November 2024 – Brooke's Blog

Truckin’

In late spring of 2005, before I knew my employment with the IBM PC Company would be transferred to Lenovo, my eldest son, following his freshman year at UNC Chapel Hill, enlisted in the U.S.M.C. Reserve without mentioning that to moi. He got an unforgettable summer at Parris Island, followed by assignment and drill with a Reserve Unit in Greensboro. But that’s not what this is about. It’s about a Chevy Work Truck.

Post Parris Island, he got an RA Job at UNC. So I didn’t have a Dorm bill. And I’d been abusing my wife’s Dodge Grand Caravan as household hauler. Which was an excuse to buy the 2005 Chevy Work Truck I’m still driving. With no intent of stopping. He got my 1997 Mercury Grand Marquis which lasted another 150K.

My 2005 had an M.S.R.P. of about 21k. Took it off the lot for 13.6K. With factory bed liner. A few months ago, back at the mother ship, Hendrick Chevrolet in Cary, service manager remarked “This is in really good shape!” Which it is.

Curiosity caused me to look up the price of a new one, 20 years on. Was astonished. Somehow, I found this “modern” version to be unnecessary:

Audio system, Chevrolet Infotainment 3 system 7″ diagonal HD color touchscreen, AM/FM stereo, Bluetooth audio streaming for 2 active devices, voice command pass-through to phone, Wireless Apple CarPlay and Wireless Android Auto compatibility.

Nah. I got windows that go up and down with a hand crank. Simple and old.

Like me.

My Black Friday

Fits my 1925 Kodak Brownie Model F. Shipping from the Netherlands.

Fits my Kodak No. 1 Junior Autographic with f7.7 Anastigmat 110mm lens. Shipping from Medina, Ohio.

Thankful

June 2016 – Wakefield High School Auditorium

The luxury of age is time, without demands. Today, while still surfacing from a nasty head cold and long before my slow cooker of really good collards are ready, I played a DVD of the Cary Ballet Conservatory Recital of June 2016, “Anastasia”.

I have it because I made a courtesy head shot of the Videographer, Jeff Philips at InFocusStudios. Watching it today, reminded me of just how lucky I was to find the right place for me, as a photographer. And it dusted off my memory, remembering their stories and families. I was extraordinarily lucky.

These two will renew your faith in humanity. And danced, wonderfully!

Oldie But Goodie

Found on eBay in Vancouver, WA. and delivered today (seller’s photo) Purchased for parts. Had one in better condition but someone (for good reason) had swapped out the Autographic Back. Ironically, this one had it’s original back swapped for an Autographic Back. I’ve restored balance to the Cosmos!

Kodak made these from 1914 to 1924, producing about 800 thousand. This Model, with the f7.7 Anastigmat lens, was $15 (about $478 today). The good part is, 120 film is still readily available. And explains my 4 rolls of Ektar 100 in the fridge. Yep, very fine grain color film in a camera designed for orthochromatic Black & White. It could work!

An original manual, dated June 1917, confirmed the number of the optional Portrait Attachment (3), essentially a diopter lens. Add to the camera’s lens and minimum focus distance is reduced from 8 ft. to 3 1/2 ft. with the 110mm lens. So, a head and shoulders portrait, like a head shot. Found one on eBay today, in the original metal case with instructions. Bought it. In today’s dollars, I paid the same as the 1917 price of fifty cents.

Stay tuned for the test shoot results before year end!

Better Than Chicken Soup

On the recovery side of a nasty head cold (yes, I’m current on Covid, Flu, Pneumonia and Pertussis vaccines), this was delivered today. Last time there, the Gift Shop didn’t have my size. The Paris Opera is a cherished memory and my late sweetheart’s chosen topic of the last lucid conversation we had. It was the 50th Anniversary performance of the Balanchine Ballet “Jewels”, in good loge seats and a fine late supper on Blvd. Hausmann before the Metro, back to our apt. in Marais. The memory and sweatshirt offer comfort. Like the “Cary Ballet Company” sweatshirt I’m wearing. A gift I’m proud of, from CBC.

The ABC’s

This is Public Domain and widely available for free as a PDF and ePUB. But there is something intimate across 100+ years, holding and reading a book.

Found this on eBay. About the same as a fast food meal but more satisfying.

One Day +23 + 89 Years Later…

Today, the Post Office delivered this eBay purchased, hard cover, Library Version, Twentieth Edition. Published in 1935. Tres moderne!

The Dewey Decimal (pre ISBN number) “770” was still on the spine, from the East Craftsbury, Vermont “John Woodruff Simpson” Memorial Library.

The book’s content, excepting the Kodak product pitches, isn’t very far from what I taught in my Basic Photography and Lighting Courses for the Towns of Cary & Clayton Parks & Rec..

2024 “Smartphone” users could learn from it! And “Make Good Pictures” 😉

Today’s Treasure

Today, the Post Office delivered this eBay purchased, soft cover version. It is, undated. Driven by curiosity and enabled by the freedom of time, found it’s a 1912 first edition! Shown above in a 1913 Kodak Advertisement contract directive, found at Eastman.org.

Which partially explains the Kodak No.1 Portrait Attachment for my Brownie No. 2 Model F that I found and bought on eBay today from a shop in the Netherlands. Been searching for weeks!

I’m guessing it’ll arrive about the same time as the new Melody Gardot CD that I pre-ordered. Good timing on my part! Before new tariffs on European goods 🙂