A few weeks ago, on a random whim, I emailed my dad:
Dad,
Hi! How are you? Hope all is well. I was wondering, do you guys still have your old Polaroids from when I was a kid?
Love you,
Megan
Some context would be nice, I guess. A few months back, I read about the 365 Grateful project (you can watch a snippet of the documentary made about the project here) and was totally enthralled. I have always been a fan of instant photography, and as a now loyal journal writer, I thought it was a fabulous idea to add images to my written words. Over the past two years I’ve fallen in love all over again with the idea of film photography. We’re so obsessed with digital images, where you can take 100 shots to make sure you get the perfect capture, and I adore the idea of film’s imperfections. I love the blurry edges and the closed eyes and the unintentional overexposure. In fact, I spend so much time making my digital images look like they are film (um, hello, Instagram), that I thought it would be fun to try and take some actual film images as well.
Enter, these beauties! My dad found them in an old cabinet at my childhood home and brought them to me. I immediately looked for film online, only to find it’s grossly expensive. Polaroid closed it’s doors a few years back, and now you can only buy film via eBay or The Impossible Project. I love the idea of The Impossible Project (they bought an old Polaroid factory and have developed their own line of film to keep the medium going), so that’s where I purchased my first rolls. I get sixteen exposures….for $50. Holy crap.
The results so far have been less than stellar. I forgot how bright the Polaroids’ flashes are, so most of my indoor pictures are extremely blown out (and not in the good way). I’m still working on finding a focus point as well, so I have a lot of out of focus subjects. The Impossible Project film is very sensitive to light, so you have to immediately cover up your image as it comes out of the camera or it will be ruined. I’ve been laying mine down flat (per instructions), but that has seemed to cause some crazy blue lines across my images. I’m hoping I will keep getting better, but the cost of film is so much, I’m not sure how much I can waste getting it all right.
I suppose that’s the point though…my images will never be perfect. And that is why they are wonderful. Their imperfections are what makes them beautiful. At least, that’s what I’m choosing to tell myself today, as I pull out the credit card and order some more film. Onward!
http://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.png00Meganhttp://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.pngMegan2012-07-05 10:01:342012-07-05 10:01:34Instant Love
Why are you reading this? Why aren’t you headed off to some lakeside cabin or beach cottage to celebrate the birth of our country? Aren’t you a patriot? SOCIALIST!!!
OK, you might just be stuck at work like me. I mean, whoever invented holidays occurring on a Wednesday should be soundly scolded. Trent and I both have to work Thursday and Friday, not to mention today, so we aren’t headed anywhere for this big holiday. Our plans include sleeping in, sparklers and grilling out in the backyard. We might even head to the pool, but that’s only if things get crazy. So in case you’re the only person in your office and need some links to get you through the day, I’m here to help!
Best 4th of July Playlist:An Evening In, By Maggie Mason
Best 4th of July Party Idea: A Backyard Movie Night (Tutorials here or here)
Best TV Series to Catch Up on During Your Day Off: The Newsroom just started on HBO, so I, of course, won’t really get to watch it until next year when it comes out on DVD, but you can catch the first episode online. It’s pretty dang good so far. P.S. This preview is TOTALLY NSFW so don’t watch at the office without headphones (just language stuff, nothing smutty).
Best Back-up Series in Case You’re Like Me and Don’t Have HBO (waaaahhhh): Thanks to Netflix I have finally started in on the first of the many seasons of Friday Night Lights, and good lord, it’s freaking fantastic. The below preview has some spoilers, so don’t watch if you’re like me and are catching up five years later…
Best Firework Photos So Far: Photos of the Kansas City Country Club’s exhibition this weekend are at Ramsey’s Blog
Best Fun Beach Read (even if you’re miles from a beach):Messy, by the Fug Girls
Best Swimsuit for Moping at the Local Pool Instead of on a Yacht Somewhere: The Poppy Bikini over at J. Crew.
Best Grilling Tip I’ve Found and Used via the Internet: How to Grill a Steak
(Photo from July 4, 2011…when we actually had the good sense to take a few days off. Harumph.)
http://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.png00Meganhttp://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.pngMegan2012-07-03 09:50:302013-09-09 14:47:44It's the 3rd of July...
It’s now been three plus months since I started the Chookoonlooks Path Finder Course, and I’m so proud of my progress so far. It hasn’t been easy, but moving my life forward in a positive way has been so worth the effort (if you have no idea what I’m talking about, you can catch up on my journey here or here). The past few months have given me so much positivity and hope for the future, and I’ve never felt so good. That said, the end of May/whole month of June were filled with wannabe setbacks. My day to day life was quite hectic, and I found myself slipping in to bad habits. When things get crazy, I tend to go in to “get it done” mode. I become this robotic, super-woman, which in theory sounds amazing (Robot Super-Woman, coming soon to a theater near you in 3D!), but in reality is so exhausting.
The past few years I’ve spent the month of July on a digital sabbatical (you can read why here or here), abstaining from all things Internet. This year, I wasn’t quite sold on that idea, as I’m attempting to grow this little-blog-that-could into a bigger part of my career, and giving it all up for a month would surely kill the momentum I’ve spent the last few months building. So this month, I decided to set some other short term goals and post some of them here instead.
Now, will I accomplish all of this? Probably not. But for me, the whole point of setting these goals is so I’ll at least try. If I’ve learned anything the past few months, it’s that just attempting something can change everything. Some of these items are pretty broad (do something fun every day) and some are more specific (abstain from alcohol*), but as long as I’m working toward each, and keeping them as a focus in my life, I know good things will happen.
Happy July, everyone. Let’s do this thing.
———————————————————–
*Every few months I take about four weeks away from alcohol just to restart my system and clear out the cobwebs. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I have a tendency to enjoy a glass of wine, and when I am stressed out, that glass easily turns into more than one. For me, taking a month away from the stuff reminds me of all the other, more healthy ways, to deal with stress. I got a lot of comments on this last time I did it, so I wanted to say something before it becomes a “thing.” Don’t worry, my happy hour friends, I’m not off the sauce for good, just for a little while.
**Monthly Goal Format inspired by Elise over here. If you’re looking for info on goal setting, she’s a great resource.
http://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.png00Meganhttp://www.crazybananas.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Crazy_Banans_Logo_WebsiteBanner.pngMegan2012-07-02 09:22:132012-09-06 09:58:41Finding My Path - Part 3: Set, Match, Goals
Instant Love
/1 Comment/in Photos /by MeganA few weeks ago, on a random whim, I emailed my dad:
Some context would be nice, I guess. A few months back, I read about the 365 Grateful project (you can watch a snippet of the documentary made about the project here) and was totally enthralled. I have always been a fan of instant photography, and as a now loyal journal writer, I thought it was a fabulous idea to add images to my written words. Over the past two years I’ve fallen in love all over again with the idea of film photography. We’re so obsessed with digital images, where you can take 100 shots to make sure you get the perfect capture, and I adore the idea of film’s imperfections. I love the blurry edges and the closed eyes and the unintentional overexposure. In fact, I spend so much time making my digital images look like they are film (um, hello, Instagram), that I thought it would be fun to try and take some actual film images as well.
Enter, these beauties! My dad found them in an old cabinet at my childhood home and brought them to me. I immediately looked for film online, only to find it’s grossly expensive. Polaroid closed it’s doors a few years back, and now you can only buy film via eBay or The Impossible Project. I love the idea of The Impossible Project (they bought an old Polaroid factory and have developed their own line of film to keep the medium going), so that’s where I purchased my first rolls. I get sixteen exposures….for $50. Holy crap.
The results so far have been less than stellar. I forgot how bright the Polaroids’ flashes are, so most of my indoor pictures are extremely blown out (and not in the good way). I’m still working on finding a focus point as well, so I have a lot of out of focus subjects. The Impossible Project film is very sensitive to light, so you have to immediately cover up your image as it comes out of the camera or it will be ruined. I’ve been laying mine down flat (per instructions), but that has seemed to cause some crazy blue lines across my images. I’m hoping I will keep getting better, but the cost of film is so much, I’m not sure how much I can waste getting it all right.
I suppose that’s the point though…my images will never be perfect. And that is why they are wonderful. Their imperfections are what makes them beautiful. At least, that’s what I’m choosing to tell myself today, as I pull out the credit card and order some more film. Onward!
It’s the 3rd of July…
/3 Comments/in Blond, Grumples, Tunes, web /by MeganWhy are you reading this? Why aren’t you headed off to some lakeside cabin or beach cottage to celebrate the birth of our country? Aren’t you a patriot? SOCIALIST!!!
OK, you might just be stuck at work like me. I mean, whoever invented holidays occurring on a Wednesday should be soundly scolded. Trent and I both have to work Thursday and Friday, not to mention today, so we aren’t headed anywhere for this big holiday. Our plans include sleeping in, sparklers and grilling out in the backyard. We might even head to the pool, but that’s only if things get crazy. So in case you’re the only person in your office and need some links to get you through the day, I’m here to help!
Best 4th of July Playlist: An Evening In, By Maggie Mason
Best 4th of July Party Idea: A Backyard Movie Night (Tutorials here or here)
Best TV Series to Catch Up on During Your Day Off: The Newsroom just started on HBO, so I, of course, won’t really get to watch it until next year when it comes out on DVD, but you can catch the first episode online. It’s pretty dang good so far. P.S. This preview is TOTALLY NSFW so don’t watch at the office without headphones (just language stuff, nothing smutty).
Best Back-up Series in Case You’re Like Me and Don’t Have HBO (waaaahhhh): Thanks to Netflix I have finally started in on the first of the many seasons of Friday Night Lights, and good lord, it’s freaking fantastic. The below preview has some spoilers, so don’t watch if you’re like me and are catching up five years later…
Best Firework Photos So Far: Photos of the Kansas City Country Club’s exhibition this weekend are at Ramsey’s Blog
Best Fun Beach Read (even if you’re miles from a beach): Messy, by the Fug Girls
Best Swimsuit for Moping at the Local Pool Instead of on a Yacht Somewhere: The Poppy Bikini over at J. Crew.
Best Grilling Tip I’ve Found and Used via the Internet: How to Grill a Steak
(Photo from July 4, 2011…when we actually had the good sense to take a few days off. Harumph.)
Finding My Path – Part 3: Set, Match, Goals
/1 Comment/in Finding My Path, Happiness, Work /by MeganIt’s now been three plus months since I started the Chookoonlooks Path Finder Course, and I’m so proud of my progress so far. It hasn’t been easy, but moving my life forward in a positive way has been so worth the effort (if you have no idea what I’m talking about, you can catch up on my journey here or here). The past few months have given me so much positivity and hope for the future, and I’ve never felt so good. That said, the end of May/whole month of June were filled with wannabe setbacks. My day to day life was quite hectic, and I found myself slipping in to bad habits. When things get crazy, I tend to go in to “get it done” mode. I become this robotic, super-woman, which in theory sounds amazing (Robot Super-Woman, coming soon to a theater near you in 3D!), but in reality is so exhausting.
The past few years I’ve spent the month of July on a digital sabbatical (you can read why here or here), abstaining from all things Internet. This year, I wasn’t quite sold on that idea, as I’m attempting to grow this little-blog-that-could into a bigger part of my career, and giving it all up for a month would surely kill the momentum I’ve spent the last few months building. So this month, I decided to set some other short term goals and post some of them here instead.
Now, will I accomplish all of this? Probably not. But for me, the whole point of setting these goals is so I’ll at least try. If I’ve learned anything the past few months, it’s that just attempting something can change everything. Some of these items are pretty broad (do something fun every day) and some are more specific (abstain from alcohol*), but as long as I’m working toward each, and keeping them as a focus in my life, I know good things will happen.
Happy July, everyone. Let’s do this thing.
*Every few months I take about four weeks away from alcohol just to restart my system and clear out the cobwebs. Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I have a tendency to enjoy a glass of wine, and when I am stressed out, that glass easily turns into more than one. For me, taking a month away from the stuff reminds me of all the other, more healthy ways, to deal with stress. I got a lot of comments on this last time I did it, so I wanted to say something before it becomes a “thing.” Don’t worry, my happy hour friends, I’m not off the sauce for good, just for a little while.
**Monthly Goal Format inspired by Elise over here. If you’re looking for info on goal setting, she’s a great resource.