posted Jan 6, 2026 by Tom Fasano
Yesterday I went for a walk for the first time with my new toy camera and discovered that the Charmera takes somewhat decent video in the sense that it achieves a low-res aesthetic.
The pictures are okay if you frame it right with decent light. I snapped this at Starbucks while waiting for a cup of coffee.
I thought these signs looked interesting. I like where the camera placed the date stamp.
posted Jan 3, 2026 by Tom Fasano
I recently got my hands on the KODAK Charmera, and honestly, it’s the most “fun” I’ve had with a camera in a long time. It’s a tiny digital keychain camera inspired by the 1987 Kodak Fling (the world’s first single-use camera), and it really leans into that “point-and-shoot” simplicity.
Part of the charm is the mystery—the Charmera comes in a blind box. There are six retro designs, plus a “Secret Edition” with a transparent shell. I was hoping for the classic 1987 yellow-and-rainbow look, but honestly, every version nails that 80s/90s aesthetic. I ended up with the blue one, and I’m happy with it.
Despite being about the size of a matchbox, it’s a fully functional digital camera. It shoots 1.6MP photos and 1440×1080 video. Now, don’t expect 4K clarity here—the whole point is the “imperfect” look. It has a fixed lens and a tiny LCD screen on the back that reminds me of the early digital era.
I took it for a spin around the house, and of course, I had to test it on the Christmas tree. I captured a short clip of the tree lights. Because the camera has that distinct 30fps “jerkiness” and a 4:3 ratio, the footage looks like an old home movie from thirty years ago. The way the lights bloom on the lens gives it a warm, fuzzy glow that my iPhone just can’t replicate.
The Charmera isn’t about professional specs; it’s about the feeling of a “captured moment.” It’s grainy, it’s a bit blurry, and it has that classic orange date stamp (optional) in the corner—and that’s exactly why I love it. It turns a snapshot of my Olympia SM3 into a piece of digital nostalgia.
A Phomemo thermal print
Front side of the enclosed brochure
Back side of the brochure
posted Jan 1, 2026 by Tom Fasano
Here I am back when I thought it worth recording myself typing. The only camera I had was a Flip Video—compact, unpretentious, and in 2009 just modern enough to shoot HD. It no longer works. I find I miss it.
posted Dec 29, 2025 by Tom Fasano
Setting goals is a great way to get things done, but sometimes the point isn’t efficiency or even explanation — it’s endurance. Case in point: Les Stewart, an Australian man who decided to manually type out every number from one to one million on a typewriter. In words. One finger. Over sixteen years.
He started in 1982 and finished in 1998, working in disciplined bursts (20 minutes on the hour, every hour), producing nearly 20,000 pages and burning through a thousand ink ribbons across seven manual typewriters. Partially paralyzed after serving in Vietnam, Stewart chose a challenge that fit both his limitations and his love of typing — something he’d once taught professionally.
It’s tempting to ask why, but that’s usually the wrong question. The better one is why not? Some projects exist purely to be finished, and the quiet stubbornness required to see them through is its own kind of achievement.
posted Dec 28, 2025 by Tom Fasano
An 8mm home movie from Virginia 1958, featuring my extended family, especially my twin brother and me.
posted Dec 26, 2025 by Tom Fasano
Jeremy Skillings, a local entrepreneur and CEO of Hemptation USA, is leading the effort to rescue the inventory. Skillings is cataloging the items and moving them into storage to ensure they find “good homes” rather than ending up in a dumpster.
posted Dec 12, 2025 by Tom Fasano
This is an audio rendition of the first chapter of Venice Beach Psalms—the first book in my planned Peter Blair Mystery series. The video mimics a typewriter effect synchronized with the voice-over.
You can purchase a copy and support my creative efforts at Amazon and Barnes and Noble.
posted Dec 11, 2025 by Tom Fasano
Here’s a wonderful public art project from Everett, Washington, that brings vintage manual typewriters out of collectors’ homes and onto the streets. This was from eleven years ago, but the ideas are fresh.
“Word on the Street” placed ten manual typewriters at locations around downtown Everett during the summer. Each typewriter table was custom painted by local artists celebrating literary themes—Maya Angelou, favorite books, childhood fairy tales. Passersby were invited to sit down and type responses to daily questions posed by the city’s librarians.
It’s a brilliant way to introduce a new generation to the tactile pleasure of hitting keys and hearing that bell ring when you reach the end of a line. Some responses were displayed in storefront windows; others shared on social media.
This is what happens when a community values both the literary arts and hands-on creative expression.
posted Dec 7, 2025 by Tom Fasano
A little experiment with Elevator Music. Enjoy.
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