09.24.08
Toying in Portland
Well, a little time has passed, but I wanted to do a little blurb on my visit to Portland, Oregon in August.
I went down to teach a workspace at Newspace Center for Photography. I had heard things about Newspace, but hadn’t been there before, and I loved what I saw. It’s a great space, with a gallery, classroom/studio, and black and white darkroom. And seems like a lovely community as well. The class was fantastic – it filled up over a month in advance, so there must be a great toy camera community there south of the border (with WA, that is).
I gave myself a couple more days to wander Portland, and had lots of photo fun. I had lunch with the great folks at Lensbaby, and saw their World Headquarters, which is, in fact, quite small and humble. Got to play with their new toys, which I can actually mention now, since they were announced yesterday.
I also discovered one of the greatest camera stores anywhere: Blue Moon Camera, in North Portland. They sell only film cameras, including my beloved Holgas (although they were entranced by my adorable Rollei MiniDigi). I couldn’t resist taking home a fabulous Zeiss Super Ikonta B 120 camera – I’ve wanted one for years, and there it was! They also repair cameras, and strangely, sell old-timey typewriters, waiting on customers in funky old-timey suits.
With my trusty assistant Dave Scaringe, I wandered the gallery district, and got to see Blue Sky Gallery in its fantastic new home. As a decades old coop, they are an inspiration in photography and community.
I enjoyed Portland so much, I hope I get the chance to return soon!
~Michelle