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?

Pipe Spring National Monument

It is a lonely place. I imagine it was only that much more lonely in its heyday, totally disconnected from civilization. Mormon settlers built the place up around the spring, which made life harder for the Paiute that were living in the area. It was and is a dry, desolate place. It was miles and miles from anywhere, and today there is still very little near it. It was built on beautiful but harsh land and it took tough people to make a living out there.

 When the first settlers came through, it was a prairie. There are reports that when riding horses through it, the grass came up to the horses' bellies. In some areas the grass grew over five feet tall. I could have disappeared by walking into it. Now the whole area is covered in desert scrub brush, sage, and cheatgrass. They have a small area set aside to try to recreate the mix of grasses that used to grow on the land with ease. I took the following photo while imagining the history of the place, trying to see it covered in a sea of waving blades of grass.

Each of the above photos was taken on my Olympus OM-1 using Lucky 200iso film.