corpho

So I just got a roll of film developed the other day. On our last flight back from Ireland, we bought a funny little camera that comes in a plastic case, which makes it suitable for taking pictures under water. It was only 10 euro so we thought, what the hay? It came with a roll of film already loaded, but it's not like a funsaver; it can be re-loaded ad infinitum (or until it finally breaks). Sometime in February, there was a blizzard here, so the first picture was from that day:



Brrrrr.... It's funny how easy it is to forget what it feels like to be that cold as I sit with the windows open, and my plants are in bloom, and the cats are lazily sunning themselves in patches of light.



Speaking of plants, I took this picture a few weeks ago. Everything is easily twice the size now, and so many more of the zinnia have bloomed. I also have a lovely bunch of watermelon plants that are going to yield some sugary little honeys. Yum. My favorite fruit in the world. I have to say, though, after seeing FancyD's pictures of her garden, and the wonderful things she's gotten out of it, my picture looks like a moldy turd. Some day, I'll crawl out of my cave and buy a digital camera, and I will take nice pictures like the rest of you civilized folk!





We decided to put the aquatic nature of the camera to the test a few weeks ago. Unfortunately, these cameras are intended to be used in crystal clear waters, like in the Bahamas or Cancun. Coney Island has Atlantic waters that are cold, green, and full of fine silt-like mica and ground up shells. In other words, you can't see much a 'tall! That's me above the water, wearing a green bathing suit.






I like this above-water shot, though. It makes me feel like I'm in the water right now, man. Totally.





I like how this sailboat looks like a toy. (Notice my husband's legs and red swimming trunks under the water. No, there wasn't a bloody shark attack in progress.)




A classic Coney Island sight: the Parachute Drop that had started its life at the 1939 New York World's Fair. I can see the resemblance to the other World's Fair buildings still standing in Queens, which you may remember from the big "Vincent D'Onofrio as a cockroach alien" showdown at the end of Men in Black. [Note: You can't actually see the Parachute Drop because the images resized themselves and it got cut off -- bah! So just pretend you know what it looks like or look it up in my 'pics' section. We thank you for your consideration in this matter.] [Note on the note: If you'll please bear with us, it appears that the images have become larger again. Damn SG's buggy soul! So if you see it, or don't see it, that seems to be based on sheer chaos theory, and not my ineptitude, thank you very much!]




Well, considering how cheap and dinky the camera is, the fact that it was smeared with sunscreen and sand, and that the place I develop my rolls of film at is really crappy (I'm too lazy to go anywhere else than right by my work), I guess it took okay pictures. Now I just have to go visit my friend in St. Kitts next spring to put it to the real test in the tropical waters. Life can be so hard sometimes....




P.S. I have added a little Super 8 film that my husband made of me for the purposes of a light test. The light meter on his camera is busted, so he set up an intricate system involving a measuring tape, a hand held light meter and a notebook. But the final product is not very fascinating, I must admit. And there's nothing wrong with your speakers -- it's silent. When I watch this on MySpace, it plays smoothly all the way through, however, this YouTube version is glitchy no matter how many times I re-upload it. Just give it a lil' nudge if it sticks, but not too much or else you'll miss my furry sidekick, Vinnie!







adios amigos...