Vintage Radio Photo Shoot, part two

After my dad helped me fix up my 1920s 4x5" camera,
we did a few more fun shots with his vintage radio collection:





The shots you see here are the direct positive from the negative... in other words, I use this film

to take a photo, and the result is BOTH a polaroid (positive print) and a negative! And the negative isn't enlarged at all - so what you see here is (roughly, depending on screen size I guess) the size of the negative.

It is also filled with the dust of nearly 100 years so it has quite a cool, old look to it - and they are really neat to do for engagement and wedding photos (well, portraits of any kind)!

Super fun, a little finnicky though.

ewwwww

This is a total digression, but here goes:

I went to G&G market today cause I was there and I was hungry and although I guess the gross thing could be that I bought and ate donuts for lunch and nothing more, the really gross thing I discovered was a bag of these:

was I just out of the loop?

I bought them. why? I'm not going to eat them...

thank god for little brothers who like joke gifts.

Okay, also, it was a different brand of these that I bought... which makes me realize, these are popular.

should I taste em? I love pickles.

ew, no. gross.

Dunsmuir Historic Estate

I never got a chance to post the slideshow for this event I attended in December. It was a meeting of the Bay Area Wedding Network, which is an open network that holds fun events for all Bay Area wedding professionals. This was my first one, and I had SUCH a great time! Everyone was very friendly, and I felt very comfortable introducing myself around. I met some great florists and wedding planners, and bumped into a few photographer friends as well. And, yes, we got to eat that gorgeous food and those amazing pastries!












In addition, I got to check out the Dunsmuir Mansion in Oakland, where the event was held. It is a beautiful mansion from 1899 and it was lavishly and lovingly decorated by the volunteers for Christmas. It is just breathtaking! Unfortunately we weren't allowed to take photos inside, but if you ever get a chance to visit during the holidays, it's very pretty.

This is the old horse stable decorated for a party:




I am shooting a wedding there in May (not in the mansion - the estate itself has several beautiful venue options and it is huge, wild and gorgeous, right smack on the edge of Oakland!), so I was super excited to see what I get to work with! It was a gorgeous sunny day even in December, and I cannot wait to see how it will look in the springtime.

I highly recommend this venue - lots of open space and beautiful architecture/ old buildings, a romantic pond and gazebo, and very friendly staff.

the New Trust/ the Polar Bears

I got this neato toy for Christmas:


What is it you ask?
It's a toy camera from Lomo that shoots four images sequentially over a few sconds, with flash. So you get four images of your subject on one negative frame, and in each mini-frame, he or she is just a bit different.

The idea is that you can get cool shots of action documented on one little photo. Well, the idea really is just to do something fun and different with a little plastic camera!

I have been experimenting with it a bit - the trouble is that since there are four flashes one after the other, it is a pretty intense experience to have your photo taken with this! Also, the flash is not super strong so that inside images are coming out pretty grainy. Finally, if your subject is moving just a little bit, or not quickly enough, it sort of looks like the same shot four times.

Buuuut it is also super fun for documenting things like running, diving, jumping, and bands rocking out!

So here are some of those first experiments, from a show at the record store across the street from me. Some of my good friends make up the bands The Polar Bears and The New Trust - it was a record release for both bands AND they both feature our buddy Matthew on guitar!

The Polar Bears are LOUD and AWESOME!"
















and the New Trust's new record is sort of about LOVE and sort of about ZOMBIES!:










Phew. Like my use of CAPLOCKS?!

Have a great weekend!

I'm a barbie girl, in my barbie world

She's a photographer now!




Apparently she'd been a fashion editor in 1965 which gave her a camera to hang on to:


Then there's Becky the School Photographer Barbie, who is differently abled... I like that she's not just "wheelchair Barbie", and that the doll is outfitted to have a job and a life beyond her special needs; but I also think it is a little weird... mostly because being a school photographer is kind of a niche career, and while I'm sure it is possible to do in a wheelchair, it would be really difficult, especially without an assistant. Anyway, it just seems really, really random.




I'm not sure where my friend found these photos but I do know that we all agree we would never, ever wear a miniskirt to any photoshoot, much less one with babies (where you have to get down to their level)!

updates on their way

First the exciting news: we are almost finished with my new and lovely weddings only website! I will let you preview it because I need feedback on anything not working, etc... the only thing that may currently not function is the Contact page. Everything else should be go!

www.jessamynharrisweddings.com/new

I cannot WAIT to make the official announcement (apparently... cause I'm sneaking in the unofficial one here, oh well).

Now for silliness: my friend Emily "tagged" me on her blog to write six weird things about myself... apparently I'm supposed to do so and then "tag" six more people to do that.

Here are the weird things:

1. Today I spoke with a bride whose wedding I'm shooting in May, and who is currently traveling to Sundance to interview Crispin Glover!
Okay, that's not really about me, but it is a reminder of how awesome my clients are... I get the most creative couples, and it is such a blessing.

2. Speaking of the movies, I have been in two independent film productions, and one is coming to the internet very soon... if you ask me nicely I MIGHT tell you where to find it.
Maybe.
I'm a bit embarrassed.

3. I had a fear of flying for the past few years (after a bumpy ride all alone during a rainstorm), and have finally shaken it off... so now I'm planning to travel to Chicago, New York, Portland, and LA (at least) this year, yay!

4. I have one blonde eyebrow/ eyelash, and one brown.
It's just how I am, and since I hardly ever wear makeup, people are a little bit thrown.

5. I used to drive a 1966 Volvo 122 sedan, and boy, do I miss it.


6. My grandmother was an identical twin.

A few more:
-my mother in law is one of my best friends.
-I have a huge sweet tooth and have been known to sleepwalk to eat chocolate chip cookies before.
-my cat only has three legs.

Should I stop while I'm ahead?

More updates, and more photos, very soon.