Desert Willow

This photo of Desert Willow blooms was taken in my front yard. I was using an SX70 camera with The Impossible Projcet's PX70 PUSH! film. This is some of the last of my stash, and I think it was well used on this subject. The flowers are actually a pale pink, and the background was green and orange, but I like the pastel skewed version of reality that PUSH! film provides.

Valley of Fire

I lugged a bunch of cameras through the Valley of Fire State Park in Nevada. It was really warm and dry and boy was I ever thankful for the water we'd packed.

The landscapes out there are surreal. The rock changes colors in so many places, and erosion leaves behind some crazy formations. Not only that, but there are petroglyph panels all over the place. My favorite was the "mystical bat woman." 

These first three photos were taken on my SX70 Alpha camera using PX70 PUSH! film (from The Impossible Project). I had a turquoise filter over the lens to cut down on the pink tones that normally come out in bright sunlight. (Not that I don't love that, I was just looking for something a little different.) 

The photo above was my favorite of the SX70 ones of the day. It was super bright in this spot so it helped more of the colors come through. Plus I was really fascinated by this section of rock. (Mouse's Tank trail.)

The next shot was taken on my Spectra System camera, using PZ 600 Silver Shade film (also by The Impossible Project). In the winter I get more black and white shades out of it, but in the heat of Nevada, it develops sepia, with what looks like flames in the sky. 

This last shot was taken just after exiting a small slot canyon. I love how the rock has vertical and horizontal waves carved into it, and how there are these large river stones surrounding it. I would love to see that place with water running through it. I doubt that'll ever happen, but that's what my imagination is for, right? Anyway, the below loveliness is brought to you by my Keystone 60 Second Everflash camera, using Polaroid 100 Chocolate film. (And thanks to my hubby who carried that beast around--it is neither little nor light.)

I realized while looking through these photos that none of them are true color representations of what the Valley of Fire looks like. However, I took a few shots on my other film cameras, and I'll be sharing those when I get them developed. Or if you're impatient, you can check it out yourself. It is for sure a place worth visiting if you are ever in the area. 

Taylor Creek

I hike the Taylor Creek Trail with a couple of friends yesterday. It is found in the Kolob section of Zion National Park. The trail is an easy hike with a bunch of creek crossings, two historic cabins, and at the end of it, there's a double arch alcove. The first photo is from the alcove looking back towards the trail home. I took it on my SX70 Alpha camera using The Impossible Project's PX70 PUSH! film. For this photo I used a turquoise filter and had the lighten/darken wheel in the middle. I like that some blue came out, but that the photo retained some hazy pink tones.

This next photo is of a grove of Juniper trees growing along side the trail right by one of the historic cabins. It was taken in the same conditions as the shot above, except the wheel was set all the way to lighten. A lot more green tones came out in this photograph, which I thought was really pretty great.

I adore the new film that The Impossible Project came out with, but I have really learned to love playing with the PUSH! film. I'll admit it--initially it wasn't my favorite. I'd gotten used to First Flush (how it worked, its color palette) and it took me a while to really take advantage of what PUSH! had to offer, but I think the challenge of PUSH! is what endeared it to me. While the day will soon come when I'll finish my stash of PUSH!, I'll be grateful for the things I've learned from it. It really did help me push myself to try new things (like development temperatures, filters, lighting  settings, etc).

How I spent my Easter

First was church, and enjoying the real meaning behind Easter. And then when everyone else was doing family dinners and such, Jon and I took a drive with our dog out to Arizona. We took her on a hike with us and I took a bunch of photos of the storm that rolled through. We thought we'd be avoiding the bad weather by driving south, but instead we got caught in the middle of it. It made for some pretty nice photos though. There were lots of mountains, clouds and Joshua trees.

The first shot was taken on a Polaroid SX70 Sonar camera. The film is PX70 PUSH! from The Impossible Project.

As a comparison, the next two shots were taken on a Polaroid SX70 Alpha camera using The Impossible Project's new PX680 film. I was using a beta test pack, so it has some tiny white specks, but those are sure to disappear when the real stuff rolls out on May 5th!

The next two were taken on a Polaroid Spectra System camera using expired Softtone film.

The last three shots were all taken on my Polaroid 430 land camera using expired 690 film.

As you can tell from the last photo, the storm didn't last terribly long. Within a couple of hours it was all but spent and the clouds really started to dissipate. Our pup did awesome for all the new stuff we were throwing at her on this excursion, and we really enjoyed being out in nature. 

Flickering leaves

I just had to get a photo that really demonstrates how well the new 680 film by The Impossible Project captures blue skies.

This photo was taken on my SX70 with PUSH! film a while back.

I love the effect, don't get me wrong. But magenta is not the color that the sky was that day. And the mountains the background were not purple.

But look at the sky in this next shot:

Blue. Yes, indeed. It just may have made my heart skip a beat to see it fully developed.

Something new

Beta 680 film from The Impossible Project. Their film just gets better and better.
I used my SX70 camera with an ND filter for these shots, taken in the backyard:

Compare the above tulip with this one, taken five minutes before, on the PUSH! film:

I'm not sure what caused the fogging at the bottom of the frame, but just look at the difference in color.

More desert snow

Here are some Polaroid photos of Cedar Mountain covered in a generous coating of snow--

Polaroid Spectra Camera, Softtone film.

Polaroid sx70 camera, film from The Impossible Project-- px70 PUSH!

Three of the same

I got to witness a muted sunset on a winter's day in Zion National Park. It was so nice I had to let all of my cameras have a turn.

Keystone 60Second Everflash camera. Polaroid Chocolate film.

SX70, PX70 PUSH! film.

Polaroid Spectra camera, PZ UV+ film.