A Camera for a Lifetime

I saved a camera today.

Backstory:

My Grandma passed away recently. While preparing for her funeral my family was set upon the task of getting photos together for the wake. While we were searching I found some stunning black and white photos that my dad had taken while in Vietnam during the war. I asked if I could keep them, because I was convinced that these photos told a bigger story than what they deserved sitting in a box for the rest of their lives. Ever since then I've been very curious as to how these pictures came to be.

Today:

Upon walking into the living room my dad informs me that he's throwing away his old camera. Thinking it was just one of the old ones from when I was little I didn't understand why I was being notified. That was until he said it was his camera from Vietnam. My response then was a little different.

THE camera? THE camera that took THE photos?

After clearing up any miscommunication that this was in fact THE camera he told me to go save it from the back of his truck. The same truck that was headed to the dump.

It only needed some cleaning having survived, remarkably, one war, several moves, and nearly two decades in open air barn.

The brand of this Japanese made camera is Yashica. This darling was purchased in Vietnam and came with a plethora of goodies.

Along with what you see here the case still contains it's original Japanese/English instructions, view finder, tripod, and much more.

Here is THE camera with THE photos. These are photos my dad took of his time in Vietnam. He even makes a small cameo in the bottom picture with his stunningly hipster glasses.

Seeing what good shape it was in after all this time I decided to keep it.

That wasn't enough...

The only things missing from this glorious find are batteries and film. Knowing full well our local Walmart still carries 35mm film I was sure I could put this baby back into working order. Until we opened the battery compartment. Apparently 40 year old Japanese cameras use 40 year old Japanese batteries...who knew?

My dad made quick work of it and within minutes had found and purchased adapters and spare batteries for a measly amount off of Ebay.

I hope to have many adventures with this beauty in the new future. Keep your eyes peeled for its photos on the blog.

Tybee Island

If there is one place I will drop everything and go to it is 100% Tybee Island, GA.

Tybee is a small island off of the coast of Savannah, Georgia. It's where Crawdads go to die and people go to swim. Known mostly for the filming of The Last Song and loved for it's family friendly beaches. In my opinion it is the best vacation spot in the South. 

I love this place so much.

So if you're looking for a new place to explore this year, this one should be on your list. You won't regret it.

British Hospitality at its Finest

 First of all this was not my accident. This was an accident that changed the way I view people.

The day that this picture was snapped was on our last day in England. It was the first and only day that it had rained in the roughly two weeks that we were there. So, wishing to not be completely soaked we stayed warm and cozy in our little flat. We were watching, as luck would have it, Singin' in the Rain.

While watching the best part of the whole movie my travel companion and I heard a really loud bang, followed by the loud sound of glass breaking right outside of our window. We were concerned by the sounds coming from outside so we ran the whopping two feet to our front windows.

When we looked outside the picture above is what we saw. A very distraught young man and an uber efficient woman. From what we could gather she had stopped and he didn't realize it, causing him to ram into the back of her car. Immediately after the accident happened both people got out of their cars and exchanged heartfelt apologies all while taking pictures of the accident. They also traded insurance information and phone numbers.

I know this sounds like something that you would see everyday in the States but what followed is what was astounding....

No one yelled.

No one got upset.

The bumper on the back of the woman's SUV had mostly been ripped off. She struggled to get it dislodged when suddenly a man walking by stepped off the sidewalk pulled the bumper off her vehicle, stowed it in her back seat, and went merrily along his way. He didn't gain anything from helping but he did it anyway. 

While the accident victims were exchanging details a man from the cafe they had pulled in front of brought them coffee free of charge. (If you look at the picture closely you can see them sitting on the curb.) He just brought the coffees out, told them they were there and went back inside.

The accident was resolved within a matter of minutes. It was handled with such dignity that I wouldn't think it to be such an unpleasant experience as some of the accidents that happen here. Everyone jumped in to help regardless of what they would gain from it. It completely restored my faith in humanity and made me fall in love with this beautiful country just a little bit more than I had been before.

Where Have You Been?

I know it's been a while, but I'm back in the States! I'm working on editing photos and gathering stories to tell you about my amazing two week adventure to the UK.

Here's a sneak peek to show you I'm serious.

(100% my own photo...I'm getting better aren't I?)