The original click

Where would we be without the camera. From my childhood memories caught on slide film to learning on a manual 35mm to experimenting with plastic and turn-of-the-century types to digital of today... this blog is a summation of the cameras of my life.

My first memory of any camera was my oldest sister's 110. I am sure it was a Kodak of some sort, but the 110.  I think this holds the first memory, as I was full of envy. Not knowing then that I would be surrounded by cameras for the rest of my life.

The next one in a long line was the infamous Disc camera, again by Kodak, and again my sister's. I see these for sale on Etsy and eBay as collectors, which I find beyond amusing since the negative was about as big as a dime. Horrid little thing, but it was portable and very discreet for its day.






Now, the fun gets started: Polaroids. If you did not have the luxury of growing up with a Polaroid, or have one at any point in your life, you really missed out. My other sister had the One Step, just like this one. She let me use it, when we had film. But, ugh, the film was so expensive; the one major flaw in this camera.





Now, I will get you into my cameras. I am sure my parents waited until I was old enough not to ruin a camera. But here's to the first which came to me in 8th grade: my Ricoh.



It's hard to believe this plastic camera survived the years until I went to Penn State for my second year of college, when my dad gave me his Canon AE-1 with a variety of lenses.  The AE-1 was my first real camera and some of the images I shot are still some of my favorites. Crisp, sharp, good color... and I had full control over everything. It really let me find my eyes (so to speak) as a photographer.

This camera was heavy. I mean a beast. But I still shot with it everywhere. I took it to Europe, shot a Fashion Runway shoot in Orlando with it, which was tricky shooting 100-300mm manual focus zoom handheld.

When I lived in central Florida, I worked at Wolf Camera and I started to collect old cameras. My grandfather's old Kodaks were my first forray into any film other than 35mm. They took 120. At the time I thought that was a vintage film, like 110. The cameras took these gloriously grainy images and I had to look down through this view finder. It was weird for me, but cool, too.

Anything vintage. But I fell in love with rangefinders. And the camera that started it all was a gorgeous 1969 Minolta Hi-Matic 11 Super 3 Circuit I bought at Terry & Jerry's in Lakeland. I had no idea what a rangefinder was, but that camera took the most gorgeous of black & whites. I knew how to line up the dual images, since that how you focused with the AE-1. The Hi-Matic was my go to camera for years, if I shot anything black and white.

My sister and I moved out to Oregon in the later part of the 90s and the AE-1 documented the whole journey and time there... until I started working at Pro Photo Supply. Probably the one move that changed everything for me. I decided it was time to get a new 35mm point n shoot and knew I found THE one with the Yashica T4. Oh! a Zeiss lens. I had learned that this glass was the best optical glass ever and I needed this camera. I bought one. My sister also bought one, which she still uses today.

Pro Photo Supply enabled me to learn about other camera companies and their systems and I fell in love with the idea of a Nikon SLR. By replacing my Canon gear with this, I could buy a manual focus system, piece by piece until I could later afford an AF system. But the MF system I fell in love with was the Nikon F3HP. Another tank-of-a-camera, but I adored this camera. It also made me feel like I was moving into the pro arena of photography.

The clientele at PPS were all pro's and some budding amateurs, some of whom went to Brooks Institute and knew SO much more than I. I wanted to hook their brain up to a shop vac and dump their knowledge into my brain. To a certain degree, I did. And here came the Hassleblad with Zeiss glass lenses. My first ever experience with a medium format camera of the 20th century.  Again, another beast to carry, but I didn't even care. I was in love. The pictures were so amazing compared to 35mm. Thank god I could rent from PPS.

I was surrounded by so many people who actually knew how to take great photos with whatever camera they used, be it Leica, Rolleiflex, 4x5, even Holga's. Ah, the Holga.  This was the only way I could own a medium format camera since it was $25, oh and $5 for the roll of gaffer's tape you needed to seal up the light leaks. But the look was so vintage!



After working there for a number of years, I had the extreme fortune to be sent, along with a co-worker and great friend of mine to see the Profoto Lighting factory in Stockolm, Sweden. Profoto was distributed stateside by Mamiya Corp. And the fantastic Mamiya sales rep offered to let me borrow and check out the Mamiya 7 II, a medium format rangefinder. YUM! I loved this camera. The portability of a 35mm, but with the gorgeous images from a medium format. Ugh! I was in heaven.


 The best of all worlds combined. I would still love to have this camera, but with digital now in the mix and labs dropping off of the map left and right, how does that compare???  Fast forward several years... When we moved here to North Carolina and we bought our so loved and well used kayaks, I knew I needed something small and digital that I could take on the water. And this trusty little guy has survived a lot and still takes good shots: the Powershot.

I even used this for our first product shots for brandMOJO Interiors back before we had our own website. But now, it all comes full circle. I was ready to get my first AF digital Nikon SLR since I had acquired mf lenses over the years for my older F3HP manual focus body. Remember how I said I bought it knowing I could then move up slowly until I could get the autofocus system. Well, 12 years later, I was ready.

Up until a few months ago, I didn't even own an autofocus lens. I used those glorious mf Nikon lenses with this great lightweight camera body. And actually, I still shoot product with those lenses.

So, the 110, Disc, and One Step are collectibles now. You can buy a Holga still in 35mm format now for the plastic camera experience that is still holding strong. Just don't forget the gaffer's tape. And rangefinders and film cameras are the new thing with twenty-somethings, who've never experienced film.

They say that it isn't the gear you use that dictates whether you are a good photographer or not, which I do agree with. But it is a lot of fun using a variety of different pieces of equipment from many time periods in history and learning photography on them. And fun looking back.

Click click

The wild, wild Mid-West

On our recent trip to the Mid-West, I brought both my Powershot point-n-shoot and my Nikon and all the lenses. I wanted to and did take a bunch of photos. Ones to share that will be hung in one's home for years. The kind you give in a nice frame.  I digress...
While out and in this crazy wilderness known as the mid-west, we drove upon and through one corner of this crazy storm. [Cue: Crazy by Patsy Cline]

You can see why people are so fascinated by Storm Chasing. Case in point, my brother-in-law who gets to see this stuff all the time and loves chasing storms. And Laurie Excell. Check out her fabulous blog and images.

This being the 2nd time up there and the 5th trip across the mid-west, you really need some Patsy Cline. Johnny Cash, too. Good ol' horse back riding music to take this part of the country nice and easy.

Easing on towards Bloomington, the storm got intense. 

My mind went towards those tornadoes that my hubby is used to from growing up there. We get a few here back east. Small ones, except that unique one from just about 2 months ago. Tore up High Point good. Then the ones in PA, too. Took out my Kinzua Viaduct bridge on its way.

I tell you what, if it weren't for my Nikon and that glorious 50mm f/1.4 mf that I have, these would have never emerged from what I actually saw happening. I could shoot straight through those windows in the rental car. Barely appearing.

But when I wanted to show it, and nab that crazy storm we went through, slow the shutter down enough and mess with the apeture. And look what it gives. The full feel of driving the interstate during a crazy storm.

We turned left at Bloomington and came out on the eastern side of the storm. And all was good. Just like that.

Yet another adventure for this crew.

Rainy memories

We have been having the most glorious Spring like weather this past week. Major downpours that are just feeding my gardens, especially the budding veggie garden. It is a thrill to pull fresh greens from the garden for a giant salad. Mmmm. And all started from seed, too. But I digress.

Yesterday, it was this gentle rain, no thunder, just a sprinkle, then a harder rain, then it would subside. I was working in the shop on the mirror frames for our master bath: steel wool, then buff. Wood is so gorgeous in its natural state. But Scott had a great idea to shoot this Cobbler's bench in the rain.

The finish is such that it can handle anything, including a deluge of rain. It was quite interesting as he shielded my D90 from the rain with an umbrella, while I guided him around to find the right angles, the right shots. I set the camera for a high rapid-fire shutter to capture some droplets of rain.

They came out great, but every time I shoot with my camera, which I love, I find myself thinking back to the way cameras used to feel. If you didn't have a motor-drive grip you weren't shooting rapid fire shots. The drag of the crank would dictate how your shots would evolve. The pull of the film through the camera with just your right thumb had a sensation of completion. Now, don't get me wrong, I love the easy access of an image immediately, as opposed to waiting until you could get the film developed. But the feel isn't the same. I do miss those shots. But, I would not have been able to capture images such as this with my F3HP.

What do you think of it as a diptic?

Or with a slow shutter hand-held?

Itchy trigger finger

I am dying to shoot. Dying to go out and shoot something. I had this past weekend off from shooting so I could work on the brandMOJO Interiors website, which worked out great. A good number of products and thereby my images went up onto the site, especially Accessories. But I didn't have any unique pieces to shoot. 


So I am jonesing to snap something. I was perusing whiteboxwedding's blog and looking at Sara's gorgeous shots of kids and people. There was a shot with this adorable and spunky little girl holding a Canon rangefinder. 

Oh, sadness, as my Minolta Hi-Matic, my favorite camera for B&Ws, is out of commission. It made my finger itch. And long for those by-gone days (for now) where I could just disappear and shoot. 

Having multiple jobs makes going out for a random shoot that much more difficult. I need to go and shoot something. The last time we had a real photo shoot was on Trade St in Winston. You remember, we met Jimmy Jams. There's nothing tastier than having a random shot come upon you and to have someone so deep and worn, smile so genuinely. 

We need to get back to shooting. I need to find a way to get back and get through this crazy hectic time for one of my j-o-b's so I can have time to do what I love.  I have such sweet envy for people like Sara who is out shooting and loving every minute of it. Well, I can't speak for her, but there is something not as satisfying sitting here typing when I should be out shooting. Scouting. Searching for just the spot, just the right light. And getting that glorious feeling when I hear that click. 

Welcome to a new era

This is the era of shit or get off the pot.

I celebrated my birthday on Wednesday; well, I had been celebrating all weekend. My birthday is truly one of my favorite holidays, second only to Christmas. I turned 36, but still don't feel very old. Scott & I have really come a long way with brandMOJO Interiors in 2009: he's doing it full time, we even hired a CPA. That's big stuff in my book.

But it has occurred to me that this year is the year for brandMOJO Images to now take off. I have a few obstacles to deal with first before I can start offering my images for sale. I have to figure out why my Epson 1900 doesn't print centered on the sheet. But that just means getting the time to play with it; stocking up on inks and more paper in various sizes. It would take me an afternoon I think. The perk is that I would invariably have images to then put into frames and hang in the house. The biggest hurdle is my images that are negs or slides; 35mm or medium format. I have gone through book after book of the prints and dog eared the ones I want to get scanned. Now, to the locating of the negatives for those prints. Again, just some time.

So this is the era of shit or get off the pot. Put up or shut up, kind of thing. If I really want to make it a go, I need to just dive in. Now that things are steadily moving along for brandMOJO Interiors, I can focus on the other realm of our brand's mojo. We always say, "My pieces would never sell if you didn't shoot them the way you do." And, "I could never shoot them if you didn't finish them like that." We're such a good team.

But now, it is about my love. Shooting those things I love. I feel as though I have honed my eye over the years. And I am so curious to see if anyone would buy a print. And which ones would be the chosen ones. Thank god for Etsy and their site. It really is a perfect starting point for me. So wish me luck, cause here I go.

Ew, wash your hands.

So, I'm thinking that I need to extend this to whomever is listening to the tap tap tap of my fingers. Please go touch our website. Why do you think they call it Viral Marketing, anyway? :) So go ahead. Here, take my hand.

This ought to be interesting

It's up. Our website is live. Phew. Now, marketing. Isn't that what you are for, dear blog? www.brandmojointeriors.com

Images

Images. So why use that term. When I worked out west at ProPhoto Supply, the photographers always called their photographs images or shots. Occasionally photos, but not commonly. Over the years it has occurred to me why.

When my hubby talks to me about shooting a new table or piece of furniture, I see in my mind what I want it to look like. I see an image. An image is like a poem. Everyone interprets it differently. Normally I never stage his pieces. This past weekend, he had a Cooper's table for me to shoot.

This table repurposed as a coffee table that has this curved top. Scott thinks maybe it was used by a barrel maker. So we had to prove to people that this piece could really be used as a coffee table. We took our glasses of wine and beer respectively and placed them on top. Perfect. Took out that same EA Poe book and placed it on the shelf below the curved top. Perfect. Now someone can imagine using this as a coffee table. It actually serves a purpose. 

We didn't stage the table in a room. We never do that, unless the room is totally NOT where you would ever use the piece (see the Monolith table shot in an abandoned boiler room). I like to let people "see" the piece within their own space whether it be an office or a home. I want them to create their own image of that piece. So we shoot the piece in a way that is old if the piece is contemporary; new if the piece is old. So the piece jumps out at you.

When it comes to my fine art shots, I still hold that they are images. They are not staged either; I never move objects, I move myself. God I love to shoot. 

Now that brandMOJO Interiors website is up  (still going through the 48 hour testing period), I can work on getting my own Etsy page up to sell my pieces, my shots, my images. brandMOJO Images. Just like this blog. I will take my snippets from a time, a place, a moment, that I have frozen in time and let people decorate their lives and spaces with those. Now it is time to create the image of me selling my own photographs. 

Well, here we go...

The foray into blogging begins. One more thing to keep us busy and getting brandMOJO out there. This is my blog, for my images. Some will be of bMI of course. Wish me luck.