Reminder ...

The new blog is over here.

Sneaky Peaky

For as long as I can remember, my mom has called me "dolli." I've been told the reason was because I resembled a doll as a baby, and on top of that, I was artistically inclined, and she loves Salvador Dali (he's pretty cool, look him up). When I started brainstorming a business name a few months ago, I tried about a bazillion variations of my name ... dianne bentz photography, dianne michelle photography, blah blah blah. Then ... DOLLI! Tada. Lightning bulb. Here is a sneak peak of what is to come:

Hood to Coast Relay 2009

Hood to Coast is an annual relay race that takes place at the end of August. It starts at Timberline, on the top of Mt. Hood, and finishes on the Oregon coast at Seaside. The race is 197 miles long, includes two vans of six runners, each of which runs three legs. The legs can vary from 4ish miles to a little under 8, but the average distance each runner completes is around 16 miles or so. Over the course, there is always someone from your team out running. This basically means that you don't sleep for 2 days. Sounds crazy, right? Crazy FUN! This was my second year participating, and I hope I get to run it every year from now until eternity! Now, for a few of my favorites from the weekend:

{as always, click on any image to make it bigger!}






Keep in tune for some exciting news to be gradually announced over the coming week!
~di

Mission: Accomplished.

I embarked on this year's Hood to Coast relay with one goal (other than finishing my legs of course):

One Camera.
One Roll of Film.
One Lens.
One Day.

Preview of the weekend's events:

Film-alicious

I have my scanner set up! Oh film, how I love thee ...

{as always, click on an image for a better view}

John & Kayla's wedding:



... and Gus & Jedidah ...


... and some oldies but goodies from Josh & Cameryn last year (a la Leica = YUM) ...



Cheerio
~di

Passion for Polaroids

Waaaaaay back in May, I came up with this inkling of an idea for a project: Polaroids! I love the look of Polaroid film, and it seemed like the perfect medium in which to photograph our summer back in Montana. Polaroid film is expensive and you only get 10 negatives per cartridge, making it a fun and challenging project for me due to the limited number of allowed images. Also, I was thinking it'd be fun to introduce a little more of myself onto the blog. Interesting, huh? Thing is, I didn't have a camera, they don't make them anymore AND they don't produce the film anymore. Le sigh.

Well, while packing up my life in Portland, I came across a little gem that had gone unused and underappreciated for too long: a Polaroid camera! My boyfriend apparently bought it at a college garage sale, and it had been sitting in our office (aka the place where Dianne's things go to die) for two years in a dark and dingy box. Alas, problem solved! All I had to do was order some film (thank you Amazon) and I was ready.

As said, Polaroid is no longer in production. It's days are numbered - numbered to the point that whoever has film out there and is selling it, that's it. When it's gone, it's gone. Fujifilm has come out with it's version of the Polaroid, but it's just not the same. Le Sigh. Yet another amazing film relic lost to the digital age. Grrr.

Here is the first half of our summer, a la Polaroid:

{as always, click on an image for a larger view}

Finally!

INTERNET!

Okay, so it's been a long time coming, and the Kells have been uber patient with my lack of internet (and lack of home actually) and the resulting slow editing, but tada! I have officially landed and unpacked in Tucson, Arizona and am finally catching up on things. That is big news numero uno. Big news numero DOS is that my new website is going to launch in the next two weeks! Yay website! Because I have so much blogging backed up from my summer of traveling, I will gradually introduce pieces of my new business to you cyber folks over the next couple of weeks in addition to tidbits of my summer with the culmination being ... the new site! I know, I know, you're on the edge of your seats in anticipation. BUT, you get to wait. Here's some fun stuff to keep you satiated ... the Kells!

{as always, you can click on any image for a larger view}

This one is my fave:


I love Elva's face here, it's just a classic smirk she's constantly giving my cousin Neil.

What's the beach without climbing on logs?


Cheers!
~di