Sequoia National Park

Last weekend was my first trip out to Sequoia National Park and it was a blast. I loved every minute of it. The only thing I wished for was more daylight hours. Alas, there was only one day on our schedule for running around and taking in the big trees, so we made the most of it.

We walked around the Round Meadow and not only got to see so very many giant trees, but also two brown bears. It was so exciting!

Enough story-telling. Here is photographic evidence of this wondrous place:

I love how Polaroids can capture a moment and give you a physical image instantaneously. And yet, I had a couple of other cameras out and about on this trip as well. I dusted off my Holga and two other less often used cameras. Each camera has its own personality and asks me to take photos from different angles and in different ways. I've found that certain cameras are made for certain shots. So once everything is said and done, I should have a few different flavors of California to share. I can't wait to get that film developed. Alas, there is no where local for me to take my 120 format film around here. This means that either I'll have to start developing at home, or I have to deal with paying shipping. Currently I've just been waiting for my infrequent trips north to get my developing done in  huge batches, but that gets old, you know?

The rest of Polaroid Week. . .

It was such an amazing, inspiring week. There were people that came out of the woodwork, so to speak, and tried their hand at using their old Polaroids and found that they could work magic. There were people who had taken an amazing shot months ago and held onto it to share it during Polaroid Week. And there people like me, running around taking road trips so that they'd have a few new sights to share. Granted, I didn't get that far away from home, but I still wanted to try to share a few new things, some stuff out of my comfort zone. . .
So here are the rest of my submission from Polaroid Week:

at the dock

curious lamb

little lambs

beachcomber's collection

radishes

wading

homestead

view of redcliffs

My Moth Orchids

More flowers. One of my other moth orchids started blooming-- on the day I got back from camping. So of course I had to take a comparison shot. The first to bloom is on the left-- the flowers are much bigger and nearly a solid fuchsia (with tiny little specks of darker colors). The second orchid to bloom (on the right) has smaller flowers and they are white with a blush of fuchsia veins and an interior that is fuchsia/violet. While I wait to finish a roll of 35mm film that will give a truer depiction of the colors, I'll share the Polaroid I have.

This photo was taken in my backyard using my SX70 Alpha camera and The Impossible Project's PX680 First Flush film.

Tranquil

My hubby and I have this habit of taking spur of the moment drives that often lead into hikes, and we did just that a couple of weeks ago. We packed the dog up and drove off in search of the last bit of sun before night set in. We decided to drive on the road that follows along the edge of Quail Lake outside of St George, Utah, and it felt like we were chasing the light. We weren't sure that we'd have enough light to take a decent shot. But just after the lake came into view, the sky turned pink and purple and aqua and I knew that was my moment. I just had to stop for a few photos. The one I have readily available to share was taken with my Polaroid SX70 camera, using PX680 Beta film. The others are still waiting to be developed. I only had a handful of minutes to take my photos before the light slipped away and we were left with a quiet evening, so I did my best to take advantage of the opportunity. I took a few photos, and then I just took it in. 

This photo will forever remind me of following the curve of the road and finding myself in a spot that was perfectly glowing with the last remnants of a lovely day. 

More plants

The following photos were all taken on my Polaroid SX70 Alpha using PX680 First Flush film. I have been having altogether too much fun with gardening lately, and it shows.

This one is of my pomegranate tree in bloom:

The next two are experiments. I used Holga close-up lenses help by hand to get right into my subjects. I was shooting on a really bright and hot day, and I think that added to the warm tones that showed up strongly in the following photographs---

Lavender. 

Orchid.

I have been having loads of fun playing with this film and this particular camera. I am also in a flora stage, apparently. I have taken a few landscape photos, but I keep coming back to the details of individual blooms, blossoms, and leaves a lot lately. And I'm alright with that. 

Desert Blooms

Experiments and new growth in my garden:

Parrot Tulip, SX70 camera, PX70 PUSH! film.

Parrot Tulip, Olympus OM-1 Camera, Kodak 200 iso film.

Hyacinths, SX 70 camera, PX 70 PUSH! film.

Magnolia blossom, SX 70 camera, PX 680 First Flush film.

Discovered while hiking:

Giant Four o'clocks, SX 70 camera, PX 680 Beta film

Indoor plants:

Freesia, SX 70 Camera, PX 100 film

Phalaenopsis, otherwise known as a Moth Orchid, 

SX70 camera, PX70 PUSH! film.

Phalaenopsis, SX70 camera, PX680 First Flush film.

Euphorbia Tirucalli, otherwise known as Pencil Cactus.

(Actually a succulent.) Olympus OM-1, Kodak 200iso film.

More of my photos can be found HERE. 

Drizzle

Is it bad that any time it so much as thinks about raining out here I start scheming ways of getting going out to take photos? It's a bit tricky, of course, trying to get as much gear as I can outside without ruining any of it.

So far my tips and tricks are these: plan ahead, pack only cameras that can be replaced, have a waterproof or water-resistant camera bag AND a coat (So you can dig around in your bag with the coat over the opening to avoid letting the rain in), and don't stray too far from your car. Also, have a couple of towels waiting for you your car, just in case.

Most of my rainy day photography has been done in spittle type rain, but I have taken a few shots in certifiable rainstorms--mostly under the cover of something. By "cover" I mean things like my car, a bridge, a porch, or my coat pulled up and over my camera as best as I can.

Then there are a few cameras that I might make an exception for, ones where I just pull them out and quickly get my shot and then stuff the camera back in the bag. My Polaroid Spectra and Polaroid One cameras get that kind of treatment because I can frame the shot, take the picture, and hide the camera away really quickly. And those cameras didn't cost me an arm and a leg, so I am a little more brutal with them.

I've said it before and I'll probably say it again-- I love the way that everything around here changes when storms roll in. Not that I don't love basking in sunshine, but I really do like the occasional thunderstorm.


Comparisons---

Sunny days in Zion National Park:

Stormy/rainy days in Zion:

As you may have guessed, the weather has been stormy around here for the last couple of days. I'm planning on going out to enjoy it tomorrow.

A new place to walk

My hubby and I took a walk/hike in a National Conservation Area near our home on Saturday. We took our dog along with us and I dare say, we all had a good time. We stretched our legs and enjoyed a windy, partially cloudy afternoon in our beloved desert. If that doesn't sound particularly appealing, consider the alternative-- an unrelentingly hot and sunburn-inducing, blindingly bright hike. So, like I was saying, the conditions were perfect.

I find cloudy days the ones that are the most interesting to photograph. As much as I love our sunny to rainy day ratio here, I appreciate the occasional storm front.

So, what did we find on our hike? Well, first off, there were incredible views of a variety of hills and mountains in a rainbow of colors. Proof:

Look at the greens, oranges, magenta, purples, blues, and yellow. I love our redrock out here, even if it means we have to amend our soil to grow a vegetable garden and there is an endless amount of red sand and dust tracked into the house. The inspiration I get out it is worth it.

Further on, we found Palmer's penstemon in bloom all over the place, as well as this flower:

Neither of us had seen this plant in bloom before, but after getting home I looked it up online. I did various searches using descriptive word combinations until I found it-- it being a Giant four o’clock (Mirabilis multiflora).

After walking along for a while and taking loads of photos on my other film cameras, I was rewarded with this golden field, fluffy clouds, and disappearing mountains:

Luckily, you can't look too closely at the "golden" in this picture, as it is mostly dried out weeds and cheatgrass. Luckily, there are a lot of happy native plants like sage and cacti and the aforementioned flowering species out there as well.

I really like this little slice of desert. My first visit was super short, and this one only made me want to come back for more. There are a quite a few more trails with interesting names to travel.

*All of the above photos were taken using my Polaroid SX70 Alpha camera, using PX 680 Beta film from The Impossible Project.