Sequence of events on a Sunday morning in Los Angeles:

01:07 A.M: Someone advertises 12 rolls of expired Fuji Neopan ASA 1600 on Craigslist for $20
01:56 A.M: I reply to the ad with my phone number.
02:01 A.M: Poster replies: “i’ll be home tomorrow after 1pm. come on by – just give me a ring when you’re on your way.”

*** Intermission, sleep, I align my stars.***

12:53 P.M. Oakland beats Tampa Bay, clearing the way for a meaningful Eagles game at 1:15. I will miss the start because I’m about to go get some film. I check my email for the phone number. Because, I’m on my way!
12:55 P.M. Email from seller ” hi michael – someone just came by and bought all my film. i’m sorry! -sam”

Only one thing to say at that point:

WTSIT??!!!??!!

Play song: “Jerked Around” – The Farmers

You’ve just finished a roll of Kodak 120 film. You pop open your camera, take out the roll, you reach for the roll of tape on your desk to seal it up while it waits to be processed. Except for me, I’m always out somewhere where there’s no tape dispenser.

I don’t know why Kodak rolls don’t give you a sticker, Fuji rolls finish up with a sticker. That’s cool. Kodak leaves you to fend for yourself.

I knew all this before today. But, when I went out to 7-11, but impulsively jumped on the metro to head downtown instead to shoot, I didn’t have anything resembling foresight. And, of course along the way I finished a roll of Kodak 160NC and took it out of the camera. I didn’t want it rolling around loose in my bag. But, I didn’t have any tape!

Or, did I.

When my wallet was stolen earlier this month, I decided to roll my own gaffer tape wallet. And, so I realized I could take out my wallet, tear off a small strip of the miracle restickable tape.

Done and done.

The sun is setting in Los Angeles. I’m on the 101 with the window rolled down and I’m cranking the stereo. A song that comes on the radio that absolutely: Blows. My. Mind. But, before I tell you what it is, you’ll need to know some background.

Earlier this morning, I see a post on Craigslist:

FILM!!! MEDIUM FORMAT 120 & 220 KODAK… $1 – (LOS ANGELES)

Date: 2008-12-22, 11:54AM PST

I HAVE A TON OF KODAK FILM THAT GETS LEFT OVER FROM MY PHOTO SHOOTS THROUGH OUT THE WEEK!!! I SELL IT FOR 1.25$ A ROLL.UNLESS YOU BUY 20+ROLLS ITS ONLY 1.00$ EACH!!! I CAN MAKE GREAT DEALS PLEASE CALL #(323)XXX-XXXX

Nice. I appreciate an ALL CAPS post like that, screaming a great deal at me. However, my beloved Mamiya 645E, she is broken. Of course she is. I get a fab new lens for this rad medium-format magicmaker and now, though I’ve been trying for weeks and replaced the battery, it won’t meter. Well it will meter. In dusky twilight: f4 at ASA 160? 1/15th of a second. Pitch black in my closet? 1/15th of a second. Shooting a solar flare? 1/15th of a second. Everything I throw at it says 1/15th second. That ain’t right. So, it’s a good thing I’m getting better at hand metering with my trusty L-208. But, still I’m bummed. The guy who sold me the lens did so under promise that I’d shoot like crazy. I’ve not done so, and I feel very guilty. He even threw in his lucky lens cap! I better start figuring out where I am gonna get this serviced.

Excerpt from a user review of the Mamiya 645E that helped convince me to buy it in the first place, just a few short months ago:

“I do all of my shooting from a tripod and don’t mind advancing roll film via the standard hand crank (yes folks film advance is manual, as is focusing and setting aperture)” – outdoorscenics.

Now, flash back to few weeks ago:

I just got the new 55mm lens for the Mamiya! It’s a wide beauty; I can scarcely be more excited. First, I have a love for good wide-angle photos. Barely less significant is that the lens came from a fantastic photographer and doubtlessly has scads of phojo (photo mojo) in it. I fit the lens to the body, make sure the A/M lever is set to ‘M’ since it’s a manual focus camera and off I go.

And, back to this afternoon:

Hmm, there’s the Mamiya user manual on my shelf. I wonder if it has anything useful about my light meter problem.

Excerpt from the Mamiya 645 manual:

Doh! I assumed from my EOS brainwashing what A meant. And, M meant. Ahhh! Sometimes you think you know, but you don’t know at all. RTFM! And now, the Mamiya, she works! I “fixed” her. Clever boy.

So, I call the guy in the Craigslist ad. I set up the meet in Silverlake. I go down and I pick up fifty-eight loose rolls of medium format Kodak film of all various awesomeness for fifty bucks. Less than a buck a roll. Now, I’m set for a good long while. I have no more excuses.

And, I’m driving back with my booty in a lightproof bag. I’m on the 101, the sun is going down in Los Angeles and everything is golden honey. Preset Number One is the bluegrass station and they kick into a down home Kentucky version of Silent Night: No sir! I am done with Christmas music. I hit up Preset Number Two (the seventies station) and what’s just starting?

This song.

Life’s a trip.

Play this now: “Satan Polaroid” – Idlewild

My sense of timing is impeccable. I figured now that Polaroid has stopped making any kind of instant film, now would be an awesome time to get a Polaroid back for a toy Holga camera when I saw it for cheap on Craigslist. A “back” allows you use Polaroid film with an existing camera.  I knew Polaroid film would start getting scarce. What I didn’t know was how scarce. The Holga+Polaroid (or Holgaroid) takes a slightly older format of Polaroid film called Type 80.

Type 80: It’s a delightful little “square” three and a quarter by three and three-eigths inches. It’s been called the size of perfection. For every twenty examples of Polaroid 600-series instant film, I’ve found only one source for Type 80. The last batch was made in 2007. No wonder the back was so cheap.

I picked up a measly six packs of film. Sixty possible photos. And, I wrecked two whole packs while I was fumbling around figuring out how it worked. I cursed the seller for dooming me. My friends can attest to how whiny I was as I muddled through, I cursed Polaroid for being so esoteric. Of course, that’s secretly why I wanted to try it at all.

So now, I’ve got it working. I love it, of course I do. Of course I do. I can even do double exposures with it.

I’ve got thirty-five Polaroid pictures left to take.  That’s a difficult concept to wrap my head around. I’ve taken thirty-five pictures in ninety seconds before. Will they be good? Will any of them be keepers, these blessed thirty-five? Who knows. Will I even have the guts to pull the trigger on my last pack? The thing about Polaroid peel-apart films is that they won’t last. They go bad quickly. There’s no point in saving it.

I can be sure of one thing: Shooting these last photos will be an interesting experience. I should learn something about finding the key moment. I should learn a little something about myself. Let’s go!

P.s. Just don’t shake it!

2008: The year I lost my girl, my job, my wallet, my phone, and my favorite camera.  Things will get better.

Click this: “One Too Many Blows To The Head ” – Dismemberment Plan

Photophlow Drinking Game
21 and over. Please drink responsibly.

If someone says “nice bokeh,” everyone drinks.

If someone posts an HDR pic, everyone drinks.

If someone complains about said HDR, the poster takes a extra drink.

If someone posts a macro eyeball, everyone drinks.
If it’s your eyeball, you take an extra drink.

If someone “New to photophlow” enters, everyone drinks and says hello.
If they leave without saying anything, that’s another drink.

If someone quotes you in the topic, you take a drink.

If someone says a certain camera or brand sucks, everyone drinks.
If you own said camera or brand, you take an extra drink.

If someone posts a kitten, everyone drinks.

If one of your pics gets 3 faves, you take a drink.

If someone browses your stream but doesn’t click anything, you take a drink.
If they go deeper than the first page, that’s one drink for every page with no click.

If you say goodbye to someone and it shows up after they leave, you take a drink.

If someone posts 3 pics in a row, everyone (except the poster) drinks.
If that person posted 3 of their *own* pics, everyone (except the poster) takes 3 drinks!

And, if someone says they made explore, everyone else drinks. Gah!

More ideas?

No, this isn’t serious. Please. (heh heh)

I love to read self-improvement blogs. They’re always filled with great insights and information that completely misses the point, written by people who exult in telling you how this stuff works without actually understanding why. They didn’t get where they are by “tackling the tough tasks first” or “putting a to-do list next to the phone to complete tasks while on hold.” The authors of such advice have already mastered the real question: How to care.

On procrastination:

Oddly enough, I think the film Grosse Pointe Blank is partly responsible for how easily I slip into procrastination. Martin Blank has a target to assassinate that he continually puts off while pursuing Debbie, his love-interest. After avoiding the task again and again, he finally sits down to do it, and as he opens the dossier he says to himself, “You’re a handsome devil. What’s your name?” That line is a subtle recall to an earlier scene where he visits his Alzheimeric mother, who forgets who he is. John Cusack’s delivery of writer Tom Jankiewicz’s brilliant line so completely characterizes the moment of complete bottom-rung despair that is often the true spur to action. When things get so bad that taking care of business is the only bearable option left, that’s when some of us get things done. No, it ain’t healthy or a recipe for success, but Cusack made it so freakin’ cool.  So, when I reach that point, if you listen closely you’ll hear me say “You’re a handsome devil. What’s your name?”

Play this song right now: “Start Today” – Gorilla Biscuits

Just because I like graphs, especially ones with huge spikes: Here’s the effect on my Flickr stats for when one of my photos got featured on LAist.com and subsequently in Flickr’s Interestingness archives.Superstar!

Now, it’s back to obscurity for the time being. But, it’s a good excuse to play this old classic…

Song of the Day: “I’m In Love With A Girl Named Spike” – Skankin’ Pickle

Song of the Day: “If The Sea Was Whiskey” – Willie Dixon

The bad times just ain’t go no quit in ‘em.