Feathers, Fort Funston
Polaroid SLR 680 / Impossible Project PX 600 Silver Shade First Flush
Each time we visit Fort Funston, there’s something new to see or going on. This time, the beach was littered with feathers all along the shore. I’d like to think some species of adolescent bird was molting their baby feathers for something more adult. It wasn’t like the cormorant death of last year as we only saw a body or two. I just don’t remember seeing feathers in this number before.
Otherwise, I love picking up discarded feathers. This has freaked out a companion or two. Are they really as diseased as we were told in our youth?
Mush
When it comes to people, our pets are pretty well socialized. When we’re out and about if someone squats down to say hello, Chieka’s more than happy to run over and get a quick pat. Bug, well he’s a little more discerning and likes to take the measure of the man before he’ll come closer. There are times when this interaction leads to people sharing their bat-shit crazy ideas about chihuahuas.
I met a man in the park today who told me that Chieka wasn’t a chihuahua at all — she’s a terrier! I was too stupefied to respond and he took my pause as an invitation to share the news that chihuahuas were being crossbred with terriers because of their brains. Turns out, according to him, they’re skulls grow at a much slower rate turning their wee brains to mush.
Mush? Terriers? WTF? Feel free to leave chihuahua mush brains out of any conversation that we may have. Onward!
Solargraphy
Canon SD960 IS
Given how grey our summer has been in San Francisco, I’m a little surprised how fixated I’ve become about solargraphy. Solargraphy? It’s an image that records the path that the sun takes over a long period of time. (Check out this Google Images link to see what I’m writing about.)
Once I started searching for information on how to make these images, I realized it wasn’t all that difficult.* The key ingredient (and one that will prove my greatest challenge), is patience. The patience to let that little film canister sit outside, building the image day after day.
I used the information from the following two sites to build my pinhole cameras:
Justin Quinnell, Solargraphs — How to create 6 month exposures
http://www.pinholephotography.org/Solargraph%20instructions%202.htm
Solargraphy Gallery — How to make a pinhole camera
http://www.solargraphy.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10&Itemid=11
* Difficult? Well, given that I have no idea how it’s all going to turn out, I could be completely talking out of my butt. Instead of 3 – 6 month exposures, I’m going to try a month long test with the four cameras. If it works, I’ll then refill them and begin the next set on September 23rd — the autumnal equinox.
A big thanks to Dave at Photoworks for the photo paper.
Come back in a month and I’ll let you know how they turned out.
Some women buy shoes
Canon SD960 IS
From the moment that Polaroid announced back in February 2008 that they were going to cease manufacturing their instant print film, people began to hoard what they could find. I was just into the second month of a project called Polaroid 366 when the news broke and did what I could to stave off the bitter end.
The future is a bit brighter now as we have the Impossible Project working on alternatives for our SX-70 and 600 cameras, but with each shot of now defunct film, I know I’m that much closer to the end of an era.
If shoes were my thing, I could have a pretty decent collection. Film tickles my fancy just that much more.
The girl on the back of the truck
Top: Polaroid SX-70 / Impossible Project PX 70 Color Shade First Flush
Bottom: iPhone
I’d run out to pick up a set of keys from Aaron and spied this truck on 16th Street. The iPhone photo was first and then I ran back to the car to grab the SX-70. I’m still getting my head around the new PX 70 film, but I think that this particular image looks more like a painting than a photograph.
If you’re using the Impossible Project film and aren’t using Beppe Bolchi’s cardboard lightshield, you should give it a shot. Scroll down on this page to “Shade Your Color Shade.”
Heather Powazek Champ never leaves the house without a camera. A Canadian by birth, she now calls San Francisco home. More »
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