film, film, film...

the photographic kind. No it is not dead, it just smells funny - I found this one somewhere - lol. But everybody is asking why I want to go back, backwards is not progress. But maybe, just maybe I want to entertain a thought that it is - I learned a lot over the last 10 years of digital photography, I can't deny it, but there is something missing. It's just like reading a book on kindle - it's still the same content, it just feels differently. Maybe it's how my brain was wired for reading when I was little, liking the sound of page turning and having no problem with visually remembering the plot - two thirds of the book, right page, first half bottom left -about that - oh there it was :). I'm pretty sure my kids' brains are wired completely different - and a book, real paper kind, might soon feel like forgotten past to them, and they won't have problems recalling the contents of any book read on an ipad. But to me it just feels right. Same with film  - not that from now on I'll use only that - I want to stay up to date. It just makes you all giddy, no instant gratification of a digital, no rush and no clicking senselessly - film is more expensive - use it wisely :). And after having it developed - no more time spent at the computer editing, I'll have my life back and some photos will get printed - how perfect! So would you say that maybe, and only maybe(?) it is progress after all :)
I recently used my first roll of film, Kodak Ektar 100, after 10 years of digital. It was a little scary (especially that my old film camera doesn't have AF) and a lot refreshing and I was in awe the first moment I picked it from a lab. Not at my skills, oh no - I was just rushing through those 36 frames to get it to the lab and see with my very eyes the capabilities of film. I'm still in awe.
Till next time.
M.

happy hour

two happy photographers, one helpful employment lady, more crowd, lost raffle ticket (sorry Rashmi - I wasn't lying - I have good memory for numbers :(), found raffle ticket, too late, too funny, just a happy hour at Jaleo for Community Lodgings volunteer appreciation event.
"Community Lodgings’ mission is to lift families from homelessness and instability to independence and self-sufficiency." - and what a great mission it is.
It was my great pleasure and privilege  to photograph wonderful families that I wouldn't have the opportunity to meet if it weren't for Jim Dempsey of Community Lodgings and Rashmi of Rashmi Pappu Photography's invitation to volunteer.  Thanks to both, and to the families who were posing for portraits to be cherished for ever.

ten years later

with a kid, and still fitting in her wedding dress- a round of applause, please!!! - let me introduce the glowing bride on her 10th anniversary. She didn't have her bridal portraits taken on her rainy wedding day so she decided to be  a trouper, and conquered the mud of Lake Cook, or rather Bog Cook :), in her wellies quite bravely. Thank you A.!! And here is a reveal of what three crazy photographers and one lady in her wedding dress were up to on that perfectly lit evening. Some of my favorites:

Thank you Rashmi for the invite. It was muddy, and a bit smelly, but FUN!