f256

a new photograph every posting... and an inside line to my dreary life

Saturday, February 25, 2006

Greetings Citizens. Scatology seems to be a part of my life. First "Poop Bitch". Now just some plain ol' poop. I shot this image today before going into the lab. Some of the kids were working really hard. One of my students, R, has been making really ho-hum work. I had asked her to reshoot her "stranger pictures" and she was working on them when I got there. And let me tell you, they were terrific! Well seen, thoughtful and full of vigor. I was pleasantly shocked! When the lab closed, me and M went to dinner. We ate at a Japanese place and the food was great. Afterwards, we went back to my place and looked at some photo books. A good day.

Friday, February 24, 2006

Greetings Citizens. Today was an open lab day. I helped C get on track. She's failing miserably and stands to lose her financial aid. I should care less but I'd like to see her get her shit together and pull out of whatever is dragging her down. She seems to shoot herself in the foot at every occasion. So I had her draw up a contract between me and her, loaned her two rolls of film and helped her on an assignment that was due weeks ago. Is it all going to be worth it? Hard to tell. But sometimes you need to show people that there are some of us out there that care what happens to someone.

It was like June Carter aiding Johnny Cash. I went and saw the movie tonight with Mark N and Aimee. Now I'm listening to Desperado and thinking of L.

Greetings Citizens. Tomorrow is open lab at PCC. And I will be there to help a struggling student I think. All term I've heard nothing but excuses from this student and tomorrow, if I don't get a phone call at 10 o'clock, I'll know I've been wasting my time on this kid. Because tomorrow at 10, she's supposed to call to meet me at school to help her catch up on two of the four assignments she hasn't completed. Four assignments that were due last week. My friend Mark N. doesn't think she'll call. I suspect he's right but hope he's wrong.

After drinking coffee and showing Mark where the "Poop Bitch" is located, we went to UFO Pizza. The pizza was mediocre (at best) and the "believers meeting" was cancelled this week. The owner asked Mark if he was a believer while I was making this shot. He didn't give a satisfactory answer apparently. I wasn't even asked if I believe. Personally, I find it hard to believe we're the only ones in the universe. But I doubt we have been visited yet. Live long and prosper, yo.

Wednesday, February 22, 2006

Greetings Citizens. Today is my birthday... I'm getting old. No doubt about it.

Today the intermediate students are toning. The basic students are working on portraits. And I'm hoping to make the first cut for the photo job, which has now closed.

Sunday, February 19, 2006

Greetings Citizens. An early morning posting today. It's colder than a witch's tit here but things are supposed to warm up a little today. I hope so! Riding Heidi has been nippy.

So I'm pretty happy with the kids this week. They were given a new assignment on Wednesday and some of them were actually working on it this weekend in the lab. If there's a full house tomorrow at both classes I'll be very pleased.

On kid, Molly, is doing great work. She's eternally frustrated with her skills but I think she's got the talent and discipline necessary to be a photo major if she chooses to go that route. And Big Mike continues to impress me with his dedication to the craft. He came over to my apartment the other day and made a pinhole camera from a cheesy 35mm camera he picked up at a thrift store. He was printing images from it yesterday and they looked pretty good. Big Mike has a lot of artistic talent and I'm happy he has taken a shine to Photography.

I processed some film! That's right, gentle readers, your humble protagonist actually processed 4 of the over 200 rolls of film he has waiting to be developed. There was stuff from Paris, Illinois (another Eiffel Tower), rock & tree pictures from Bryce Canyon, and a singular image from Wickham's Garden. I might actually have to make a print! (If I can remember how).

Thursday, February 16, 2006

Greetings Citizens. So the kids are all done with their technical assignments and are moving on to the fun stuff. Their test scores weren't too bad, so that means they are comprehending the zone system and can work the numbers correctly.

I went to Dundee today to get a new clutch cable and a battery charger for Heidi. It's cold out! And the high tomorrow is supposed to be 10 degrees colder than today.

I'm probably going to ride up to Seattle tomorrow anyway. There's an umpires clinic sponsored by Seattle Metro (who I umpired for for over 20 years) and I am thinking of getting back into working slow pitch for some summer fun money. I don't want to work any high caliber ball anymore. I've had my fill.

I have to make four portraits by Wednesday for a digital class I'm taking. It's odd being assigned projects again!

Tuesday, February 14, 2006

Greetings Citizens. Today is Valentine's Day and I'm having my dinner alone. Again. L is in Costa Rica having a great time. I guess the weather is very hot but she's having a grand time.

On Sunday, I lost the key to Heidi. Initially, I thought the key was stolen and feared that Heidi would be hijacked if I left here out in the cold. So I had to put her in the garage, which is quite a walk from from my apartment. It ain't so bad if you aren't carrying anything but if your arms are full, it seems like a ways. So, anyways, I stopped by the main office of the apartment complex today to see if my key had been turned in to the lost & found. It hadn't but the key had been seen by a woman who works in the office. I asked her if she could show me where she had seen it and, to my shock and surprise, she told me she couldn't leave her post. I went looking for it but to no avail all the time getting more pissed off because I wasn't 100% sure I was looking in the right area. And, of course, it's snowing! So I'm cold and pissed! I finally give up the search and call Steve to see how much a new ignition is going to cost me. A lot! Then, Big Mike suggests I put up a sign. Hmmmmmm......why didn't I think of that? Because I'm an idiot? So I make a sign. Four hours later I get a call from a woman trying to tell me something in broken English. I'm thinking she's got the wrong number but then her kid gets on the other end and says, "I found your key." Allah be praised! I went to get the key and had a very nice chat with the family. They're from Mexico and are each working and taking language classes at PCC. She gave me her card.... she's a housekeeper. (Might have to take her up and have my apartment cleaned by a trained professional)! I gave the kid some cash. They weren't going to take it but I insisted the boy take the money and start up a bank account or something. They relented and took the dollars. I left happy and I think I made some new friends to boot.

Saturday, February 11, 2006

Greetings Citizens. I went to a group show tonight that included one of my images. It was fun to see all the different photo styles on the wall. It made me realize why I enjoy Photography so much. My work was placed next to a former student's work and we enjoyed talking about the images and how we are doing.

As I was leaving, I decided to call Jen & Aaron and see what they were up to. Aaron was just finishing making dinner and so I dropped in and joined them for a fine meal.

Tomorrow I'm helping Jen set up her lighting for her ceramics. If I'm lucky, Aaron will be cooking again!

Friday, February 10, 2006

Greetings Citizens. It is crazy windy here today. I'm getting ready to check out the photo stores for supplies for the rest of this term and next term too. I thought I'd work on my blog in the early hours because I have to get my application in for the full-time photo job here at PCC. I've been very anxious about applying... fears of unworthiness and what-not have been holding me back. I know I'm good enough but I am fearful that in spite of my qualifications I still won't get it. But tonight I've told myself to believe in myself and apply. So that's what I'll do.

Yesterday I said good-bye to L. She's off to Costa Rica for a week. We had a coffee and talked for a while. It was very low-key. I always feel very happy around her.

After that I had to head out to Dundee to get my tire fixed. Heidi had run over a machine screw and had 10 pounds of pressure in her rear tire when I went to see L. Steve and Chris fixed it right up while I drank coffee and ate Jan's chocolate chip cookies.

Wednesday, February 08, 2006

Greetings Citizens. Things are well... with little to report. Tyson has come and gone. The weather is nice and students aren't showing up for class. I can't believe how much of slackers some of them are turning out to be. The ones who have put up with my lectures and technical assignments are soon to be rewarded. I gave my last lecture today and my last demo. So now they get to get down to business and make some Art. The intermediate students have been working hard on their own and now I can spend some quality time with them. Yea!

Tomorrow, I am meeting L for coffee before see embarks on a journey to Costa Rica. I'm hoping she brings me back some coffee.

Sunday, February 05, 2006

Greetings Citizens. Today was not a good day. Oh sure, it started out harmlessly enough. The sun was shining so we took Gertrude, my Porsche 356B for a putt. Tyson and I had a nice breakfast and even had 22 cent cherry pie for dessert. We figured the light was nice and that we should go make some photographs and we headed back to the apartment to grab our gear. I loaded up my Domke bag with the D-70 and my Fuji point-and-shoot digital camera. I also threw in my favorite plastic camera. Tyson had his digi-camera and we went to SE Portland. We'd been photographing for a couple hours and decided to stop one more time before heading back home to watch the Superbowl with Jen and Aaron. We stopped at an old haunt of mine and I started working my way around the block. After going three quarters of the way around I realized I wasn't carrying my camera bag. Tyson went one way and I went the other. No camera bag! Gone. Stolen. Never to be seen again. My only comfort is in that I was at least shooting with my D-70. This is the last image I made before realizing my stupidity.

And if that wasn't shitty enough, the Seahawks lost the Superbowl thanks, in part, to some rather creative penalty calling by the referees.

All-in-all a bad day.

Greetings Citizens. Stopped by the lab today and the kids were working hard. Especially the five students whose film I ruined in my haste on Thursday. C'est la vie! I'll make them each a print to give them on Monday for their troubles and extra work.

After I left the lab I shot a few pics before meeting up with Jen & Aaron and our rendezvous with roller derby. It was fun but, frankly, it lasted too long. I'd go again though.

Then we went and had dinner. I had meatloaf. Remember the joke...."Don't let you meat loaf." Finally Tyson called and we met him at a Shell station. We chatted for awhile at Jen's house before I took Tyson on the scenic route home (not on purpose). But we've made it inside all safe and sound and I'm noticing it is way past my bedtime.

Friday, February 03, 2006

Greetings Citizens. So I go to the lab today to visit the kids and see how they're doing. Well the first student I see is one the ground passed out! Apparently she has a track record for doing this although she never alerted me. The medics were trying to assist her and she wasn't being too cooperative. As for the other students that were there, they were doing well in printing their images from the EI Test.

I was supposed to entertain the advanced kids at my house tonight. Only two of the five showed up. Pathetic excuses from two of them and a flat out no-show from the other one. That will probably be the last time I try having this group over.

Tomorrow night Tyson is supposed to show up. He's checking out the graduate program at U of O next week. Hope he's able to make it here. There is supposed to be a gawd-awful storm brewing for tomorrow. Wind gusts up to 90 mph on the coast (65 mph here) and mass amounts of snow in the mountains.... which means lots and lots of rain here.

Thursday, February 02, 2006

Greetings Citizens. All is going well on the new homefront. I am beginning to get most of the unpacking done and, I suspect, I might be finished by tomorrow. At least most of the way finished. I'm having the advanced students over for a get-together tomorrow night. I figure we will look at their work (maybe a little of mine) and check out the photo books I have. I'm hoping the books will inspire a couple of them to greater heights! I think it will be a good time. I'm also planning on helping the kids out in the lab tomorrow. They've been working on the EI Test this week. Nothing is more fun! Well maybe having your molars pulled out.