Wow. That week went fast, didn't it? I'm not sure what I have to show for it. Finished up my classes. Sat through some chilly baseball games (including a double header that featured SNOW showers. seriously). Fretted over my health.

After my last class on Thursday, I headed to the doctor for treatment for what is, I think, my 4th or 5th sinus infection in the last year. When I woke up on Saturday even more congested than ever (and with Neel stuffed up too), we decided that we needed to dig deeper (before seasonal allergies kick in any day now. We've made some changes in the house and have had some repairs done this past week. All-new bedding is here and an air purifier is on the list. I'm, quite frankly, tired of living like that. I think my family might be tired of me too.

One bright light is the on-line film class I'm currently taking. I'm in hip-deep and totally overwhelmed, but loving immersing myself in something that brings me so much joy... even during the frustrating times. These photos here today are from my first black and white shots ever (not counting when I was 14!), and despite the fact that I thought I'd done them all wrong, I have to say, I'm pretty pleased! I don't see in black and white necessarily, so simply doing this work was a real leap for me. I was rewarded more than I'd anticipated, and I'll definitely try more.

It's spring and fresh winds are blowing. Perhaps no other season ushers in that feeling of change like spring. I feel at a crossroads here at SPL and I truly do not know where the path will lead me. I don't know if I'm ready to leave this space, and I do feel like I have more to say, but I wonder, is my heart really here anymore? Is it time for something different and new? I'm not interested in fading away, so I think I'll give myself some structured time to think about it. For the rest of the month, I'll be here Tuesdays and Thursdays, talking a little about film and a little about life. If I still haven't figured it out, much like the Iran Nuclear Deal, we'll go past the deadline (wink) until I do decide what's in store for me.

Thanks for hanging in, my friends.

All of these images were shot on Kodak 400 T-Max. My only editing was to the shot of Neel holding the rake to increase the contrast a bit, and I've already learned how to handle that situation next time.

As I've been learning my way around my camera(s) and different film stocks, our garden shed has become my go-to subject this past winter. Always there, always obliging, and surprisingly picturesque, I can count on this shed! The window by my desk looks right out on the shed, so I can watch the light over it all day. I've watched the snow fall against it. I've watched the rain darken it's sides. I've watched the sunlight illuminate that tiny patch of moss on the roof. Each evening, the lights come on at dusk to brighten our back yard.

Spring is coming, and those spindles of hydrangea branches have buds on them now. The landscape of my shed is changing. Stark lines soften and colors burst brighter. The climbing hydrangea is creeping higher along the roof, and that tiny patch of moss is slowly growing.

My film choices will change. My cameras may change. I'll learn new things as the seasons change and the colors change. But the shed? The shed stays.

slow down

shed series on film {life}