I really wish I knew how to create WordPress Themes…All I want is a simple layout, with a grey or black background, without having to make my images smaller.  Is that really so much to ask?  I’m leaving for the island in a week and a half, internet access is really limited there, so I can’t say for sure how often I’ll be posting over the summer.  I’m really hoping to take lots of photos this summer, to experiment with my Holga and my new (old) Land Camera.  I’ll also probably be shooting more film…Despite the convenience of digital, I generally prefer film (something about it being more “traditional” or “classic,” plus I definitely prefer the film process to the digital process), and there’s a small darkroom on the island that I suspect I’ll be running for the summer.  Plus, I have a bunch of film and paper, and it’s just going to go to waste if I don’t use.  I’ve also generally gotten the sense that my black and white film work is superior to my digital work, so I feel like maybe that medium is more suited to my style in some way?  I think this summer will be one filled with lots of playing and experimentation, to learn what I do best, what I like the best, and what I need to work on.  I’m going to be doing these things in studio topics next semester, so why not get a head start?  Of course, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, and I always have high hopes for photographically productive summers, but I’ll do my best.  I want to shoot on the island, but I also really want to shoot in Portsmouth on days off.  I didn’t take enough photos in general last summer on the island, but I didn’t take ANY photos in Portsmouth.  Lots of goals for the summer…I hope I can acheive them all!

4/30:

Probably pretty recognizable to most of you…Outside Traina in the middle of our final photo critique.  I really like the way the tree glowed, but it was hard to capture, especially sans tripod.

5/1:

Not Your Average Joe’s in Acton, MA for a birthday lunch with my parents.  Really nice color and design inside and incredibly delicious food, especially the desserts!  Highly recommended.

5/2:

The lighting is so hard to capture here…In real life the leaves glow much more.

5/3:

A common sight on our front porch…Not so much a sign of our drinking habits as evidence of our lack of cleaning habits.  Welcome to college.

5/4:

My wonderful roommate Serena, all dressed up for our end-of-the-year/my birthday party.  There’s something so funny and sweet about this photo, I really enjoy taking pictures of her.

5/5:

I’m not a huge fan of beirut, or drinking games in general, but it seems to be a staple at our parties.  Really I just think this is another good photo of Serena.

5/6:

I’ve been playing with the Lensbaby a lot recently, trying to get used to using it and figure out what kind of subject matter it’s best suited for.  It’s actually quite a fickle piece of equipment and requires a lot of practice to really get used to.  I’m still working on it.

5/7:

Another Lensbaby shot, but you can’t really tell.  I know this is a kind of typical flower photo but I was more concerned with learning the lens, and I still think it’s a pretty photo.  Not groundbreaking, but not bad either.

5/8:

One more with the Lensbaby.  I think this is the most successful in terms of taking advantage of the qualities of the lens.  I think I’m going to keep trying, but I also have other things to play with.  The Land Camera is next, so watch for some Polaroids soon.  I’m going for something like what you see at Mikael Kennedy’s site, passport to trespass.