Back to Cameras!
As I toil toward that torchlight at the end of the tunnel, endlessly tapping fingertips to the keyboard, I become aware – this story will not end. But it will move on. Here are the lessons I’ve learned [so far] during this Outermost Uncle journey. 1: Everyone. EVERYONE has a story. They explode with stories. […]
Herland Forest
Death is a common ground where we’re all headed. I’m going to die, feed a tree and save a forest. I’m all set. It was Hipcamp that brought me to Herland. In looking for a campsite, not too far – no too close, the forest is what first drew me. As the listing states, […]
Reluctantly crouched
Shortly before our summertime trip to Iceland a while back, I saw a note about a “Runners’ Festival” in the Westfjords. Whadya know? It was happening during the time that we would be there. This Runners’ Festival, lasting 3 days, was touted to attract runners from all over the world. It said something like, “Imagine […]
Protected: Dump Day
There is no excerpt because this is a protected post.
My mom.
She was born Sue Ellen Scales in the farmlands of Ohio on January 12th, 1931 to Helen (Armstrong) and Rufus Scales. The first of five children, Sue excelled in school. She and her siblings were involved in every possible extra curricular activity. As she put it, “There were so few students in […]
4×5 pinhole and the anatomy of a self portrait gown shoot
A couple of years ago at a PSPCS camera show, Mike Immel approached me. ” I have something for you”, he said while caressing a lovely chunk of what appeared to be polished lumber. See, that’s just it. This 4×5 camera makes you want to stroke it. It’s heavy, smooth and sturdy. Simple even. […]
Favorite Podcasts ?
During Covid, a lot of things happened when we weren’t supposed to be doing anything. New podcasts seemed to pop up every week. Seeking some cameraderie, I started listening. Not just listening to camera-related podcasts, I also managed to sneak in some other topics. I revolutionized my compost system, attempted to up my game in […]
The Great Pintoid Adventure
I jam the Pintoid camera into the sand. Bracing the metal tin, either into or against more stationery objects has become my forté. It more often that not makes for a low-to-the-ground vantage point but it helps to stabilize my pinhole camera. The exposures are long and I rarely bother to carry a tripod. Peeling […]
RE-PRINTS
The Wayback Machine
Happy New Year 2023! It was in the 1990s that I traded some photography to a woman whose husband designed websites for Microsoft. The offer was that he would build a website for my business and I would shoot photos of their kids. Piece of cake. Small businesses at the time didn’t often have a […]
Those who decide to leave and those who just … leave.
This year I’ve continued the daunting task of creating world peace through Junk Store Cameras. Have you noticed a difference yet? [You’re welcome.] Now that I’m retired I have more time for it. So I guess you can expect more peace is on the way. In Portugal, I left a C3 with these yay-hoos: […]
#detritusredefined
I finally figured out what I want to do with my life! I’m mixing my love of alternative photography with my love for the river mud and turning it into pieces I’ve [somewhat embarrassingly] tagged #detritusredefined . I leave these pieces in off the wall places. A rusty exhibition of sorts. (You can click on the […]
Onward (backward) and Upward (downward) … but really upward!
What the heck? Junk Store Cameras has a blog now? Last year, I closed my business due to the same reasons that most everyone around here closed their business. I am now working on junkstorecameras.com a whole lot more. Eek! So fun! Except for when it’s not. Like, fixing bugs, etc. Anyway, I moved my […]
World Peace through Junk Store Cameras
Originally posted Sept 6, 2018. When folks ask, “How was your trip?” Where do I start? Where do I even begin? So I say, “Oh it was good … Fun.” We touched down at Heathrow. The customs agent at Heathrow asked me where we were headed and since I didn’t know I asked him where he’d […]
Detritus Redefined
Of late, I’ve not only finished major projects, but have also started off in a new direction. I’m creating assemblages using a mix of alternative photographic pieces and objects found on the beach and in local waterways. The found objects? Junk, really. “Detritus” … which sounds more refined. My three latest pieces combine wetplate collodion […]
CyClick
CyClick was literally years in the making. I had a vision of an embellished bike, replete with cameras, cycling and documenting parades and various other functions. I’m also attempting to beautify the world, one rusty hulk at a time, hopefully bringing about world peace while I’m at it. That’s all. Click here for a YouTube video […]
Dog Friendly Venues
The magazines are out! I spent quite some time working on this one. Dog friendly venues! Straight up my alley. Over a period of a couple of months, I traveled up and down the Grays Harbor area and surrounds, taking dog pics like a fiend. Congrats to those who ended up in the bit. So […]
A place for everything and everything in its place.
So my friend said, “You should blog about some of these studio updates you’re doing.” And I said, “My blog! Holy shit! My blog! I forgot all about it!” Here’s an update: A couple of months ago, the hot water tank went out. It’s in the back of the darkroom. We had to take a […]
April: A month of many camera holidays.
April is slam-packed with camera holidays and two of my favorites are: The PSPCS Camera Sale & Swap and Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day. The camera show happened on the 13th. Always, ALWAYS an exciting experience! The smell of dust and Bakelite … the clicking of shutters and whirring of self timers. Absolutely thrilling! I’ve […]
Petoskey Universe
[Tangent alert: No photography/camera stuff in this post.] There’s a universe in a Petoskey stone. Growing up in Michigan, Petoskey stones were the holy grail of fossils. When I was a kid I could spot a Petoskey stone at 50 paces. My dad marveled at my Petoskey spotting skills. Years later, I realized my Petoskey […]
Admissions of an addict.
My name is Marcy and I’m an addict. “HELLO MARCY” I haven’t been to the river in three days, fourteen hours and thirty six minutes. The scent of the earth … the mud, the brackishness of the water. The train echos across the river, gray in the morning light. I can’t get ENOUGH! I find […]
Time is an illusion
Mark O’Brien visited me all the way from Ann Arbor! After the usual pleasantries, food … liquor, we headed out to the studio for some camera talk and more libations. He had come not only to visit but also to interview me for possible inclusion in a future Film Photography Project podcast. [Update: Here’s a […]
Trips and ideas… YOUR ideas?
Oh man. So much amazing crap going on! I’ve got a couple of trips coming up and I had this idea. I want to bring a few cameras with me to leave behind with deserving (unfortunate?) souls. For one, I’m looking for tips on crazy, funky camera / photographica related places to go in the […]
Oh boy!
I’m, like, so happy right now! I’ve been scratching my spinning head over creation of the new junkstorecameras.com web site. The camera reviews… they’re SO vital to our advancement as a species. But that dang menu issue… well… I’m pleased to announce that it’s cleared up! Menus are working. The site is functioning. Life is […]
A GRAND trip!
We made a spur of the moment decision to visit the Grand Canyon for Christmas day. When taking a trip, deciding on what photographic equipment to bring is my biggest concern. This time, I chose (mainly for its cuteness and ease of use) the Canonet QL17 GIII. I also threw my Nikon D700 into the camera bag. We […]
I’m fine! Just “Differently Plateleted”
When people ask ,”Are you ok?” it hits me in exactly the same way as the question, “How far are you from the water?” A question with a surprisingly complicated answer. We live in North Cove, WA – an area referred to as Washaway Beach. When we bought our house in 1992 we weren’t considered […]
Fun stuff! Respites.
In a month bestrewed with medical appointments (instead of gown shoots in Europe … fingernails tapping on a glass tabletop …) It’s making me wonder, what do people do who actually have time to do stuff? Like, I set aside this time to be away but now I’m home and when I feel good, I […]
Lovely shades of azure blue and things I let slide.
I was at a pharmacy. The pharmacist (who looked more like a concessionaire at Pirate Daze than a pharmacist) looked up over the counter and exclaimed “You’re getting THESE? …. Wow!” Should’ve been a clue. I let it slide. But that’s not where this story begins. At about the start of this year, I downloaded a […]
A summer full of #formalwearworninappropriately , etc.
The universe has thrown me a curve ball and I had to cancel our trip to Europe due to a health glitch. Meanwhile, the sun and the moon have conspired to present a total solar eclipse in my back-fucking-yard and that is one get-well card you do not ignore. Besides, in a rare moment of brilliance, […]
Conglomeration
I did not realize, when I began this 100 day camera review journey, that I would be sent down so many different avenues of inspiration. There was a time when I processed so much film, I simply glanced at the negatives, chose a few to print or scan, then filed them. Delving into these file […]
Handtinting photographs
I’ve spent a good part of my professional life hand-tinting photographs with a variety of paints, dyes, pastels, Photoshop etc. (There’s 30 years I won’t get back.) I have a youtube channel where I’ve posted three handtinting how-to videos. Click here for a link to the first How-to Handtinting with Oils 101. The second video […]
Bill Dawson, metalsmith
Gather ’round, my creative friends! I’m working on photographing some pieces by renowned metalsmith, Bill Dawson. ( click here for his website … but don’t go there yet! I still need your attention over here.) What I’ve been given are six whorls made from silver, gold, copper, etc. Before I began this project, I didn’t […]
Junk Store Cameras – a labor of love.
Once upon a time there was a magnificent website. Well, ok… maybe it was magnificent only to me. Where to begin with this? Ha! 2015 was the 20th anniversary of a website I run called JunkStoreCameras.com . Once a bustling metropolis populated with many plastic and bakelite cameras, over time the site has become run down. Its shades […]
#formalwearworninappropriately
There are times when I question the use of that hashtag … #formalwearworninappropriately. I sometimes think better grammar might have it “formalwearworninaninappropriatemanner”, but that doesn’t quite jibe with the spirit of this series, sounding more like someone has simply loosened their tie or has their gown bunched into the back of their panty hose. Besides, it’s much too […]
Cleaning the studio like a mad woman (not)
I have this idyllic picture in my head of what I’ll be doing throughout this fall / winter season. While the rain and wind pelt our house and studio, I’m busily working on my web sites, cooking great meals, working on my beaded bike (CyClick) and CLEANING MY STUDIO. This is the vision I have. […]
Gala Edition Cameras – beaded wonders of the world
I have this weird thing I do sometimes [a lot of the time]. I bead cameras. I call them my “Gala Edition” cameras. I take glass beads, rhinestones and other questionably precious pieces and attach them to cameras. I’ve been doing this for a while. Most of my friends don’t even know that I do […]
200 Things – a Washaway Beach album
Update: 04-08-2023: I’m still really proud of this really quirky, overpriced (not my fault) book. Since this book was published, measures have been taken and, for the most part, the erosion is being controlled. Are the erosion measures working? Has the tide simply slacked for a while? Is it a fluke? Even those of us […]
First Post and New Website!
I have this thing where, I have all these great blog ideas. Then I go to implement them and everything comes to a screaming, screeching halt. (Insert the sound of skidding tires and a whiff of overheated brake pads.) Typing these few sentences is the first step in erasing that awful smell of burnt rubber […]