Meditations On the New House
Taken over the weekend on my iPhone.
A weekend filled with unpacking, relaxing, and finding hidden little gems in the nooks and crannies. We’re getting into the rhythm, a box at a time.
We Need A Film Camera Revival, Too
Think about it: there used to be a photo developing station in every grocery store. You could (and in some cases, still can) pick up film in a gas station. People would print photos and bind them together into books that became family heirlooms. Then it all went away.
Now it’s all making a comeback. You can get specialty film, professional films, and boutique revival films. We shot photos at our wedding and this weekend’s move using Fuji’s Instax camera. Me? I’m trying out a pack of Lomography’s new film for an upcoming project.
But the good news is all on the film side. The other side of the equation – new film cameras – isn’t returning at the same speed as film stock. Why is that?
Leica is doing their thing, but that’s out of the reach of most photographers. Nikon has the F6, still in production, and Lomo does a good business. But from there, medium- and large-format film cameras are the only ones still in production. Where are the new 35mm cameras to meet this growing film demand? Is the demand still not at a level for camera manufacturers to supply new gear?
Not that there’s any reason to worry; there are tons of used film cameras out there waiting to be rediscovered and refurbished (it’s coming up on yard sale season, after all). For the most part, buying a decent film camera is way more affordable than buying a new digital camera.
Maybe that’s when we’ll know film is back in a big way: Pentax, Canon, Fuji, and the rest fire up their film camera production machines again.
Advice For Becoming An X
I feel terrible that I forgot where I got this, but Jessica Ivins’s “My Advice for Becoming a UX Designer” is great advice for almost any creative pursuit. Photographer? Graphic designer? Writer? Sculptor? It all applies.
Do you have the aptitude? Join a community. Learn more. Get great advice. Make more stuff.
Looking at that list, it’s good advice for any career or hobby.
Chicago in February
It wasn’t your typical February weekend in Chicago for us.
For one, it was just an overnight trip – to see Hamilton, a birthday gift for my wife. Fantastic show, as anyone who goes will tell you.
For two, it was a spring-weather weekend, perfect for wandering around the Loop before we hit the theatre.
What It Feels Like
“Don’t shoot what it looks like. Shoot what it feels like.” – David Alan Harvey
Good advice to live by – as Sarah Abraham does in her wonderful selections of film photography.
The light, the scene-setting, the sense of place. Abraham lets you feel what it’s like to be in a place. Good stuff, and real inspiration for some film work I want to try.
Moving Day
Well, it’s done – we took the weekend and moved into our new house.
Despite some bumps and bruises, and a run-in with the local utility, we’re all moved in and getting settled. Luckily, we had a lot of help from friends and family, so we got most of it done on Saturday.
Moving is a stressful time for me, as it is for most people. Mostly, I try to focus on the task at hand and get the job done. From here, I’ll worry about making this new house feel like our home. It’s all the little things – finding the new morning routine, or the location of my shoes (where DID I leave those?) – that trips me up.
Around the (Old) House
A few, final scenes as we pack up the house and get ready to move (this weekend!).
The nice part about moving into a new home? Fresh scenes and light to explore with the camera.