negatives. She created some classic light leaks and some random out-of-focus soft vignetting throughout the pictures. The verdict (so far)... she's a keeper!

A little ego boost never hurts...

2009-05-29T14:06:00.001-07:00

The New York Times' photography blog put a call out for it's readers to send in their Polaroids. One of mine was accepted! And it's Friday. Hallelujah.

Mono Lake

2009-05-19T15:56:00.000-07:00

I blame my parents for everything.

There, I said it!

Since I was born, my parents have instilled in me a true sense and love for adventure. And I absolutely love it. Even before I could walk, they would lug me around on their grand adventures throughout the American Southwest. Some of my best childhood memories have been from old ghost towns, tromping around in the backcountry, backpacking, hiking, exploring the Grand Canyon, camping in Utah, and the like.

Now I am a photographer. I have had, for sometime, a strong desire to go back to all of these wonderful and beautiful places that I once explored as a child with my cameras and capture what I see and what remember. This past weekend, I made me first trip back to Mono Lake, just outside Lee Vining, with all of my cameras and film. It was a wonderful experience. Here are a few of my favorite images:

As always, keep an eye on my Flickr for more updates & uploads.

Art for Sale & Art for a Cause.

2009-05-14T15:39:00.000-07:00

For the past year and half, I have had my life changed by working across the border with the people of Rojo Gomez, Mexico.

My church has been able to partner with Baja Christian Ministry to help build houses, provide medical care and support, and establish and cultivate relationships with the local people there.

I love serving the people of Mexico and I love capturing images from the work we do and the people we work with.

But I also wanted to use my art to help benefit the people of Rojo Gomez. I've been working on a new project: 10 art blocks dedicated to Rojo Gomez. They will be for sale and all the proceeds will go straight to their community. We're trying to raise money to get more help and support down there that the people of Mexico most desperately need.

So, take a look! If you like what you see, they will be on display this Sunday at ROCKHARBOR church in Costa Mesa, CA. If you're interested in purchasing one, please shoot me an email. I'd love to hear from you.

5x7, mixed media, with a 4x6 print, Canon AE-1.

Shot in Rojo Gomez, Mexico.

Ready to go and hang-able.

6x6, mixed media, Polaroid from a Land Camera 440, expired ID-UV film.

Shot at Salvation Mountain, CA.

Ready to go and hang-able.

8x8, mixed media, with a 5x7 print, Holga 135 BC.

Shot at the Salton Sea, CA.

Ready to go and hang-able.

5x7, mixed media, with a 4x6 print, Canon AE-1.

Shot in Rojo Gomez, Mexico.

Ready to go and hang-able.

6x6, mixed media, Spectra Polaroid.

Shot in Rojo Gomez, Mexico.

Ready to go and hang-able.

5x7, mixed media, with a 4x6 print, Canon AE-1.

Shot in Rojo Gomez, Mexico.

Ready to go and hang-able.

5x7, mixed media, with a 4x6 print, Holga 135 BC.

Shot in Rojo Gomez, Mexico.

Ready to go and hang-able.

6x6, mixed media, Polaroid from a Land Camera 440, expired ID-UV film.

Shot in Rojo Gomez, Mexico.

Ready to go and hang-able.

6x6, mixed media, Spectra Polaroid.

Ready to go and hang-able.

Adventures with Expired ID-UV...

2009-05-10T12:58:00.000-07:00

Mmm... Polaroid ID-UV film.

Just the thought of that gorgeous film makes me incredibly happy and giddy inside. What's ID-UV film you ask? Well, it's very similar to Polaroid type 669 film. But ID-UV film has a special security 'tracer' that's printed across the surface of the film that's only visible under special UV light. The security feature was ideal for making ID prints and passport pictures. Production of ID-UV film stopped when Polaroid ended it's instant film line of products. So, even though there is relatively 'fresh' film out there in the market, there is also a great deal of expired stock. And expired ID-UV film is a real treasure to shoot with for the Polaroid photographer. Here's some of my favorite Polaroids I've shot with expired ID-UV:

These particular images were developed from film expired from 2001-2003. As you can see, the colors are just amazing. I love shooting ID-UV because the colors are so unique and unusual. Even though expired ID-UV results are always a surprise, the colors do tend to lean on the blue/cool side.

Here are some more of my better expired ID-UV Polaroids.

And here is a group on Flickr devoted to this fine film.

There & Back Again.

2009-05-04T14:30:00.001-07:00

Without a doubt, one of my all time favorite places to explore and shoot is the Salton Sea in Southern California.
The Salton Sea is California's biggest lake. The lake's salinity is increasing by about 1 percent annually and it contains more salt than the Pacific Ocean. Once part of a vast inland sea that covered a large area of Southern California, the Salton Sea was the site of a major salt mining operation. Back in 1905, heavy rainfall and snowmelt caused the Colorado River to swell and breach an Imperial Valley damn. It took almost two years to control the flooding into the formerly dry Salton Sea area, also known as the Salton Sink. The sudden influx of water and the lack of any drainage from the area resulted in the formation of the Salton Sea that exists today.

The Salton Sea area was once a popular destination for Southern Californians with it's relative proximity to Palm Springs and Los Angeles. However, most of the buildings and structures have currently been forsaken and abandoned. Old houses and trailers rot close to the Sea, being eaten away by the water's high salinity. Altogether, the Salton Sea is unlike any other place I have ever been to before. Placed deep in the desert, this vast body of water highlights the surprisingly contrast between life and death. The resulting images and scenes are surreal and somewhat erie, quite the photographers dream.

Originally uploaded by Stephanie.....

To check out some of the photographs I've been able to capture from this strange place, please check this out.

Two posts in one day!?!

2009-04-29T13:21:00.001-07:00

Joy.
Originally uploaded by Stephanie.....

Yikes, I know, it's true.
So, as some of you may have heard...this past Christmas I got a delightful little present from Santa, a Great Wall DF-3 camera.
Why am I now just posting about it? Well, it has taken me these last few months to figure it out.
What's a Great Wall camera you ask? My photographer friend Sean as done his homework on it: Great Wall, the camera, not the wall

I'm happy to say that this camera was worth the money that Santa spent on it. I'm looking forward to experimenting with it some more and learning all it can really do...

Holy Moley Batman!

2009-04-29T13:14:00.001-07:00

Originally uploaded by Stephanie.....

Oh, hello there blog.
It's nice to see you again. Sorry it's been so long since I've written. School, work, and life have been suffocating me slowly... but do not fear, ever so faithful blog... I have not forgotten you.
And as such, I promise you this...I'll update you every week with unique and tantalizing news on my alternative photography obsessions

The New Addition.

2008-11-01T20:54:00.001-07:00

Boys and girls. Meet the new member of my family. A delightful Polaroid 150 Land Camera straight from the late 1950's. She's a beast alright, weighing in at around ten pounds. But, she's also quite beautiful. The 150 was given to me as a gift (!) Along with, get this, four rolls of 47 Polaroid film from 1992. If you're not too familiar with roll film...it's basically impossible to find, anywhere, and if you're lucky enough to stumble upon some, you're gonna have to pay a pretty penny.

After trying to figure her out...for about an hour...I was able to snap my first image. There is no Photoshop here, that's how it looks, pulled straight OUT from inside the camera.

Roll film is rather tricky and very different from pack film. The image actually develops inside the camera and you open up the back and peel it out. It's pretty amazing. I am absolutely in love with this camera. What a wonderful gift.

I'm taking it with me on my next adventure to Joshua Tree. Tune in soon for some new images!

Santa Monica.

2008-11-01T19:53:00.000-07:00

My most recent shooting adventure took me to Santa Monica where I met up with fellow photographer Ben Hunter. It was a good day. Even though I was having some major issues with my Polaroid Big Swinger 3000. I was able to snap a few good images until I dropped it...

Then...I dropped it. And this creepy thing resulted:

Oh well. I'm gonna try and fix it up and get back to working order soon.