HAMSA

Fatima's Hand, Beware of the evil eye, Good omen, Superstitious? 

HAMSA.
I wear a hamsa around my neck. Once gifted to me by my mother and boyfriend it seems to have become a part of me. I hate to take it off, and if I do, it is back on in no time. Call me superstitious?

I just recently got my roll of film developed from the Zeiss Ikon Nettar, with so many unpleasant, out of focus photos as result. I began to see some symbolism within this photo. An abalone shell becomes an eye.

So why not... wacky and tacky here we go!

    

repetition... 

imagine an entire room with this wheatpasted to the walls! 
Installation! Oh art... how I love you. 
SO who will let me do this... 
hmmmmmm maybe a little guerrilla install first?!?!?!

Vintage camera find!

I have had my eye out for a medium-format camera. This weekend I went to the Ashby Flea Market in Berkeley and found an interesting camera. I checked it out carefully to be sure everything was working correctly. To my surprise all functioning parts were well intact, functioning and sound. To top it off, it takes 120 film! At $25, coming with it's personal carrier case also in great condition, I snagged it.

So what camera is this?

It is a Nettar II 517/16" (folding camera) made by Zeis Ikon, a German company!

 

I had been holding onto a pack of Lomo 800 Color Neg. 120 film, just to encourage myself to get a medium format camera. I eagerly went to Looking Glass Photo, where they kindly showed me how to load the film. Now it was trying to figure out the settings. 

Here is some information I found on the net about this camera:

Photos  created with camera

Flicker Discussion on Camera

• Year of release: 1949
• Film Format: 120 roll film (6×6cm exposures)
• Shutter: Vario leaf shutter (or Pronto or Prontor-SV) , speeds 1/25 sec – 1/200 sec (or Prontor-SV: 1sec - 1/300 sec).
• Lens: Novar Anastigmat 1:6.3/75mm, other version with a 1:4.5/75mm
• Aperture: 6.3 to 22 (or 4.5 to 22)
• Viewfinder: optical direct vision viewfinder below flash shoe

http://camerapedia.wikia.com/wiki/Zeiss_Ikon_Netta

 r 

Now about specs. This specimen  uses Novar Anstigmat 75mm f/6.3 lens which is quite slow but usable.  It has 3 shutter speeds + Bulb mode. Speeds are 1/25, 1/75 and 1/200th of second. Sadly very limited selection and 1.5 stop difference between them.  Because of this getting correct exposure is quite hard, thus i won’t be using slide film with this nice camera. Focusing is done rotating front ring for distance marks and guessing distance. Not best method but most folders of that time had this, only more expensive models had coupled rangefinder.  Camera also has hole for flash sync and another one for shutter release cable.

http://nameisisfilm.wordpress.com/2012/03/03/camera-of-week-12-zeiss-nettar-51716/

 

I can't wait to get the film developed!
It will be the moment of truth to see if it REALLY works!

GP Hero

WOW.
I just found out that the GP Hero has a waterproof case. In fact, maybe it was meant to be an underwater camera?!
Anyway...coincidence is that when I purchased this camera at UrbanOre, there was the exact waterproof case featured in the photo below. I thought of buying it, but because of it's price, decided not to.

sourced from Snacky on Flickr.

Now I really want to go hunt this thing down.
Underwater photos! YES!
AND...
Now that I think of if...

G P   stands   for   GoPro
...ONE of the ORIGINAL GoPro cameras! AMAZING!

I like to be...

stalked through the wires.
Just joined LinkedIn.

Going, going, back to, back to...

SCHOOL?

should I? With my skills not exactly fitting into the competitive job arena of today i feel it may be time to pump up the volume with a more credible educational background. The perks of re-entering the educational arena is the potential to collaborate and connect with individuals with similar goals.

An area I would like to gain some experience is film/video production. The nitty gritty stuff, like handling cameras and organzing sets. Maybe even directing. I have an eye for composition. Oooooooh...this makes me think of Federico Fellini, the Italian film maker. I want to live in his films.

On the other hand....

I just found a great article/resource for film/art schools in the Bay Area. The article ranges experience from community college, to graduate studies, to organizations that offer seminars and certificate programs.

Click...click...click

And... 

FINALLY

just in...

 Black & white. Agfa 100 w/ GP Hero focus-free

Black & white, color neg. Kodak 400 w/ GP Hero focus-free

Lomo Color neg. 100 w/ 35mm Panorama-mask

Lomo Redscale w/ 35mm Panorama-mask

Lomo X-Tungsten 64 w/ GP Hero focus-free

Find more photos from all 5 series HERE!

Oh how I love theeeee.....

One reason I love living in the Bay Area is the plethora of street art. I love it all. The appearance of pieces big or small- wheatpastes, stickers, walls, and even cars! 

A collage of photos I have taken of street and public art.

There is always something new. Something I haven't seen.

The thing that gets me most is the mysteriousness of it all. I'll go on a run in the morning and viola! Overnight someone, or something, made art. 

 

Gats piece on San Pablo Ave, Berkeley,CA.

I love walking down San Pablo, looking at all the passerby's, trying to figure out who is GATS, or who is Bella Ciao. These are the little things that brighten my day.

next door to Beer Revolution in  downtown Oakland,CA.

I just came across this project that needs a little help. 

This project called SPECIAL DELIVERY by Endless Canvas, will turn an abandoned warehouse into a graffiti castle! 

Check it out on Kickstarter!

... Also a fun group that just started out of Oakland, the Love Oakland Group.



They have been "beautifying" 15th st. in Downtown Oakland between Webster and Franklin in hopes to encourage positivity and creative growth in the city.
A talented friend of mine, NoOne, is a part of the collective. I don't think he ever stops painting.

Done on UC Berkeley Campus, by rubbing away mossy-mold stuff off a cement wall. 

Amazingly clever...check out his site to see how talented he is.

Head over there and check out the gold parking meters. You'll be delighted with sparkly joy!

 

 

...and the story goes like this

DO IT.

now

Twiddling twiddling...

...my thumbs.
For many reasons.
But one reason being pay day - so that I can finally have enough money to pay for the 5 rolls of film I dropped off more than a month ago. Times are ruff.
In the meantime I have completely fired up an Instagram account, and seem to be semi-addicted.
One of my favorite past-times. Is this a bad thing?
It is amazing how you can transform a little shanty photo into a full fledge filtered medium format spectac-ulaaaar!

   

And a new infatuation... Taking pictures of pictures! WOW...

images below from Menu Design in America

 

 

 

was at my Mom's and found these blasts from my past...so pricless...and I'm loving the collage potential with Instagram. Really fun.

 

So let's just hope I make some money soon so I can get those 5 rolls of film. Until then, CHEERS!

...and try not to twiddle your thumbs too much.