April is slam-packed with camera holidays and two of my favorites are: The PSPCS Camera Sale & Swap and Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day.

 

Mickey & me at the camera show.

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 volunteered to work the show the past few years. What this gets me is free, early, admission and a gift certificate for $25 to spend at any table. They tend to put me at the club sales tables. The Puget Sound Photographic Collectors Society – otherwise known as the PSPCS or “the club” accepts donations of photographica during the year, then sells the gear at the show. This means I get to be one of the first people to dig through the goods. (Yay me!)

A couple of young collectors, wowed by a zoom lens

 

Robert Dobson, shown here with his long list of “wants” and just a dollar to spend, introduced me to Jamie. Jamie was there to work the tables and we got along swimmingly. I knew things would work out the second I heard her squeal, “IS THAT GREEN?!?” when opening a box of 126 instamatic cameras.

Jamie and a movie camera she couldn’t live without.

I remember in the 1980s when this show was absolutely packed. Nearly all of the sellers and most of the buyers were men. Sellers would treat me like I was just a girl some guy had brought along with the promise of a free lunch. Today, there are many women buying AND selling. New stuff this year: There were more vendors purchasing used gear from attendees. KEH Camera was there, buying. The Shot On Film store was there selling film. I missed Bob Kelly this year.

Start ’em young. Freebies under the table.

 

So much fun!

 

What exactly IS this graphic on a McDonald’s Happy Meal Camera?

 

People tend to give me cameras. “I know you’ll do something great with it!”

Here are some of my cool acquisitions:

The Mamiya U camera slides into the little gloved hands and stands on two feet. Like, a crazy plastic tripod. WOW!

 

World’s Fair Flash Camera. 1964 – 1965

 

Do you hear the cottonwoods whispering above? A Tammy Camera!

 

It’s not an Argus knock-off. (It’s an Argus knock-off.)

 

“To be really happy and really safe, one ought to have at least two or three hobbies, and they must all be real.” – Winston Churchill

 

Going Kamping in June!

 

I know it says Canon, but still. It’s a belt buckle and I’m a sucker.

 

This is a gift for the Westport Aquarium folks who are hosting this year’s WPPD. But don’t tell them because it’s a surprise.

 

Appears to work except the little switch on the front won’t budge. Hmm …

 

And then THIS! My friend Philip Arny gave it to me. A lovely handmade pinhole camera which I plan to use on Sunday, which is WPPD.

Sunday, the 28th, is the Pinhole Holiday. Worldwide Pinhole Photography Day – or WPPD for short. There’s a group of us gathering at the Westport Aquarium . Come visit us starting at 10AM. It’s an informal gathering of pinhole enthusiasts. We’ll have lunch / dinner afterward – it may involve beer. I’m hoping Marc Myrsell will play his accordion for us. For more info on WPPD visit the Pinhole Day Website.

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