charleston on film {life}

Do people say they hate to travel? I'm sure some people do, and that's totally fair, right? We're all different, after all. I love to travel, but I sometimes think I'm not very good at it. It helps when we do these after Christmas trips with my in-laws. Someone else does all the planning, and I just show up. That's nice! :)

It also helps that we know and love Charleston. We know what we like to do there and we know our way around. I fell in love with this city years and years ago, when I was a kid, going on vacation on the Isle of Palms, and it hasn't lost any of its charm now that I go back as an adult. Charleston gets it right.

These shots of Charleston mean a great deal to me. Cheapie Fuji Superia (their consumer grade film), and my first roll through the camera that Cal gave me for Christmas. It felt great to shoot with it, knowing that he wanted me to have a camera, and it felt great to aim my lens at some of my favorite things, the ocean and beautiful buildings. Oh, and my family too, I guess.

There's been a lot of talk on some of the wonderful film groups I belong to about finding your style or voice, and in truth, this is a concept I struggle with. I'll talk a bit more in another post about the film class I've been taking, but during most of it, I let go of voice/style and focused solely on fundamentals. At times that felt frustrating, like I was moving further from where I wanted to be rather than nearer, but I know that laying a strong foundation in the technical aspects of this work is the right thing to do. Batting practice.

Right now, all I know is that I love taking pictures of stormy seas and beautiful architecture, and if I can convince Cal to get in a frame or two, all the better.

slow down

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.