Posted on by Clay Duda Posted in Fish Stories, Mostly Alaska, Mostly FIlm

One Roll of Film Shot During a Summer Fishing in Homer, Alaska

The first frame on a roll of Tri-X 400 film shot during the summer of 2021 in Homer, Alaska. Photo by Clay Duda.
The first frame on a roll of Tri-X 400 film shot during the summer of 2021 in Homer, Alaska.

I’ve been working on charter fishing boats in Homer, Alaska since the summer of 2017. I started out deck handing on a six-passenger boat, and I liked it so much I stuck with it and eventually got my captain’s license and started running boats myself.

Summer days are long and summer season is short here in Alaska. And when you’re working a fishing boat, there’s not many down days. It’s easy to get caught of in the minutiae of things when most weeks I’m working every. single. day. That’s right, seven days a week when the fishing is good, roughly late-May through mid-September.

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Posted on by Clay Duda Posted in Just For Fun, Mostly FIlm

Wine Parties, Weddings, Beach Vacations, and More from the Long Lost Film Archives of Strangers

The feet of an unknown photographer sitting poolside. Photo from an undeveloped roll of film found in an Olympus Stylus Zoom I bought on eBay in 2024. Photo by Anonymous.
The feet of an unknown photographer sitting poolside. Photo from an undeveloped roll of film found in an old film camera I bought on eBay in 2024. Photographer unknown.

I think I learned it from my Mom — I have a hard time passing up a good deal. For me that’s especially true when it comes to cheap vintage film cameras. Sometimes I fix them up and take photos, other times I just test them out and sell them on eBay to fund my film photography habit. Every once and a while one of the old cameras I buy will have a roll of undeveloped film still sitting inside, forgotten from a time long ago.

Over the past couple years I’ve taken these abandoned rolls of film and done pretty much what the original owners did. I tossed them in a drawer and forgot about them.

Until now.

A few weeks ago I came across @anthonys_lost_film on Instagram, a place where this random internet stranger develops and shares found rolls of film just like the ones I had sitting in a drawer collecting dust. And I thought it was a pretty cool idea. Anthony’s work inspired me to develop my own rolls of found film, and these are the results.

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Posted on by Clay Duda Posted in Fish Stories, Home Sweet Homer, Mostly Alaska

Introducing the Irish Mist, My New Charter Fishing Boat in Homer, Alaska

Irish Mist halibut fishing in Homer, Alaska. Photo by Hasting Franks 2016.
Irish Mist eight-person charter halibut fishing in Homer, Alaska. Book for summer 2025 with North Country Charters! Photo by Hasting Franks.

Fun Fact: When I first showed up in Homer, Alaska I didn’t even know what a halibut was. (*gasp*) I know, it’s blasphemy to show up in the “Halibut Fishing Capital of the World” and not know much about this world-class fish. But it didn’t take long to get me in the loop.

Within 48 hours of arriving in town I was out on a charter fishing boat catching my first halibut. That captain even offered me a summer job (thanks Daniel!), and as they say, “the rest is history.”

I went on to deckhand on several charter boats and spent winters commercial fishing in Alaska and Oregon before graduating from deckhand to captain status. Fast forward another 8 years (another *gasp* — it’s hard to believe it’s been so long!) and I’m here at another milestone.

I’d like to introduce the Irish Mist, my new halibut charter fishing boat in Homer, Alaska.

BOOK NOW for summer 2025!
North Country Charters
www.northcountrycharters.com
907-235-7620

I am more than excited to get out on the water, catch some fish, and keep doing what I love to do. I hope you’ll join me!

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Posted on by Clay Duda Posted in Mostly Punk Rock

CD Book: A Very Merry Bosstones’ Christmas and Take A Chance with this (Acid) Rapper

CD Book: The Mighty Mighty Bosstones Live from the Middle East and Chance the Rapper with Acid Rap. Photo by Clay Duda.
The Mighty Mighty Bosstones and Chance the Rapper grace the same page in this old CD book I pulled from the floorboard of my truck. Photo by Clay Duda.

So far in life my biggest claim to fame is that I once got to go backstage at a Mighty Mighty Bosstones concert in Atlanta. I know ladies, try to keep it in your pants. It was a really great experience. Well, honestly, there really wasn’t much to it. There the band was, sitting on a dingy old couch chilling out before the show doing much of nothjing. But for an old ska-core kid like myself, it was still pretty neat!

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Posted on by Clay Duda Posted in Home Sweet Homer, Mostly Alaska, Mostly FIlm

First Friday: ‘At Road’s End’ Photographs at Homer Council on the Arts, May 2024

Photos on display as part of 'At Road's End: Analog Photography by Clay Duda' exhibit in the Homer Council on the Arts gallery in Homer, Alaska. May 2024.
Photos on display as part of ‘At Road’s End: Analog Photography by Clay Duda’ exhibit in the Homer Council on the Arts gallery in Homer, Alaska. May 2024.

I’m pretty blown away to announce that my first solo gallery show opens this week at Homer Council on the Arts in Homer, Alaska. ‘At Road’s End: Analog Photography by Clay Duda‘ will hang in the HCOA gallery for the month of May, and in the main hall at South Peninsula Hospital for June and July 2024.

The First Friday opening reception is tomorrow, May 3 from 5-7pm at Homer Council on the Arts, 355 W. Pioneer Ave. in Homer. If you’re in town and interested in that sort of thing, please stop by and say hi.

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