Here's a retro shot. One of my 2nd year art school courses was photography. I had a 35 mm Konica and took black and white pictures only. I had the whole kit & caboodle to develop my film. It was a tricky business of mixing the right ratio of chemicals, winding the unexposed film onto a spindle, fitting it all into a magic canister, and shaking it all up for a specified amount of seconds. This was done while shut away in a pitch black chamber the size of a broom closet. Not my favourite part of the process, being slightly claustrophobic. I must have been particularly anxious on the day I developed this film as it came out exceedingly grainy. Given the subject of the picture, though, I thought the (unintentional) effect added to the atmosphere.
A favourite album of mine during this time was by Jeff Beck. It's one of the few records I still have stashed up in the attic (but am too lazy to go to the top of the house right now to check the title). This tune isn't on the album but it's suitably short for a blog posting and one that I really like. I thought this picture would go well with the song's title, "Drown in my own Tears."
Hi Lynne! Just wanted to say hello and I love that photo! The grainy effect is gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteI love this music! The kind of blues that makes me think of The Big Easy. And the young woman with the kohl-rimmed eyes and downcast expression is definitely blues-y, pensive. A beautiful combination. The photo makes me feel that this lovely young woman is in Paris, melancholy, at a bistro with a checkered tablecloth, alone with her thoughts...
ReplyDeleteLouciao, I feel bad you couldn't hear my song! I hope you'll try again. It seems to be coming through for everyone; I did it through Blogger. I know several people did not get the Panpipes but that wasn't Blogger. I'll have to re-do that one. Thanks! LOVE xxox
Hi Rain: Great to know you're around. I like your new mysterious icon. (Noticed the withdrawal of Mtn. Mama.) I hope all is well with you. Thanks for popping in.
ReplyDeleteHi Margaret: I'm happy to hear your impression of this photo. I was worried that it might look like a cheesily staged self-portrait taken in a 3 storey walk-up in Vancouver's west end!
ReplyDeleteI loved your Saturday "song"--which agreed to pour through my speakers this time round.
Hey Lynne ! For me you hit a huge home-run with this one... right out of the ballpark ! I'm a little slow getting here, had to work yesterday and it turned into a late night as usual... but oooohhhhh, your grainy black and white is gorgeous ! What's there not to love about a little grain in black and white ??? I just posted a couple of pretty grainy b&w pieces today too. Anyway, your tired-waitres-single-mother-boozy-blues singer-jilted lover-dreaming artist in her short skirt, crossed legs, and décolleté top with the black vase counterpoint, with the bamboo wall behind her, check-tablecloth... love it ! Ooozing with mood ! Gosh, hope you have some more of your student photos to pull out of storage for us...
ReplyDeleteAnd the Jeff Beck piece is phenomenal. Well, he was phenomenal. This piece is fantastic... his picking style, his right hand action is astonishing. One piece I have loved for a long long time which he participates in is Blues Deluxe with Rod Stewart singing, of which there is a nice version here :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a7Fm-7N694o
But the thing that really killed me reading your post here, the title of the song you chose, "Drown in my own tears" ; I swear, not 15 minutes before I dropped in to see what you've been up to this weekend, I had just followed a link from someone who signed up to follow my blog, and ended up on another blog through theirs, and found this post :
http://connecticutaly.blogspot.com/2009/04/story-to-tell.html
If you read the inscription on the stone in the second photo you'll understand why your posted song title freaked me out... guess that is what serendipity means...
So, do drop by, I've invited everyone over for a drink this evening...
Hey man, thanks for the links. I'd forgotten that old Roddy can really belt out some convincing blues...when he's not singing about how sexy he is...and there's no one like Jeff Beck. I just love watching him handle his instrument in the video I posted (no puns intended!)
ReplyDeleteWeird, spooky, & interesting about the drowning in tears connection that you experienced--but when you have 260+ blogs to sift through, there are bound to be some co-inkydinks! (I hope you are familiar with that expression)
Salut!
At first glance I thought that was a photo of Phoebe Snow! It is a great photo, great mood. Looks like it was the end of a bloody long day and you had just found the only pub within staggering distnace and just polished off their last bottle!!
ReplyDelete260+ blogs ??? What ??? OMG, I think someone has hacked my password, and has been signing me up to follow strange blogs... gonna have to change that password !
ReplyDeleteHmmm, so now I'm really wondering... is it a self portrait ???
this is a great black and white pic ...
ReplyDeleteSaj: Pheobe Snow! Yeah, did she look like that? Will have to check out some old tunes on You Tube. Someone once said there was a likeness to Cleo Laine, but I think it was just the hair. A typical Saturday night at the Louciao Bistro--as far as I remember. ;-)
ReplyDeleteOwen--
ReplyDeleteIf you have 260+ "followers" does that make you some kind of a Blog Messiah? (I am not worthy!)
What do you mean, "Is it a self portrait"? Do you look like that?
Actually, I don't either. But I used to. Sort of... With lots of graininess added in...
Namaki: Always a pleasure to know you've stopped by. I'm glad you appreciated the photo. It's been a long time hidden away in the archives.
ReplyDeletePS. Saj--I did NOT look like Pheobe Snow! It was just an unfortunate 'fro!
ReplyDeleteOh sure, I bet you say that to all the boys! :-) Now, where's that drink you promised me....
ReplyDeleteBeautiful photo! I love the retro grainy effect. This blog looks like a lot of fun to explore, stimulating images and topics.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the follow and for the kind comment my way. Hope to see you soon in the little kitchen I call home. Always plenty of homemade food, good wine and fun conversation.
Ciao,
Lola
Blog Messiah ! Ha ha ! I've seen blogs that had 2700 followers, or 900, whatever; now that is getting into blog messiahood... for a while I was actively trying to see what it took to acquire followers, but in fact I think that is not a useful way to spend blogging time... having alot of followers doesn't mean they actually come and look at the blog more than once in a blue moon, if ever. Let alone leave a comment showing some level of interest...
ReplyDeleteSo, that was you... ! Well, hope you didn't mind the : your tired-waitres-single-mother-boozy-blues singer-jilted lover-dreaming artist in her short skirt, crossed legs, and décolleté top with the black vase counterpoint, with the bamboo wall behind her, check-tablecloth...
;-D
...well,at least dreaming artist wasn't too far off the mark!
ReplyDelete