Saturday, January 24, 2015

(Not) Just Another Day - Part II

It was like a lot of days I have off work. Started out kind of lazy and uneventful, but ended up being a pretty good day. I actually slept in, something I don't often do, even in winter and never during summer. I started off working on a photo project I've had in mind for a while, and was pleased with the outcome. You can see the results on my Facebook page under "Album Cover Portraits" or at www.rodea.weebly.com . Nothing uniquely original or visually stunning, just an idea about looking at music history in slightly different way. And I'm happy to incorporate photography into my day any time I get a chance.
And I had another chance to do that as the result of  a meetup for lunch with a friend. She showed up with three old cameras and a Nat King Cole record. The cameras were to show and the record was to keep. I have some very awesome friends. She even let me take two of the cameras home on loan so I could check them out more closely. I just love these old vintage cameras! They're both German and date back to the early to mid 50s. One of them takes 135 film so no problem there, but the other uses 120. I do have a few spools of 620 for my old Kodak Duaflex but it may not be compatible with this Agfa camera so I might have to concentrate on the Voightlander Vito II. I found a manual online so I plan to familiarize myself as much as possible with this camera, then go out and find some usual (and hopefully some unusual) suspects to test it out.

Next it was on to one of my favorite places to just browse around. The Spearfish Main Street Antique and Collectibles Mini Mall. There is always something new and different to see, and always something that was there last time but that I missed seeing for some reason. Well, not for some reason, the reason is that there is just so much. I don't always buy something, but this time I did.

It wasn't this -

Or any of these -

Or this (even though instructions were included) -



It was this -
It's a poster of Polaroids taken by Linda McCartney, and was included with the 1973 Wings album Band On The Run. Believe it or not ... I don't have that record and didn't even know this poster was from that album. I had to look it up when I got home. I know! Right? But I guess I can't have them all. I just saw it on a metal stand in a cheap plastic frame and thought, "how cool is this." I think I even said that out loud.  Definitely worth the five bucks I paid for it. I'm thinking it might be perfect for another project similar to the album cover portraits mentioned above. The wheels are turning.
One other thing about that place ... there's a section about half way back that's like it's own little store. It's called GASP Studio. It's always decorated up nicely and always has some great antiques and art for sale. Check it out.

And if by any chance you want to... you know... check out the records, just turn left when you enter and go all the way to the back. That Hula album is probably still there. And it's a bargain at only $5.00. Who knows - you might even be able to talk them down a buck or two. Now that would be a deal.

   Roger O'Dea  1/24/2015