Playing with the Lensbaby 2.0

I've had a Lensbaby 2.0 for atleast a year now and I've just now gotten around to taking it out for an afternoon.  I've seen some beautiful photographs made with one of these things, both landscapes and still lifes.  I am no where near controlling this thing like I'd like to, but I'm having fun playing with it.

Here's a little video made by the inventor that shows how to use the Lensbaby that I have:

The Lensbaby website also has some videos and a gallery, so you can see what a photographer who knows what she's doing can do with it.  I need way more time with this little toy!

Love at First Sight

1939 Pontiac Coupe

Have you ever fallen in love with an inanimate object?  I can honestly say I have in the past - an old windup clock, a gauzy vintage dress from the 1920's, an antique armoire.  Usually, I fall in love with things I can just barely afford or can somehow scrape cash together to take it home with me.  But this time was different.  This is a 1939 Pontiac Coupe that I spotted at the Good Guys Lone Star Nationals at the Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth last weekend.   I'd never been to a car show like this one!  There were muscle cars, beautiful old cars from the fifties, bigger than you could ever imagine station wagons, an old school bus and my new favorite - the rat rods.  I swear, by the time I left that place at the end of the day I had a "happy headache".  And I had an ache in my heart because I had to walk away from this beauty.



Love the cracks in the steering wheel.



Isn't this hood ornament perfection?



You can see the famed Silver Streak in this shot.



Love the simplicity in the design here.

The sign on the car read:

1939 Pontiac Coupe

Barn Find, Always Garaged

6 Cylinder

Original Motor, Doesn't Run

$6,500.00

Donald Greer

(817) 228-1411

Gosh, if I just had a spare $6,500 stashed somewhere.....  And a friend who is a mechanic....  And the extra cash it would take to get it to run....   Yeah, that would be awesome!  I can see myself driving this lovely machine.

Here's a little history about Pontiac from Edmund's:

Pontiac originated as the Oakland Car Company of Pontiac, Michigan, in 1907; it was founded by Edward Murphy. Acquired by General Motors in 1909, Oakland introduced the first Pontiac vehicle in 1926. Dubbed the "Chief of the Sixes," the car was powered by a six-cylinder engine and made its debut at that year's New York auto show. It was so successful that the Oakland name was phased out in favor of Pontiac, the name of an 18th-century chief of the Ottawa Indians. Throughout the 1930s and '40s Pontiac made coupes, sedans and wagons in the low-to-mid price ranges. A unique styling cue of Pontiac cars from the mid-'30s to the mid-'50s was known as "Silver Streak," a set of art-deco-inspired chrome "speed lines" that ran up over the length of the hood to the base of the windshield.

Well, a girl can dream, right?  I mean, that's where it all begins in a dream.

Vintage Car Emblem Collages

They're finished and listed for sale in my shop!  I had them printed today at 12" x 12" each.  SO cool!  When You put all four together, they're really something!  Here they are.  Just click on the title to go to the listing:

The LTD

The Cougar

The Riviera

The Futura

I still can't believe I had all these!  Have a wonderful weekend! 

Hello, It's Me...

Yes, I'm back. Back from a break from the computer, my desk but not from my camera. I just had to take some time to live in the moment and see things for what they really are, go for walks, do nothing - find some PERSPECTIVE. And I did.

I promise not to go away again without explanation. Promise. ;)

While away, I read the most fantastic, amazing, beautiful book: "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" by David Wroblewski. This writer has made me fall in love with words and stories again. Yes, I did plow through those Sookie Stackhouse books, one after another, like a big bag of Snickers. But this book has so much depth and such beautiful writing.... it was like savoring nice piece of very fine dark chocolate. When I finished the book, I was completely satisfied. Though, the next day I dearly missed the characters. I hear he's writing a prequel, and I'm waiting.

During my break, I also made a trip to vintage car/rusty heap heaven: CTC Auto Ranch in Denton, Texas.

These are a few of the shots I got that day. I still haven't processed all of them. If you want to see more, check my "Auto Ranch" set on my Flickr.

Okay, time for a little perspective:

Now, don't you feel better? I do.

Front Page! YAY!

Yay! My Rusty Trunk photo made the front page on Etsy in cricketapollo's beautiful treasury! Thanks so much, cricketapollo. What a wonderful way to END a weekend!