SYDNEY - on the street, central + surry hills, 10/31/08

End of Foliage - Holga120N

When I first started using a Holga it took me awhile to learn what lighting conditions and speed film I needed to use to take successful pictures. Last week I bought a Holga 120N with the added features of a hot shoe attachment for tripod use (no more trips to the hardware store for a nut and crazy glue) and a bulb exposure selector for longer exposures. I put the camera on a tripod, set it on B mode and held the shutter down longer which allows more light into the camera. But how long does one hold the shutter down ? The helpful people at my local photo shop suggested counting to ten (one one thousand, two one thousand, etc) in low light. But what about less dark days I wondered. So I shot a roll of 400 speed film and adjusted my counting to what I thought might work. I was very happy to see several photos turned out fine.





I used a shutter release attachment and since there was some sun I counted to" 4 one thousand". Forget the tripod I held the camera over my head. We had such vivid color this year!



Same light and counting and again no tripod.



Again same light and counting. I set the camera on a short tripod on the ground and used a shutter release attachment .



A more Holga like effect taken on a cloudy day in the late afternoon. I set the camera on the railing of a small bridge and held the shutter down for a count of ten.



In the woods and a count of ten on a day with some sun and clouds.



Same day as the above photo. I lodged the camera in a V of a small tree and used a shutter release attachment and counted to eight.

SYDNEY - on the street, paddington, 10/30/08

SYDNEY - on the street, paddington + surry hills + darlinghurst, 10/29/08

SYDNEY - on the street, paddington, 10/28/08

LONDON - australian girl, brick lane market, 10/19/08

BUCHAREST - my grandma's backyard, muzeul taranului roman, 10/25/08

BUCHAREST - on the street, vitan, 10/25/08

Umbrellas Kamakura November Rain

Last November after a very late night at karaoke in Shinjuku and a forecast of rain for the Kamakura area we postponed our day trip there and did laundry. The next day in Kamakura it was still raining (not the forecast we read before venturing forth) and I was still humming a favorite tune from our karaoke experience.


In rural Vermont where I live we drive everywhere and tend to wear rain coats rather than carry umbrellas. So while in Japan I took many of pictures of people with umbrellas.


The inclement weather didn't keep these people with their varied and colorful umbrellas from visiting the famous Kamakura Buddha.




A older woman with an umbrella which was color coordinated with her tradtional clothing.




School girls enjoying the company of friends at the Daibutsu.

And in case anyone wonders or hasn't guessed the karaoke song that kept running through my mind was an early 1990's favorite by Guns N' Roses, "November Rain". Click here to see and hear the video of this classic almost 9 minute song.

WARSAW - topshop store opening party, obiekt znaleziony, 10/23/08

GOTHENBURG - on the street, kungstorget + weekday store opening, kungsgatan, 10/22/08

maria sharapova earnings

In June 2005, Forbes magazine listed her as the highest-paid female athlete in the world, with annual earnings of U.S. $18 million. (CBS, the American television network, reported in August 2006 that the figure is over U.S. $20 million.) In total, she earns over UKЈ13.4 million per year, over 90 percent of which comes from endorsements.
When asked about her income, she said, "It's never enough. Bring on the money. There's no limit to how much you can make." In a later interview, she said, "You know, one of the greatest things about being an athlete and, you know, making money is realising that you can help, you know, help the world, and especially children, who I absolutely love working with."

maria sharapova media publicity

Sharapova is visible in and outside of the court for her looks. Sharapova posed in a six-page bikini photoshoot spread in the 2006 issue of the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, annual magazine that debuted on Valentine's Day, along with 25 scantily-clad supermodels.
Sharapova joined the ranks of other athletes who have previously appeared in the publication. In April 2005, Sharapova was listed by People Magazine as among the 50 most beautiful celebrities in the world. In 2006, Maxim magazine named Sharapova the hottest athlete in the world for the fourth consecutive year.

STOCKHOLM - on the street, södermalm, 10/21/08

STOCKHOLM - on the street, gamla stan + södermalm, 10/20/08

latest news :season's over for maria sharapova:

Friday October 3, 2008PARIS: Former world number one Maria Sharapova has pulled out of the season-ending WTA Tour Championships in Qatar as she has yet to regain full fitness from the shoulder injury that has sidelined her since August.The Russian said on her website that while the injury was healing, she needed more time to make absolutely certain and that she and her team had decided she would not play again this season.Sharapova opened the year in style by winning the Australian Open in January and regaining the world number one spot.But she lost in straight sets to Russian compatriot Alla Kudryavtseva in the second round at Wimbledon and after her shoulder injury worsened withdrew from the Beijing Olympics and the US Open.The WTA Tour Championships will be held in Doha, Qatar, for the first time from Nov 4-9

More Chinatown New York - Holga

Shopping in New York's Chinatown. The fresh fruit and vegetables look so tasty.



This double exposure reminds me of the A.A. Milne ditty my father read to me as a child. It goes something like: "Last night I saw upon the stair a little man who wasn't there. He wasn't there again today. I wish that man would go away." The ghost like look captured in double exposures of people is what I thought the little man on the stair looked like.



People watcher me takes a photo of an old man people watching. Or maybe he's waiting for a friend.



Walking and talking on a cellphone.



Purple is a great color.