gregography

Lomo started out as a russian company making a copy of a japanese Cosina camera, resulting in the LC-A. It was a fun little thing, sharp in the middle but serious light fall-off at the edges, and the shutter would stay open long enough to get an exposure no matter how dark it was - so if it needed a half hour, it would stay open that long. The results were fun, blurry, bright. Some westerners "discovered" it in the early 90's (this is all coming from this timeline and did some serious marketing to the hip and trendy and "lomography" was born. I had one, it was fun - lots of bright streaky colors.





Then they started producing their own versions of older fun funky toy cameras starting with the Action Sampler which takes four pictures in rapid succession. The original cost a couple of dollars... the lomography version sells for $30. They were onto something.

Then there was a cheap plastic fisheye camera ($40 - $80) - remember, these are the kinds of cameras you would find in blister-paks in toy stores for a couple of bucks and the joy was you never knew what would come out - light leaks, distortion, etc. Now, though, the junkiness was quality-controlled to be just-so.

They started selling the Holga, created in Hong Kong as an inexpensive family camera for chinese people but it was SO cheaply made that again, you never knew what you'd get. There's a well-known image of Al Gore in 2001 taken with a Holga:





They they copied the Diana and that's when I couldn't forgive them.





Cheap chinese cameras from the 60s, these had more variability than Holgas and produced some wonderful dreamy images. This is one of mine:





You'd find them at tag sales and swap meets and then when eBay came along you could find them there.

The Lomo version? Interchangeable lenses. Again, just-so quality control. With flash, $95, with all sorts of kits and special editions available up into the hundreds of dollars. They do the same thing with the Lubitel, and you can find that crappy reproduction for $350 in the lomo store.

I suppose they wouldn't do it if people didn't buy them but it's SUCH a ripoff and is like (I'm going to date myself) a rich socialite buying very expensive clothes made of torn up material and safety pins so she could look "punk".

HOWEVER (we finally get there) they came out with something I think is quite cool. It's a 35mm panoramic that looks like an old bakelite Falcon.





It takes a wide image across a width of 35mm film. I don't know that anyone could print them and even scanning requires a special piece of equipment, but they're fun.





They didn't copy something exactly but they made something unique. Still ridiculously priced but it keeps people using film which is good.

There's just something about the commodification of what used to be random happy accidents that is just so _hipster_. And if someone sees me with one of my original Dianas they will think that I'm one of them. Maybe that's what really bothers me.

I love how the light changes this time of year. In the spring it's sharp and bright, not filtered by trees. Now, it's softer, bluer, colder, but still picking up warmth from the trees and plants turning yellow and orange. Many plants, like roses, are still pushing but not focussed, not 100% in all aspects, so the flowers and leaves don't have the spring/summer perfection the had just a month ago.

I have to say that trying to get these subtle colors to show up on different uncalibrated monitors is difficult. These look like they want to on two our our machines, not so good on the other two.





More....

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I'm on Fetlife.com, it's s site for kinky people but mostly straight and tranny (for all values of tranny.)

I got mail from a guy there:

"I am straight, but cool with m/m body contact, mutual touching, stroking, rubbing, massage as well as light fetishes, role play and Bondage. No oral or anal either way.
If you are down to play, let me know."

I like his photos so I responded saying basically - what would we do? His response:

"I am OK with body contact, mutual touching, stroking, rubbing, massage. Light fetishes and role play as well as bondage.

No oral or anal either way, but a lot of touching is cool....."

I know of predominately straight guys who get into some kinky stuff with other guys but that seems to be more about the activity (flogging, whipping, etc.) and a personal friendship connection than about what most people would think about as a basic sexual attraction.

I've just got no context for this, and it would be strange to meet up with him because since I don't understand what he's looking for, I don't know where the limits are, and I'd probably find them frustrating. If you're straight and not attracted to guys, then why do this? If you're attracted to guys but consider yourself straight then it would make sense for me to push the boundaries. Or maybe it's just too weird.

And if one of the reasons I find him attractive is his large manhood, is he as functionally attractive if I can't stick it anywhere?

Any guidance would be appreciated.

I took this photo this afternoon, I was trying to capture the afternoon light that is distinct to the fall here and Cooper was being all interested in everything. Normally he disdains cameras.





I've been looking for work the last couple of weeks. That's boring.

I had a birthday. That was fun. We cooked a big dinner for a table full of delightful people.





I've been working on a followup (well, working on in my head) to the So Cal TMI post. Maybe tomorrow.

Saturday evening we attended a party themed "an evening without pants". No bifurcating garments.





The lighting sucked, but I got some interesting shots.

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The only reason a teenager would be taking birth controls pills is if she is planning on having sex or is already having it. Anyone who thinks that simply telling a teenager not to, or grounding her, or thinking that a lack of birth control pills will prevent sex, clearly doesn't remember what teenagers are like.

Since just about the only reason a parent would want to know is to try and stop her, it's difficult given the above to say that they should have that right.

I haven't posted here much. A lot of it has to do with really needing to concentrate on just a couple of things, and that's paying off.

Here's a shot of our friend Joshua at the beach.


Some more recent shots:

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It's can be pre-ordered from the American Apparel website and it's showing up in select stores today, I think. Part of the proceeds go to Ali Forney Ctr which helps homeless gay kids. It's a little pricey but at least it's good quality.

Barely NSFW. ( Read more... )