Magic at Work

In spite of Winter's best efforts to dampen our spirits, there is Magic working in our backyard:

Here are our Tibetan prayer flags, still waving in the breeze, and working to bring us blessings despite being laden with icicles...

...and Kokopelli, refusing to be stifled, summons Spring from beneath a mantle of Valentine's Day snow.

Good things are coming our way!

Happy Valentine's Day

Just some gratuitous camera porn.

Spun Up

I have finished spinning Marianne's lovely green roving. I'm not sure what it will become, but I think it's really nice.

Being spun on the Schacht Ladybug...

...plied and skeined.

I took these pictures with the RB67.

Hitting the Trail

I got the bike out for the first time this year, and went for a ride on the trail that runs behind our house. It was only a couple of miles, but it was nice and invigorating, and it was good to be able to get out.

Our local authority do a good job of clearing the path, and making it accessible.

(pic: Nikon F100; Voigtländer Nokton 58mm f/1.4; Fujicolor Reala 100; 1/125 sec; f/8; desaturated in Photoshop)

Christmas Presents!

Finally! I got some of my films processed, and am able to show you some of the wonderful presents I got at the Spinners' Christmas  party.

First, my "Secret Santa" was my good friend and fellow photographer, Marianne, who gave me a whole bag of goodies - the green bump is Brown Sheep superwash dyed with copper, the smaller one is cormo/alpaca dyed (of course) olive :0) The Dyers Companion is a most interesting book that has been in print since 1806. Also in my bag, though not pictured, was one on Marianne's own beautiful calenders.

A little while ago, gave Jill a pack of Tayto crisps from my precious stash. In return she made the bag into this lovely origami box. 

I am really lucky to have such generous and talented friends!

Let it Snow!

We had another three or four inches of snow last night, the lovely, light fluffy stuff that piles up on the plants, and is really easy to shovel. Which is just as well, because our driveway holds quite a lot of it! I hope to get out and shoot of a couple of rolls of film today, and get them in for processing so that I can post some nice pictures again.

(Maggie took this pic)

Digitally disadvantaged :(

My digital camera stopped working the other day, so I need to use film. I'm lucky that I have my Mamiya RB67 and a decent supply of film.

Here is the RB being used to photograph some presents I got at the Spinners' Guild Christmas party last Friday (It had to be postponed due to bad weather). The camera doesn't have a built-in light meter (indeed, it's totally mechanical, so it doesn't even need any batteries!), so I used my Sekonic L-358 meter to measure the exposure. Also in the picture is my home made reflector panel, which I used for fill lighting. Now all I have to do is get the film in for processing.... and wait. How spoiled we have become with the instant gratification of digital cameras!

As soon as I get my pictures back, I'll post some here.

BTW, I took this pic with Maggie's 1.3 megapixel Sony :)