The Film Files: December 2014

Hello Friends!

A couple of weeks ago I got some film scans back from The Find Lab and I am so excited to share!  

I am really proud of what I got back. I wasn't sure what to expect but the results were much better than I anticipated. The one takeaway from this round of film is that it helps tremendously to take detailed  notes of your film settings for each shot taken so that when you get your film scans back you have something to refer to. I found this to be particularly helpful when reviewing images that I was really pleased with.

Here are a few that I really liked. 

This first set are from our recent family trip to Yosemite. Nikon F100, Kodak Portra 400.

Is it okay to gush that I got a "like" on this image from none other than Jonathan Canlas himself on my Instagram feed?! (Insert major squeal of delight here!)

I opened the camera back before rewinding the film (Aaaaaagggghhhhhh!) hence the red flares on this next photo. Lesson learned. 

This next set was taken in late December around sunset. My beautiful Sis (in-law), nephew, and brother were  my willing victims, er, models. ;-)  Nikon F100, Fuji 400h.

This bottom one is my absolute favorite for the luminous skin tones. This photo epitomizes what I love about film that I just can't seem to get in my digital images. 

See the hint of blue in the cloudy sky?  Yeah, in digital the sky would have been totally blown out.  Never mind that I would have had to spend several minutes working on it to fix it. Not an issue with film as it handles light differently than a digital sensor. 

This last installment is of my boys on Christmas Day 2014. I used a light meter and was largely successful in metering properly. Nikon F100, Kodak Portra 400.

If some of these look familiar it's because I previously shared them on Instagram. I couldn't wait to share them!

If you you're still around to read this, well, THANK YOU!  ;-)  

Until next time.  

--Carolina 

Out and About: Laney College Flea Market

Hello Friends!

I love to people watch. Love it, love it, love it.  I find beauty in all people and feel that everyone has a story. A great place to people watch is the Laney College Flea Market in Oakland.

When I first moved to the East Bay my then boyfriend (and now husband, aka: Mr. Other Half) and I would go there.  I loved it!  Back then (ten years ago -gulp!-) it was small in size and a true flea market in that the items sold were primarily used/antique items.  Over the years it has gotten larger and has developed into quite an attraction with both sellers selling used/antique-ish items and sellers selling new things. Parking is difficult to find if you get there later than 10:00 a.m. but totally manageable and definitely worth the hassle.  Again, because it's all about people watching for me.

I love to sit down and have a pupusa (best described  as thick tortillas stuffed with beans or beans and cheese) and watch people walk by with their new-to-them purchased goods. It's like a United Nations of flea market attendees. I wish I had more courage to ask people to let me photograph them. So many intriguing faces and clothing.  So incredibly beautiful.

This past Sunday, my family and I went to Laney College Flea Market and unlike previous visits,  this time I brought my camera. I was tempted to bring my film camera but opted not to since the manual focus requires a little more time and attention. My three year old likes his independence a bit too much and I had nightmarish visions of my child running off to do his thing while I tried to get "the shot".  Yeah, so digital it was!

Here are a few images from our outing.

 Such pretty colors in the fruit and veggie stalls found on the periphery of the flea market grounds. 

 Fancy a massage?

 The woven colors in this woolen coat caught my eye. I feel the need to craft something in these colors and shapes!  

My youngest knew exactly what he wanted to drink when we stopped for pupusas. 

The lady who runs the food stall agreed to let me take photos of the pupusas and insisted I also take a photo of her because it's her stall after all!  She was very kind and proud, which she should be because the pupusas we enjoyed were delicious indeed!

I was intrigued by this couple we kept crossing paths with in the flea market. I really liked everything about them-- their clothing, their faces, the melodic language they spoke, but especially the regal way they carried themselves. They both had a subtle natural elegance to their movements that I found fascinating and beautiful.   

If you happen to have a few free hours on a Sunday and are near Oakland, give Laney College Flea Market a chance.  You won't regret it. It's a great place to people watch and to meet people. I've met people (usually sellers) from Uzbekistan to El Salvador. If you go with little ones make sure you take a stroller to give yourself and the child/children a break from all the walking.   

Where is your favorite place to people watch? 

Until next time!

--Carolina 

Nature Walk

Hello Friends!

I'm a country girl. There, I said it. While I love living in the city (city suburbs) I love nature. I love the feel of the wind in my face, the smell of wet leaves under the gentle heat of a winter sun, the soft sounds of feet along a walking path. Best of all, I absolutely adore the sound of my giggling kids enjoying each other's company in nature-- even if their talk almost always involves a certain sound the body makes that one can mimic with one's arm pit, if you're so inclined. Still, their body talk doesn't distract from my love of nature. 

We recently visited my family in Hopland where my Sis and I had some time alone without the boys. I know--what a shock!  We even caught the tail-end of a mushroom fieldwork/workshop. The university students had walked through protected Hopland land to harvest a variety of mushrooms for study.  I had never given mushrooms much attention other than the ones I find in my grocery store wrapped in plastic. The sheer volume of the variety of mushrooms the students were able to harvest was amazing. So may colors and textures.  Some ugly and some so beautiful I wanted to touch them. There was a benign-looking mushroom that was poisonous which made me think that I'll be sticking to the plastic wrapped mushrooms in my grocery store for the foreseeable future. :-}

Here is a photo of one of the larger mushrooms the students harvested. 

Afterwards my Sis and I went on a walk while we chatted as sisters do. I was glad I brought my camera along. 

My nephews, unlike my own boys, don't seem to mind having their photographs taken. It was so strange to photograph two children who actually listened to me as I took their photographs!  ;-) Gosh how I love these little guys! Mwuah!

A trip to Hopland is incomplete without a photo of a happy boy and his favorite chicken. 

Until next time, here's to wishing you many happy hikes in your neck of the woods. :-)

--Carolina 

Out and About: Oakland Zoo

Hello Friends!

Does the weekend come around and you think to yourself, Eeek!  What fun stuff shall I do with the boys so we all have a great day?  In other words, what shall I do to keep sane? ;-)

I am a creature of habit and sometimes subject my kids to the same old thing weekend after weekend. Fortunately, one thing that they never seem to tire of is going to the Oakland Zoo. Lucky for us (and for them!) the Oakland Zoo is a short drive from our home and is always a fun excursion for the family as a whole. For those who are interested, I highly recommend becoming a member.  There are times when I don't care to wander the zoo grounds or we arrive fairly late in the day, but having the family member pass makes a trip to the zoo a worthwhile endeavor even if it's only for that one hour before the zoo closes. :-)  

The boys love, LOVE riding the rides in Adventure Landing and enjoy the occasional hot dog.  The rides are super child friendly and for those parents who have little ones that like to run ahead of you ( Ahem! Yes, I have TWO of those.), the good news is that the amusement ride area is small  with one entrance also serving as an exit.  

A couple of weeks ago Mr. Other Half and I took the boys out for an early afternoon visit to the zoo.  We all needed to get our wiggles out after a morning of chores.  

This lion statue always draws attention. My child is not immune to its apparent charms. He was trying to "feed" the lion a twig.  :-)

He is pointing to his favorite creature at the zoo, the tortoise, of which there are several. 

When ended our day at Baja Grill on Piedmont Avenue in Oakland.  This is a favorite eating spot for us. The food is fairly priced given the organic ingredients used in their dishes. The fun decor is fun for the boys as they always notice something different in the framed music posters and painted chairs hanging on the walls.  The service is excellent and the personnel are very friendly and thoughtful even when they are busy. It doesn't hurt that the place is very clean.  

The end of a good and satisfying family outing. Even if we got a late start. :-)

What are your favorite places to visit in the East Bay with your family?  Please share!  :-)

Until next time.

--Carolina 

Out and About: Peace Corps + Santa Monica

Hello Friends!

Finally the long awaited Santa Monica post!  But it isn't really.  Say what?!

I've been meaning to post this for a few months now. I'm not sure what has held me back, other than regular work/life sh-stuff. Perhaps it's a feeling of not adequately expressing the love and respect I have for these incredibly lovely individuals. Perhaps it's because I am selfish and want to keep these images to myself though I did share some of these on Instagram?  Yeah, see, it doesn't make much sense.  

So let's get to this post, shall we!

Ten years ago I lived in Kazakhstan for two years as a Peace Corps volunteer. Perhaps I'll write about this in a later post but this is not that post.  It was tin Kazakhstan that I was befriended by one of the most beautiful and incredibly kind-hearted people I have ever been honored to meet. After living on my own for a year I moved in with them.  My host mom Gulnar and her family took me in literally and figuratively and I was changed forever.  Before I left for Kazakhstan I had experienced some very life altering events and as a result I was in a bit of a dark place.  I found light in Kazakhstan with my host family.  My host mom has always stayed in contact with me though I have been horrible in maintaining that level of communication (a flaw I fully acknowledge and actively work on on a daily basis). 

A couple of months ago my host mom's sister Saulet and her daughter Zhanna came to visit with me for a couple of weeks.  My only regret is that I wasn't able to travel with them to every destination!  ;-)  We did, however, make it to Disneyland, Santa Monica, Hollywood, and did several day trips to San Francisco.  

I loved having them with me!  It is because of them that I am in regular contact with my host mom through WhatsApp  and Instagram. Gosh how I love this medium for sharing information!  I'll be honest, my Russian language skills were never that awesome and my skills haven't improved over the years so writing (thanks Google Translate!) and sharing photos and videos is easier than trying to schedule a call when I am not exhausted or groggy to a loved one who is 14 hours ahead of me.  

But I digress!  :-}  Here are some photos I took while they were here. They are not in any particular order.  Just a few of my favorite images during our visit together. 

Disneyland

Santa Monica

Santa Monica

World famous Ikea.  :-)

San Francisco

Monterey

Jack London Square, Oakland

Ferry to San Francisco

Japanese Tea Garden, San Francisco

Words cannot adequately express how much I love these lovely ladies!  I hope we meet again soon!  

Until next time.

--Carolina