THE LEFT LANE
Pinhole photography

The pinhole camera — basically a box with an aperture — is the most basic form of photography equipment, easy to make and master. Mary Belanger, a Hawai'i island artist, has taught numerous students at La Pietra-Hawaii School for Girls to build pinhole cameras, and they have gone on to win awards in arts competitions.

Belanger is back to teach open-to-the-public classes at La Pietra this weekend: a camera-making workshop 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday and an open lab in the darkroom Sunday (time to be determined) at La Pietra, 2933 Poni Moi Rd.; $45 per person; call Annie Rogers in the La Pietra art department, 922-2744.

Fashion connection

It's a little known fact that St. John Knits, a staple in upscale Hawai'i women's wardrobes, has a connection to the Islands, or at least a dream of the Islands. Founder Marie St. John knitted her first dresses by hand to save money for a honeymoon in Hawai'i. The family-owned company that grew from that effort had more than $365 million in sales last year.

Saturday at noon, St. John will present its Fall 2002 collection at the Sheraton Waikiki Hotel in a fashion show to benefit the Associated Chinese University Women's Scholarship Fund. To purchase tickets, at $45 and $60, call Nora Chong, 988-6197, or the St. John boutique at Ala Moana, 971-1166.

"The Glass Horse" gives students a look into the horse digestive track.

A horse is a horse is a horse, of course. That is, unless the horse in the course is a software program that gives budding veterinarians an in-depth view of the equine digestive system. Dr. James Moore, professor and head of large-animal medicine at the University of Georgia, developed the "Glass Horse" to give students an understanding of intestinal problems that can afflict horses. The program uses the same computer animation techniques as the movie "Toy Story." More than 2,500 copies of the CD-ROM have been sold. For more information, visit www.3dglasshorse.com.