The Camera pix.

Well, they are here, and here are some of the pictures of the newest additions to our collection.


Konica TC







Nikon D70










Brownie No. 2




We are pretty happy with the condition of the cameras. My favorite film camera is the Konica TC. My favorite overall of course is the D70...





Brownie Six 16

actually had a used roll of film in it.






Brownie Duaflex IV






Brownie Bullseye







Brownie Duaflex






Here is a view through the viewfinder of a duaflex...

Crazy!

New Cameras

Some of my cameras came in yesterday. 2 of them, well, 3 of them are noteworthy.

The Konica TC is sweet. I have some great lenses for it. It is smooth. All I had to do was clean it up and make a small modification to it so it would power the meter from hearing aid batteries. The meter is slightly hot, but close enough to compensate on the fly.

The Duaflex was brand new in the box. The strap has never been attached to the camera. I don't even think that there has been a roll of film put into it.

The Brownie Six 16 had an exposed roll of 616 film inside of it. I found a place that I can send it to for processing. I am interested to see if there are any vintage pictures or if it is ruined.

Anyway. No pix yet. Just high hopes.

Sunday Morning

Good Morning.

Sunday mornings are like no other. Unfortunately, there are a whole host of folks who miss out.

I get up and get ready for church. I go in and meet up with friends and family. For the most part everyone is happy to be there. We talk about the past week, things that were good, things that were bad.

We sing, we share, we enjoy each other. And we come into the presence of a Holy God, together.

Some people say " I can be just as close to got out on my boat, or in the woods, or just hanging with my family at home." I say bologne.

Something unique happens at church, that I don't believe happens anywhere else. Jesus said "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them."

When is the last time you gathered to fish in the name of Jesus? When did you stay home on Sunday to gather in the name of Jesus? Sounds silly? It is.

God made you and me in His own image, or likeness some would say. He wants to have fellowship. Coming together to honor Him, and to seek to have fellowship with Him and His people, well that isn't a chore, it's a blessing.

But what is it that I said was unique about gathering at church? Well the Bible says that Jesus promises to be there like I already said. It also says that the Father attends the Son. In other words He is always overlooking what Jesus is doing. The Holy Spirit of God is inside of the believer. So by my way of thinking, church is really the only time that all three, Father, Son, Holy Spirit, are gathered with us in one place at one time. So that makes perfect communion, or fellowship.

I know that's a bit wordy, but I have lived this out in my own life, so I can testify, or witness to it's truth.

Sunday's are more beautiful whether rain or shine, hot or cold. Sunday's are the day that I remember how excited God is about me, and who I am. After all, He made me to be who I am, How I am.

Who wouldn't get excited about that?

But thou shalt remember the LORD thy God: for it is he that giveth thee power to get wealth, that he may establish his covenant which he sware unto thy fathers, as it is this day.

Rangefinder

Hello again,

My Mom found an old camera she's been hanging on to. It is an Argus C3 Rangefinder. It was my Dad's Dad's camera. We loaded it with some film and shot random pix, and they actually turned out. The only film we had was 400, but the camera really needs 100. At any rate, they are still pretty good... have a look.

And Another One

Yes. I am extreme. When I get into something, I like to go all out.

I got another camera. This Beautiful Konica TC. Why? Because a while back my devoted wife found the deal of the century on 7 lenses. 4 of them were for a Konica camera. The others fit my Nikon.

I can't wait to get my hands on it so I can try out the lenses. I have become quite the camera geek. This one is 35mm film. Just another way to capture the world and all that is in it.

When you look at the world through a lens, you see things different. Or as one of my sisters put it, you notice things that you wouldn't if you weren't trying to focus on them.

I wish my faith in the Lord was more like photography. I would like for my desire to be to have the clearest picture, the best color and the greatest shot. I want my desire to share Christ to be like my desire to share my latest pictures.

I guess the Bible is like the lens on a camera. When I look at my life "through" it's view, things are more clearly focused. When I spend as much time studying His Word, as I do reading about photo stuff, He puts more color and clarity in my life. When I focus on The Lord, He gives me a greater desire to share what He has done in my life with others, and provides the greatest picture of a life lived to the fullest in Him.

I don't know if anyone actually reads any of my Blogs outside of my sisters... but if you think photography is exciting, then pause a minute and examine your relationship with Christ. If you know Him, that is if you have committed your life to Him, then what is it that YOU are focused on. Do you still live for yourself? Or do you live for Him?

If you don't know Him... why not? If you want an exciting life, full of expectation and excitement... then His way is the Best way. He said "I am come that you may have life, and live it more abundantly" (Joel's Paraphrase). Whosoever shall call upon the name of The Lord shall be saved!

The perfect life full of Joy and happiness, is the life lived in Christ Jesus. Focus, Color and clarity... I can't wait to see my new camera.

Toys

So I bought 4 cameras. All together. A Brownie No. 2 from the 30's. A Duaflex from the 60's, and a Six-16 from I don't know when, and another that I don't know what it is. I got them for $20. Why? At first I thought it would be nice to just add them to my collection. Nice conversation pieces.


Then I read where you can pretty easily adapt them from 620 film to 120 and actually shoot some pix. Might be fun.


But today... I found the real deal. It is a movement called Through The Viewfinder (TTV). Some ingenious folks adapted their digital SLR's to shoot stright down at the viewfinder on the top of a Duaflex and photograph what it sees. You can check it out at http://www.flickr.com/groups/throughtheviewfinder/



It is crazy, interesting, and unusual. I will definitely give this a try. My toys will be here later in the week.























Have you ever heard of a Holga camera? It is a toy camera that costs $25 new. It is made of plastic. People load it with medium format film and shoot. No 2 are the same, they leak light, and are inconsistent. There is a following of this toy and tons of pictures from Holgas.



The pictures these little cameras produce are very retro looking, but also artsy. You can see lot's of examples at http://www.flickr.com/search/?s=int&w=all&q=holga&m=text

What an interesting way to check out medium format film.




Photography is cool...

Another Camera?

Yep. I did it again. I ordered another Nikon. It is like a disease. The need to get more gear to do more stuff, that makes you want more gear.

My wife and I love to go take pictures. When we got our D50, we thought that I would continue to shoot with my Sony HVR-A1U video camera. It will do stills also, but I don't have control over exposure, DOF, and all of the other things that make great pictures. I haven't given up.

So when we shoot we end up standing around waiting on the other one to finish their shots. My settings are always different than hers, or she is using a different lense than I want to, etc. .. You get the idea.

So I found a used D70 for a price that was attainable for me. It should be very similar to the D50, just a little older. I am looking forward to our first dual shoot. I think we will have a blast.

Today is a new day. Psalms 96 "O sing unto the Lord a new song; sing unto the Lord, all the earth."

Here is the last series of pictures from our trip to Denver last week.

Where have I been? or Family is Good.

Well ladies and gents, I've been in Modesto, Lodi, San Jose, Palo Alto, and Acampo...all in California. We cruised through the Altamonte Pass into Modesto. We went to Ikea...the biggest home supply store I've ever seen, ate Chicken Marsala while we were there. We stayed with my Ma' in Law in Modesto (there are pix of her place below). We went to Kurt's house where we helped host a rehearsal dinner. We went and took photographs and video of his wedding at his church, and pictures of the reception.

We went Thrift storing with Ma and Hans, (Katrina's other brother... Kurt is the other) btw, I am not supposed to call Katrina's mom Ma...but I do to tease her a bit anyway. We watched Hans play tennis in a match and then with Katrina's Ma', and now we are in a Hotel in Denver awaiting transportation back home.

Time with family reminds me of how blessed I am to have my family and Katrina's family. There are many lonely people in this world. If you have family you are blessed. Don't take them for granted. It's very easy to do, but don't. (I am talking to myself here). Our Family is our most precious Earthly possessions.

Our greatest possession on this earth, or better said what should be the most dear to us, is our relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. He said " If anyone comes to me, I will in no wise cast them out" . (that's MY paraphrase). If you come to Him, you will have eternal life, and an eternal family that will love you and accept you. God made us for fellowship.

One of the greatest moments of enlightenment in my own life, was when I realized that God made me WHO I am just the way I am. He wants me to have all of my passion, feelings, quirks, and whatever else He put into me. Of course there is a purpose, and that is to have a relationship with Him, which takes us right back to family. He made me the way I am, and He made you the way you are, to fit into His family.

Here are some pics of the last week.

The first two below are Kurt's house.



The Wedding...




The reception hall...


Katrina's mom's house...

Hans playing tennis...



And finally Katrina's mom demonstrating her sweet skils at a mere 77...

Good Night Colorado

We leave at o'dark thirty so tommorrow's post comes today. I experienced a whole gammet of ideas and emotions today. So Hold onto your hat!

I hear people say they climb mountains or do other things outside to get in touch with nature. Well, they are experiencing something out there, but it isn't nature that they are experiencing... It's God Himself.

In Romans 1 Paul wrote: "For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse."

God evidenced Himself in this great planet we call Earth. It wasn't glacier tracks that made the cuts in those rocks, it was by His own hands. There wasn't a bang, there was a "It is finished, and it is Good! " Pity on the doubters of this world when they learn first hand, face to face, that God is who He says He is. Amen.



What follows are a few of the many pictures we took of the mighty works of a mighty God in the awesome Colorado Rocky Mountains.

Good Morning. Nanoo Nanoo.

We are headed to Boulder and the Rocky Mountain National Park this morning. I'll be keeping a watchful eye out for Mork from Ork. You just never know...

Yesterday we went to Red Rocks Colorado and took some drury pictures of the amphitheatre. I'd rather be there on a drury day, than to miss it. It was great.

We also went to the Mile High Flea Market. It makes the Jacksonville and Daytona Flea Markets Combined look like a jiffy mart. Anyhow I did find two more Nikon lenses for $12 for both from a friendly Mexican gentleman.

The coffee THIS morning came from the Starbucks downstairs. 2 grande coffees $6 . Morning Coffee satisfaction... priceless.

O Yeah...we also went to Lowry AFB. I was there for a whaile in the eighties. It was closed in 1994 and the city is developing it into businesses and neighborhoods. But my old dorms are still there and a few other bldgs. Take a look.

Goog Morning. Bad Coffee

Coffee is an important staple of life. You wake up in the morning feeling sluggish, bones aching, sore from a rough night's sleep. Then you brew coffee. The aroma fills the room, the anticipation of that first cup... then you taste it ---Nasty! Now both of us are 20 years + in the military. Our standards of coffee flavor aren't real high. The Doubletree has some kind of Wolfgang Puck something or other. We made it, tasted it and patuey! It was gross. Now I have to go down stairs and buy a $3.00 cup of Starbucks. Do you think they do this on purpose? Anyway, not before letting you see what's outside my window.

Hello from Denver

We've been here for about 5 hours. Just long enough to eat and take a nap. So here is the view out of our window. The mountains are quite a ways off.

Here is a picture of the Belleview Community Church. Just thought it looked picturesque there on the hill.