test rolls

Brownie Bullet Test Roll

This should be a familiar sight by now, as I take this photo as one of my basic test shots with every camera, it seems.

After some online research, I discovered that the going price for developing and printing 127 film is about $15. With this in mind, I opted to order a proof sheet from Main Photo, instead of individual prints, just to save a couple bucks. Unfortunately, it didn’t occur to me that this would totally eliminate any chance the lab had of adjusting the tonality of individual frames (that is, making sure all the different pictures came out right).

So, I now have a particularly dark proof sheet, all but the above picture, and three negative strips that won’t fit into my scanner. However, I did some experimenting with the scanner, and discovered that scanning black and white negs in reflective mode isn’t a complete loss:

Although I don’t think my scanner has a very professional… what’s it called? Delta-V? It’s been a long time since VCT 208 or whatever it was. Anyway, I don’t think my scanner is terribly good at capturing the differences in grays, especially when scanning transparencies in reflective mode, but it’s a decent enough scan to help evaluate the camera, I think.

Basically, if I’m planning to do some shooting outdoors, in sunshine, and decide to go all artsy, maybe I’ll get some more 127 film and bring the Brownie as a backup. Apart from that… I’m not in love with it. Maybe I’ll change my mind if I get some reprints made of a few of the images on this roll, or if I try taking some snowy winter pics and get real prints made.

My opinion as of this moment, though, is that the Brownie Bullet is merely a neat and functional art-deco knick-knack I got for super-cheap at the thrift store.

college 7 Comments

BGSU Alumni: How do I know this name?

Jeremy Zawodny.

The name sounds familiar, but the face — even the older, early-to-mid 90s pictures — really doesn’t ring a bell. I’ve been going through his site and his archives, trying to decide if he had a younger sibling, or if I just heard his name somewhere. Did he write for the BG News? Was he in band? Did I hear his name because he worked for UCS / ITS (University Computing Services, which later became Information Technology Services)?

He went to BGSU between 1992 and 1997, and went to St. John’s before that. —Aaron? Is this one of your St. John’s cronies I’ve heard spoken of? Maybe that’s it.

Anyway, I know I’ve heard this person’s name before, and it’s driving me nuts.

in memoriam 4 Comments

Charles Mickler, 1930-2005

I got a call at work this morning, from my Uncle Charlie‘s case worker in Tampa. It seems that my great-uncle passed away earlier this month.

Charlie had no wife or children, and was living in a nursing home with no family nearby. He had lived with his mother, my Granny, until her death in 1990. His younger sister, my Memaw, died over two years ago. Myself, my mother, my aunt and my cousin are his only living relatives.

Uncle Charlie sold his land years ago, and the profits have paid for his care since then. He hadn’t banked on needing to pay a nursing home for his care; he’d planned to give his $40,000 (or thereabouts) to me instead. As a poor college student, I had been flabbergasted at the prospect of being in someone’s will. Now, though, I understand the funds needed to support the elderly, and I certainly don’t begrudge him his care.

As the only relative who has kept in contact with Charlie’s legal guardians in Tampa, it is now my duty to call the Medical Examiner in Tampa and give them the authorization to cremate him. He had no funds left for a burial; and neither myself, nor my Mom, nor my aunt will be able to travel to Florida to make any sort of burial arrangements.

I’m sad that he’s gone, but I’m more sad that he was alone, and now has so few to mourn him. I’m also slightly beside myself at the bizarre and slightly morbid call I’ll need to make tomorrow morning.

food 2 Comments

Homemade Adult Beverage

Take this recipe, substitute Splenda for white sugar and Splenda Brown Sugar Blend for brown sugar, and you’ve got a seriously kickass homemade amaretto with a fraction of the sugar.

Note to self: Next time I make this, I must remember to use less Splenda Brown Sugar Blend. It really is twice as sweet as regular brown sugar; they’re not kidding around. Also, reading the ingredients correctly and adding 2 TEASPOONS of vanilla would make things better, as well. *facepalm*

Still, though, I *heart* my new Homemade Amaretto And Caffeine-Free Diet Coke. 🙂