My newfound formats

Film has been my modus operandi since I got into photography; I didn't shrug it off for digital like it seems 99% of the rest of the world has. Even so, I find I'm playing catch-up to a lot of traditional methods. I think starting out at Freestyle got me out of my medium-format-and-Ilford-HP5+ rut I've been in for years (not that I have anything bad to say about it). I admit, change was in the air along with the seasons, and I took up 2 old-school methods I'd never done before: Polaroid and Holga.

My Kings Canyon polaroids were the 1st in this new adventurous experiment. I'd never used much Polaroid,hadn't shot one in years. Just from a couple exposures,I got the feel of the instant film's liberations and limitations. Apparently distance is everything :P



Next was Descanso Gardens nearer to me, in La Canada Flintridge (the 2nd longest city name in the U.S. There's some trivia for you. And yes,I know the 1st,but you're just going to have to Google it!) I had a better concept of what I could do with the medium now,and think I got better results because of it.


I also have to say another reason I took up Polaroid was that I heard the company had decided not to make the film anymore,and I was horrified I'd let the simplest of film formats pass me by all this time. So now the film almost twice as much $,so twice as precious for every frame. I find myself taking no less care composing an image than I would on one of my "serious" cameras. Each composition now has to be worth something.

The other one I took up was the Holga. I always considered myself anal in regards to my photos,and I wasn't sure I'd be able to let go and enjoy the unpredictable format. I was really surprised to get my 1st roll back and find that I liked the 'messed up' photos the most.



I'm still obsessed with shooting both,particularly the Holga. I love not knowing what to expect on each roll. Highly recommended for anyone who needs to lose control once in awhile.

In the Sequoias!

So I celebrated Labor Day weekend in Kings Canyon Nat'l Park. Of course, it was crowded and we weren't at all prepared for freezing nights,but it was so worth it. One of those rejuvenating trips.

Saw this tree trunk that resembled a dragon head (to me).
My lovely car against the mountain backdrop.
On the road towards Cedar Grove on Hwy 180.
Within the hike towards Zumwalt Meadow.



One of my 1st pics once we got there.



Kings River


Panoramic Point

It's one of those places you have to go back to. Kings Canyon itself was huge, so we didn't even get to explore Sequoia that much (just a meadow in Princess Campground), and there's so much I want to see there, too. But awesome all the same. Hope some of my slide film night shots turn out;I'll get to see next week.

Point Loma

Well,what was otherwise a ruined weekend, I dragged the bro with me to the Point Loma lighthouse and the huge armed forces memorial they have there. Also the Cabrillo Monument, but the landscape and graves (which I'm sure are better appreciated in a larger format I plan on trying soon) were the best parts.

The fair's in town...

Sorry,but I haven't felt like I've done any blog-worthy work until this past weekend. I went to Balboa Park in SD earlier in the day, then on to the SD Fair later in the afternoon.

I love the bunny exhibit! Lucked out this year; usually we end up going on pigeon day. Yawn.

Some of the fair's nightlife.

Annnnd...check out my flower exhibit pics @ photophanatic.deviantart.com.

Nightly adventures and my directional prowess

So I'm officially obsessed with night photography now. Let's see, I've been out for 7 consecutive nights now. Wow. I didn't even realize it had been a week. Anyways, here's what I've been up to since last time (which I still have sore calves from. Walking from Ave 64 to Colorado Blvd and back...probably a dumb idea.)

Friday night was a different kind of night photography...beach bonfire kind.

No nighttime partner for tonight, but I filled my day going to the Huntington Library's new exhibit "This Side of Paradise" showing photos representing LA from the mid 1800s to the present. Google Maps lost me on the way there; I swear they're as bad as mapquest now. Way old-fashioned, but my trusty road map saved me from having to give up in a fit of frustration. Ha, I feel so accomplished when I can find my way by my map. ANYWAYS, the exhibit was pretty damn good, plus afterwards I braved the day's stifling heat to see the Chinese Garden, which wasn't open last time I was here.

Oh hey, I keep forgetting to mention this...but I don't put EVERYTHING from every escapade on here. If you ever want to see more, I put more photos on my deviant art account: photophanatic.deviantart.com. Later!

Ughhh...

Won't be able to go up the coast this weekend; the roommate wants to save money for bills instead of paying for a train ticket, and since it was her stepbrother we were visiting...Ordinarily, I'd just drive up on my own but good lord, the GAS!! And when you don't have a particularly lucrative job, well...I'm pretty much stuck for now. Oy vey. Well, I'm still hunting down photo job ops, and am doing my bartender training next week it looks like. So wish me luck.

Out and About in Eagle Rock

Finally got to some of the places in my new neighborhood that I hadn't had a chance at. Went to a spooky-looking cathedral, old-fashioned looking diner, a small club, and a stairway near the club.



I have to go back to the area with these lions because there's also a giant cartoon chicken on the roof 2 blocks away, but...it was night and not the safest of areas. Have to go back with a burly bodyguard. There's also the craziest building ever, a bright orange Buddhist temple. I'd like to get a shot of that during the day and night.





So what's up next? Morro Bay for the weekend is looking definite. Really, I can't pass up the opportunity; SoCal is burning me out right now. And if I go hopefully I can get the missions in the San Luis Obispo area.

First Forays into the night...

Night photography, that is. When I was visiting San Diego this weekend, I did my first attempts at night photography. I'm pissed that I forgot to bring my digital with me the first night though; I was distracted though! So now I have to wait on the color negs of those and hope they turned out decently. BUT I have the digital versions from Saturday night (when I went photographing after a pool party, alone, in a damp bathing suit and cover-up. I swear I'm sane.)


A church near Southwestern College. Fire station along Bonita Road.

I'm hoping to venture out again maybe Thursday night because there's a ton of great places just by my new apartment that I've been aching to get my lens on. There's just something about being out in the dark when it's all quiet, in the moments your eyes aren't darting around checking for shady characters, that takes the edge off the day. Or maybe that's just me; I'm naturally nocturnal.

Catch-Up, Part II

Late April I go to the San Fernando mission in Mission Hills. Not one of the more impressive ones, but I found some interesting points. Anyone know Bob Hope has a huge memorial here? I didn't.








The Bob Hope Memorial


Sorry, I just found this funny.





Early May, it was off to San Gabriel mission, near to Pasadena.








I hadn't heard much talk about this one; I'd even heard it was unimpressive. But once I saw the gardens and cemeteries, I had to disagree. SG marked the end of the missions for me, at least related to school.

This summer marks a whole new territory for me,though. Not only do I not have summer school, I am now PERMANENTLY out of school! Which leaves me a lot more time to work on my projects. Next weekend I may head up to Morro Bay, and tackle the missions in the San Luis Obispo area on the way. Thanks to some of my photo-friends influence, I'm starting out with night photography too. So hopefully I've got some new stuff up soon.