The Gun Show.

      In my Special Effects Photography class this week, we did bullet photography. The setup is similar to the one we used for the splash photography, except instead of a broken laser beam triggering the flash, we used a sound-triggered system. Whenever the instructor shot his .22 caliber rifle at the subject, the microphone attached to the flash picked up the sound and illuminated the subject for one two-millionths of a second.  We spent four hours in the dark, hearing the gun go off and being splattered with the remnants of the subjects. I felt like we were killing people.

In high school, I went to an RIT open house. There were examples of student work in the presentations and on the walls. I saw a photo like this, and my mind was blown. I thought "It would be amazing if I could try something like that just once... just to see how it's done." As time went by, and I enrolled in RIT and took my normal photo classes, it drifted from my thoughts. Never did I think that I would have my own photo of a playing card ripped in half by a bullet to put my own copyright on. But it didn't stop there! I have a whole collection now. RIT really is a dream come true.

My first photojournalism editorial piece.

Lift Bridge Book Shop Lifting Spirits Since 1972

Krista Carpenetti

It’s difficult to simply pass by the Lift Bridge Book Shop on 45 Main Street in Brockport, NY. The large window storefront teems with varying items from new book releases to trinkets and puppets. Directly above lies a colorful 20^th-century themed summertime mural with delicate line work depicting playful outdoor activities like swimming in a pond, running in the grass, and riding a horse and buggy.

And that’s just the outside.

Anyone who enters the Lift Bridge Book Shop will agree that the atmosphere is as pleasant as it is welcoming. The wide open floor space filled from floor to ceiling with shelf upon shelf of books would make any bookworm fall in love at first sight. An ocean of colors spreads as far as the eye can see. The soft instrumental music playing overhead provides a calming and intellectual air, encouraging browsers to pick up and skim any material they find appealing. The knowledgeable employees are never found without a smile, adding to the friendly environment.

The Lift Bridge Book Shop is the collaborative dream come true of Archie and Pat Kutz, married thirty-five years, ten of those as a store-owning team. Archie Kutz, 63, a Brockport native, opened his original Lift Bridge shop on 71 Main St. in 1972 after graduating from McGill University in Montreal. Boston native and fellow McGill graduate Pat Kutz, 65, ran her own Lift Bridge Kids’ bookstore down the road at 53 Main St. for eleven years before merging with her husband’s store in 2001 and moving to their current location on 45 Main St.

The store started out mainly selling college textbooks, but soon began to expand its merchandise selection to increase revenue and customer appeal. The expansion included books on wedding planning, cooking, children’s books, sports, health, classical and new literature, theater, politics, and science, to name a few. The expansion also embraced new types of products altogether, including art supplies, toys, science kits, greeting cards, calendars, and puzzles. The couple refuses to follow suit of many bookstores across the country by opening a café in their shop because “There’s a great one across the street, and besides, we didn’t want to make coffee.”

Lift Bridge offers more than just a great shopping experience by offering a wide range of clubs and activities for a variety of prospecting customers. A history book club, eclectic women’s club, graphic novel club, technology seminars, publishing seminars, writers’ groups, and many more meet at the store periodically, drawing in people with all tastes and maintaining Lift Bridge’s upbeat and friendly vibe.

Archie and Pat make it obvious that they enjoy what they do. Lighthearted and smiling, they are always eager to help customers, no matter what their age. “When you see a child come in and open a book and then just light up, it’s amazing,” Pat says. “I call it the power of story.”

Lift Bridge stands out on Brockport's Main Street.

The Lift Bridge Book Shop offers a kid-friendly environment.

Lift Bridge holds a variety regular book club meetings.

The pleasant storefront adds to the relaxing atmosphere.

Pat and Archie Kutz may be the happiest business owners in New York.

Happy One Year in Heaven.

      I went to a restaurant with some friends today. I was broke and not very hungry so I didn't order anything. I was also irritatingly chilly, so I held the tealight candle that was at the center of the table. For a good ten minutes, I just cupped the little flame in my hands and stared. As I watched it, I thought about how candles and humans are alike in how they come to an end. It's easy to tell when a candle is about to disappear into a curl of smoke; the wick gets tiny and surrounded with melted wax, the flame grows bluer, shorter, and flickers. Humans develop wrinkles, grey hair, and hunched shoulders. They both reveal tell-tale signs that they've been shining for a long time and may soon dim.
      However, both can disappear without a moment's notice. Candles fade with the gentlest breeze or sizzle out with a single stray drop of rain. We as humans are just as fragile, being taken away with one mutated cell or one misstep on a busy street.

      My mom was a glowing, beautiful light. She was the strongest human being I had ever met. But one day, a drop of rain took her away from me, and she was gently lifted to the sky as a delicate swirl of smoke. She's been up there for one year today. I love you, mom. I am happy that you are finally burning brighter than ever, where there is no danger, no illness, and no rain.
Happy One Year in Heaven.

Special Effects and Splashes.

      I needed to pick up a few extra credits, so I decided to take a Special Effects Photography class with a friend. One of the techniques we tried last night was high-speed splash photography. The process involves a container that can be adjusted to release water droplets at a specific interval. The droplets pass through a laser beam that is wired to trigger a flash. A camera is set up where the droplet hits a pool of water, thus capturing a splash photo the moment the flash fires. The laser can be adjusted to trigger the flash at different points during the splash, resulting in photographs of the "crown", the "bulb", or the ripples. Also, to add interest, colored gel sheets can be held in front of the flash to create certain moods using solid or mixed colors. These are some of my favorites!

This the contraption my professor designed that changes the delay of the flash via droplet position.

Two students check the delay of the flash. 

A side view of the setup. The red squiggle is the laser. The bucket was captured with the flash, and the laser and TV screen were captured as I left the camera shutter open and moved it about. 

My friend Evan making adjustments to the setup and his camera. There appear to be three of him because I left my camera's shutter open for three consecutive flashes, capturing him three times.

 Now to the fun part:

Rant.

      As I've grown older and (unfortunately) more aware of the world and the people that walk upon it, I felt a change in my head. I know that's normal as one matures, but this is so prominent and unsettling that I can't take it. People in general seem so much more self-centered than they did less than five years ago. They talk, and talk, and talk and hardly ever listen. They complain. They refuse to sacrifice. They are aloof. They don't take time to read other people.
      I used to think I was a good listener. Heck, I was told I was by literally dozens of people. I enjoyed listening to and helping people close to me and even people I just met. It was insane how many people approached me for advice, and I was flattered and floored at the same time. Today, it seems like everyone around me wants to talk, but it couldn't make a difference if anyone was even listening. I don't enjoy it anymore. All I hear are complaints or irrelevant, shallow sentences. I find myself with no reply, because I don't even partake in conversations anymore... people just talk endlessly. I stare at the table or the wall if I lose interest; I feel no need to make eye contact anymore.
      I wish someone would say a sentence that is worth replying to, and I would give that reply, and then the person would agree and/or comment, and then take a breath so I could also speak.
That would be wonderful. 

I only have a photo inversely related to my rant: 

This is my bunny Herbie. He never talks. He just wiggles his nose and sticks out his tongue.