Stone Oak

Climb me, for I'm made of stone

Lean against me when alone

Come and rest beneath my shade

I am the place where dreams are made

Lie beneath me, call me home

I've learned so much as I have grown

Find beneath my ancient limbs

The wind here sings the wisest hymns

My Limbs won't break, my roots go deep

Your secrets I am sworn to keep

So come to me when hope is gone

And climb me,

For I'm made of stone

xoxo- Leah

All the Film - Provia 100f | X-Pro

To say I love film would be an understatement.  Like many film shooters, my roots go waaaay back to the early 80s, and my first camera had a cube flash and used 110 film.  I was excited when digital debuted, eager to satisfy my need for instant gratification, and to learn and utilize photoshop.  Don't get me wrong, digital photography is amazing, and I still shoot digital more often than film (because it's cheaper), but there is something magical about film.  It makes you more aware and cautious about pressing the shutter release.  After all, there is no delete, and you can't view the images immediately to get a re-do.  It's the magic of the light burning images onto the film, the colors rendered by the combination of light and film, as well as the skill and vision of the photographer, and finally- the processing.

And there's the grain.

When digital came into my world, grain was something you wanted to avoid- but in the film world, it offers a distinct beauty, a texture, and character to images.  Embrace the grain.

Since I am addicted to collecting and trying cameras and films, including the expired, vintage varieties, I thought I would share some of the results.  A few years ago I bought a lot of expired Fujifilm Provia 100f on eBay, and due to life and some unexpected interruptions, It ended up in a hot attic for several months.  I had no idea what the results would be when I loaded it into my Nikon F100, but I loaded it nonetheless, and our little family went out for an early Spring hike along the lakeside at Longhunter State Park in Tennessee.   The results are punchy, vibrant and heavily saturated, with a welcomed retro feel, and convey the mood and feel of the day perfectly.  It was cold and sunny,  a perfect combination of the last chill of Winter and the first green of Spring.

Technical Details:

Nikon F100

Nikkor 28mm 2.8D | Nikkor 50 1.4D

Fujifilm Provia 100f | rated at box speed

Cross-Processed  and scanned on Noritsu by Dury's of Nashville

Until next time, #staybrokeshootfilm -

Leah

Chores for Books

“Literature is the most agreeable way of ignoring life.” - Fernando Pessoa

This afternoon I went out with my camera for a short walk.  A storm was blowing in, and I love the moodiness of the wind and the sky just before a heavy rain.  As I made my way back up to the house, I found Lily taking a break from her chores, and escaping into the pages of a book.

She loves to read, and I am thankful for that.

She's normally a poser.  It's rare to catch her relaxed or oblivious to the camera,

but today, she never looked up.

She's looking less and less like a little girl, and more like a young lady.  My momma heart aches with a bittersweet emotion.  I am proud of the big girl she is becoming, but sad to see the baby disappearing.  I try to memorize her face every day, because it's ever-changing.  I relish the most mundane of details, and try to absorb every little moment- from her quirky tom-boyish-ness to the tone of her voice as she sings "good morning to you" as soon as she sees me each day.

xoxo-

Leah

[technical details: Nikon D700 | 50mm 1.4 | Prisming | Multiple Exposure]

Her Spirit Shines

Her spirit shines.

Her body is made of water and flesh,

Pieces of those before her.

Pieces of strangers,

Of distant memories,

Of dreams.

And her spirit-

And her spirit shines.

Inside the flesh and bones,

An energy resides,

A thousand years or more,

She has lived many lives.

Composed of light and strength, 

Gentle kindness and compassion, 

And with each of her body's breaths 

 Her soul inhales the wind.

She is the mother of flowers,

Sister of the moon,

She shines like the sun.

Her colors are a rainbow.

Birds fly for her,
And she hears their message.

She gives freely, loves fiercely, and teaches patiently.

She is the daughter of the Universe.

And her spirit,
Her spirit shines. 

(Image and words for/of my dear friend, Amie, who has guided and supported me through many emotional battles over the span of nearly 20 years, and is forever teaching me to see the world in a different light.) 

.

In the Spring

In the Spring, my heart did bloom

But Summer came, and scorching June.

And So my heart did wither, dry

Till all but buried deep did die.