Kodakan | Kodak Moments

Due to the real-life events, all my blogs have been quiet these past two weeks. I haven’t blogged why I take pictures, but I will soon.

My grandfather died.

Kodak has declared bankruptcy.

I’m not really sure what happens when a company files for bankruptcy. Initially, I though that Kodak will completely shut down. But the linked article says that they are receiving financial assistance to continue operations. I haven’t been to the mall in over a week so I have no idea if the Kodak kiosks in SM malls are still there.

I have Kodak Moments to remember too:

  • There was a Kodak store in front of my high school and it was there for years! It closed down though, maybe 2 or 3 years ago. I didn’t just buy film or have them developed there, I also had ID photos taken at their studio.
  • I used Kodak film.
  • Our first two digital cameras were Kodaks. The first one still works but I don’t remember where it is or if we’ve sold it. The second one is 8MP and black, it also still works perfectly and has found a new owner (not sure my mom has noticed though).
  • When I decided to go Lomo, Kodak was my film of choice, but there are cheaper ones and I got those for practice. Now, I wonder if the Kodak rolls will become scarce and prices will go even higher?

Kodak has had good advertising over the years, and coining Kodak Moments really was effective. In fact, there is Pinoy slang kodakan meaning picture-taking, or photo opportunity.

No matter where Kodak goes from now on, they have already made their mark not only in the world of photography, but in the world at large. Memory keeping has never been the same since the advent of the first Kodak.

What are your Kodak moments?

Why am I taking this picture?

There is an interesting post over at The Digital Photography School that has definitely sparked a revolution in my head: The One Question You Should Ask Yourself Before Taking Any Picture.

I did a quick check of The {Newbie} Photographer’s About page, half hoping that there was an answer to that question there. Disappointment is what I found – I had not mentioned the reason I take pictures!

This blog has existed for quite awhile now, perhaps two or even three years. It’s non-success (very little traffic, very few posts) in the blogging world should probably be attributed to one thing: the goals I set for the blog were skewed. I had set off hoping to build a treasury of technical resources for the newbie photographer when  I should have aimed for something that was closer to my heart: to provide a venue to share our love for photography. Along the way I may share tutorials or links to great tutorials on photography, but ultimately, I should blog about why I always feel like being a newbie in this field (and truly, I am), and why that is just fantastic. This blog must be about why I love capturing moments, and the many possible ways it can be done.

This question will also guide me as I embark on Project 365 for my Project Life in 2012.

I don’t have a profound answer just now, but I intend that to be on my next post. I would also like to hear from YOU – why do you take photos? or particular pictures? Leave your answer in the Comments box. Smile

Date a Girl who Photographs

This has been circulating around Facebook but I couldn’t find it on my wall anymore. A quick search in Google landed me on this blog, she may or may not be the author.

I wanted to share it here because, I can relate, and I’m sure my guy can too:

Date a girl who takes photographs. Date a girl whose favorite sound is the click-click of the shutter as it closes and opens to capture a memory. Date a girl who sees the wonder in the simplest things. Date a girl who looks at the world and wonders how to put a little of herself in it.

You might find her in the park, lost behind her lens, the world a blur around her as she tries to capture a single moment in time. You might find her in an exhibit, a look of concentration on her face as she contemplates a photograph that called out to her as she was passing by. Or maybe you will find her in a bookstore, a book in her lap as she pores over photographs of weddings all the while wondering what hers would look like.

Take her out to photo walks and laugh as she tries to take a picture of you. When she gets tired of walking, buy her cupcakes but wait until she has taken pictures of them before proceeding to eat them. Listen as she tells you her ideas for a photo shoot on the ride home.

Take her to a restaurant and wait patiently as she surveys the menu carefully, appreciating the food photography. And again, wait until she has taken a photo of your food before digging in. Allow her introduce you to Ansel Adams while you both eat your lunch. Introduce her to your favorite musician as you wait for the bill to arrive. When you get home, change your Facebook profile picture into a photograph she took of you. She silently hoped for it.

Take stolen shots of her. Compile it and give it to her on her birthday. Tell her you love her over and over until your voice replaces the click of the shutter as her favorite sound. Kiss her after she lifts her head up from the camera. Give her camera-shaped necklaces. Go places with her.

You will never be bored again.

Date a girl who takes photographs. She will never whine about a little dirt on her favorite pair of jeans as she kneels down to get a better angle of her subject. She will never be afraid to take adventures with you. She will take photographs of you not just with her camera but with her mind as well and keep it to herself to admire at night. But above all, she will teach you how to look at the world with a brand new perspective and she will do that unknowingly.

Marry a girl who takes photographs. Ditch those wedding photography books and give her the most beautiful wedding you could. She will teach your kids to find the beauty in everything just as she had taught you. Every day will be an adventure as she tries to create photograph-worthy memories with you. She may wake you up in the middle of the night because she is buzzing with ideas but she will make it up in the morning with a stack of hot pancakes beside a steaming cup of your favorite coffee blend.

Grow old with a girl who takes photographs. Sit with her on the front porch as you both pore over the bits and pieces of the moments you’ve had together. Stroke her hair as you both relive the photo walks that you took and the places you have been when you were both young. Smile as you both reenact your clever wedding vows.

Date a girl who takes photographs because she will always see that “something” in the most “nothing” of things. She will never let anyone take you away from her like she never lets anyone steal her photos and that is just one of the evidences that she loves you.

I’m a girl who photographs so I don’t get to be on many of the photographs here. Haha. Here’s a self portrait I took three years ago (I think).

n1610355569_178779_1806790

Ready for Project 365 2012?

I have written about Project 365 before, and I will probably write about it again. Specially if I actually make it happen in 2012.

Today, The Daily Digi also tackles P365, and Steph features the iPhone app Photo 365. I got that app a few weeks back and loved using it. Without committing to a new P365, I actually took photos each day for a few days after getting it installed. I didn’t know about the alarm feature though, maybe I should have that activated.

For 2012, I really want to get serious with Project Life. P365, I think, will be crucial to making that happen. So yes, in 2012, the focus of my Project 365 will still be documenting the everyday life. Improving my photography and finding my voice will be a bonus.

In 2010, I started my P365 on the first day of the year. This was that photo:

My next attempt will be that way too. I will start on January 1. But it doesn’t mean I have to wait until then to get in to the habit of taking daily photos.

The last photo I posted on the photo blog for 2010 was the one below, but it probably wasn’t the last photo I took for the project. There probably were more, but not posting them became the reason I stopped altogether.

Not being able to share my photos online was a bad reason to stop doing it. After all, the reason for starting it was to get good at taking photos. Maybe I got it wrong. Perhaps at the time, my reason for taking on the task was to have something pretty to share at the end of the day. And perhaps too, that’s why I failed. Each time.

Katrina Kennedy who runs CaptureYour365 really got it. You need to start your 365 project with your purpose in mind. Without that purpose, it will be tough to stick it out until day 365.

So Project 365 2012 edition for me will be about documenting the everyday life.

Photo Wrapping Paper

Thank you Photojojo for this amazing idea.

Someday, I will do this with my own beautiful images. Would be nice to use a photo of the person I’m gifting ro. So many possibilities really!

Anyhoo click through the image to read more.

Remodeling

A few weeks ago, my host disabled this blog due to a malicious attack. Since then, I have been trying on and off to get The {Newbie} Photographer back online. I found a way to get the posts back to a new WordPress installation, but I have yet to get all the photos uploaded.

I have resorted to manually re-uploading the photos from the old directory to the new one so that the links in the posts will still work. But doing so is proving to be quite the challenge. My idea was that FTP would make things faster, but I always get timed out. Not sure if it’s a host issue, or my Internet connection. Please be forgiving of the missing photos in my posts for now, and the generic design. I started uploading the older photos first, but I will reverse that after the current folder (month) completes uploading.

Anyway… Just think of all this mess as a process of remodeling the site. :) I am not going to make the effort to get my old premium theme installed because I’d already forgotten all the tweaks I did on it. So I’ll restart with a different theme.

Thank you for your patience. :)

Holga Lens Filter Kit for iPhone

How many times have I looked at the Geeky Gadgets feed and wanted something from it? I don’t remember anymore! Today, it was the same story. I saw the photo of the Holga Lens Filter Iphone Case Kit, and I was smitten.

SLFT-IP4-All-Flat_grande

 

From the Holga Direct site were you can purchase this baby, here’s the list of effects you can get from this iPhone accessory:

  • Dual Image Lens: Produces 2 identical images similar to a Holga 2 way split image filter
  • Triple Image Lens: Produces 3 identical images similar to a Holga 3 way split image filter
  • Quadruple Image Lens: Produces 4 identical images similar to a Holga 4 way split image filter
  • 60mm Macro Lens: For taking photos at approximately 60mm from the lens
  • Empty Hole: For taking images with no effect
  • Red Filter with Clear Heart Shape Centre: Reduces absorption of blue & green lights with clear heart shape centre to stand out
  • Red Filter: Reduces absorption of blue and green light
  • Green Filter: Enhances green colors
  • Yellow Filter with Clear Center: Clear circular spot in center to stand out with surroundings in pale yellow to mimic sunset
  • Blue Filter with Clear Center: Clear circular spot in center to stand out with surroundings in blue to mimic gentle moon atmosphere

iPhone Lomo without using any apps.

I would love to get the red one for Christmas! Buy it for me! Smile

Georyl’s Christmas Giveaway

 

This has got to be the biggest Christmas giveaway this season! Even if it took me awhile to do the required tasks (mostly Liking and Following), the prizes at stake got me going on. hehe Smile

Check out the massive Prize List:

 

The Prizes

One Winner of $100 Paypal Credits
One Winner of $50 Paypal Credits
Three Winners of $25 Paypal Credits
Five Winners of $10 Paypal Credits
Twelve Winners of $5 Paypal Credits
Three blog makeovers – special prize for bloggers who do the optional task only

 

And it wouldn’t be possible without the amazing support from sponsors:

Major Sponsors of GEORYL’s Christmas Giveaway

GEORYL | Techie She | Chika Bits | Dens Online | Stay at Home Wife and Mother | Work at Home Wife and Mother | Travel Yums | The Food, The Place and the Bad Trips | Mitigating Life’s Uncertainties | Blogger’s Notebook | Zowanderer | The Packrat Wifey | Enairrah’s Travel Thoughts | Enairrah’s Notes and Rumblings | A Wife’s Online Abode | Tinkerputt’s Turf | Simple Happiness | Impulsive Shopper | Momsdrive Online Finds | Nanay Blogs | Make Money Online | Samu’t Sari | The Traveler’s Journey | Khakiness | Walk With Me

 

Contest ends on December 23, and announcement of winners will be done on Christmas Day, December 25. Winners must have valid Paypal accounts to receive the prizes.

Congratulations Sheryl, for yet another successful project Smile

Polaroid Z340 Instant Digital Camera

a3649b638ec996a0c7759932a8fb7681

More and more I see myself gravitate AWAY from the DSLR.  I’m not sure if it means giving up on any hopes of turning pro even later in life, but I see it as  just exploring various forms of photography that allows us to preserve memories.

I already have a Fujifilm Instax 50s for instamatic love, but I am currently out of film. I also own the Polaroid Pogo Printer. I’m still a little disappointed that I can’t use the Pogo with my iPhone, but instant prints from a P&S camera is fun too.

This Polaroid Z340 allows one to take digital photos that can be later still be downloaded to a computer and shared electronically, while giving you the option to print them out too. So it’s having the best of both worlds: analog and digital! Smile

I don’t think there are edit options on-camera (that would make it so cool) and that’s why I sooooo wanted to print directly from iPhone to Pogo. Instagram, Hipstamatic and my current favorite Camera+ add vavoom to simple shots.

Anyway, though I am adding this to my wishlist, it’s not high up in my priorities. It would be a welcome Christmas gift though Smile

Thanks again to Geeky Gadgets for the tip on this one.

Check it out here, in action:

Image credit: Polaroid Store

Instax Manila: Race to 11!

instaxmanila-raceto11y

 

Help Instax Manila’s Facebook page get about 475 more likes before 11.11.11 and get the chance to win Fuji Film Instax 50s in Piano Black.

I already own one, but it wouldn’t hurt to get another no? Specially if it comes free! Smile

But no one will get this precious Instax unless Instax Manila’s Facebook page gets to 1500 likes! So go, Like!