Postcards From Abroad

Back in March, I was contacted by a young woman on our Ann Arbor Area Crappy Camera Club facebook page. She was getting into using film cameras, and wasn't sure if her exposures were as they were supposed to be.  Ariel had some questions about her Yashica Electro GN that she had recently purchased at a local resale shop.  She had shot a couple of rolls of color film with it and needed some assurance that it was working properly, and some photography tips.  It turns out that she was planning a hike across Spain and wanted to be independent of the digital world, shooting film to document her trip.  We met up at a local coffee shop and chatted for over an hour, discussing film photography, accessories, technique, and so forth.  It was clear to me that she had been reading up on her camera and film shooting, and it was a fun chat, as I had brought her some goodies to use.  It's easy to forget how exciting it was when someone gave me something as simple as a mini-tripod, some filters, and a cable release.  Some of us "old-timers" have lots of stuff sitting around that we aren't using, and I have always made a point to share and mentor when I can.  I have benefited a great deal from the generosity of others, and passing things along continues the good karma.

After I left the coffee shop I thought about Ariel's trip and it occurred to me that what she needed was a small, reliable 35mm camera that was pocketable.  Alas!  The Olympus Stylus Epic was the answer. I had one with the IR remote that would be perfect for such a trip.  I emailed her and we met again before she left for her adventure.  I showed her the basic camera functions, and told her the camera was perfect for that mini-tripod, as she could take self-portraits using the IR remote.  She was reassured by the camera's reliability and would be a good backup to the Yashica.

a postcard of Casa de Conches in Salamanca, Spain.

Yesterday, I received a post card from Salamanca, Spain.  I was at first puzzled and then realized as I turned it over to read it, that it was from Ariel.  She is doing well and using the Olympus Stylus camera every day. She made my day.  Good travels, Ariel, and we'll look at your photos after you return!