31 July 2011

weekend



Cannon Ball!

Pretty dreamy weekend! They call Yakima the Palm Springs of Washington, and now I know why. My sister, cousin Sophi and myself had such a lovely time at our aunt and uncle's place. We were only there for one night, but being that the surroundings, climate and lifestyle are so far removed from my life in Seattle, it felt like much longer. Upon our arrival we immediately clamored into our suits and jumped into the pool, where we spent a few hours laughing and splashing around. Our uncle, being the wonderful host that he is, served us iced coffees and PB&J sandwiches poolside - perfect for a hot, summer afternoon lunch. I sun-dried on the patio in the 90 degree heat whilst reading my book (The Unbearable Lightness of Being, by Milan Kundera) and occasionally got up to roam around and take some pictures. The next morning, just as rumored, Unc made a perfect breakfast of blueberry pancakes, eggs, bacon, coffee and orange juice. It was such a peaceful and relaxing time; a perfect mini-vacation. Needless to say, I'll be making every effort to return as often as possible!

I tried using 200 speed film for the roll that I took during our visit and have found that I much prefer it to 400. It produces much softer photographs and prettier colors, whereas 400 is grainy and at times quite dull (I think). I loved just about every picture from the roll I took in Yakima, although that also can probably be attributed to the subjects and landscapes that were so easily available to capture. I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. I'm pretty excited to get better at this.


14 comments:

  1. Those are some damn good photographs

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  2. Whaaat! Really?? That sure means a lot coming from you. Thank you!

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  3. beautiful pictures Alyson!
    That place seems so peaceful, it reminds me a little bit of Castilla La Mancha,
    the place where I'm from here in spain,the landscape is so similar :)
    Enjoy the rest of your summer <3

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  4. Thank you! I am planning to go to Spain sometime next year, I am so excited to see your country. It sounds like it's simply amazing.

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  5. real into the photos.  good job lady.

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  6. these are so dreamy!

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  7. smoooch. love you, girl!

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  8. Thank you, Stephanie! I'm having so much fun with my new camera. 

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  9. First of all, I'm also in love with your photos. But had a question...what kind of lens are you using?

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  10. I found this camera on ebay and it came all the way from Bulgaria with a Soligor MC 28-55 Macro lens, which is a name I am not at all familiar with. From what I gather, Soligor is a Japanese brand made in the 50s-70s. They don't seem to be made any longer, but can still find them on ebay, I don't know anything about them, except that mine works well for me!

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  11. Awesome. I recently bought a canon av-1 on ebay........after admiring your pictures so much! Just the body though so I'm looking at lenses now. Thanks for sharing the info!!!

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  12. Sure thing! I'm certain any Canon lens you can find would be a great choice. I plan to invest in other lenses soon myself.

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  13. if your camera allows it, you can set your iso to 200 with 400 in it and your colors will be a bit more fuller, with less grain as well. i say this because i've found it's a good way to work with 400 especially when i find it's still what's in my camera and i'm going from dimly lit rooms to brightly lit outsides. you can lower the iso with any speed, too. (100 for 200, 50 for 100, etc). 

    but if you're happy with what works then please don't change a thing, because these pictures are outstanding. the huge sky and small horizon is something i've always liked. yours here are great.

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  14. Oh this is a great tip - I had no idea. Thanks Luke, keep 'em comin!

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