A couple days ago we got a nice snow storm and I knew that I had to go out and shoot some images. On my walk back from lab I took my plastic Canon Snappy LXII to take some images with the on camera flash in the chucking snow. I’m excited to see how these images turned out, but after the short walk I decided I needed to bring some real cameras. So I loaded up the Pentax 67 with some expired Velvia 100 and nabed the Fujifilm x100s to go out to see what I could get. The flacks were big, the contrast low and there were a couple images I know would look amazing on the 67 with punchy Velvia film. The images I’m sharing here are all from the x100s and the film will be developed in probably a year, I hope you all enjoy.
Canon 7D Mark II with a Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 on Manfrotto tripod with FLM ball head: 20 sec F2.8 ISO 800
Late Night Adventures (No Business Fire Lookout)
This summer I’ve been dipping and dodging important things, like finding a job, getting over a past relationship, and figuring out what I really want to do with myself. With the free time and privilege to spend the summer this way I have been doing as much as I can to take advantage. I’ve spent time writing representatives about fish conservation, support of BLM, and volunteering my time to help better the place I love. The past week I have staying up in Donnelly enjoying the mountains and lakes in central Idaho. One thing that I’m spending time on is discovering new wonderful places here in the place I’m living.
Each morning I’m there and the lake’s surface is glassy smooth, air cold enough for steam to rise I wobble out of bed and drag a kayak off the dock for a paddle. What’s nice about the morning is the silence, only the sound of dripping water off the paddle, a swush for every stroke, and the clear skies. On these paddles among seeing families of otters and golden eagles I have always spotted a small white dot garnishing the top of a Northwest mountain.
At the top of No Business Mountain (West Mountain I think) lies a fire lookout built originally in the 1920 and renovated in 1967. I’m pretty sure that it is inactive currently as I couldn’t find any current information about it, though we did spot some people spending the night there. Anyways, through binoculars I knew I need to get an up close to have a look. So this last week on of my goals was to take the forest service road to the top.
Now with COVID getting worse, especially in Idaho, and being in a town where a bunch of people who don’t believe in COVID drive through I shouldn’t have done this but… I met an new friend who lives in Donnelly and since I had never been up this road before and I was going to do it in complete darkness I thought I should have another person with me. Also when I say a friend I really mean two new friends one a super cool human and the other a cute little kitten named Ginko. After being turned around at the first shorter road we wrapped around the other direction to go the longer way. We missed sunset and we arrived just as true darkness fell with NEOWISE starting to show along with the center of the milky way.
Canon 7D Mark II with a Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 on Manfrotto tripod with FLM ball head:
25 sec F1.8 ISO 1600
There are many things that I truly appreciate about the world and it was amazing how many things came together that night. Plans getting changed halfway through, a bumpy Land Cruiser ride, dark sky with some extra-terrestrial object visible from earth, a bright milky way you could mistake for a cloud, wonderful company/conversation, and time with an adventurous little kitten. I don’t usually just invite someone (and their kitten) I’m not super familiar with on late night trips like these, especially now, but I’m sure glad I did this time!
“Late night adventures with new friends are memories I will always cherish. Motion blur, sage brush, fire lookout, star studded skies, NEOWISE, and a little kitten named Ginko.”
Jump Creek Off-Road Adventure
This road was one that I had been eyeing for a while. Everyone and their mom knows about Jump Creek and I had hiked pretty much everywhere so I wanted to change things up a bit. These pictures are from the second time I drove this road right before I went back home for the summer. To be honest, I was bummed that I couldn't make it all the way up the road as my Land Cruiser only has central differential locks but it was still a fun adventure.
I mentioned that this was the second time I had driven the road because the first time I didn't make it that far. I had it in my mind that It'd be fun to take the girl I like up this road and when she said yes, without thinking we went. It had rained the entire day, which meant slick mud and little traction, some how after about a mile of sliding up hill we pulled over for a mini hike. On the way back down I was less lucky, we did a 360 down a steep muddy hill nearly flipping my Land Cruiser. Being that we just had a conversation about our siblings flipping vehicles all I can say I'll never forget it.
