Provence, Part 1

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Some images from a week in Provence at the beginning of last month. We did what one should do when in Provence: explored small towns and villages, ate our weight in juicy tomatoes and olives, drank local wine, admired olive groves and vineyards and sat in the sun. It was a full week, and I realized how much I had missed that region and can't wait to go back. More photos to come. 

Top row: Avignon
Middle: Cucuron
Bottom: la Tour-d'Aigues. 
All made with a Mamiya 645 Pro on Portra 400

Tulip Festival

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After over two springs in Portland, I finally checked out the Wooden Shoe Tulip Festival, at the tail end of tulip season, or so it seemed. The tulips had been in bloom for a few weeks, some had already been deadheaded but it was still quite the sight to see. The sun and clouds kept competing for our attention, and I had to wait a few minutes to get the shot, but it was all worth the wait. That said, I'm not sure I need to go back next year, or the year after that. I'll get my dose of tulips in a different way (smaller flower farm, maybe?)

 All made on a Mamiya C220 with either Portra film (160 or 400)

Portraits, Pt 1

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Made at work with my Mamiya RB67 and Fuji FP-100C. 

Winter

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This has been winter so far. That and rain.

 Also making an appearance, a light leak in my Mamiya 645 back because I'm lazy and always forget to put my dark slides back. Learned my lesson this time, though. 

San Francisco

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Ah, San Francisco. Where do I start? Can I move there? How do people even afford to live there? But in all seriousness, it was a great trip. Much too short, but great nonetheless. I had a ton of places I wanted to check out on my list, but didn't get to even 1/4th of them. That only means I have to go back, hopefully when it's not insanely sunny (read: when the light isn't super harsh), and this time, I'll make more photos. 

 






 

-- This house --

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Things have been changing around this house in the past few weeks. After browsing colors in paint stores and online for hours, we finally selected two colors and repainted the living and dining room two different colors. Next up are the bedroom and hallway. We also replaced the dining room table (aka my desk) and chairs and went with a more modern style with cleaner lines. I felt that there was too much wood in our house, so white was needed to provide some contrast. And this weekend, I'll be making this lamp instead of spending money I don't have on the tripod lamp I've wanted for months. 

Another change I made recently was upgrading to an iPhone 5c and using it for Instagram. I will still be posting film scans once in a while, but for the moment, I'm having a lot of fun getting to know this new device and its camera. 

Fall with a Hasselblad

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A quick walk to test a Hasselblad's film back this morning was all I needed to be reconciled with a season that arrived too late and was already underway when I came back from a too short vacation. Fall, we're cool. 

Also: all of these were shot before 11am, developed two hours later, scanned a few minutes after that. Don't hate me. 

Coffee (mostly) lately

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A few coffee and tea images from a few amazingly full days in the last few weeks. The opening and closing photos are from Tartine Bakery in San Francisco, where I shared a breakfast with my parents at the beginning of the month. Two are from the Ace Hotel here in Portland, when Cara came to visit and we bumped into Jade and Cory and the rest were taken at home. 

Mamiya 645 Pro // Delta 3200, Portra 400 and FP 100C

This Was Summer

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Summer was mostly work and being tired, with some beautiful light and fun times thrown in, including a visit from Cara that I will be sharing photos of soon.  But mostly, it was this.

Delta & Miss Delta

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Miss Delta has been one of my favorite restaurants in this city since I moved here. I don't go there often, so it keeps a special place in my heart. It feels a million miles away from the super trendy places that are popping up all over the place, and it has more charm than a lot of restaurants I've seen. The food is also delicious and comforting and so different from what I make at home that it warrants a few visits a year, especially when relatives come to town. Case in point: my father recently asked that we return when he and my mother come visit this fall. It'll be his third time eating there in two years, and he'll probably want to cook jambalaya for his friends when they go back to France.

Until my last visit, I'd never taken photos inside because it was always much too dark, but going there in July when it's light out late made photographing the drinks possible. And bringing Delta 3200 made that easier. When I look at the contrast in these images, I'm so happy that I finally tried that film.

Mamiya 645 Pro // Delta 3200

⎨Home These Days⎬

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You always need a good place for drinks and flowers. I think that about sums up my decor philosophy these days. With that new (to us) credenza, the bottles and bar tools have a much better home than the flowers. That said, I'm still hoping to add a tulip dining table where they can live and thrive. 

This moving into a new house thing has at least one advantage -- it's helping me define and refine my aesthetics, and I'm coming to the conclusion that yes, you can aim for a combination of mid century (minus the kitsch, thank you), Southwestern and Japanese styles. I haven't tried it yet; the house is mostly mid century minimalist for now. 

The downside to moving into a new home is how much time it's led me spend on design blogs (case in point, this new board I've been creating). I visit Apartment Therapy more than I am willing to admit. Also, spending too much money. But at least I know I'm spending it on pieces that are beautiful and will last. I'm very much against this cheap and disposable culture that is the norm in so many parts of the country, so I'm spending my money more wisely. My credenza must be 50 to 70 years old, and it's in perfect condition. It was built to last, not be replaced by the next move. If I don't break my Atelier Dion cups, I will probably keep them for years and years. They have such a clean design that I'd be a fool to replace them. The same goes for the Chemex. The one I own isn't old, but the design dates back to the early 1940s and it looks just as elegant now as it did then. 

Color : Mamiya C220 // Portra 800

B&W: Mamiya 645 Pro // Delta 3200