A Summer's Eve

October 09, 2018 by Colin Kubarych

Once upon a Summer’s Eve I dusted off an Olympus 35 RC.

Her stature small, tiny and compact The perfect size to not distract.

Candid moments, I chased. Around town, we raced.

From over here to over there, We went everywhere, we went nowhere.

I caught some shots and missed a few But all in all a sweet rendezvous.

For hanging out and connecting with friends Is all that matters in the end.

So today I sit in reverie Fondly remembering that Summer’s Eve.

Camera: Olympus 35 RC

Lens: E. Zuiko 42mm f/2.8

Film: Tri-X 400, pushed to 800

Note: The film advance on this camera is a little sticky, so it makes for some super cool double and triple exposures.

And to Think, It Was All Just a Dream

September 07, 2018 by Colin Kubarych

A few months back, I found my dad's old Minolta SRT 101 sitting comfortably, but sadly, unused on his closet shelf. 'A new old toy,' I thought as snatched it up from its quiet resting place, nearly dropping it as I was reminded of its heft. I held it in my hands, rotating for inspection.

Lens looks good. Light meter dead. Focus ring still works. Film, ISO 3200, 5 exposures taken.

Whoa, cool. 31 exposures left, let's see what happens.

The resulting gallery is exactly what I mean when I say 'The Romance of Film'. The negatives developed in a weirdly dark manner but with some Lightroom magic I was able to find some light within.

The camera captures the moment and film interprets it. This gallery has a dreamy quality that reminds me of the nature of memory- pliable, flexible, mutable. The moment I saw through the lens- vibrant, sunlit and full of color- interpreted through this film as grainy, dark and faded. Romance, indeed.

And to think, it was all just a dream... One fantastic hallucination.

Camera: Minolta SRT 101

Lens: Minolta Rokkor-X 50mm f/1.7

Film: Ilford Delta 3200, expired

With The Wild Ones

August 30, 2018 by Colin Kubarych

Ah, birthdays- another cycle around the sun. A simultaneous beginning and end. A day to reflect, scheme, dream and celebrate.

Ol' Boots turned 31 this year and at his request, we gathered in the enchanted canyon of West Clear Creek. There were no birthday challenges this year, no striving to keep age at bay, no desire to prove that the old boy's still got it. Instead, we laughed. We played. We photographed. We celebrated- not just the birth of one, but the gathering of many in a sacred place.

The best gift you can give to others, to yourself, is space to just Be...

And it's not a post about Boots without some wisdom from the Tao:

"Those who understand others are clever, those who understand themselves are wise."

Camera: Nikon FM2,

Lens: Nikkor 50mm f/1.4D AF (manual focus, of course :))

Film: Kodak Portra 400

Ponderosa Morning

April 28, 2018 by Colin Kubarych

This buffalo has been burning white hot lately and the upcoming stories will show you why. I went on a work run from late January until middle April starting in California, jumping the Pond to England, venturing to "El Fin de Mundo" in Argentina and capping it off (oooo, a little dome joke in there for ya) on the Mid-Atlantic in Maryland. What a trip. I saw, I drew, I dreamed and I documented plenty.

But how to start the story? While mulling this question over, I realized that I have been thinking about this website too linearly. Keeping a true timeline of events is a little too practical for what I'm after. So, the story starts in media res with my return back to Flagstaff and some much needed time off. Maybe even enough time to actually catch all the way up...

I returned to Flag swirling in creative energy and found that Ally and The Homie Jack were doing the same. Interesting stuff is in the works and it was pretty cool to be gone for so long while feeling like I never left. In fact, our creative energies conspired through the distance. Quantum energy...

I shot this short set while we enjoyed a lazy morning among the Ponderosa. It's a set that reminds me of exactly what it's all about...connection. There is an ease with which we all hang out and the more we do it, the more appreciative I become.

Enjoy!

Meet Me Under the Joshua Tree

March 28, 2018 by Colin Kubarych

Well, well. Here we are. It's been some time and while I have not kept up with my self imposed goal of one post a week, the internet at the End of The World would not allow for such vigorous picture uploading. As I slowly make my way northward, connection to the wider world has improved (for better of worse) and thus, it's story time.

Only, there's not too much of a story with this one. In mid-December, Ally, The Homie Jack and I made a quick little trip to Joshua Tree for a solid day of R&R. This trip did mark my first as the official title holder of The Mothership so it was nice to take her out, let her see the world (although she's an old hat in the travel game) and have some friends over. We drank loads of coffee, made warm soups and ventured through the psychedelic world of Joshua Tree's landscape.

All in all a wonderful trip and if you had told me a year ago that I would travel to Joshua Tree and not put on rock shoes in any capacity, I'd have called you crazy. Well, you're not crazy and now it seems that I am more at home in the land of f-stops, film speeds and nailing that perfect bokeh. Times change and what else is there to do but enjoy the ride. (Best done with a coffee in hand while hanging from an air chair.)