since Sept. 23, 2004.OK, I'll admit, I am sucker for the printed image. Shutterbug doesn't quite begin to describe my infatuation with photos. Perhaps photographer or (wannabe) photojournalist would do me better justice, though borderline obsessive with my and the work of others.
Last weekend, I ventured down to North Cove (near Westport, Wash.) with my aunt Sandi for the '30 miles of Junque,' a weekend-long garage sale extravaganza. I wasn't really looking for items to further my photo fetish (yeah, yeah, wrong term, but, hey, it sounded good), but that's exactly what happened.
Saturday morning, while dodging heavy rain and hail, Aunt Sandi and I visited a sale in North Cove, where we found an abundance of photography equipment, the majority mainly for darkroom use. I scored with a film loader, printing trays, enlarger filters, squeegee board, flashbulb attachment, Super 8 camera, portable strobe, and an antique slide projector.
Of course, that's only half of it . . . maybe.
Later that day found us buying a Kodak Dualflex with flash attachment and antique Polaroid cameras at sales in Ocosta, an 8mm projector from my former P.E. teacher vacationing in North Cove, and in Grayland an Ansco developing set and an antique movie projector that Aunt Sandi believes originated from a theater.
Sunday's sales brought a High 8/Super 8 projector at an early sale in Westport, as well as a surprise encounter with an antique darkroom at a home in Grayland. Once belonging to former National Geographic photographer Dell Murkey, the new owners allowed Aunt Sandi and me to explore the cluttered room. She scored with two metal, old fashioned-looking trays plus a "pin-up" (actually, some chick in a swimsuit holding fishing gear on the beach) for her husband, Ron. I, myself, found a tall, glass beaker, negative holder, projector bulb, Tri-X and Vericolor 12 film older than me, color printing paper, D-76 developer, Hypo Check, and a variety of flashbulbs, large and small. Not bad for a darkroom so old it boasts bottles of formaldehyde.
So, what does all this acquired stuff have to do with my photography? Well, it's put me much closer to possessing everything necessary to print my own pictures – minus the chemicals, tongs, and an appropriate room to house it all. Not that all this stuff will help me to become a better photographer; that comes only with practice, one thing I continue to do in abundance.
Well, that is, once I find steady employment, whatever than may be. So, if you're looking for a photographer, then look no further. I have seven years worth of training, plus college photojournalism, children's portrait and two weddings worth of experience. My equipment of choice includes a Minolta XG-M, Rollei TLR and Fuji FinePix. In addition to the cameras, I have a set of professional strobes, nine-foot background, some springtime props, three fill lights, and a variety of lenses and respective filters to fit any need.
So, look me up and check me out. Samples of my work can be accessed from the main page of this Web page. Otherwise, email me. (SERIOUS INQUIRIES ONLY!)
Oh, and I'll be the one replying, "will shoot for food."
Copyright © 2004, Talia M. Wilson
posted: Sept. 23, 2004
since Sept. 23, 2004.