The Birth of Feeling: Russian blast.

Yesterday I hauled in a new crop of photos shot over the course of the last few weeks. Baby portraits, strangers in the street, tiny men, old ladies, in store portraits at Phonopolis on Bernard. I could not be any more pleased with the results I am receiving with the Kiev 60-TTL. I ordered it on a whim in the dead of winter, trusting my guts but knowing full well what a gamble it was to order a camera that has been sitting on a shelf for four years in the Ukraine. As the saying goes, all's well that ends well. After extensive reading on the internet and basically memorizing the manual that came with, I am starting to figure this thing out. The lens is still pretty stiff, but sharp. The switch from a 50 mm lens to 80 mm lens has been interesting. Obviously the scope is quite different than what I am accustomed to, but the same method applies to both when trying to find the sharpest focus in a frame. I am terribly excited to shoot Drex and Danika's wedding at the end of July with the Russian and the F3, using a salad bar of film. Slide film paired with the Russian? Crazy malade! The dark is what makes me nervous. I have been shooting around at night a bit to practice, comparing results with and without the use of a flash. It is quite obvious I have a lot to learn when it comes to lighting techniques; all of my photos look terrible when I attempt to shoot with one. So until then, I will keep blasting through film in the daylight.

Here is the latest of my photo work. Any and all art making has come to a screeching halt, photography seems to be the only thing I am capable of these days. Last night I sat down to sew and took one look at my pile of half stuffed legs and flattened rabbit ears, couldn't do it. So I didn't. Thankfully, JJ walked in the door at the height of my contemplation and that was that. Lo, JJ and I sat down to an impromptu cinq à sept, bringing with her a Santa sack filled to the tits with Italian pastry and bread. Hallelujah, thanks woman. Yum. Sewing (or lack thereof) aside, drawing aside, stenciling aside, life is bon.

Shootin' around town, happy as a clam. I hotly anticipated the first two shots of Phonopolis and the little man (closed eyes) for two weeks. These are posted on my Flickr as well, but I thought I would put these up for my Grandma to see what I am up to. Happy belated birthday Grandpa, I am a lousy granddaughter for not calling. Last day of 24.

All photos below shot with a Kiev 60-TTL.