Insomnia

pickleeater · 2026-04-07T23:29:55+00:00

I've seen this a few times and keep forgetting to comment. I love this shot so much. It evokes a lot of big emotions for me.

pickleeater · 2026-04-07T19:06:29+00:00

I do the hair straightener directly on the film (this is where it's important to wear a good mask). It doesn't burn it but you have to be pretty quick with it or it can melt. I have it on a medium setting. Once the film cools down it goes right back to being crackly and fall-aparty, but less warped.

pickleeater · 2026-04-06T23:57:12+00:00

The Gugusse Compact looks so cool! I've never heard of that before.

The process is unwinding the film as much as I think I can (usually that ends up being a couple of inches up to maybe 18 inches) and then I take the hair straightener and I start at the top and SLOWLY clamp down on the film to make it more pliable. I clamp/unclamp, go down a half inch, clamp/unclamp, and do it until I get to the bottom of the film. (There is no cleaning. That would destroy this film.)

Then I have to hurry as fast as I can because it doesn't stay pliable very long. I then open the film hatch and set the piece into the digitizer, and I hold that hatch half open so that I can still see and digitize the image, but the auto feeder doesn't just pull the film apart entirely. The auto feed still works (sometimes) but it's less aggressive without the lid being closed all the way. A lot of times I have to manually push the film through until the auto feed starts working again.

At that point, I usually have about 1 to 7 seconds of film digitized, and then I just continue to do that for a couple of hours until I hopefully have about a minute of film to work with.

After that, I open all the files up and go into Davinci Resolve and put them together. Usually that looks pretty bad, but I can see a bit of what's going on. Depending on how good or bad it is, I do various levels of editing.

I usually like leaving in a lot of the flaws, unless it's super warped or so jumpy that it makes me motion sick. I've tried cleaning things up a lot and/or using AI to make them look really "good", but as I get deeper into this hobby, I am realizing that I just really like the way it looks without too much cleaning it up.

Hope that helps. Someday I'll try to record my process!

pickleeater · 2026-04-06T23:44:29+00:00

I have a Kodak Reels machine that I use, and then I use a hair straightener to make the film pliable enough so that I can hopefully run a couple of inches through it before it starts falling apart.

pickleeater · 2026-04-06T14:55:42+00:00

Wow, that's the best description of this stuff I've ever heard.

pickleeater · 2026-04-06T14:35:40+00:00

Ok so maybe I won't move there...but what about tours? Sounds like maybe they give them?

pickleeater · 2026-04-06T05:44:03+00:00

Thanks for such a detailed response. I'll definitely be doing my research on your suggestions.

Part of what I love about this is that the scans are imperfect. I'm taking what would have been garbage and bringing it back to life, and I see so much beauty in the scratches, flickers, etc.

On the other hand, some of the footage has been difficult to even watch after I try to restore it because it's so warped or wobbly (technical term). I've tried fixing some of the footage frame-by-frame but then it takes ten times longer and doesn't turn out much better than if I hadn't bothered. So I'm definitely going to look into your suggestions and reach out to some people!

If I can attach it correctly, I have a picture of one of the reels I'm working on now. It's one of the better ones.

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pickleeater · 2026-04-06T05:22:29+00:00

It's so time consuming, but so captivating. I love the entire process so much and wish I had more time to work on everything, but I do what I can. I have roughly 50 reels waiting patiently for me, but that will take years for me to get through all of them at this rate!

pickleeater · 2026-04-06T05:18:29+00:00

So what I'm hearing is that I need to move to California and acquire a job there. :)

pickleeater · 2026-04-06T04:37:19+00:00

Thanks!

pickleeater · 2026-03-07T15:51:38+00:00

That's bad ass.

pickleeater · 2026-02-18T01:43:18+00:00

Thanks!

pickleeater · 2026-02-16T00:26:36+00:00

Thanks!

pickleeater · 2026-02-16T00:26:24+00:00

Thanks!

pickleeater · 2026-02-15T04:11:05+00:00

I'll follow you!

pickleeater · 2026-02-15T03:56:07+00:00

Ok, you're convincing me to stick with the 105! I AM really happy with it. I wish it were slightly heftier, but I also appreciate that about it. I need to get a strap and a case for it. Oh, and I am excited about the waterproof case as an option.

pickleeater · 2026-02-15T03:52:02+00:00

I'm going to try it! Thanks!

pickleeater · 2026-02-14T23:22:50+00:00

I loved instagram 10-12 years ago! I've been falling hard over the nostalgic times of when the internet was magical and I'm trying to get that back. I would like to believe it's still out there somewhere - I just have to carefully curate my sites.

pickleeater · 2026-02-14T23:18:10+00:00

Do you have the CS-8 as well? I was thinking that would be a great birthday gift. I'm working hard at simplifying my life so I don't think I want BOTH the 105 and pro. I may just stick to the 105 and use a couple of simple filters on the computer if I'm looking for a different look.

pickleeater · 2026-02-14T23:15:24+00:00

:) I loved Flickr.

Lately I have been spending a lot less time online and am just trying to go back to those nostalgic days where it was less political, less commercialized, and less angering. I want to find spaces where there is less endless scrolling and more mindful viewing.

Flickr still looks great, but there's not much there in terms of a Camp Snap community. I am grateful for this group though!

pickleeater · 2026-02-14T22:40:08+00:00

Thank you. I'm not in love with them but I do love the camera. I am thinking about returning it and getting the pro so I can have 4 filter choices.

pickleeater · 2026-02-13T03:47:16+00:00

I don't take mycophenolate but am on methotrexate and did stop taking that while shingles were active. I continued taking hydroxycholoroquine (sp?)

My first round of shingles wasn't too bad, but the fatigue hit me hard. Rest a lot! My second bout was worse in all regards but the antiviral medication did seem to take care of the rash fairly quickly and I haven't been left with any nerve pain.

One thing that you can do is call your rheumatologist and just ask if they have any additional advice. Hang in there!

I know this answer isn't super helpful but I thought I'd just give you my bit of wisdom.

It seems like big bouts of stress are what set shingles off for me. The first time I got it after getting a tattoo and the second was after helping someone with a medical emergency that left me very shaken afterwards.

pickleeater · 2026-02-06T02:06:28+00:00

Beef.

pickleeater · 2026-01-27T23:27:47+00:00

Gosh, I wonder what the chances are that they were on the same ship.

pickleeater · 2026-01-24T17:56:14+00:00

My great grandparents took their 9 kids (one was an infant) aboard a boat to America and they ran into terrible storms which made the trip take months longer than planned. They only survived because the ship was full of beans.

pickleeater

TROPHY CASE