February 13th, 2011
Analog 52
Well I’m afraid that being totally honest in my photography journey we have to start with… the ugly! I took my Diana with me on our road trip to the west coast and back last summer, and I had some really amusing results. A few of them were actually pretty cute, but they were 100% accidental and I don’t want to mis-represent my starting point.
This was taken in Seattle at sunset on the balcony at our bed and breakfast in Capitol Hill. We were about to have an amazing evening- we found a great local brewery and had the most amazing ice cream, and I think the next day was our breakfast with my sweet friend Moorea!
But of course you can’t tell that from the almost totally black frame! lol
This week I’m starting a fresh roll of film (and my learning) in earnest, and my first note to self? Leave the evening shots to the pros!
Evening shots are hard no matter what camera you’re working with, and I can’t imagine trying it out on a camera like the Diana.
Oh! And the outline of your tattoo looks ah-mazing!!
I’m a first-time commenter and just wanted to say that I love your blog! I got a Holga a month or two ago, and I’m so nervous to get my first rolls developed! Despite all of the tips and tricks I read and YouTube videos I watched, I am ready to be disappointed. Good luck to you!
Even though this is a mess up, I kind of love it. I love it even more though because you took it in Seattle<3
woot woot! that was such a special day getting to meet you in my favorite breakfast place! who would have imagined we would end up working together for Freckled Nest! and now you are a co-owner!!!!! what what!!!! I am so proud of you Kyla. and I feel so lucky to be your friend :) xo xo.
ps, the Analogue 52 banner photograph is SO DAMN cute. I love your black outlined arm against the yummy colors of the blanket. soooo pretty.
xo Moo
Ya, not going lie, my first Diana Mini shots were a mess. I’m finally getting the hang of it, but night shots and indoor shots are ones I will for sure be staying away from. Haha.
It still has a pretty sky and a kinda mysterious air with the dark silhouette so it might not have been intentional but its FUN!
Oh, goodness – this is such a rad lil journey of yours, because I would totally have done the same black shot, accidentally! lol. At least the memory behind it is still there, yeah? :) Can’t wait to see the next batch of photos!
nice arm!!!
To be honest, I think the shot is beautiful! Dark, but the sky, the hue and the slight outline of your hair is lovely.
Also, may I say I love your short hair? It’s partly because of you that I was brave enough to cut my hair short. I have always been feminine (though a tomboy as well :P) and I was worried I just wouldn’t look very soft and girly with short hair. I saw your pictures, thought you looked adorable and so… I had my wife cut my hair and I LOVE IT!
Girl, I am WITH YOU! I’m seriously sitting here scanning 3 rolls from last summer and 95% of them are AWFUL! haha…i was so so happy when I went online–so frustrated–and saw your post. We’ll learn together!
Every new toy comes with a “learning curve”…. I think it’s fantastic that you’re going to document this learning curve here on your blog by showing us your beginner photos. It’s going to be exciting to see how your pictures are going to improve over time!! :)
Haha. It’s all about trial and error. I can’t wait to see what more you come up with!
Kyla,
I agree with ace! Even though the photo is dark you can tell that the sky is really really pretty. I love photography. Good Luck with the rest of your picture taking.
Tanya
You should see some of the terrible photos I’ve taken with my Holga so far…out of three rolls of 120 film I have genuinely liked four photos. It’s all a huge learning curve. And yeah, like Lauryn said, it’s all about figuring out the lighting and the limitations of the camera.
Definitely don’t be too hard on yourself, because understanding how lighting works is basically mastering photography :) After all, the word photography literally means “light writing.” This experiment is going to teach you so much. Before long you’ll be blowing us all away with your great photos!
The sky looks so pretty (^_^) Even though it’s very dark, it’s lovely how everything has taken on that blue hue. Looking forward to reading all about your project adventures!
Love your honesty here, lady. Not everyone would have posted that first shot, instead choosing one of the good looking flukes :) Good for you, hey. Can’t wait to see where you go from here!