Camera: Polaroid EE100 (with Big Swinger meniscus lens) | Film: Fuji FP-100C
After a bit of testing, I’ve discovered that I need to do more testing. I removed the single element meniscus lens from the black & white only Polaroid Big Swinger 3000. First, I placed it in the Colorpack II, after removing the three glass elements. I found that only things about four feet away were in focus – everything else was blurry.
Hardly discouraged, I dug the plastic lenses out of my Polaroid EE100 and plopped the BS3k lens in their place (this was no where near as easy as I make it sound). Because the two cameras thus far mentioned had the same focal distance (114mm), I got the same results in both. However, since the EE100 is a folding camera, I can reduce the focal length so that (in theory – I’ve not tested this yet … much) everything is in focus (as it was in the BS3k).
Though I’ve yet to test it with film, I was able to test it with wax paper! This was an exciting bit of brain storming that I later discovered was already known by pretty much anyone who has ever built a camera. Anyway, by dismantling an empty film pack, I was able to tape a piece of wax paper to the spot where the film otherwise would sit. From a dark room, I pointed the camera out the window and moved the front piece of the camera (containing the lens and shutter) back towards me until things were in much better focus. All said, it was about a half inch back – give or take.
All this was because Fuji stopped making black & white Polaroid film, thus rendering my B&W only BS3k obsolete. Taking a HUGE que from this post, I popped the lens out of the BS3k (without breaking anything) and eventually placed it not in a ridged bodied camera but in a “new” folding camera, the EE100 (which is basically the same thing as the Reporter). I used an xacto knife and finally a dremmel, but was able to cut away enough plastic to fit the lens, but not enough to damage anything beyond use.
The photo above was taken with the EE100 (w/ BS3k lens) before I realized that I could actually get everything in focus by pulling the lens closer to me. While I really love the look of the photo, 90% or more of what I shoot are wide landscape scenes. I almost never have a subject in the foreground. If I do, then usually there really isn’t a background. This was going to force me to look at things in different ways, to retrain my eye to see in 3D (or something). I was really excited about it.
But now I’m even more excited that I might not have to relearn this! Actually, since the camera defaults to a close focus, and since only by manually pulling back the shutter/lens can I get to (and past) the infinity stop, it will serve as a constant reminder to look for subjects rather than at landscapes only. Basically, I turned the Big Swinger 3000 from a fixed focus black & white only camera to a scale focus color (and b&w – the EE100 has a setting for 3000iso) camera. There are, of course, no markings to tell me when something may or may not be in focus. Basically, I’ve created the trombone of Polaroids. Dig me!
Sorry for being so long-winded, but I figure that someone out there might want to try this modification.
And if I really wanted to, I could just desaturate it.
KD: I replied to Jaya Krsna that I’d like to come and volunteer for a few weeks for whatever was needed. I told him that I could do things like office work, or cooking. He replied, “Yes! Sure! Please come!” 
Govardhan retreat with Bhakti Caitanya Swami 
In the Fall 2013, ISKCON News Website called out to Krishna devotee videographers to send their short videos of inspiring Krishna-conscious people, stories, interesting Krishna-conscious projects, events or activities, or their Krishna-conscious music videos.
There were over 50 contestants applied from 14 different countries, and shared their inspiring short films of various subjects, including festivals, spiritual retreats, Deity worship, outreach and artistic programs. 
Video Invitation For Shivaji Park Rath Yatra 2014 
Indradyumna Swami: My doctor advised me to start exercising by taking short walks. So taking my camera I went with a small group of devotees by taxi to Radha Kunda and walked two times around the sacred lake. It took 30 minutes. By following the doctors orders hopefully my health improved and surely I got unlimited spiritual benefit. All glories to Sri Radha Kunda! So happy to be back in Sri Vrindavan dhama 
Tomorrow, Saphala Ekadasi, is the second anniversary of Yamuna Devi’s departure from this world. Some years ago, she wrote me, “I remember when Dina and I visited you in your house in Vrindavan. We asked you one question, and you took three hours to answer it! 
After three military tours in Vietnam as a photographic interpreter, Shanka das returned to his hometown in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1969. Sometime later, his brother, who was living at the Boston Temple, gifted him a Krishna Book and four pictures of Visnu 
Devotees try to make their mridanga sound be heard even better! 
