Say Cheese!

Early in May I bought an SLR at a church garage sale. I was so excited to have a new toy to play with. Britney came over and taught me the basics of using the camera, I dug out the old TIME LIFE books I had about cameras, and I set to work figuring it out. I spent the weekend just practicing focusing and learning the different parts of the camera. I have always had point-n-shoot cameras and photography was not an option for me in high school. I have always been interested in learning about it, especially in my scrapbooking years, but with little kids and a million other things to do it never got squeezed in.

So here was this fun new toy. I loaded it with film, shot a roll, and the camera promptly broke after I rewound the film. Plus very few of the pictures even showed an image. 

But I still wanted to play. There was a bag and directions for a CANON AE-1 at EP Goodwill, but the camera was missing. They said someone had probably stolen it. Goodwill.com looked promising. Several older cameras were listed at prices I could justify, but it is tough to bid on something you can't hold and check out first. 

Then last week, C and I stopped at a yard sale in the afternoon. There was a camera that I carried around with me while we looked at the other stuff. C had to help me get the case off, but it advanced and the shutter clicked so I dug $5 out of my purse. I really had to dig because I had just given Matthew cash to go hang out with his friends. I made it, even though I had to use 10 pennies!

I again spent the weekend googling about the camera, reading the manual online, and learning about this Yashica Electro GSN. Bummer. The battery was no longer available. I was going to have to order an adapter to make a newer battery work. :( Until I found this link. Using the information provided in the article and in the comments I set out to make a battery on Memorial Day. I had a wild goose chase finding the tubing I needed, and I had to tear apart 2 different remote controls to rob the springs out of them, BUT...I made it! Using a PX28 with the tubing and the spring, my battery light lit up and my "revolutionary, solid-state Electronic Computer Brain, which measures the light with computer-like precision," was all set to go. I felt smart.

As is tradition with most of my new cameras, Matthew got the first exposure.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

please excuse my scanning job

 

I continued to shoot the roll over the next 3 days and then the moment of truth came...developing. I did ok. I have alot to learn. Stuff about the flash and lighting. Composition. Ok, I have everything to learn. But the best part is, I have the tool to be able to do it. It seems to be a solid little rangefinder camera, without the additional confusing settings of a full on SLR. So I am going to reload, take notes, and shoot another round. It is time to play!

Matthew on our walk

C's picture of me at our picnic lunch.

The deer that startled us when we startled them

swinging makes me laugh from my belly