Fellow Tweeters and Flickrers already know the exciting news: earlier this week I became the proud owner of a Lensbaby 3G!

As if I haven’t already acquired enough photo toys in the last few months, but I couldn’t resist nabbing the Control Freak my good friend from college was selling (who made sure to let me know it was up for grabs before she put it on eBay. What’re friends for, right? :)

These are all shots I took yesterday while visiting with my Ma-n-Pa-in-law, who were in town for the weekend. I’m still trying to get used to the bending and tilting, but I think I came out with a few quality shots after my initial test drive.

Though I still have lots of learning and experimenting to do, I immediately noticed what a dreamy, almost surreal sort of feeling the Lensbaby can have on almost any scene.

And, while the Control Freak definitely lives up to its name, it’s also entirely possible to shoot fast and loose with it, so long as you keep it in the unlocked position.

Thanks, Brittney, for the stellar matchmaking! :)

Speaking of marriage! Chris and I just celebrated our fourth year of being husband and wife. We went out to eat at ¡Oba! in the NW last night, and though I started feeling crummy not even halfway through the dinner, we still managed to have a good time.

Apparently, every Sunday and Monday night, all bottles of wine are half priced with the order of an entree. We took this as an opportunity to try a Tempranillo (Tinto Pesquera 2006, it is delish) since ¡Oba! is a nuevo Latino restaurant. Our server was more than happy to re-cork the half-finished bottle for us to take home, too, which was very nice.

Happy Anniversary, Chris. :)

Two of the rolls of film I got back the other week were from my Holga. One roll I shot a few months ago, and the other was the ancient film from 2004 that had been stuck in my Holga ever since I first got it.

The latter had only 2 frames with any sort of discernible imagery on it. The former was over half full of successful shots– mostly from a stroll through my neighborhood where I hastily fired off almost an entire roll in unbridled excitement– and of course a few obligatory stinkers here or there.

So… What did I learn?

1. First and foremost… Don’t be scared! For years this toy camera served more as a piece of decor than something to take pictures with, all because I was intimidated by it. The images that did turn out I love, like the first photo of an iced over car during our winter cold snap, and I can’t wait to go out and shoot with it some more.

2. Get Outside. Every single one of my frames that didn’t turn out were horribly underexposed because they were taken indoors (my Holga doesn’t have a flash). Even the bright lighting of a grocery store and 400 spd. film wasn’t good enough. I learned my lesson and will only be shooting outside from now on.

3. Don’t Flaunt It. I have a sneaking suspicion one of the reasons my 2004 roll didn’t turn out is because I had kept it on a bookshelf for years while the film was still inside. I imagine light probably leaked in and ruined all the film over time. Or maybe it had gotten botched some other way. Regardless, when I’m not shooting with my Holga, I now keep it in a dark cupboard or in my camera bag until it’s time to come out and play, just to be safe!

I’ve also discovered the endless source of Holga knowledge known as SquareFrog, which is what I now turn to every time I have a question about my toy camera. Pathetically enough, for the time being this also includes each time I unload/load my Holga, because I’m that dense when it comes to medium format!

Be sure to check out SquareFrog’s page on custom masks, while you’re at it. Looks like fun!

Cartola is fast becoming a favorite with us. It’s a swanky little hole-in-the-wall cafe nestled on the corner of NE 7th and Knott, bringing some class to an otherwise abysmal corner of Irvington. A great place to slow down and take a load off.

Although they have a few options to nibble on (cookies, scones, etc), their top priority is the coffee. I always take it as a good sign when you walk into a store that doesn’t dilute its business with too many options. Sort of like how I can’t stand “one stop shops” like Fred Meyer– too many irons in the fire and all that.

On Wednesday we passed around a cherry danish (courtesy of Ben) while enjoying the outdoor seating. I geeked out with all three cameras in my bag– the D300, Rolleiflex and Holga– but obviously the digital shots are all I’m able to share at the moment.

Happy Sunday!

Chris and I have been working together on a greeting card project, to be used mostly as a means of advertising.

Thanks to Chris, the finished products will be available for purchase at Broadway Books!

My print shop will be re-opening so they’ll be available online, as well. They’re 5×7" with a 4×6" print, envelope and plastic sleeve.

This was the commemorative photo we took earlier tonight after we’d stamped, glued and packaged the first test card together.

Exciting!