Category Archives: creative
Christmas Eve 2012: The Bura Clan Convenes
Last year, Aunt Dee inadvertently started the tradition of having the Bura Extended Family Christmas on Christmas Eve, rather than on Christmas Day. Aaron and I decided we kind of liked it that way last year, so I asked Dee if we’d be doing it that way again this year. At least for now, it seems to have stuck. With all of Pete and Dee’s clan growing up (OK, even the youngest is just about drinking age now) and getting partners of their own, it won’t be long before everyone has multiple holiday gatherings to attend, anyway.
Dinner was slated to start at 3pm, so we started the two-hour trip around noon-thirty. Connor’s naptime is around 1pm, and he thankfully managed to sleep at least a little while en route.
Of course, he didn’t sleep for his normal two hours — only about 45 minutes, if that — but better a short nap in the car than no nap at all. If dinner had been much earlier (or if we’d wanted to socialize longer beforehand), Connor would have been napless, and that’s no good for anyone.
When we arrived, what to our wondering eyes did appear but a beautiful roast!
Alas, it was resting. We were some of the first arrivals, so went out into the living and dining rooms to greet family members and to eat cookies and artichokes and stuffed olives and pickles and fudge. Isn’t that what everyone has for Christmas appetizers?
Christmas Portrait 2012
Merry Christmas from Aaron, Diana, Connor, and Kitty Mei!
Uncle Phil’s Overalls
[Taken 24 Oct 2012 |1/60 sec @ f/3.8 | ISO 200 | 22mm | bounce flash]
Grammy and Granddad sent Connor a box of vintage 80’s baby clothes that used to belong to Connor’s Uncle Phil. Baby fashion shows take a while, so we still have most of a box to try on, but the red corduroy overalls fit perfectly. (The shirt underneath, not so much.)
N. St. Clair Street, Toledo
[Taken 28 June 2012]
I scanned my 11-exposure roll in a single contact sheet, then cropped this image out of that scan, so the focus is just a touch fuzzier than the actual negative since it was in a plastic negative sleeve. The non-square format is due to a double-exposure at the frame edge — as I noted on last year’s test roll, my particular Starmatic experiences some slippage after advancing the film, and I forgot to under-wind to compensate.
If I plan to use my Starmatic on any sort of regular basis, I need to remember that:
- The camera should be absolutely still. No walking and snapping a blurry photo.
- I should under-wind the film after each exposure. Otherwise, when the film-advance sprockets slip, I’ll get a double-exposure on the edge of the frame.
- There is some parallax error — similar to those old rectangular 110 Instamatic cameras, but not nearly that bad. Adjust the subject slightly to the left if you want it centered.
- Be careful unloading the film! It’s too easy to expose the edges if the film is wound too loosely. Perhaps adjusting the tension on the take-up reel is in order.