throwing waffles » photos

#101 and Done!

elizabeth — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 19:43:37 +0000

Way back in January, I started a new photo project for the new year (because sixty-four colors and my third year of Project 365 weren’t enough, simultaneously): Scavenger Hunt 101. When Pookie and Schnookie suggested it, I was really skeptical. There were a lot of items on this list (a child crying, someone meditating or praying, a public display of affection… I could go on) that really didn’t inspire me at all. But I went for it anyway, and carried the master list, written in a notebook, in my bag all year. I’m really glad that I did this, now that it’s over. It got me shooting things I probably wouldn’t care so much about normally, and it really challenged me to think outside the box for some of the more pesky scavenger hunt items. I thought it would be fun to feature a few of my favorite shots from the whole set, which you can see over here, in order.

#2, the home of a non-human creature.

#6, winter.

#15, a toy.

#23, a flower.

#45, a fish.

#49, your favorite color.

#79, an exotic animal.

#80, your favorite shade-tree.

#84, the place where you eat most of your meals.

#86, a shadow.

#93, a train.

#101, a self-portrait.

December Daily Week Four

elizabeth — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 03:03:57 +0000

This project continues, although I have to admit two things: 1. While working on it in short bursts is surprisingly easy (as long as you leave your craft crap out so you don’t have to set up/clean up every time), making these books without having photos printed is tough. It’s hard to imagine what I want the finished book to look like, or figure out leaving space or blank pages for photos without having them in my hands. 2. I totally messed up because I was rushing, and now Tuesday and Wednesday of this week are totally out of order, and it’s bumming me out. Oh well; there’s nothing to do to fix it so I might as well just live with it. (Last week’s update)

Red

elizabeth — Mon, 06 Dec 2010 19:34:34 +0000

It’s been a long time since I’ve posted a roundup of photos from the archives that match the week’s color for sixty-four colors. I think it’s mostly because there are so many crayons that are so similar, and I may have already posted old shots for those colors. Either way, this week’s color was red, and you know I have a lot of that. The first shot was this week’s photo, and the rest are old favorites.

Asbury Park: A Study (Or, I’m Unoriginal)

elizabeth — Tue, 16 Nov 2010 03:02:21 +0000

I seem to have a problem, namely that when I end up at the boardwalk in Asbury Park to take photos, I keep taking the same picture. I suppose I could be smart and say that I’m doing an unofficial study in angles and formats, but in reality? I just can’t seem to stop taking photos of the front of the old casino.

(perhaps my favorite shot, from the south side before the rebuilding started, digital, May 2010)

(a tie for favorite, from the north side before renovation started, 35mm, May 2010)

(after rebuilding began, digital, August 2010)

(after they started rebuilding, digital, August 2010)

(getting over Polaroid intimidation using a favorite subject, polaroid, August 2010)

(shot for a month of shoes, digital, September 2010)

(can’t stop, digital, November 2010″

The Power of the Internet

elizabeth — Fri, 05 Nov 2010 01:50:31 +0000

So a pretty awesome thing happened this week, awesome enough that I have to tell you about it. I have been looking forward to the fall installment of ‘Roid Week, now that I have a polaroid camera of my own, and I’ve (sort of) gotten past my fear of actually using it. Polaroid week only comes around twice a year, and after following along, I was really jazzed about getting to participate.

Except … my un-airconditioned apartment pretty much ruined my Silver Shade film from the Impossible Project. Or, the combined powers of my fear of doing the wrong thing and the extreme sensitivity to temperature of the film itself combined to ruin the film. But I didn’t find this out until the start of this week, when I took a few pictures and they turned out like this:

And while the swirls are actually really interesting in their own right, I was bummed. And I said so on twitter, just because I was so disappointed. I was shocked when I got a reply from the Impossible Project itself, telling me to call their store in NYC, because they could help me out. For real?

Yes, for real. I talked to Anne, who was super nice, and offered to send me a new pack, and quickly, in the hopes that I could still participate in Polaroid Week after all. This is the kind of amazing (completely unexpected) customer service that you hear about, but don’t really ever experience. I mean, I sort of ruined the film by my own stupidity (or lack of knowledge, perhaps…) so getting another chance was kind of the last thing I expected. I came home to a box from the Impossible Project Space in NYC last night, and was shocked again, because it contained not one but two packs! (They duplicated my original order, which was for two packs, and I’m sooo happy, because I can’t imagine my second pack escaped the swirly chemical fate of the first one.)

So I just wanted to say thank you HUGELY to Anne and the Impossible Project and their general awesomeness. I mean, they were awesome before.. but it just goes to show how the internet can be a pretty wonderful place.

Sunrise at the Beach

elizabeth — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 02:27:07 +0000

I don’t know when I last watched a sunrise, let alone one at the beach. I’m fairly certain I haven’t ever done that. So way back when I started working on Scavenger Hunt 101, I felt like I should do something special for #73, a sunrise. You don’t live 15 minutes from the beach on the east coast and not watch at least one sunrise. So on Tuesday, I woke up super early (and I may or may not have waited until the last week before daylight savings time ended so I didn’t have to wake up THAT super early) and drove to the boardwalk in Asbury Park (even though the universe is probably SO over my photos from that spot, I just can’t help it) in time to watch the sun rise.

It was pretty amazing. Even if the bagel place on the boardwalk is closed, but only on Tuesdays. If you ever get a chance to watch the sun rise, you should do it. Really.

Completed: Summer 2010 Minibook

elizabeth — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 20:57:11 +0000

Summer may be long over, but I finally finished putting my summer 2010 minibook together! After having so much fun with the kit I bought last year, I decided to buy another of Elise Blaha’s summer mini book kits. I worked on it a bit during the summer while I had the supplies out for my 28 to do list book, especially because some of the events appear in both books. I was really inspired after taking Elise’s Big Mini online workshop in September, and found myself incorporating some of her most helpful ideas as I was putting this book together.

I tried to limit my supplies to help focus, including Paper Source paper, transparencies, my brand new washi tape, and of course the date stamp. The book is really photo-heavy, and that’s one of the reasons summer (or seasonal) books are fun to put together – this became a diary of the noteworthy events from this summer, so the straightforward nature made putting it together feel quicker. Some of the pages are very simple, but I like that. And I’m hooked on using the transparencies to include ticket stubs in the book. (Jodi and Cynthia, I’ll totally share mine with you!)

So here are some of my favorite pages. As for my next project? I think I might try a December daily book for the holidays this year, because I have a kit that I bought last year and didn’t use. We’ll see. Daily pages are a whole different can of worms, an entirely different minibook style… but it might be a lot of fun.

Blue

elizabeth — Wed, 13 Oct 2010 01:18:00 +0000

Blue is, as one of the original crayon colors, perhaps not as flashy as some of the newer additions. But it’s a classic, and I was surprised at how much true blue I found in my archives. I just love the richness of a real royal blue, maybe because you don’t find it too often. I just couldn’t leave any of these out, especially since the last one is from Shea Stadium back in 2006.

A Picture a Day for a Year. Again!

elizabeth — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 00:15:50 +0000

So today I finished my third year of Project 365, and it is SO exciting. It’s been a mostly awesome year (with a few stumbles along the way), and finishing the project on such a high note is a definite plus. But it’s always fun to go back through the year, and I wanted to share some of my favorite photos from the past year.

#24: Knit Something

elizabeth — Thu, 23 Sep 2010 02:25:50 +0000

Learning how to knit was on my 28 to do list, and I very nearly didn’t get it done in time for my birthday. But a last-minute crafty gathering with Jodi and Minty in New York City four days before my birthday meant that I learned how to knit before my birthday deadline after all. And I kind of thought that after so many years of crocheting, I’d take to knitting instantly… but I felt so completely awkward trying to cast on and learn to knit and purl. I figured it out eventually, thanks to Minty’s patience (and getting to use the less cumbersome circular needles she had with her). Even though finishing that granny square blanket earlier in the summer has me completely jazzed about crocheting, I wanted to make sure to knit something, and soon, so as not to forget all of my recently learned skills. So I added “knit something” to my 30 before 30 list.

I watched a lot of youtube videos, took books out of the library, and went to the craft store for yarn and my own circular needles, because despite now being the owner of my grandmother’s impressive stash of needles, at least for my first project, I wanted to stick with the tools that worked best as I was learning. And thank the universe for youtube videos, because I had forgotten a lot even a week or so after I learned. And in a surprising subplot to this whole learning to knit thing, I’ve discovered that I really am a more visual learner than any other method. All of those quizzes we took in high school to help us learn how we learn told me I was every type of learner (visual, tactile, auditory) but when it comes to crafting? I need to see it. Reading books with black and white diagrams doesn’t help me at ALL. I need photo step-by-step instruction or a video. Or someone showing me how to do it in front of me. So that’s good to know about myself.

Anyway, I bought a few $0.99 balls of “fun yarn” mostly because I couldn’t resist the jewel-toned colors, figuring I’d just knit a bunch of rows until I felt comfortable. That turned into just making a garter stitch scarf, because (a) it was all knitting and (b) I like how garter stitch almost looks like stripes, sort of. So rather than try to learn how to make stripes with my first project, I just knit until I was done with each ball of yarn. And I really dig the color block effect, perhaps simply because it’s not what I’d normally plan. And who knew changing colors was so damn easy?

I see a lot of projects in my future, and a lot of stripes, too. I think I’m going to try a hat next… but if you have any suggestions for good beginner knitting projects, I’m all ears!