Bits Of My Weekend
Click on the photos for possibly more information on flickr. All photos were shot with a Canon A-1 using Fujifilm Neopan SS 100, pushed two stops when developed.
First of all, I was going to split this into two posts, but they tell a story and they seemed weird split them into two. Secondly, I haven’t shot black and white film since…college maybe? It was once all I shot, because my old Pentax takes amazing black and white photos, and I was going through a pretty standard moody phase of thinking black and white was the only thing worth shooting during high school and college. But seeing Brian’s recent black and white photos really inspired me. I used to buy the cheapest black and white film I could find that I could have developed at the drugstore, but I put the word out on twitter that I was looking for something new (I LOVE twitter for advice!) and just as I suspected, Kristen had a great recommendation of Fujifilm Neopan SS, and Elissa suggested pushing 100 film to 400, which I hadn’t done in ages either. It’s funny because I’ve been online friends (livejournal, haaaay!) with both of them since the days I was still shooting black and white film in college! The results are fantastic, I’m so pleased with all of the photos that came back. I’ll definitely be shooting black and white again.
So, the weekend. I worked from home for a few hours Friday and and had Monday off, so it was a long one. An exhausting one. Will’s best friend Jarrett came in from Phoenix and stay with us for a few days, to star in a short film Will wrote and directed and our filmmaker friend Riel shot. Two different shoots – one in a temporary spaceship Will put up in our loft, and the other on the beach at 7am, after barely five hours of sleep and MANY margaritas to get us through the spaceship shoot the night before. Walking around on the beach with elaborate cameras and a man dressed in a homemade spaceman costume draws a lot of attention, but somehow we got lucky and no cops bugged us for not having a permit. I think the film turned out amazing, I’ll share when it’s done someday. We also took a trip to The Museum of Jurassic Technology, aka the most magical place on the earth, filled with beautiful, strange oddities and wonders I can’t even begin to explain without you seeing it. I can’t believe the few photos I took even came out as much as they did. I couldn’t stop thinking of Alison and Stephanie the whole time. The rest of the weekend was spent eating, thrifting, relaxing, and eating mini donuts from the cafe Will got a job at down the street. He has a kitchen to himself making sandwiches all day long, which is kind of perfect for him. It’s not exactly what he was looking for, but he actually loves the job – even though they made him shave his beard off. But now I kind of like that distinguished chin back in my life…
February 23rd, 2011 at 8:35 am
Will seems like such a creative, interesting guy! You two seem to fit so well together. I was really surprised to see black and white film from you, but these shots are beautiful!
[Reply]
February 23rd, 2011 at 9:18 am
i can’t imagine a restaurant in venice making him shave his beard! crazy. i worked at a very corporate office for my last job + the women couldn’t have colored nail polish or earrings longer than studs + the guys couldn’t have any facial hair! see you went to long beach flea market. so did i! (though i did not have a katemiss sighting this time ;))find anything good?
[Reply]
February 23rd, 2011 at 9:21 am
J’aime beaucoup la photo représentant les plantes : on dirait que la plante 1 tend les bras à la plante 2 ou qu’elle a l’air surprise!
[Reply]
February 23rd, 2011 at 9:56 am
the black and white photos are looking good, u did a great job! i’ve been wanting to go to the museum of jurassic technology, i heard it was amazing.
[Reply]
February 23rd, 2011 at 11:07 am
these are beautiful Kate! I love seeing your world in high contrast. It still looks so bright and colorful, even in black and white.
[Reply]
February 23rd, 2011 at 11:49 am
that bit of the union station is where my friend had her wedding reception. and she had drinks served from behind the ticket counters! it was so cute.
[Reply]
February 23rd, 2011 at 2:21 pm
Ahh yes love the MJT ;) I recognized it from the first shot – seriously, that place is the strangest, most delightful spot. I spent many unsuspecting visitors there while I was living in LA. Love seeing these latest bits of your weekends – great b+w shots!
[Reply]
February 23rd, 2011 at 2:40 pm
as usual gorgeous photos. especially love the plants (pretty aeonium) and the art. reminds me i have to whip out that film camera again soon.
another note. your cat is so well documented. lucky guy.
[Reply]
February 23rd, 2011 at 2:52 pm
Dangit I keep meaning to go to that museum, seriously need to just put it on the calendar and stick to it! The Long Beach market is amazing, I need to go back soon too. Love these photos – will have to try that film!
[Reply]
February 23rd, 2011 at 3:13 pm
you must check out the mojt’s theater too! perhaps you could screen the film will just made there. that place IS magic. its a total LA gem.
[Reply]
February 23rd, 2011 at 9:43 pm
Nice shots, lady – I especially love the ones of the spaceship set. I hope the film is ready for sharing posthaste. It sounds like the perfect way to spend the weekend to me … jurassic technologies and pretending to be in space. Wonderful!
[Reply]
February 23rd, 2011 at 10:43 pm
your little plant corner makes me die a little inside every week. I WANT ONE. if we weren’t downsizing in the near future to an apartment that will literally only have two windows, i would take a page out of your book and go plant crazy.
[Reply]
February 24th, 2011 at 4:54 am
Love how the b/w pictures came out! I am hoping to get my hands on an analog camera soon, so thanks for the film advice!
Have a nice week, viele Gruesse, Kristina
[Reply]
February 24th, 2011 at 7:50 am
beautiful black + whites! I love your photo of union station – it is such a beautiful building!
[Reply]
February 24th, 2011 at 9:49 am
Museum of Jurassic Technology! I have loved that place from afar for so long. Hope to visit soon. In the meanwhile there is a book about it for anyone who hasn’t had a chance to visit, called “Mr. Wilson’s Cabinet Of Wonder: Pronged Ants, Horned Humans, Mice on Toast, and Other Marvels of Jurassic Technology”. It’s a work of “magic realist nonfiction”… what a genre!
Thanks for another lovely post Kate, from a fellow blogger.
Una
[Reply]
February 24th, 2011 at 11:47 am
will’s chin AND b&w film all at once?! gotta catch my breath.
(and luuuurv the coral lipschtick two posts ago. for better or worse, that’s the general palette of this new series of work. god help me. may not go well on the wall, but it sure looks smokin’ on you, sista.)
[Reply]
February 24th, 2011 at 6:59 pm
loving the black and whites ;)
[Reply]
February 24th, 2011 at 7:08 pm
i love these photos. they’re all so beautiful!
[Reply]
February 24th, 2011 at 9:28 pm
Love your photos. Great use of shadow & light. It looks like you have a tuxedo cat. So cute. I have one and she’s precious!
[Reply]
February 26th, 2011 at 7:55 am
You should go to the PCC flea market. It’s totally manageable and there is great stuff. Plus you can get mini sweet potato pies from this awesome food vendor.
[Reply]
February 28th, 2011 at 12:48 pm
I’m really loving black & white these days. I started shooting my pictures for a certain project in black & white but I was just telling Geoff that I’m worried they’ll end up looking student-y! Although really who cares, that’s not really a bad thing. Posts like this make me want to keep trying. So nice!
[Reply]
March 1st, 2011 at 1:12 pm
oh wow. seriously loving this series!
p.s.: just picked up two rolls of b&w from the lab today. the contact sheets looked too dark and i was quite a bit disappointed. pushing the pics two stops might just be what’s needed. – this is really encouraging!
[Reply]