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Heath's Laundry

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 Walking around Downtown Albany, I stumbled upon Heath's Laundry. As a lover of old things, the sign out front called me in to investigate. The manager, Rema, is close to the Heath family and has been with the business for over 30 years. She allowed me to walk around and capture some of the inner workings.  Heath's Laundry, established in 1953 by Kenneth Heath at 521 3rd Ave SW boasts its original sign today.  Employees are pressing clean laundry through an American Super Sylon, a piece of machinery that was manufactured in 1939 and given to Heath's Laundry in 1953 from the hospital.  The machanisms of the Super Sylon show its true age, but also go to show that it was built to last. 

Around Town

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 While I was not around town locally, I had the opportunity to take my camera on a walk around my hometown. The County Fair Mall was a popular hangout spot in Woodland, California where it once boasted of a Claire’s, Foot Locker, Gottshalks, and a full food court. Throughout my time in Woodland, I watched each of these businesses close down, and the quality of our mall began a steep decline. What remains of the mall is a JC Penny, a few kiosks with cheap goods, and a piƱata store. It was completely silent and the lighting made me feel eerie. Exploring abandoned things is my passion, but I had never before been apart of the history. Across the parking lot is a Movies 5 where I had a first date and birthday party, which has been completely abandoned.  This restaurant caught my eye with its beautiful tiling and vibrant colors, I could only imagine what kind of food was served here.  My grandma used to drop me off at this play area while she shopped at Gottshalks. I remember it being full

Week 2- Mourning Summer

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 As I wait for my campus shots to be developed, I can't wait to share one of my favorite rolls thus far- and my most recent. One of the last days of the Oregon heat wave, my roommate and I went to swim at Foster Lake and we met a nice group of people who accidentally helped create one of my favorite summertime memories. I feel so lucky that I got to capture these moments so candidly, looking back at them makes me feel as though I'm in the moment again. 

Introduction

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Welcome!  I'm Claudia, and this is my blog for my Journalism class! After a COVID gap year, a sharp career change, and one switched major, I've decided that I want to spend some time learning about subjects that deeply interest me. Photography has always been a passion of mine, and it became something I clung to when realizing that there were large chunks of my life that I could not remember. To this day, I use my own pictures as a recall: a way to remember events, but most importantly emotions. My photography is how I break the disconnect within myself.  I had a DSLR that I would pick up every few months, but the moment I got my 35mm film camera, I sold my old camera and never looked back. It is one of the most addicting things I have ever come across- I live for the anticipation of seeing my shots, and I love the warmth and character that film has to offer without the editing. This has, however, set me back in my digital photography. I hope to gain back the upperhand through