Washed Out Film, Washed Up Camera

I loaded my late 90's Minolta Freedom Zoom camera with some Fuji Superia for St. Patrick's Day - I have a tradition of shooting old point & shoot cameras for the holiday. Most of the St. Pat's photos that came out ok will be on facebook - I finished the roll up in Ohio City and that is what I have here. I was pretty unimpressed with the results. I have done much better with my early 80s film cameras than this one. There was a lot of missed focus and the majority of the exposures were way blown out. I actually had to bring down all of the highlights in Photoshop to even make it worth posting a few of these.

So here are some snaps to check out - but this camera will be spending the rest of its life on the shelf.

Fitz Photo Show #12

I started with a pln - then went in a totally different direction. You never know what will happen on this highly entertaining photography show!

Akron Cruise

On late Friday afternoon I took off from the studio on my vintage Peugeot bicycle. I captured some of my ride with my GoPro Hero 5 Black and edited this video together showing some of my favorite parts.
Later in the night I ended up at The Hive Mind for a show - my previous blog has photos of the bands I saw.

Hive Mind

On Friday night I rode my bike out to the DIY venue, The Hive Mind, to see Gabe Schray, Stems, and Operator Music Band play.

Since I was out riding I only had my Canon 6D with the 16-35mm f/2.8 lens - no flash. The venue was very dark and there was no light on the bands besides the back lighting coming from the projection screen. It made trying to get some useful shots interesting. All of these were shot at ISO's between 6400 and 12,800. I think the photos came out unique with the challenge though. 

Akron2Akron: Downtown to Campus

The weather probably suppressed the turnout for the latest Akron2Akron walking tour - but by not donning a raincoat and bundling up you all missed out on another great tour.

"Emily Butler provided some insight into the workings of the STEM school. Nick Moskos gave us the inside scoop of the Freedom Trail. Willy Kollman uncovered some lesser known stories about history of The University of Akron. And Shammas Malik led us through the cold, asking questions about the relationship between UA and downtown Akron." - Akron2Akron FB page.

Common Threads #2

Last night the second in the series of Common Threads events took place at the Rialto Theatre in Kenmore. This one focused on foreign born students. It was interesting to hear the perspectives on Akron and its people(and the United States in general). At times it was fun and funny - but also inspiring - I think a few tears might have been shed in the audience.

Common Threads is a monthly collaboration between the Knight Foundation and Global Ties to bring people from culturally diverse backgrounds together in a common space to share their story and engage in community dialogue. Follow them on Facebook to find about upcoming events.

The Process II

The other day I went down to Canal Fulton to photograph the glassblowing process for a local artist. I had done this for him before - but he has since switched studios. He also wanted the process of him making one of his signature angels documented. This was a fun shoot - I have to keep on my toes to stay out of the way and capture the right angles - and I also find glassblowing fascinating. Here is just a small selection of photos that I took.

G.S. Schray - Gabriel LP Release

On Friday at Thursday's G.S. Schray released his latest record -'Gabriel'. Kit Freund and Mist opened the show. Gabe came out and started solo before being joined by a band. It was a fun night with a lot of familiar faces. As my friend Wes put it, "Its like a high school reunion with people we didn't go to high school with."

Victim's Assistance Mardi Gras

I shot the Victim's Assistance Program Mardi Gras at Tangier for the third time the other night. VAP is an amazing organization that does so much to help people navigate through the aftermath of a victimization and or trauma. I love being able to do this for them.

During the cocktail hour a I set up a "photo booth" like area and take photos of the people as they arrive. When everyone moves to sit down and eat I tear down the lighting set-up and move into the other room to cover the event - ceremony and dancing. The believe the event sells out every year as so many people in the community want to support the work the heroes do(it is also a good time).