Defrost 03/11/10

Chicago is in defrost mode and the snow is becoming little more than ground water and memories.  Rain has taken over the precipitation spotlight, setting up shop over the city, where it plans to remain for at least another week.

Today’s commute pictures come courtesy of my new Holga, an odd little all-plastic camera similar to the Diana camera.  Yes, that last picture is a pack of Huskies accidentally double exposed over the bike path.  Seeing what comes out is fun, although dropping the film off during lunch and picking it up after work is a hassle. (Check out Quaint Living for some fantastic lomo pictures from a similar camera.)

You don’t get experiences like this in a car. Long live the bike commute – rain or shine!

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  • http://via-velo.blogspot.com/ Hayley

    oh these are LOVELY! i particularly like the one of Chicago as well as the shot of Betty. The style is so very evocative!

  • Tricia

    Great pictures…I always knew I lived in a fantastic city. I have been having bike fever…as soon as I have a day off I am out for a ride.

  • darren

    ohhhh love the lomo pictures! first one and last one my favs! love the “wolf spirits” captured on film :P

  • http://www.sixorangecarrots.wordpress.com beth

    hi hi,

    here from lovely frolic, with a link to a vintage radio bike that you may just fall in love with. Not only does it play music, it comes with a battery the size of the one in my Honda Fit. I love it so…

    bike!

  • http://www.bike-bliss.com/ Cherilyn

    The image of the huskies imposed over the skyscrapers is almost not to be believed. Nice shootin’, Dottie!

  • http://lovelybike.blogspot.com Lovely Bicycle!

    Yes, you are being pulled into the world of film! : ))

    Beautiful Holga shots.

  • http://www.imaginarybicycle.wordpress.com Emma J

    I love these pictures – they feel so old. Bike with cityscape is wonderful and the ghosty ferris wheels – mmm!

  • http://www.johnnelsonphotographer.com/blog John Nelson

    cool holga pix. I think my favorite is “kebob”. I still love film. It is a bit of a hassle processing it, but don’t you prefer the anticipation and excitement of film to the instant gratification of digital? The holga adds an extra bit of serendipity. For me, it reminds me of the difference between riding a bike and driving a car. They are both modes of transportation but one is more enjoyable and filled with the unexpected than the other.

  • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

    @John Nelson – Yes, the anticipation and excitement is fun and the product is worth the hassle. I’m in love with the look of film. I also shot a roll of 35mm film with my mother in law’s 1970′s SLR that she gave me, but the lab told me the sprockets were torn and the machine could not pull it through. I called a more specialized lab about hand processing, but they said it probably would not be possible due to the torn sprockets. I don’t know why, and I’m super disappointed.

  • http://www.johnnelsonphotographer.com/blog John Nelson

    @dottie is it bw film? I hand process my bw film. Torn sprockets are a big problem. If you wanted to take a chance on me completely screwing up your film, I could see if I might be able to salvage at least some of the film. if you wanted to email me directly and give me more details. we could figure out if it’s worth you sending the film to me.

  • katie

    Dottie – lovely pictures, as always!!

  • http://letsgorideabike.com Trisha

    I just learned to do some effects like these in Photoshop. Cool to see the same thing SOOC! I kind of miss developing film; now I rarely even print my photos. Next time I visit, I’m bringing my Canon Rebel and getting a lesson or two. :)

  • http://letsgorideabike.com Dottie

    @John Nelson – Thanks for the kind offer! The film is color, though. I can learn to let go of the roll. Although I felt good about the pictures I took, it was really just a test roll to see how the camera worked. Hopefully the torn sprockets is not a problem that this camera will always have.

  • http://des08.blogspot.com/ Des

    These photographs are cool. Excellent work.

  • http://freckleddiaries.typepad.com Catherine

    Cool! I have a Holga, and I must admit that I’ve taken about 5 rolls over the past two years (many of which were on a trip to SE Asia)–and never got them developed! I don’t know of a place locally that does that format, and I keep forgetting to send them into this mail order place.

    Thanks for the reminder, now I can’t wait to see what my two (plus) year old vacation photos look like!

  • http://cyclizenj.blogspot.com/ CyclizenJ

    Nice! Magic as the bike can be…

  • http://velo-city-girl.blogspot.com Lady Vélo

    Beautiful shots! I love using my Holga, as the results are wonderful – as illustrated by your fabulous pictures!

  • http://Lalipourie.blogspot.com Laurie H

    These pictures are great!