speedbump

So we have a little speedbump down the road to photography this week - my camera is non - functional at the moment. However, I took it to be repaired this morning and there is hope that it can and will be repaired. It all started back in 1977...when I found out that the camera had actually been purchased in Japan by Sydney Weinstein, my grandfather. He passed away from cancer a few years later, so I don't even know how long it has been sitting in a Xerox box in my parents basement. Anyway, I went to the barn to visit our horse to take some pictures and the first few started out OK and then the aperture and shutter button began to stick. Soon, the shutter button wouldn't work at all. As devastating as it was, it was an incredible feeling to be continuing on a passion that was so close to somebody else. Upon taking it to the repair shop this morning I also found out what all the other equipment in my box was! I have two incredible, fully - functioning lenses (one regular and one telescopic), a hand - held light meter in impeccable and also functioning condition, an attachable and more advanced light meter (which they believe just needs a new battery), a self - timer and an attachable flash which they stopped making bulbs for over 40 years ago. Excellent. Either way, I definitely have a gold mine. As far as the camera goes, my friend is graciously allowing me to use hers for the time being and I should find out the diagnosis tomorrow.

I literally am so excited about all the different things I can photograph that it keeps me awake at night. I would love to get back to the barn and photograph the horses soon, as well as my two children (gabby the yellow lab and pearl the jack russel) at home. I also really want to experiment with taking pictures of people. I would love to create these photo shoots with some of my friends and experiment with crazy hair and makeup. I've thought about even just setting up a white backdrop (aka a white sheet against the wall) and seeing what I can do with different angles and contrasts with clothing. I keep having this one image of people in ripped jeans and wifebeater shirts (just really simplistic clothing) against a brick wall that I would love to photograph. Stuff like that reminds me of vintage rock band photos like the one I included of Lynard Skynard (one of my fave bands). I think theres so much you can do with a classic set up like that - I would love to do a set of frames that showed clothing through the years...start out with 60's style and end with something really modern. I am also including this awesome black and white of Janis Joplin because I love the contrast and I love her clothing. I feel like this picture really defines the "free" and kind of wild attitude of the 60's and 70's. I would love to be able to capture an image that really defines our era.