Hiking the Peak - Telluride

Everyone knows where to find Mike Price after a day of work. Oak is only a door and a half down from his shop and the bartender pours us beers before we even walk in. It would be a problem if it wasn’t the place where you not only found him but his boss, often co-workers, and truly the rest of the town. Or the people in town you want to be around anyway. I’m telling you all this because it was one Tuesday night at the Oak where we happened to decide to do a Peak mission the very next day. Beers and the realization the mountain will close soon got us motivated to get after it that night and I’m sure glad we did!

The Peak that I am referring to is of course Palmyra Peak the tallest point at the ski area and one of the tallest places you can ski in bounds just about anywhere I suspect. It’s taller then 1310 at Loveland and for sure gets you higher then that silly lift people talk about at Breckenridge. Google informs me that the top is 13,319 ft and I can say after hiking from Chair 12 to the top it sure feels like 13,000 ft and the exposure you feel at the top is no joke either. To make it worse they give you a small snow pack platform to balance on at the top, not usually a problem unless you are sharing it with 3 other people…

I’m not really sure how far the hike is or how many feet we had to climb but all in all it could have been much worse than it was. It took us just about an hour to get up and in all reality the hike was scarier than the ski. It’s always funny to make jokes about falling into Ophir or Alta Lakes from the resort when you are doing the short hike-tos bellow the peak but when you are on a boot pack on top of skree in hard ski boots that possibility seems much more likely. There’s at least two places that got me a little spooked between the steep narrow shoot below and the chawsy wind swept boulder you had to scramble. And really once you pass through the gate the whole hike is a no fall zone, you probably won’t die but you might be wishing you had looked at the map longer.

Once at the top and you concur the last nearly vertical boot pack, you are welcomed by a bright orange toboggan (that some poor soul undoubtedly had to hike up there) and a bamboo rope line to remind you that you are still in the boundary of the ski area. It’s an important reminder given the terrain you are about to ski. It’s no baby hike-to-ski or palma lift to above treeline, it is just what you should expect when you look at the tallest mountain out the window of the Gondola. A variable, windy, and steep 13,000 ft peak that for some reason you are allowed to ski down just like any other run on the mountain. And that’s just what we did. We clipped into our bindings, pointed our tips downhill and went for it. I wish I could say we got a fresh powder line down the couloir but it was chopped, old north facing snow that was just interesting enough to get your heart to pump when your skis did something a little different then you wanted them to. But from there you can drop 4,500ft down to town have another beer at Oak and keep skiing if you wanted to.

For me I headed back down to town and retreated into the library to get at least a half day of work done. I’m sure going to miss the ability to walk out the door, hike up a mountain, ski with good friends and then just pretend it’s another day at the office. This may be a post for another time but being able to experience all of this in the context of what I do (for those who don’t know I spend most my days supporting the Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office at the US Department of Energy) makes everything just work.

On the far left side of the image if you look close there is a zig zag skin track and people hiking up from the uppers and into Ophir (my guess at least).

My "New" Yeti Cycles SB-150 (A Post on Buying Bike Used)

This was going to happen no matter what, ever since I saw the aqua blue, yellow, black full suspension frames designed in Golden CO when I was what 13? I knew I too, one day, would own a Yeti bike! Money aside Yeti has been on the forefront of bicycle design and geometry and this bike is the most recent iteration of their technology. So what can I say, I’m a sucker for local boutique outdoor brands from Colorado who like to push the bar a bit and do something different.

This summer I was lucky enough to work for Telluride Sports who rented many of the bikes for the mountain and supplied me with a bike park pass. Meaning every free moment, lunch breaks or days off, I was riding in the park or the trails that bisect the mountain. The best part of it all was that our premier rental shop carried many amazing bikes, both downhill and enduro trial. Though there were a whole list of amazing downhill bikes like, the Rocky Mountain Maiden 90, GT Fury Carbon 29 Team, and a custom built Devinci Wilson 29 carbon, I realized that an enduro bike was going to be the best choice for me. For the enduro bikes at the shop the clear winner was the Devinci Spartan 29 carbon, I rode this bike almost everyday for more than a month and absolutely loved it! Except one thing, it wasn’t mine and more often than not the bike felt different every time I rode it.

So long story short I knew I needed a bike of my own and I also had the privilege of knowing what bikes I liked and which ones I didn’t. As I may have given away I did go into bike shopping with a bias, a bias for buying a Yeti mountain bike. As I shopped it became clear my favorite bike company did possibly have the bike of my dreams and that was the SB-150. A bike that could absolutely hold its own in the park but also climb a hill like no other. It sounded like the perfect fit for me and I knew I had to try it myself.

After a search on the used market and convincing my brother to check it out for me I got the bike. I got it used for about half MSRP (still a frightening amount of money) with some upgraded components that should really pay off in the future. Nothing on it is perfect yet but with only three weeks left in the bike season I had to test it out. All I can say is the bike lives up to the hype. After a full day in the park of riding as hard as I usually did it proved to be just as solid as the Devinci Spartan and could peddle just as good if not better on Prospect Loop. Can’t wait for bike season next year and to get this bike running even better than before!

Fall in Telluride

Fall in Telluride could be a title for me crushing bones biking or hiking but in this case it does refer to the explosive color that happens just once a year. That fleeting last hurrah before white monochrome winter.

It almost felt like the whole summer I kept telling people, “oh yeah Telluride only gets better when the trees turn yellow and snow falls” having no real experience of this of course. That is until this last month when the season changed to fall, though now that I am a “local” in a mountain town, I know better. It’s a time when all the aspen leaf painters are hard at work and the snow dance is performed by every Telluride local only in the darkness of their basements (sheds work too) when no one is looking.

Anyway, regardless of how the leaves get their color and the mountains their snow I went out a couple days and took photos when I could. I wish that I had the leisure I usually have to plan compositions, choose the best weather conditions and load out with both film and digital. But this year between work and visiting with Catherine and friends in Chicago I took what I could get. Namly shots through gondola windows and snaps before beers at the Oak St. bar. While I’m happy with what I made happen with this constraint, I very much wish I could have just ran around all day taking pictures.

When I post I most often organize by when they were taken as it makes sense in my head, time unfolding. This time around I flipped my regular organization. That’s because my favorite picture came from the day I got back from my trip. Flying in that day I saw snow was here, clouds were still sticking around, and everything was at full peak. Sadly after +12 hours of travel all I wanted to do is see my new mountain bike (a post coming soon undoubtedly). But I did get this one snap through the gondola glass when everything was just right. Though to my disappointment after that one day all we got was blue sky and the baking melting sun… still wonderful but nothing quite as beautiful as my first day back.

First Via Ferrata (Telluride, CO)

Early morning meet up spot outside main street Patagonia. (Fuji x100s)

It’s about time I made it on the now popular via ferrata that straddles the back of Telluride’s box canyon. This route has been around for a long time but has grown in popularity as more via ferrata routes round the state (Ouray, Arapahoe Basin, etc.) and country are being installed. While these “iron trials” are relatively new in the states these routes comprised of metal steps, rails, and bolted cables are common in the European alps as a cross somewhere between rock climbing and scrambling. The idea is to have a fully protected route (or in the case of Telluride’s partially protected) that incorporates technical mountaineering skills and exposure that a hiking trail wouldn’t otherwise have.

As you may have gathered this was my first time clipping into the cables of a via ferrata and I’d argue that Telluride may offer one of the most stunning views so I felt like I had to share my experience for anyone who maybe interested in doing it. While you may not want to just walk up and do one of these things it is really meant to be accessible to most. In other words if you are comfortable with heights and are a hiker wanting to gain some crazy exposure then this is the trip for you and it won’t be a back breaking all day affair either! Just make sure you have the right gear. I’ll explain our experience so as to offer some local advice and cautions:

After hastily planning the day before, we met in front of the main street Patagonia store at 5:15 am just as the sun started to lighten the sky that morning. Piling into my land cruiser we headed down main street to drive up past Bridal Veil Falls on the lower switchbacks of Black Bear Pass (where there’s still two-way traffic permitted) to park at the via “trailhead” one turn from the falls pullout. After gearing up we headed up into the via ferrata and went out and back so as to get open our shop by 10:00am. This trail is technically one way so unless you’re the only group on the trail (we were) abide by the rules of the local guides, more information here.

Telluride’s via ferrata is known for its not entirely protected route with high exposure, loose single track downhill to cliff areas (no fall zones), and areas with climbers below. There are multiple places where some may want to clip in but there won’t be a place for it, test areas, there are two near the beginning of the trail that will filter out the people who may not want to continue. There is no easing into this trail but you’ll know if it’s for you early on. This via ferrata takes at most 3 hours but most could probably finish in about an hour in a half. Once you’re done with the ferrata you will need to hike back up the road to the car to get back.

Heading up the loose rocky switchbacks up to the first cable section. (Fuji x100s)

Looking back over at Black Bear Pass and my land cruiser parked at the “trailhead” from the first clip in point. (Fuji X100s)

There were only the three of us on this trip which made things very easy. The first person was Scott who is the local knowledge and guide in town and Erika, my boss and general outdoorsy person. They both had experience (and gear) that made me feel better on my first time out there.

Via ferratas are quite simple as all you need is a helmet, climbing harness, and some kind of leash or teather. Ideally the tether is shock absorbing with two locking carabiners (Petzl Scorpio Vertigo, below) or some places allow dynamic rope and wire carabiners (Scott’s set up to the right). Either way the two clips allow for a redundant system so that you can be secured to the cable at all times. Falls can happen but they should always be avoided if at all possible as this is afterall just protection not intended to be used. The advantage to having a designed tether is the shock absorber that would protect your body, in the case of a fall, from shock load which could be fatal. So if you are worried buy an approved tether or just make sure not to fall ; ).

Scott at the bench getting ready for the “main event” (Fuji x100s)

Petzl Scorpio Vertigo with locking carabiners, elastic leashes, and shock absorber. (Fuji X100s)

While this trip went quickly it was an absolute blast to start the morning on iron ladders with friends. If I could give any advice it would be to do it in the morning to see the light hit the peaks and to avoid windy weather. You also really don’t need a whole lot of other gear a backpack with more than water and snack is definitely not needed.

Summer Trip With Catherine

Summers go by quickly, maybe that’s from long hot days or maybe it’s the fact summer is treated as a retreat from the day to day grind. A long break between semesters or long work weeks; either way it’s a great excuse for an adventure of some kind. So this summer I knew I wanted to do something special and I knew who I wanted to do it with! Being that Catherine had never seen the desert west or tall Colorado mountains I quickly convinced her to come see me in Telluride for a trip to the mountains and a drive to the wonderful red stone of Moab, Utah. Like most things I do I took my camera with me and here are the images of us on our adventure at the end of July 2022.

The first destination after an evening drive from the airport to drinks at The Oak downtown was the ever stunning vistas in Moab, Utah. Over the years I’ve had the opportunity to explore a lot of the easily accessible areas in Moab and the most stunning is this spot. I usually share all my locations but this one is special and I worry about too many people getting here and messing things up. That said if you recognize the view and visit google maps I bet you’d find it on your own pretty quick, if not ask me personally and of course I’ll share it with you!

What I loved most about the day we had in Moab was the ability to experience all the weather had to offer. We started by lounging in the desert sun like reptiles and as we started to burn the clouds came in and the sun went down. So confident was I in the dry desert, I responsibly decided it wasn’t worth figuring out the rain fly that night and like all times one makes that conscience decision it promptly rained on us three short times that night. Though, as we awoke and packed up our site we were happy with the rain we experience because no later did we get down the road did we find ourselves in a torrential downpour. A rain not often felt in the desert, the kind that brings shivers down your back welling up a paranoid feeling with every washed out corner you turn. Luckily the dark clouds moved quickly as we headed toward Cane Creek road and Hole in the Wall.

Getting back to Telluride we were on a mission. We craved a mountain adventure and food so good that we could eat it the rest of our lives. We did end up finding some of the best food in Telluride (Wok of Joy) and while it may not make the cut for a true mountain adventure it was filled with creek crossings, water falls, barefoot bouldering, and romping trails less traveled. We saw the most beautiful wild flowers and as we climbed the canyon neither one of us could stop smiling. Joy at its finest, mountain inspired yes but seared in by being together every step of the way.

The trip was pure bliss. Obviously enjoying the beauty of all these wonderful locations. But I think for us, it was the time back together in person that made everything completely worth it, and memories that will live a lifetime.

Taking Pictures of Lightning

Some of the most striking images a photographer can capture are those that stop moments in time. To me one of the coolest examples of this is being able to “stop” lightning. Lightning maybe one of the fastest natural phenomena we experience and it’s impressively unpredictable, so how is it possible to get images like the one above? Well hopefully with these tips and tricks you will be on your way to creating cool lightning shots, that is if you can find a stormy of enough night…

The image above was taken from the porch of my brother’s place just outside of Norwood, CO. We were just getting back from drinking in town and made it just in time to see stikes every 1 to 2 minutes only a couple miles away. So I set up my camera and shot away. This is a composite of 4 strikes that happened in a matter of 6 minutes as the sky grew darker and the storm inched closer. Since this maybe my most “professional” looking lightning image so far I figured I’d share my experience and what I’ve learned.

What you will need:

1. Sturdy tripod or way of keeping the camera really steady. I’ve gotten away with propping my camera up with a heavy coat or even sitting it on a fence post or table. But a tripod is definitely the best option if you really want an easy workflow!

2. A camera of some kind with a manual or aperture priority mode. You can use a film or digital camera for this. Though I’d recommend digital because you will be throwing out a lot of images using this method. But, a film lightning shot would be portfolio worthy…

3. Intervalometer or shutter cable release. These days most cameras will have a built in intervalometer (or an interval timer, a device that measures short intervals of time for releasing the shutter). This is a really important tool to be safe as you will not need to be by your camera when images are being taken and it reduces motion blur. Again you could get away without it but it just makes life harder and the chances of a successful image slim.

4. A stormy night or evening with lightning. This is the place where I’m no expert - predicting weather is something I don’t deal with. Personally, when I hear lightning I just run out of the house and see what I can do. That said if there is a forecast or way to know when and where lightning will be please share it with me!

5. Lots of luck. As I may have subtly alluded to a couple times already, to get a great lightning shot you need to be prepared, find yourself in the right place as well as time, and literally hope something cool happens.

So How is it done?

I think there are many ways to go about making an image like the one above, but I use is what I like to call the “time lapse” method. This is where you set everything up as if you were going to make a timelapse, but your hope is that one of the X amount of photos captures a lightning strike. If you get a couple images you have an image. It’s really quite easy!

Here are my general guidelines I go through when setting up for lightning. First, find a composition that is in the direction of the most frequent strikes. I like to add a foreground element if I can but if there isn’t anything try adding more sky to the composition! After the composition is locked I will usually set my intervalometer to wait 3 seconds between each shot (enough time to clear the buffer) and use aperture priority mode. The secret sauce to getting lightning pictures is leaving your shutter open long enough for the lightning to strike. In a way you can think of the lightning as a flash going off (it actually functions like one too, left side is the original images and the right side is 100% zoom. Yes those white specks are the rain drops frozen in time, like a flask would), it is only an instant but it is bright enough to light the whole composition on its own!

To achieve this I will set my ISO and aperture so that the shutter stays open for longer than 3 seconds at a time. Your enemy now is overexposing the image as lightning gives off a lot of light. To prevent this I set the exposure compensation to -1 or -2 stops to make sure the lightning doesn’t overexpose the entire image. Also if lightning strikes more frequently then once during the time the shutter is open you can cover the lens (with your hand or a dark card) after the first strike so as to not double expose the frame. This is all trial and error for the most part so review your images every so often to make adjustments as needed. Missing one or two strikes is worth it to not get a memory card full of over exposed or out of focus images!

Once you’re dialed just shoot away. It can sometimes be hard to not change the composition a million times. But just point it in the general direction of the most frequent strikes and just be patient. I’ve lost more images by adjusting the camera then any other way. Another thing to think about is the ambient light. There is definitely a sweet spot between it being too light to see the stikes or too dark that only the strike itself is recorded. Again just trust something will happen and it probably will!

A note about SAFETY

There really is no way to be safe when taking lightning images as it is never advisable to be out in a storm with lightning. If you see lightning or hear thunder and there are no safe structures around find a low area away from trees or metallic objects. Stay there until thunder is 30 minutes apart. To take these images safely you have two options, take them out of a window in a safe structure (can still be a bad idea in general) or be far away from the lightning storm. DO NOT take these images if the storm is near or above you! It is also a good idea to always be with another person, make sure you are separated enough so that in the case of a strike one may help the other.

Tips and Tricks:

• Take that strap off your camera! This may sound scary, but given lightning only happens when it’s storming you really don’t want your foreground to be blurry due to the strap cating the wind and shaking the camera. Use the locking function on your tripod head and just be careful!

• Have a full battery. It’s not like a storm last long enough to drain all the way through a battery (at least not usually) but the worst thing to have happen is that a battery dies and you have no camera at all. If you only have a partial charge only shoot when the light is good or when the frequency of stikes increases.

• Be patient hope for the best. It can be quite defeating when you sit around for hours, take 200 pictures, and non are good. But if you don’t get out and try then you will never get an image worth having!

• Have an empty or spare memory card. You will be taking a lot of images when shooting lightning so make sure you have the space. It would be a bummer if you have to chimp pictures and miss the best strikes.

• Be safe! Always error on the side of caution. Live to shoot another day!

Wet Bowser and a Roll of Kodak Tri-X 120 Souped in Rodinal

There are so many things this last semester that made it feel truly special and one of the greatest was absolutely the Wet Bowser Concert at Ethan’s (blue guitar) house. It was the culmination of serendipitous encounters between friends, avoiding engineering homework on the weekends, and the exciting chance to place music with everyone we knew. As Marino (red guitar) would say the band wasn’t very good, but they were fun, I would probably say the band was good and fun. Either way they played a 2.5 hour set of +20 songs that night. We were all sauced up by jungle joose, Brian made hamburgers, all surrounded by crowd of friends. These are the things that you will always remember and for me it was even more special because I got to spend that night with dear friends as well as with wonderful girlfriend Catherine. We danced till 1:30am walked back to Westgate and woke up to find a beautiful day and some solid hangovers. A memory that will live rent free forever in my head!

Beyond the memories made that night I also knew I wanted to record the happening of that night in a special way. So I brought the trusty Fuji X100s for digital and my first medium format camera, the Mamiya C3, along with my under-utilized flash. That night without an appropriate light meter and being a bit tipsy I literally guessed every exposure and flash setting for the following pictures. Needless to say it somehow worked and now these memories are now baked in silver bromide.

Beer Brewing and Water Quality in St. Louis

This last semester was full of fun times with friends, building a beautiful new relationship, and graduate courses that really focused me into what I think I want to do. Between Physical and Chemical Processes for Water Treatment, Intro to Zymurgy (beer brewing), and my independent study that connected the two I really felt like I was doing something more than filling out scantrons and blasting through my calculator batteries. One of the deliverables for my independent study was another ArcGIS storymap. The purpose of the map is to be an informational guide to the water that the largest brewery in the world uses. Tracking from the Missouri River, through the Chain of Rocks Drinking Water Treatment Plants all the way through to the beer brewing process.

It was really special to be able to connect these courses together and to apply my knowledge from both to teach others around me. While this project may sound niche to some, being able to connect local brewers to the water treatment plant operators as well as actually brewing beer with my own hands really made this project worth while. I invite you to press the button below and explore this new story map. If you have any questions or comments please reach out to me here or through email.

Our Time in the Smoky Mountains

When I think back to the memories that will really stick with me forever from my last year in school, my time in the in Smokey Mountain National Park with Catherine will definitely make the list. It was a time of year where things were starting to ramp up, we were starting to feel the semester go by and all I could think of is running away to some mountains. So within a week we planned a three day trip to a national park I’ve always wanted to see with my own eyes. Staying in Smokemont Campground we enjoyed the soft trickle of the creek and people watching as the area filled with spring breakers from all over the U.S. My favorite thing was waking up in the morning, dunking our heads in the river and drinking the cool water through my new Lifestraw.

Connections made in places like these are special to me. I’m not sure if it’s from the clean air and natural sounds that envelop our senses. Or if there’s truly something mystical about being high in the air surrounded by the rugged life clinging to the mountain. Either way I’m sure I’ll make it back to with wonderful place someday and make even more memories. Looking back at these photos fills me with warmth and puts a smile on my face. I also shot a bunch of black and white film on my Yashica Mat 124G and Pentax 67 that I may share at some point.

Leadville Colorado

The last couple years I’ve had trouble finding myself a project, one of those projects worth putting a couple years of image making toward. My lingering dream is still a project focused on Idaho salmon, conservation, history of the sawtooths, blah blah. But last winter, and this last spring, has gotten me interested in Leadville Colorado. Leadville is one of those places most people have heard of but maybe never seen. For me it’s been a new place to explore, streets to wander through, and witness the eclectic aesthetic of a high altitude mountain town.

For this project I definitely want to focus on shooting film to hone in my workflow and discover what I need to do to get the look that I’m going for. The two images above are nearly exactly what I’m looking for in terms of warmth and tones. What I am really hoping for is getting into some DSLR scanning and really trying to pump out as much as I can without the Hasselblad X1. The biggest challenge for this project is that I want to do everything in the process, other than developing C-41 film, and I know this will take some decent trial and error. The final deliverable, I hope is a series of zines or postcards that can be sold in town.

Winter in Colorado

I was going through pictures the other day and realized that I hadn’t posted about my time in Colorado this winter or shared many of the pictures anywhere else. Not sure I’ll spend to much time explaining these just thought it would be fun to get them out in the world. Most of these shots were made on the trust Fujifilm X100s as ussual.

Red River Gorge on Film (Fall 2021)

Not going to lie this may have been my favorite trip of the school year thus far. It’s always easy for me to make excuses to not show up to climbing practice or to not take the risk to go on a trip with a bunch of people I barely knew. But it was by far the best risk I’ve taken and the memories made there will always stick with me. And as always and if you have been sticking with the blog then you know I wasn’t happy with the camera setup I brought as it felt a bit hindering. Now, however, seeing these images I am quite happy with what I got. All these images were taken on Kodak Portra 400 all the square images are from the Mamiya C3 and the Sekor 80mm F2.8 mostly wide open and the others are from the little Minox GL all scanned on a V550 and Negative Lab Pro.

Let's Talk Slide Film and Scanning (Epson v550 v.s Flextight X1)

So a while back when I first gained access to the Hasselblad Flextight X1 I wrote a review about the enhanced image quality over my Epson flatbed scanner. Well now that my time with the X1 is coming to an end (for now) and I’ve been able to use it a bit more I want to comment on it again. Mostly in the context of color slide film and why I’m a bit worried about the 5 rolls of Provia 100f in the freezer now that I may be losing access to the X1. As always the best way to show you what I mean is to share some images scanned on both machines, I’ll make sure to share the film type as well so you can get a better idea of how everything comes out.

For the sliders below the “before” image is the Flextight X1 scan and the “after” image is the Epson v550 scan. For me there is a clear winner.

Both images seen above were shot this summer on my Pentax 67 and the Takumar 105mm F2.4 lens on expired Fuji Velvia 50 film. This film is known as some of the finest grained film on the market and has high color saturation. The reason why I picked 120 film for this comparison is that both scanners are actually scanning at the same resolution (3200 dpi) which should highlight differences unrelated to resolution alone. This is by no means a scientific experiment but purely a usability one, put the film in and try to get the most I can get out with what I know.

For me the X1 scan is absolutely wonderful with definite higher sharpness and much better color rendition (even though it’s 32 not 48 bit color). I also want to point out, like in the other review, the dynamic range is also leaps and bounds better. If you look in the sky for the gas station image or the slightly soft telephone pole (RIP depth of field on a 6x7 negative, this was even shot at F11) above you’ll see the brights falling off in the Epson scan. The most important difference for me however is the sharpness. Remember that the resolution is exactly the same so the sharpness comes down completely to the mechanics of the two machines. This is where you see the true difference between a flatbed and the “virtual drum scan” not only does the X1 have auto focus but it also flexes the film so the plane of focus stays constant throughout the scan This is huge and why I’m desperately trying to figure out how to purchase or find a space to use one of these in the future.

Just for fun I think I will compare a 35mm frame shot through the Nikon FM with the 50mm F1.8 Ais lense on Provia 100f. This was the format I used in the first blog comparison so if you are interested in seeing more examples then the one below click this link. Again the “before” image is from the Flextight X1 and the “after” image is the Epson V550.

It’s again easy to see a striking difference between the two images and why I can say that I really don’t like slide film that’s not scanned with the X1. Not only is the Epson scan much less sharp but the colors where off from the real life images, both what I envisioned in my head and what you’d see on a light table. The final thing I can say is the X1 has way more information meaning the files are way more editable then the one that come from the Epson. Now, people can argue all they want about not editing film photos but even if I did everything with a dark room process I’d be dodging/burning, changing contrasts, and tweaking the colors there too. So these people can use their lightroom presets and Iphones and get angry at someone else. Anyways the X1 just gives me a more information to create accurate adjustments.

The final comparison I want to make is with cheap color negative 35mm film, specifically a frame shot on Fujifilm C200. Again everything is the same (X1 before and Epson After) but the differences are much less apparent. Another important note is both .tif files from both machines were scanned as positives then converted using Negative Lab Pro. This again decreases the number of variables making the raw scan responsible for most of the difference in the image. I will most likely make a post about Negative Lab Pro and why I think it is necessary if you are scanning lots of color film in the near future because it really changes the game!

While the difference in color negative film may seem just as drastic as before I’d argue the results are much closer even though the resolution on the X1 file is twice as high. Here the sharpness is much more similar and this is because the grain size must be large enough for both machines to pick up well enough (also must have lucked out with the film being flat on the Epson). The blue of the skys is also different between the files, though this is a simple correction. What I like about this comparison, at least for cheap 35mm film, I have a workflow that creates images and quality that I’m happy with using the Epson Scanner which is faster and available to me. Using finer grain professional film may widen the gap between the machines but for now I think I’m really happy with my color negative results. I’ll hopefully be getting some 35mm Portra back soon!

The biggest thing that I have realized after getting these rolls back and continuing to test and play is that the way film is digitized dictates the look, feel, and quality of the final image. While I have not had success with positive film in the Epson I have locked down color negative. All this means I’ll need to keep playing around and exploring, which is the fun thing with film. I think this year I will try DSLR scanning my film, personally this is the weirdest way to go about it as the point of shooting film is to shoot film not digital. That being said the sensor in the X1 is the same CCD used in the older Hasselblad medium format backs, so while it’s weird I’ve seen great results.

Chicago on Film (Yashica Mat 124G)

Of course when I went to Chicago I took a couple film cameras. I knew that if my digital cameras ran out of batteries or god forbid stopped working I wanted a backup. So for this trip I chose my Nikon FM and Yashica Mat 124G. I didn’t end up shooting the nikon much because it had slow 100 speed slide film but the B&W film in the Yashica seemed to be the best fit. And after shooting a roll there, I can say I wish I took more images with this little TLR.

When I first bought the Yashica I really didn’t think I liked it. It felt cheap, light weight, and had some fungus in the taking lens. The worst part though was it didn’t inspire me to shoot, at least at the time. Now though my perception has changed and I have truly fallen in love with this little camera. It felt like the perfect companion for this trip and it even has me thinking about possible getting rid of my Mamiya C3. Maybe not, but I’m glad that I’m finally starting to fall for this camera and make images that I’m truly happy about. All these images were taken on Kodak Tri-X developed by hand in Rodinal at a 1:50 dilution.

The Chicago Trip

During the summer, the month before school starts again I always find myself in a bit of a slump. On the one hand I’m excited to get back to school to see my friends, have my own room, and learn. On the other hand, I know that school takes time and that means less time exploring. It’s a bad enough fear that I’ve caught myself saying, “I don’t actually do things when I’m at school.” And well this is simply not true. To canoe trips down the Meramec River with friends to the Red River Gorge I need to remember I do actually do things in school. And that is something that I need to remember when I get busy with a job in the future. Anyways, here are some images of a sporadic train trip to Chicago for the weekend.

It ended up being quite a quick trip but I’m glad that we spent the time to take it. We were able to pack into a hostel room, two four person bunk rooms and a common area made it feel like we had an apartment to ourselves. The hostel was located just a couple blocks away from Grant Park, a short walk to almost anywhere we wanted to be.

The trip had a loose itinerary with the only thing on the list being the blackhawks hockey game the night we arrived. It was nice to not have expectations and hard plans after that first night because it meant we were able to simply explore. After the blackhawks game, we struck out at a couple bars who were charging a ridiculous cover so we just decided to head back to the hostel and hang out together.

The next morning, most of us were hungover from the night before so we quickly found the closest brunch spot just around the corner to fuel back up. It was a cute little cafe in the main lobby of an old skyscraper near the jewelry district and after we had our fill of coffee and eggs we went for a long walk. We went from our hostel to the river walk all the way around the Navy Pier and then back to the Chicago Art Institute where I wanted to see Nighthawks by Edward Hopper. We finished off the day by cat napping and then heading to a Chicago deep dish restaurant with the entire crew to laugh about the night previous and to decide what Sunday morning would be. A truly perfect day in Chicago.

Pigeons Playing Ping Pong at the Pageant STL (Shoot on my 8 year old Fuji x100s)

Found myself at a pretty cool place the other night . Living near the Delamar Loop in STL has many perks, we have some of the greatest food in town, a fun bar, and good coffee. We also have some famous music venues like Blueberry Hill and The Pageant. Being the music person I am, barely knowing the bands let alone the songs I listen to, I was pretty clueless to the music scene here. But, that’s what you have friends for and the night of November 5th I found myself at The Pageant dancing till 12:30am to Pigeons Playing Ping Pong. A band I never heard of. There’s not much more to say other then if you get a chance to see this band you will not be disappointed! So much energy, a fun crowd, and 200 hundred shows a year to bake in a truly special experience.

Fujifilm X100s 23mm 1/160th sec, F4, ISO 1600

Fujifilm X100s 23mm 1/160th sec, F2, ISO 1600

Fujifilm X100s 23mm, 1/125th sec, F2.8, ISO 1600

If you don’t care about camera geekery you can skip this small interlude, but if you do I just want to make a quite point about camera equipment. All of these images were shot on a camera that came out in 2013 with some of the worst autofocus I’ve ever used, one fixed 35mm equivalent lense, a small battery that doesn’t last much past 150 shots and a slow grainy electronic viewfinder. All in all a camera most people would shrug at, but it did create these images. It’s alway important to realize that it is rarely the gear that makes the image it’s how you use your camera, edit, and shoot in the moment. Who needs a $6,000 set up when this $350 camera can make images like these and I can still dance with it?

Fujifilm X100s 23mm, 1/160th sec, F2, ISO 1600

Fujifilm X100s 23mm, 1/160th sec, F5.6, ISO 1600

Film or Digital

So it just so happened that when I was in Colorado this last winter I was shooting both film and digital. This is not something I usually do because a picture is a picture, but it just seemed to make sense at the time. I’m somewhat glad that I did though because I’ve never really been able to compare the results head to head. Additionally, this is something I’ve been thinking about recently because I’ve found myself reaching for my film camera more than ever and sometimes I wonder why I’ve quit investing in my digital gear. Do I just not care for the convenience and editability of digital images or is it the image quality of a digital sensor? I’m not sure, but the purpose of this blog is to see how the results compare and if anything interesting comes of my little experiment .

I may have overstepped when I said head to head because while these images look similar the are all shot at different focal lengths and on different digital cameras. Check the captions provided for the specifics of each shot just so you have an idea. All of the film shots were taken on the Nikon FM and the Nikkor 50mm Ais lens while the digital is a mix of Canon 7D Mark II and Fujifilm X100s. Also for the digital photos I had no film images for reference so they were edited to my usual style for digital: warm highs and lows, muted black point, and desaturated blues with nice saturation. The film on the other had was shot at least 1 stop overexposed and scanned using a v550 with Negative Lab Pro for conversion and edited to my film style: very warm, light, airy with pastel colors.

Stickers at Loveland Pass, Summit County CO 2021. Nikon FM 50mm F1.8 AIS, Fujicolor C200, V550, Negative Lab Pro.

Stickers at Loveland Pass, Summit County CO 2021. Fujifilm X100s.

All of these images were taken at the summit or near the summit of Loveland Pass in Colorado. The pass gets up to 12,000ft which is pretty amazing as this is well above the treeline! From here you have views as far as Copper Mountain and be able to inspect the front side of Arapahoe Basin. I’d also say that if you are a fan of orange gold alpine-glow watching the sunset here will be something to remember. For me it’s a reminder of rugged places, adventure in the mountains, and an easy hike to feel the burn of high altitude.

Top of Loveland Pass, Summit County CO 2021. Nikon FM 50mm F1.8 AIS, Fujicolor C200, V550, Negative Lab Pro.

Top of Loveland Pass, Summit County CO 2021. Canon 7D Mark II, 70-200mm F2.8 USM L. Shot at about 135mm I think.

Arapahoe Basin from Loveland Pass, Summit County CO 2021. Nikon FM 50mm F1.8 AIS, Fujicolor C200, V550, Negative Lab Pro.

Arapahoe Basin from Loveland Pass, Summit County CO 2021. Canon 7D Mark II, Sigma 18-35mm F1.8 Art

So what do you all think? For me I’m somewhat blown away and I think I’m going to have to do more of this just to see how the two mediums react in different situations. Right off the bat what I notice is the soft warm highlights that come through with the film. Admittedly the dusk/sunset time of day comes through much better in the digital and it feels more like how it was in real life. The luminance and colors are far more true to the scene when looking at the digital images. That being said, I like the film images better. I love the soft highlights that bleed into the shadows and the subtle colorcast of magenta. The softening of the images and oranges are also really pleasing to me. The film images aren’t what the scene actually looked like but it is how I’d want to remember the scenes. They feel more like an artistic version of the digital image, something I wouldn’t have created while editing without seeing the results from the film.

I must say that I was surprised I enjoyed the film better. In 20 years, who knows how things may change however. Will the time and effort of developing and scanning the film ware off? Will the faded pastel look (aka the nostalgic look) still be cool? Who’s to say? But being the stubborn person I am and knowing that I will always own and enjoy digital cameras I had to try and make my digital look like film. Below is what I came up with using the Fuji X100s file and about 20 minutes of editing, with more time and know how I’m sure I could get them to match. So if I could simply recreate the results of film in digital then why even shoot film?

Stickers at Loveland Pass, Summit County CO 2021. Nikon FM 50mm F1.8 AIS, Fujicolor C200, V550, Negative Lab Pro.

Picture from my Fuji X100s edited to look like film.

For the sake of brevity and to prevent me from ranting more than I already have I’m going to simply say, shoot whatever inspires you to shoot. Recently shooting my film cameras has been what gets me outside to make images more then digital. But, I also know the first camera I’m going to pick up if going outside on an adventure will be my digital gear. So shoot whatever camera that’s in your hands and if that’s 7 cameras then, well, good luck and don’t complain later.

Climbing the Red River Gorge

You know those places where you sometimes find yourself and you think it’s super lame till someone from there proves you wrong. Well, after complaining about the how lame the outdoor activities in the Midwest are to the outdoor director at The College of Idaho (who’s from around here), Bix mentioned a place called the Red River Gorge. The Red River Gorge is tucked away in central Kentucky just East of Lexington. It consists of a network of dense treed limestone gorges all perfectly suited for climbing. It is honestly quite the jaunt from STL, though a six hour drive is truly nothing when it gets you to the best climbing spot East of well… Denver.

I learned about the Red, as it is colloquially called, more and more as I sat in front of my computer dodging engineering homework and lusting over adventure. Past hearing its name from Bix all I knew was it’s a midwestern climbing spot, until one day I stumbled onto one of Patagonia’s movie premiers in Youtube. I won’t get started on these short documentaries because they are all amazing but this one specifically caught my imagination. The film is called Stone Locals documenting important stories from around the world that bring context to what modern climbing means today. One story particularly caught my attention, the one about Miguel and his famous Pizza place in the Red. Not only is Miguel’s Pizza the place to get food after a long day at the craig but it’s also the place to stay. The story of Miguel’s, in a way, seemed to be the story of climbing in the Red and after realizing this context and the importance of the Red in climbing I knew I had to go. So needless to say when the climbing club sent an email about a trip there, the form was filled in less than a minute.

Being with the climbing club I knew I was going to be in good hands and we ended up staying at Lago Linda Hideaway, a small open campground nearby a small lake. It was the ideal place to be with 27ish climbers, 8 tents, 7 cars, and the energy I swear only college students have. One of my favorite things was just waking up early and walking through the mist to explore the early fall foliage. It was quiet in the mornings too, it turns out climbers are late to bed and well… late to wake up unless there’s a climb itching at them.

“We showed up in the cover of darkness shrouded by fog and condensed moisture. Arriving in the dark is hard for me especially when in a new place. But when we awoke to dew dripped grass and fresh sticky air it was all worth it. The rock felt new reminding me of swallow tail bird homes, honey combed and holey. Sandy rock and leafy mud made this place feel foriegn to me.

Though, like all good things, comfort came quickly. A couple long days at the crag will do that to you. There’s nothing quite like red skin and burns up sharp chalked rock to solidify a group of new friends. I think this is what I’ll always remember about the Red, beyond climbing and picture taking, it is a place where you find yourself in the dark. You’ll find yourself jumping over mud puddles with your phone flashlight because there’s always one more climb and never enough light in the day.”

— Personal Journal

I want to write about how amazing this place is, the sights, the climbing, the people you meet. But, it would be weird if I did, I think, something like telling everyone how great your new car is after only driving it for 15 minutes. Can you really get to know a place by being there only three days? I’m unsure, though I can say I caught a feeling and it’s a feeling that will likely bring me back someday. What I can share is how I spent my time and the experiences that make me want to come back.

It was a quick trip during the fall break at WUSTL which consists of Sunday through Tuesday with class starting Wednesday. So we ended up leaving late afternoon friday arriving just after 11:00 that night in the thick mist and a landscape only lit up by car headlights and reflecting street signs. I had no clue what the landscape looked like when we got to Kentucky and little did I know I wouldn’t truly get to see it till the drive back Tuesday morning.

The first day started early(ish) with instant oatmeal packets, brief introductions, and a quick rundown of how the trip would function. We started off at the Bald Rock Fork Recreational Preserve at the crag called The Chocolate Factory. It seemed like a popular place and I was glad that we made it there because it introduced the sharp holey limestone and pumpy overhangs that the Red is primarily known for. My first climb was Throbbing Emotions a 5.10a that was far more pumpy than I wanted it to be. But, I got a catch from a wonderful freshman from Colorado who I hope I stay connected with, don’t meet a lot of Copper Mountain Skiers in the midwest! I spent the rest of the day on slabby 5.9 routes mostly connecting and getting to know the wonderful people on the trip. That night the stars came out, stir fry was on the menu, and the beer was still cold. What more could you ask for?

I’m not sure I could really cover the next two days as succinctly as above. The longer I spent there the more I embraced escapism living moment to moment, climb to climb, and from sun up to sun down. These last to days we spent out time in the Muir Valley and The Miller Fork Recreational Preserve. I got to watch climbers take classic climbs like Last Rites, Cell Block, and others. One of the things I loved most about these two days was leaving the crag at sundown pulling out out cell phone flashlights, avoiding mud puddles and exposed roots. You could feel the humidity start to condense on your skin as the temperature dropped and sense the transition from stoke après, a familiar feeling for a skier after a long day.

What I loved about being a part of this group were the traditions, or really rituals, they shared with all of us. It was a blast to see the older members get a spark in their eyes and people new to the trip share in there experience. One of these things is going to Miguels Pizza the place that brought context to this place three years ago. We also had peppermint patties (haircuts as I know them) the first night, yoga in the mornings, and many other little activities that really made the time feel special.

My goal for the trip was to get outside, climb, and practice skills that I haven’t had the opportunity to for a while. I spent most of the first two days trying to climb as much as possible, lead belaying, setting top ropes, and cleaning gear at the end of the day. I realized how informal my climbing experience really is, other than top rope and anchors, I realized that my climbing progression is much different than others. One the one hand it’s good because I find I climb more confidently than others when outdoors. On the other hand though, I know the apprehension of others comes from a better understanding of the risks involved. Either way I was glad to learn from everyone around me and to teach others about the few things I do know.

Needless to say I climbed a whole lot, especially for someone who hasn’t climb consistently for awhile, and was pretty tired the last day. So after flash pumping off a 5.11 (not like could do it anyway) and doing a couple short 5.9s I headed over to one of the classic routes, Last Rites (5.12b). A couple of the seniors and my new friend from Colorado were taking turns up, and I knew I had to take some photos. With my poorly picked kit of a wide lenses I shot the story I could. I found frames I could fill and others that showed the scale of the place and missed so many wonderful shots in between. To be honest though I thought this was good. Good for my creativity to pump the most out of my one lens and to remember the importance of always having a long lens in your bag. Regardless, I had an amazing time with this group and I’m looking forward for another opportunity to capture moments like these. All in all it was a trip to remember!

The St. Louis Cardinals

Well I finally made it to one of these sports games everyone talks about and I would be lying if I said it wasn’t fun. It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a baseball game and I’ve only been to the Rockies Stadium downtown denver. Being someone who doesn’t follow baseball the only teams I know are The Bears, Yankees, The Rockies, and The Cardinals so when one the australian masters students suggested going I had to say yes!

There’s really not much to say about my experience there, because spending time at a baseball game feels just about as foreign to me as being in a different country. It was honestly a weird feeling because I was surrounded by people who looked like me, talked like me, and dressed like me (kinda) but I felt disconnected entirely. Sitting in those seats I noticed those surrounded by friends and family who you could see the energy in their eyes and excitement that distracts them from the milieu of the day to day. It reminded me of the energy I see in my older brother when he’s skiing, nothing but the snow, moving fast, being with family, and friends. It may have felt foreign to me sitting there in that moment not knowing the rituals and traditions of the cardinals, but I wasn’t confused just enthralled at being able to witness someone else’s escape.

Another go at 4x5 Large Format

Crop of the image above. Focus is a smidge off but the grain hides it well and I really like the tonality.

Well it’s been a minute since I’ve played around with the 4x5 and even longer since I tried to develop it. The last couple times I developed 4x5 I had huge issues with uneven development with chemical spots and streaks. This time around though I’m quite happy with the results and hopefully I will be sharing more of them with you.

So what did I do differently? Well not much, I did everything the same except I used Rodonal to develop as opposed to the monobath (Df96) I used the first time. I even used the somewhat sketchy methods of folding my film into my Paterson tank. When using the other chemistry I thought this method was the problem but it turns out the internet is right sometimes and it actually works in a pinch. I also agitated the entire time during development and fixing because I wasn’t sure there was enough fluid in my tank. This will be something I play around with in the future because inverting a tank for 13 minutes straight was a real bummer.

Now that I’m having success with my 4x5 process I think it’s time to buy a couple more holders. Currently I have only one holder (2 shots at a time) and as you can see from the top photo one side of my current holder seems to have a light leak. So hopefully I will get something a bit more dependable in the future, though I really don’t mind the little bit of bleed for some images.

One of the other things that I’m trying hard to do is upgrade my optics. I’m currently shooting on a lens from the period my camera was made which was somewhere around the 1940s. For black and white film especially grainy the Arista EDU 400, this doesn’t bother me much but eventually I would love to get shooting color slide film. Not only does my lens lack current coatings that increase contrast and color accuracy but the shutter speeds are less then dependable. Though given the current success I feel pretty confident now to shoot whatever cheap 4x5 film I can get my hands on!

This is definitely an entirely new realm of film photography for me so if anyone has tips, tricks, or leads on large format gear let me know.

Stanley Idaho, summer 2020. Graflex Speed Graphic Anniversary, 127mm Optar F4.5, Arista EDU 400 4x5.