Nostalgia over film

*Note*  This is a throwback post from October 2012. My life has just recently gotten pretty crazy.  I have two part time jobs and am starting a full time on Monday.  I also am doing freelance photography on the side and have over 100 LinkedIn headshots to edit that I recently took at an event.  But I didn't want to just abandon this again and ruin the schedule I've kinda started.  So enjoy this little unedited throwback and hopefully once I get into the swing of things I'll actually get more exciting new content out :)

All week I've been watching the leaves change and all I've been thinking about is wanting to photograph everything.  Issue is, most times I think this while I'm on my way to school or work with my camera tucked away at home.

Lately I haven't been wanting to shoot with my new Canon, but with my old film camera.

There has been reasons I've chosen not to use it.  After my spring semester was over, I purchased my new camera, and wanted to use it at every given moment. As much as I loved using black and white film for my photography class, it was a nice change to be able to use color.

Another was film.  It's expensive after a while, and I have to drive a town away to purchase.

My main reason, though, was how much I love developing in the dark room.  Not only could I edit my pictures there, but it became a 2nd home to me.  To drop my photos off at a random store and hope for the best is very unnerving.

But there are many reasons why I love film as well.

You only get 24 chances, so you really take the time to think of what you are shooting.  There's also those moments where you take a risky shot and just hope it's not over exposed and in focus.

Sure there was some film that may have not been developed properly and had some errors, but sometimes it just works for the picture and gives it character.

Sometimes I had to creep in front of stranger's houses to get the shot I wanted.

 Other times I got to go to some of my favorite places and show how I see the world,

and on some days I got to walk around with friends and show how they see the world.

All shot with a Canon AL-1

Yes my new camera is amazing, but there is nothing like shooting with a film camera.  

Portrait Session: Jenny

My friend Jenny needed a new headshot and possibly some new profile picture ideas so I came to the rescue.  Not gonna lie we had to be quick because it was actually way colder than we anticipated.

WFPB Foodies anyone?

Just a basic homemade smoothie bowl.  If you want a recipe let me know!

So I feel like even though this is only the like 5th post we've reached this point in our relationship where I have to be honest with you...I eat a whole foods plant based diet.

Some probably don't know what that means, and the rest are either super excited or running in the opposite direction.

Whole foods plant based is similar to veganism where you don't eat any animal products, but it goes a bit further where you try to eat more basic and a lot less processed.  The type of diet where you really know exactly what you're eating.  A good example is oreos are technically vegan.  But that doesn't mean they're necessarily healthy.  So I try to keep oreos and imitation type meats to a minimum and stick to the things I can actually name and know every ingredient.

Why am I mentioning all this?  Like I said it's kind of good to just lay it all out there.  But this is a photography blog?  I know.  But I take pictures of my food A LOT.  Cuz while yummy also tends to look really pretty.

I thought it be good to just explain this from the start so I don't get a million questions in the future about what my diet is.

And if you love your meat no worries!  Like I said photos are and will be my main thang and I'm not going to really talk about it much unless people are actually interested.

*Feel the need to add*  I'm not perfect.  A couple of days ago I actually had crepes with friends (blog post soon on that ;))  I knew it wasn't completely plant based and I did feel a bit gross afterwards from the dairy and eggs, but I go by progress not perfection.  If I have something small every couple of months it's not the end of the world.

Camera Talk: What Cameras I Use

This is going to be a new series on my blog where I discuss the technical aspect of photography.  What I use, what I want, etc.

I'm still in the stages of beginning my photography career.  I have a never ending wish list, but sometimes it's hard to know what exactly to start out with; especially if you started like me as a poor college student.

I'm going to start by saying the truth.  You can be a great photographer no matter what camera you shoot with.  It's your own eye and your own technique.  That being said certain cameras and lenses can help enhance that.  (Also want to quickly add that brand is mainly personal preference.  You'll see I'm a Canon girl myself, but I don't hate Nikon.  It's just what I like)

I'm going to go in the order of what I started with to what I use now.

#1.  Canon AL-1
Now this baby isn't technically mine.  It's my moms.  But it was where my love for photography really started.  Before this I had some simple point and shoots and never knew about shutter speeds, apertures, etc.  This was a great starter camera because it taught me everything I knew about photography.  I needed it for my first photo class in college because it was film focused.  A bonus to that is I also learned how to develop in a dark room as well which I dearly miss.

You can technically skip out on the film camera and go straight to a dslr, but I highly recommend trying it at least once, even if you develop the film at a store instead.  It's so exciting to know you only have 24 chances and not knowing how they come out until they're developed.  And a plus is most film cameras are pretty cheap to snag.

#2.  Canon EOS Rebel t3i.
This was my first big investment into the photography world.  This is a great starter camera for anyone who wants to really take it up a notch, but also save money.  Another plus is it's super light weight compared to most in the professional series.  This particular one might be a bit harder to find because now they're up to like the t5i, but in general the whole EOS range is around $500-$800 depending on what you get with it.  I personally had a package where I got the camera, a kit lens, a zoom lens, camera bag, and memory card.  I used both lenses frequently at first so it was worth the extra money.

This is still technically my go to camera along with one other.  The only difference is now I use a 50mm as my go to lens.  It's one that is relatively cheap among the lens world, but great quality, especially for macroesk shots.  But I'll be getting into specific lenses later.

#3.  Fujifilm x100s.
This is my most recent camera purchase.  While a bit pricier when one of my professors brought it into the classroom I knew I needed it in my life.  I wouldn't necessarily use it for all of my "professional" needs, but it's a great camera for such a tiny size.

I like to bring this one out when I travel because it's a lot less bulky, I have a nice carrying case so I'm less worried about damaging it, and you can make the shutter silent to take sneaky portraits of strangers on the street and such.  Totally sounds creepy, but you photographers know that look people give when they hear that click and see a camera in their direction.

So these are the 3 I have and love.  The next Camera Talk is going to feature what is next on my wish list.

Providence Flea: Part 2

To see part one click here

Providence Flea: Part 1

In my last post I mentioned how I have been blogging for a couple of years.  And in those years I have some fun photos and memories that I still think should see the light of day.  So once in a while I'll post a throwback, like this one from last summer.  My friends and I drove up to Providence, Rhode Island for a fun little day trip exploring a flea market.  My friend walked away with a type writer, I walked away with a 30 year old camera and a succulent in a wine bottle planter.  It was a good time.

Part two will be up soon.

Well hello there.

Nothing like the first awkward post right?  Well technically this isn't my first blog post.  I actually started this blog over two years ago and had about 80 posts, but something was just off.  I could never decide where I wanted to venture and what exactly it was I wanted to post.  I kinda went all over the place trying to post what I thought people would want to read, but not really enjoying it.  And no one else really was either.

So I decided to start over completely fresh.  I gave the whole page a makeover and viola!  Lost In Dreamland 2.0.

The plan is to focus on what I originally set out for this blog to be.  A photography blog.  I'll post my adventures whether it's going on a fun hiking trip or to my favorite diner.  Yep I'm a foodie so that will definitely be among the nature and portraits.

In the meantime you can check out my portfolio or my etsy page.  I will probably start off posting about once a week.  Enjoy!