Ploafmaster General

The "front standard" - or the flat plate with the lens on it on my Speed Graphic - can shift upward by about 1.5 inches. It's how you get pictures of buildings without converging lines. That's one of the movements available on tilt/shift lenses. In this case, I used a level to make sure the camera was pointed straight ahead. At first, the top of the building was cut off. By shifting the front standard upward, I was able to include the top of the building without affecting the perspective. Most of the vertical lines are parallel in this shot (where the building is plumb, of course), but the effect is less pronounced with a lens like mine that isn't really wide angle. For a better non-Photoshopped examples of this effect, check this awesome shot from Ansel Olson on Flickr.

Up close, because it's personal.

Dave. Standing by Main St. Station. Lookin' real tough, or something.

And here's my last shot, until this weekend, from The Howitzer.

My sister-in-law, on Brown's Island in Richmond, VA.

My lovely wife, photographed with The Howitzer, on Brown's Island in Richmond, VA.

In a lovely grouping of, I think, sycamore trees on Brown's Island.

Taken with The Howitzer (Speed Graphic). At this point I'd received my new (used) film holders, so no more light leaks!

My older brother in the field beside my parents' house on Christmas morning, 2010.

This was from the second pair of shots taken with my Speed Graphic, and I used one of the old holders that came with the camera. This side clearly wasn't light-tight at the flap, so the right side is overexposed to the point of near total white-out.

At least the important part of the frame was okay.

This is my first shot taken with the Graflex Pacemaker Speed Graphic I purchased before Christmas. I finally have my Epson V700 scanner, and with the help of Silverfast scanning software, I've managed to see what I saw on the negatives and contact prints. My focus and exposure could use a little work, but at least the shutter appears to be firing fairly accurate at the higher speeds.

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Why not, says I. I'll write about that new (to Richmond) burger joint, Cook Out, in the old Bullet's location by Regency in the West End. When RVAFoodie posted about this place today, he remarked that his wife, "couldn’t recall what a Five Guys burger tasted like, but she couldn’t imagine it could possibly taste any better." Having just enjoyed Five Guys for dinner last night, I made the terrible decision of having a bacon cheeseburger two meals in a row and headed down Parham Road on my lunch break.

Yes, the menu is pretty cheap. This is, indeed, fast food - both in speed and prices (more in the Wendy's than Mickey-D's range). My combo was ready by the time I drove up to the window - surprising for something that was freshly-grilled - and the cashier pleasantly delivered her valedictory, "See you tomorrow!"

The problem is that the food also tastes cheap. It's not bad - it's certainly better than McDonald's, Burger King, Sonic, and Wendy's (but only slightly), but I won't be making the slightly out-of-the-way trip for another Cook Out burger any time soon. The fries were decent, if not crispy enough, but the other side (you pick two sides!) consisted of generic, formed chicken nuggets. I really enjoyed my mint chocolate chip milkshake, actually, but that was the only high point. The burger? Consider this my dismissive, "meh." Let's just say that grilled doesn't automatically equal good. The first bite or so was nice as the vague Burger King-esque charred flavor gave way to real flame cooking. But the burger patty itself was just boring. The bland bacon and cheddar cheese "sauce" didn't do much to help. If RVAFoodie's wife liked it better than or thought it equal to Five Guys, that's fine - she's not wrong, we just have different taste. For my part, though, I'd only go back for a milk shake.

One more thing, just because RVAFoodie asked me about it on Twitter: the whole religious angle of the company. It turns out that cups and other packaging come with a mixture of Biblical scripture references and religious/patriotic phrases. Of course, I'm a Christian. I make no effort (consciously) to hide it, so I'm not offended by the sight of a scripture reference - especially now that I've looked them up. I'm also trying very hard not to be cynical about the reason for including religious material on food packaging. I don't know whether they're sincere or being manipulative, so I'll make no conjecture.

Does it bug you that the business owners publicize their faith on their own products? Don't support their business. I don't agree with the humanistic messages of many manufacturers, but if I was offended enough by one I'd simply take my money elsewhere. Does it bug you that the owners have religious messages on total junk food? I guess a Christian should never sell triple cream cheeses, either (I'm not comparing the quality of the two types of food - but nobody can tell me that regular consumption of triple cream cheeses is good for your arteries). I am, however, bothered by the conflation of religion and patriotism, but only barely in this case. It's not in my face, and its not spelled out in much detail (Triteness aside, if you like where you live and you believe in a God who blesses, why not ask Him to bless where you live? That's hardly threatening on its own.).

Ultimately, it's the food that counts here as far as I'm concerned. And it doesn't add up to much. Unless I'm near Regency or have a sudden craving for one of their shakes, I'll probably forget about Cook Out by the end of next week.

Pacemaker Speed Graphic, c. 1957.

Came with a few holders and an unopened box of Ektar. I'll be in NYC this weekend, so I may not be able to use it until I get back (though what better place to test it out!). But boy howdy, I can't wait to start shootin' with this bad boy.

I photographed the 2010 Black and Blue Classic where the University of Richmond destroyed Virginia Commonwealth 72-60 (that was one of the narrowest gaps of the night). More shots over at RVANews if you please.

Westmalle Tripel, Belgian Trappist Ale.
(and my own dorky little lighting experiment)

The New York Times has an incredible feature on their website right now called Fourteen Actors Acting, wherein the aforementioned thespians act out classic screen types in gorgeously filmed black and white videos. No sound but the harrowing music by Owen Pallett. All shorts were directed by photographer Sølve Sundsbø.

UPDATE:
Be sure to see the accompanying still photos from Sundsbø.
There's also a nice (though brief) behind-the-scenes about the whole project.

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From Above from ploafmaster on Vimeo.

Finishing up my test reel with some footage from a hotel room in Virginia Beach.

Music:
Gymnopédie No. 1 by Erik Satie

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Happy Up Here from ploafmaster on Vimeo.

This is the clip from my test reel of Super 8 film. I'm pretty happy about it, considering I'm no film maker, editor, or what-not.

Shot in downtown Richmond where folks gathered to watch my friend Lindsey rappel down the side of the Suntrust tower.

Music:
Happy Up Here by Röyksopp

I was kinda pumped the first time I saw the trailer for the Coen Brothers' take on True Grit. I figured, though, that I oughtta give the John Wayne classic a whirl, seeing as it earned him his only Oscar, and tread the ground of Charles Portis' 1968 novel first (I intend to read the novel next, actually).

So yeah. John Wayne, whose acting I typically find a bit tepid, was quite good in this movie. This movie with its gorgeous location shots. This movie with it's frequently awkward editing choices. This movie with the weak-sauce supporting job by Glen Campbell.

The stand out for me in this movie, however, was the character of Mattie Ross. Mattie, played reasonably well by Kim Darby, is a strong female lead. I may have been more than a decade from nativity when this film released, but there's still a relative dearth of wide-release movies* with female leads as competent and confident as Mattie. She's portrayed as independent, intelligent, business-savvy, and capable of keeping up with grizzled veterans of the open range. Bold and fearless, she's a teenager chasing down a killer without regard for her own life, but still looking out for her travel companions. I'm sure this was rare enough in '69, but it's a shame we don't see more characters like hers in contemporary cinema without it being an underdressed pistol-weilding Angelina Jolie.

The movie, overall, was pretty entertaining. John Wayne's dialog was fantastic. I really wish the directing and editing had been better executed, but it was still worth the watch.

3.5/5

* This inference based on the top 10 grossing films each year for the past five years.

I normally wouldn't post something so blatently Christmas-y until after Thanksgiving, but I couldn't help it. This beer is quite good, and the label lives up to the bottle's contents.

I was fortunate enough to have a media pass to the chute at the end of the HCA 8k, McDonald's Half Marathon, and Suntrust Richmond Marathon this past Saturday. A host of my photos are up now as a feature on RVANews. Check it!

The second post on this website, back in July 2005, was about Sufjan Stevens. I've been a pretty huge fan ever since that time, but I've never yet made it to one of his shows. Couldn't make the 9:30 Club in DC a few years ago because of the week combined with it being at least 1.5 hours away. Couldn't make it to see one of the BQE performances because, well, they were exclusively in Brooklyn. Last night I finally made it, though, and caught Mr. Stevens at The National Theater right here in Richmond, VA.

This was one of the best concerts I've ever attended. Each musician was spot on, from the wonderful backup singers to the double drummers, and of course Sufjan himself. The visuals projected on screen reinforced the mood of many songs, and the sound was mixed quite well. It was still a proper loud show in a concert hall, but I could actually hear each instrument and singer clearly and distinctly. The whole set - including a several song encore - lasted around 2.5 glorious hours.

Most exciting, however, was how this show reshaped my appreciation of The Age of Adz as an album. I have to admit that, while I certainly enjoyed some tracks before the show, I was a little let down by Sufjan's latest effort. I'm not sure if it's because of the seemingly heightened sonic bombast or something else, but it was a slight step below The BQE on my ranking of Stevens' work. This concert, somehow, shifted my opinion. Perhaps it's my fond impression of the live performances, or maybe it's the way these touring arrangements seemed to have highlighted what made these songs good to begin with.

Whatever the case, I listened to a few tracks on Adz this morning with renewed ears. I sure hope Sufjan comes through Richmond again in the future, too. I'll be there.

I'll be out of town this weekend, so tonight was my last chance to take advantage of a restaurant week menu here in Richmond. I suppose I took the easy way out going to a restaurant I've visited before, but any opportunity to eat at Acacia is tough to pass up. Besides, with a frequently changing menu and prices that keep me from being a regular, it's not likely I'd be eating something I've had before.

So let's get right to it. 'Cause this meal was THE JAM.

First course: duck confit with gnocchi, swiss chard, cranberries, and pomegranate molasses. I'm pretty easy to please with duck confit, and this didn't disappoint. The chard was tender but still a pleasant bright green. But oh, the gnocchi...

I've eaten plenty of gnocchi in my short life. I've made some crappy gummy gnocchi of my own, I've eaten fantastic examples in New Jersey, New York, Florence, and hell, even at Acacia. But these gnocchi were the most pillowy-soft, perfectly cooked nuggets I've had. It seems they'd been in the pan with the duck because they had a fine browned exterior and smacked of the savory essence of the confit.

I had mixed feelings about my main course, if I'm totally honest. I ordered the rib eye, a cut of which I'm not too fond. It's generally a little fatty for my taste, but it was cooked perfectly and tasted delicious. But I ordered this course for one of its accoutrements: the bone marrow pancake. This fluffy, rich, buttery disc was the most delicious thing I'd eaten in a few months. How something could be so light yet so lip-smackingly unctuous I cannot fathom. I would have eaten a short stack had I the chance. Worth the price of admission.

My dessert was the cherry sherbet with black forest cake. Now somebody's already complained about the size of this offering and, taken on its own, yes, it's smaller than Acacia's desserts I've had in the past. But I'll say two things about it beyond how delicious it was. First, after a meal this size, the portion was just right for me. I was able to eat and enjoy the entire dessert without stuffing myself. Second, the execution of this dessert was nearly flawless. I say nearly because I think the sherbet had been sitting on the plate a bit, having melted about 30% by the time it reached my table. But the cherry "paint" on the plate, the little chocolate pebbles, moist nuggets of cake, and the sweet flavor of the sherbet were a delight both visually and on the palate.

So yeah...incredible meal, incredibly satisfying. I don't have to sell Acacia too hard in this town.

I've been fortunate to have experienced a trifecta of great dining experiences during my first year participating in Richmond's restaurant week. I hope that next year I can hit up at least two places - places I've never been - and keep a good thing going. They can't all be hits, but adventure always comes with at least a little risk.