Cameras and Referral Sites

          When Jenna told me her assignment was on camera history, I smiled as I had recently touched on that same subject in class discussion post that I briefly mention here.  I ended up with this thought on digital cameras versus film:

       " The digital camera was made available to the public in 1988 (Ternholm, 2007).  Before the start of the 21st Century,  I had known several people who had tried to sway me into the perks of having/owning digital.  I don't remember all the reasons I had for sticking with my 35mm and rolls of film, but one of the reasons was because I had convinced myself that the picture quality was better from the film than the digital results.

        "It wasn't until our family had an opportunity of hosting a foreign exchange student that I was "swayed" to the perks that a digital camera could provide.  My "son" would take several pictures and post them to a blog that he had created.  I had had the option of retrieving copies of pictures I had taken with my 35mm.  If I put in the right code, I could view them online and even save them to the computer if I chose.  It was nice to have that option, but the quality really wasn't there.

        "I received my first digital camera in 2006.  I found many perks to a digital camera that weren't available on my 35mm.  Not only was the quality better when I viewed it on the computer, but I could view all pictures before they would be "developed".  I had the option of deleting the ones I didn't want and would not have to pay for a lot of dumb pictures I wasn't able to view until after they were developed.  Digital feels like less of a gamble and less of an expense than does film.  Taking thousands of pictures without having to change film was the deal breaker.  I love the digital camera." 

          I was not at home when Jenna returned from school yesterday as I had a dentist appointment in Riddle.  Yesterday morning I had taken time look up a few references related to the camera and had also written down my own memories - none of which she used.  Instead, she went with my initial suggestion to interview Bill and was on the phone with him when I returned back from the dentist.

          She wanted to start her paper off with a humorous introduction and went with " I want to take up photography as it is the only job you get to shoot people and cut their heads off without getting arrested."  My suggestion had been to ask the question "Why is it that people didn't smile in early photographs?" but I am happy that she made her own choice - as the quote does capture her personality.

          I had read an article on the TIME website here that provided two possibilities of reasons why people didn't smile in the early 19th century photographs.  The first had nothing to do with the camera, but the second possibility was the one I had been looking for that the long process of loading the film and taking the picture was just too long for sitting still - let alone wearing a smile for that length of time.

          She barely touched on the subject of people not smiling and heavy equipment used only by professional photographers.  Mostly she ended up quoting everything that Bill had told her.  Meanwhile, I had suggested my own memories of cameras and film.  As she did not include any of my memories in her report, I will post them here.

          First I went through some names of inventors and original invention found here before starting in with the memories, the first was from my mom.  She was telling me about a red box camera that her father had used.  She said she recalls that he would go into the closet every time he had to change the film.    Not a whole lot of pictures were taken, but we do have some.

Grandma Mary, Uncle John and my mom about 1943

in San Francisco

 

          I don't recall my first camera or how many cameras total.  I know that both Patrick and I had our own cameras when Kayla was a baby as she was often the subject of our pictures.

 We had a Polaroid at one time.  Those even harder to keep in the photo album than those tacky corners.  In 1978 my parents bought me a colorburst camera. 

came with its own rainbow strap.  How cool is that?

It was cool to get instant pictures, but again, the bulkiness of the photos themselves.  I remember scanning in several photos and do know that Polaroids were among them but cannot seem to retrieve any at this time except for this one that I found on my brother's facebook page

 The camera was available for only two years and discontinued as Polaroid had brought a lawsuit against Kodak which evidently took years to resolve with a heavy fine which Kodak had to pay to Polaroid found here, here and here.

         

          I remember Kodak had sent out discount coupons or certificates or something to compensate their customers who had purchased the colorburst.  I remember purchasing a disc camera.  It is the one that I used while on my mission here.

         

          When I worked at Patrick Dry Goods, I had purchased and several lenses.  I think it was the only camera I had owned that wasn't solely automatic.  I had fun experimenting with the lenses, but it was short-lived.

          Throughout the years I've had many cameras including these two:

probably my first with built-in flash

I had purchased this for durability.  I figured it was a tough camera.  As a leader, I took it to YW camp

 

          Even though digital was available before I was married, I did not have my first digital camera until after Jenna was born.  The digital camera doesn't seem to built to last, however. I am currently on my 5th camera in the last twelve years.  My first camera was a used sony, and actually the best camera of the ones I had.  It died after 6,000 plus pictures.  Every other one has lasted less than four years.  I'm hoping my current camera may outlast them all. It has a lot more features and is the biggest digital camera that I've owned.

          It is said that there have been over 40 camera brands and over 2,000 models.  I have tried at least seven brands throughout my life.  I lost track of how many cameras I have gone through.  The camera truly is a great invention.

Modern Technology

         

I am younger than the rotary phone though older than the cordless and definitely older than the cell phone. 

Roland often used to get unwanted possessions from his clients – one being an old rotary phone.  He brought it home one day and called the boys together.  There was an extra jack in Tony’s room and Roland hooked the phone up and brought it out into the hall and told the boys that they could leave it in the hall so that they would all have access to it and wouldn’t have to run into the kitchen every time.

I remember the three boys standing around the phone – first with their eyes on the phone and then exchanging puzzled looks with one another until finally one of them asked, “How does it work?” 

Until then it hadn’t even dawned on me that what had been very routine for me growing up really was a foreign object to these boys who were not much younger than the cell phone.  How would they know?

And I LOVE the GPS.  What a great invention!  Especially for those of us who are truly directional challenged. 

I am grateful for early inventions.  The camera.  I was raised on the kind that required film.  There are a few advantages that film have over digital.  But the thing I like most about digital is being able to view the picture before it is “developed” 

I am grateful to the light bulb – though not as modern of an invention.  It is truly wonderful to have. Plastic bottles are also nice.

I like being able to ask the computer a question and having a wide variety at my fingertips.  I am grateful to have a library where I can borrow the computer and check out books.  I am grateful for learning.

I often feel that we have come too dependent on these modern joys.  When the electric power supply (which I’m also grateful for) goes out, there is a major downfall in the system.  Can’t go shopping (at least not in the area where I live) you can’t check out books, even driving itself becomes a big hassle.

God bless the inventors who have given us such wonderful modern equipment!  I thank him for the inspiration and for those who acted upon that inspiration.

Thank you for the Crock Pot

         
         Aside from disposable dishes, I am really quite grateful to the inventor of the Crock Pot.  What an awesome invention!  To be able to throw in food and have it done by dinner time!  And the meat is always tender and juicy and oh, so good.  So much better than the oven.

          The first crock pot that I have recollection of was a red orange one my mom had purchased shortly after this wonderful item was introduced to the market.  We didn’t have the option of removing the incert as we have today.  There was no insert.  It was just one unit.  The cord went in the sink as we attempted to clean it without getting the cord wet.  (What a chore that was)

          Today crock pots come in assorted styles and gadgets.  Roland and I have one that is oblong shaped and with settings for low high or warm.  We can take the dish part out of the heating divise.  We can leave it on low all day. We can have dinner ready even before he comes home.

          Crock pots are SO COOL!  You don’t even need an entire kitchen for a crockpot.  I really like that!

Paper Dishes: making Life easier

I would like to thank the inventor (or inventors rather) who created disposable dishes.  Paper plates and cups, plastic flatware, aluminum pans – though not yet invented for the stove top – at least that I know of.

          I don’t mind doing dishes – but I don’t thrive on it.  It does irk me quite a bit when I know I’ve done the dishes – lots of them – and less than four hours later the sink gives one the appearance that I haven’t done dishes all week.  Where the heck do these extra dishes even come from?  Usually it’s just me and Jenna.  Or me.  In the morning and after work it is Roland, Jenna and me – well not every night. 

          Biff works graveyards – and although he does cook at odd times during the 24 hour day – he doesn’t use that many dishes.  Two – maybe three.  I think I have dish gremlins that break into my house.  I honestly can’t find any other explanation.

          I try to keep paper products on hand – for the few guests that we invite to our huge luxurious house (usually my sister and her husband) so I don’t get stuck with even more dishes than usual.  Not only are they convenient for after dinner, but paper products also take less space than normal dishes.  And they don’t break when they crash onto the ceramic tiled floor.

          Disposable containers are wonderful when sending home left overs or even packing a lunch for those who neglect bringing the containers into the house from the car (if they did indeed make it to the car) or taking treats to neighbors. The treats that my daughter made at the sitter’s house for instance – when they vanished (less than 24 hours later) I simply threw the pan away.  Disposables don’t have to be returned.  What an awesome invention!

          Some people may argue that there is more waste – waste of money and garbage waste with disposable dishes.  But look how much you are saving on dish soap and germs.  When examined by a doctor, everything is thrown into the waste – the tongue depressor, needles, cotton balls – they never sterilize or try to wash those products – it is for health and safety issues.  Well that is how I feel about paper products.  It is sanitary.  It is safe.  I can’t believe how many dishes have gone through the sink or dishwasher that really aren’t clean – and that’s just the stuck on stuff that one sees with the naked eye.  But what about the stuff we don’t see?  Really.  Think about it.

         

          Have you ever gone to a restaurant and picked up a dirty fork?  Or a buffet and picked up a plate that had food stuck on it?  So your home dishes may receive a little more care than the food industry – or does it?  All I’m saying is that I like the idea of disposable dishes.  I think they are awesome inventions!