Last night I dusted off the wondrous darkroom of eternal goodness! It is funny cause it seems like I was on a darkroom hiatus for about 3 maybe 4 months but as I was cleaning it out, I found a whole whack of chemistry that I clearly printed on “opened oct 3rd” errr… being that it is only the 2nd today I have to assume that I was referring to 2007. The funny thing is I tend to get inspiration to do things around the same time every year. I am sure that it is due to the drop everything else and do this and little but for 5 months nature of our jorb’s, but I am not sure that I mind. it is interesting to see that I am into the same things and how much I have grown in the year.

So I know that this is both cliché and a day late but I thought I would do a best of, worst of plan to do more of, list for 2007 mostly because I am not very exciting and not interested in working today. So let’s get started shall we.

Music

Best New to me band/artist discovered in 2007 – Well I would have to say that this is a hard one! I will have to say it’s a tossup between Tokyo Police Club and You Say Party We Say Die! (who are playing in Jan BTW) I will say You Say Party We Say Die as because …
Best New album of 2007 - …Tokyo Police Club’s Album A lesson in Crime truly rocked! Even if it’s not much of an album more of a seven song EP!
Best Show of 2007 - Well hands down I would have to say The Arcade Fire show at Deer Lake Park! The Arcade Fire didn’t really come up very often in my play list before this show. They were a good band but for some reason I really just couldn’t get into them! Then in a whirlwind of other great shows at Deer Lake Park that month Arcade Fire came along and showed them all how it was done!

Movies

Best movie - well considering that I haven’t really watched more than 5 movies this will be skewed. I would have to say Sarah Polly’s Movie Away From Her. Awesome movie that really sticks out in my mind!
Worst Movie – Well I haven’t watched a lot as I said and nothing is really sticking out in my mind as an obvious stinker, I will think about it and get back to you!

Camera/Photo

Top 5 Favorite blogged photos of 2007 - Well these aren’t necessarily the best photos that I have taken just the 5 best blogged ones!

Best photo shoot – Well I have to say that they are all great! I know that this is a copout answer but I and supreme dictator in these parts so that is what you get!

Best New Camera

• Film - hands down the Limited Edition Seagull TLR. This was a pretty camera that really surprised me with awesome photos.
• Polaroid - The SX70 has been the most entertaining, mostly because you are never really sure what you are going to get! Is is always a surprise!
• Digital - Well I only bought one camera so it wins by default! The Canon 5D Nice small camera (I decided against the battery pack) that is full frame and has wicked detail. I like it even if the colour is nowhere near as vibrant as our Mark II’s

Other stuff!

Wish I had done more of - Both photo wandering, and photo processing. I know that the second part sounds funny to those that know me being that my year was spent 96% in front of Photoshop and DPP but hear me out. I have about six to seven hundred gig of photos taken over the last few years that I haven’t even looked at not once! I have taken them and placed them neatly in folders on my computer, but I have never seen them not once!
Wish I had done less of - Fighting with computers! I lost probably the better part of a month this year fighting with computer issues. That a lot of time, and Microsoft I would like it back!
Silliest thing I bought this year - Well hands down that would be my kayak! Yup I am an owner of a 3000 dollar Kayak that I have used once! I bought it in the spring when I still had delusions that there was going o be time in our lives! Well that didn’t really go anywhere! This year for sure!
Best thing that I bought this year - Well Hands down Sassy Sally Scooterson! For sure that has provided me with the most joy one can have in 2600km’s.

So I was a sucker and bought the Meg camera from the White Stripes/lomography! The funny thing was I didn’t buy it because I am a huge White Stripes fan!I bought it because it was red! (well actually it is orange which is even better for I Heart Orange I hate the Diana+ camera’s awful greenish teal thing that it has going on.0

I have been really intrigued with this camera since I first read about it but I was slow in getting it because of its awful colour. That might sound petty or something but what can I say? I am shallow I guess :)The photos that the Meg/Diana takes are awesome. I think that every type of plastic/toy camera has its own unique look and the Meg/Diana is absolutely no exception. I have only run one roll though it as of yet but I am happy with the results. There is a bit of conflicting info out there about the specs of the camera. I read in one place that the shutter is 1/60^th and others that it is 1/125^th The aperture is even more conflicting! I read that it is everything from f9 to f22. Having developed my first roll and using a light meter I think I may have a good idea of what it is. I would say that the shutter is 1/60^thish and the apertures run around f9, f11 & f16 the pin hole I was estimating it about f128 but upon inspection of the film I would say it is quite a bit more than that. (i am going to try 161 because that is the highest that my light meter will go!) I didn’t get a lot of great shots out of this first roll but that is to be somewhat expected The second roll is about half done and if I quit blogging and get some of my work done I may get a chance to finish it off today :)

The other unique thing about the Meg/Diana is the photo size! You can take 12 square shots on a roll of 120 just like the Holga or Seagull! Or you can add the film mask and take 16 square shots (it is the same as shooting 6×4.5 only square.) You don’t use a lot of the film with the 16 shot mask and the photos tend to overlap a lot.

I think that I am going to try shooting the smaller 16 shot format but wind it for 12 shots. If my idea is correct I should be able to center them in the 6×6 negative carrier with my enlarger and make prints with a nice sloppy black box around them. The classic vignetting that happens with most plastic cameras is more apparent on the full frame 12 shot mode so i am told so its a tough call as to what I wanna shoot.

Now while plastic cameras are supposed to be known for light leaks I can say that it has never been a problem for me. Never, that is until now! I did have about 3 or 4 photos on this roll that were ruined due to light leaks :( the camera was banged around a lot on the trip so they could be an isolated incident but I may need to bust out the electrical tape. All said and done the first roll was good not great but good, but then again the same was true with the Seagull, and it truly kicks ass now! It’s all about experimenting anyway right!?

…how am I ever going to go to cuba!

Camera: Seagull TLR
Aperture: 3.5
Shutter: around 1/4th
Lens: Seagull 75mm
Film: Kodak Portra VC 400
Date Taken: October 30th 2007

So we were having B-fast at the Tomahawk last Saturday and we all decided that we need to go camping! so we did. This is on the beach at Dinner Rock Campground taken with the Seagull. The Camera I am learning to love more and more!!!

Man it’s wet out! even more wet then the day that I took this photo.

Camera: Seagull TLR
Aperture: Unknown
Shutter: Unknown
Lens: Seagull 75mm
Film:Kodak 400 VC
ISO: 400
Date Taken: October 2007

This is a regular non-expired cross process pushed one stop in camera and one in processing.
We have a crazy busy weekend but it is the last wedding weekend for a bit so i wont complain. I have to be up early again so goodnight.