The Cupcake Cafe

At the Cupcake Cafe in Books of Wonder, NYC. Horizon Perfekt, xpro Lomo 200 film. The cupcakes in the top right corner have arms, legs, huge eyelashes, and have been known to dance up on their stage, just like the Rockettes.

These cupcakes are works of art.

Just as delicious as they look. (Uh, the cupcakes, too.)A few words about Books of Wonder:  this place will always be dear to me, ever since the celebration they held for Madeleine L'Engle shortly after I moved to New York. That was a seminal experience that I will never forget.  Just going there can make me teary, and seeing collectable editions of her books in the glass cupboard sends me over the edge.  All I could think on this trip was, maybe I could have my birthday party at the Cupcake Cafe, and would any of my friends come?

And a couple things about my panoramic camera:  the Horizon doesn't have a flash.  It doesn't focus.  It's fully manual, and I don't digitally enhance my scans of the negatives.  I don't use a light meter (I'm just working on memorizing relevant parts of these charts).  I've only had it a few months, and I'm just blissed out with the images I'm getting, even as a super beginner. These images (and many I've posted lately) were cross-processed, meaning they were taken on slide film and then processed in print negative chemicals, which can create cool color shifts, vibrancy, and other surprises.  Every time I go to the Lomography Gallery Store here in New York I fall more and more in love with the analogue photography world and Lomography's rockin' staff.

Yesterday I saw the Horizon album, and was inspired to order my first prints.  I can't wait to get them and to show them to all my pals, including Jason at Duane Reade, who happily caters to all my wacky processing requests.  We might have to celebrate.  With cupcakes.