fotonomous: October 2010

Friday, October 29, 2010

TRAVELING THE MOTHER ROAD, ROUTE 66 POLAROIDS BY LYDIA MARCUS

In February 2009, I traveled Route 66 from Los Angeles to Kingman AZ and hit a bunch of small towns too (Oatman AZ, Amboy CA, Barstow CA, Newberry Springs CA). I photographed nearly 150 Polaroids with my Polaroid SLR 680 SE and 600 Film. I nearly killed the camera in Yucca AZ when it got wet during outdoor shooting in light rain. The camera completely seized up and wouldn't even focus. Luckily letting it sit overnight in my warm Hill Top Motel room (a historic Route 66 motel in Kingman AZ) did the trick to dry out the sensitive circuit board.

Nearly 80 of the best Polaroids from that trip have been selected for my first Blurb book: Traveling The Mother Road, Route 66 POLAROIDS by Lydia Marcus. The book features historic Roy's Motel in Amboy, classic cars and trucks in Barstow, Route 66 motels in Kingman, AZ, wild Burros in Oatman, AZ, kitsch aliens in Yucca, AZ, neon and road signs, and much much more. Check out the preview below. Books can be ordered directly through Blurb.

Traveling The Mother Road, Route 66 POLAROIDS by Lydia Marcus |

Monday, October 18, 2010

THE COMPOSER

Digital Photo Academy offers free Lensbaby workshops around the country. Lensbaby are known for their lenses that give a "sweet spot of focus surrounded by graduated blur." I took one of the classes in Los Angeles taught by George Simian. For the three hour seminar, we were loaned Lensbaby's top of the line model, the Composer. I already own a Lensbaby 2.0 but haven't used it much. The Composer costs more than the 2.0 (now known as the Muse) - $270 vs $100/150 (plastic/glass lens) but the Composer is MUCH easier to use and offers a lot more control. With the 2.0 or Muse you have to constantly squeeze and bend the lens to focus, while the Composer allows you to twist in a focus spot and keep it there hands free. I think the Composer is definitely worth the extra dough and if it had been manufactured when I decided to purchase my Lensbaby, I definitely would have bought the Composer instead. But if you like a LOT of unpredictability and variety in your photos, the 2.0 or Muse may be perfect for you.
- Lydia Marcus