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).

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.

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.

Preliminary Review: Minox 35 GL

As I have confessed in the past, one reason I love film photography is the gear. I love spending hours on deep dive explorations of film related gear whether that’s antique large format lenses, discontinued expired film, cheap plastic point and shoots your grandma probably owned, or just dreaming about that Contax G1 or Leica… well anything. And after the million or so hours I’ve spent doing this I like to think I’ve seen it all. But, just as you think that your friends goes, “Hey look at my new film camera.” *points at little black box in the cup holder that looks more like lame toy then anything else* And after 15 minutes of discussion I learned that I would eventually, definitely add this small toy like camera to my collection, the Minox 35 GL. (Thanks Tyler Truksa)

The Minox 35 GL was introduced in the 1976 shorty after the first iteration of 35mm film cameras from Minox. The German camera manufacturer was known for its small 110 “spy cameras” and the Minox 35 GL definitely fits pretty well into this category. Interestingly enough between 1974 and 2003 there were 30 different iterations of this camera sold and all have just slightly different options and colors. Being that it was an automatic camera (aperture priority) and small it became a very popular consumer camera; even won the hearts of famous artists like Andy Warhol and Jackson Pollock.

An add for the camera from the 1970s.

So why did I cave and buy this weird plastic camera that makes you guess focus (more on that later)? Well, for me it ticks every mark I have for an everyday walk around film camera. It’s small, light, easy to carry, shoots 35mm, comes with a flash (at least mine did), and has a great lens. On top of that, it looks cool and if I keep it closed no one would have a clue that I’m even carrying a camera. I also really like that it’s aperture priority and therefore easy to just point, check your shutter speed and shoot!

The Minox 35 GL open with the leather Minox cover which let you add a camera strap. The strap is an old climbing sling I picked up used.

With all of this awesome potential there must be some downsides and there definitely are some, especially if you’re just getting into film this camera could cause some extra anxiety. First, the battery in the later models isn’t made anymore and the most readily available batteries (for mine 4 357s silver oxide coin batteries) are slightly higher voltage causing the meter to be off. For my GL the meter is off by at least 2 stops which is a lot considering it under exposes the film by that much (though you can just set the ISO dial to compensate which is no big deal). Second I’ve read the magnetic shutters can be unreliable, though Minox does say that all of their products, even discontinued ones, can be repaired.

One of the biggest reasons for buying this camera is the lens. According to the internet it is one of the best point and shoot lenses out there beating the Olympus X models and even rivaling Contax glass. Being that I scan on a Epson V550 I’m not sure I will be able to see that sharpness, but when I get back to WUSTL I will definitely put a frame or two into the Hasselblad X1 to see how it compares to the Nikon 50mm F1.8 ais which is my other 35mm lens. But, from what I can see it a pretty good performer given the sized and design.

Jump Creek ID 2019. Minox GL, Fujifilm C200 shot at box speed, V550 scan using negative lab pro.

The test rolling I’m sharing are from a trip up to Stanley and Jump Creek with a great new friend. I never really need an excuse to go out and explore, but a new camera and a curious mind to coexist with sure makes it easy to escape for awhile. As I tend to do when I meet people like Eleysa is I get lost in conversation, focused on them and me in that moment. Usually this means I hike 20 pounds of gear which I never use and I get distracted from being present everytime I reach into my camera bag. But, I found the Minox allowed me to be fully aware of the possible images around me and allowed me to enjoy my time to a fuller degree then I usually would. In fact this was the only camera I took when I went to Pine Flats Hot Spring and I think it was a good choice.

Minox GL, Fujifilm C200 shot at box speed, V550 scan using negative lab pro.

Minox GL, Fujifilm C200 shot at box speed, V550 scan using negative lab pro.

Minox GL, Fujifilm C200 shot at box speed, V550 scan using negative lab pro.

Minox GL and FC 35 Flash, Fujifilm C200 shot at box speed, V550 scan using negative lab pro.

Minox GL, Fujifilm C200 shot at box speed, V550 scan using negative lab pro.

On another note, I think these images are my favorite from this summer. Not only was it a new shooting experience with a great new camera, but I realized that what makes images good in my book is more than color, sharpness, and composition. It’s the ability to share life with others, to be an observer and recorder of time passing and the relationships, friends, and places that build context for living. Recently this is what has been missing from my work, people to share it with. If you ever read this thank you so much Eleysa for sharing time with me and letting me fall in love with making images again! I think I’ve thought about this trip and our time together more than just about anything this summer.

Minox GL, Fujifilm C200 shot at box speed, V550 scan using negative lab pro.

Minox GL, Fujifilm C200 shot at box speed, V550 scan using negative lab pro.

Minox GL, Fujifilm C200 shot at box speed, V550 scan using negative lab pro.

First impressions, I can’t get enough of this camera! It’s easy and honestly fun to frame through the little plastic finder and press the button. I find that I don’t mind guessing distance because I really do shoot further than 20 ft away often and I find that I can stick to a smaller aperture to maximize depth of field when not 20 feet away. I also find that it helps me slow down, giving me that slow process and intention I love film for. The other thing I like is that it is really not so intimidating to hand to a friend, I know the camera will do the hard work and being so small people don’t shy away from it like they do with the Pentax or other cameras I own. Finally, I just love that it is smaller than the size of my hand, literally. As I’ve mentioned before I love the form factor of the Fuji X100s and that is really why I still own and love that camera, but the Minox 35 GL is even smaller! All in all it will be great fun to have this camera around, can’t wait to keep playing outside and elsewhere with this in my pocket.

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Technical side note:

Minox GL, Fujifilm C200 shot at box speed, V550 scan using negative lab pro.

This was my first test roll and I just want to share what I learned and what I’ll change going forward. First things first, the lens does seem to be sharp but you do need to hit the right distance to see it! What I mean is that the hyperfocal distance scale on the lens will give you an “acceptable sharpness” not tack sharp so going forward I will make sure to guess the distance not just put infinity at the hyperfocus line on the lense. I’ll also make sure to put the film through the Hasselblad X1 to really determine the sharpness. In short, not sure my copy can rival Contax glass but it is perfectly fine for what I use this camera for.

The second thing I noticed is some unflattering flaring from the lens. Being a Canon shooter I love my sun stars that you see when shooting stopped down. Sadly there are no sun stars with this lens and I even found that the lense produces some colorful patterned flair that can really reck and image like this image in the forest. It’s not the end of the world but not ideal for sure.

Finally, the exposure seems to be really quite good! Way better than most aperture priority cameras I’ve used especially other point and shoots. I also love the x2 exposure switch, I believe I used that on the hammock shot and it really made a big difference. To really put it to a test I think the next roll I put in will be a roll of Provia 100f slide film, this will allow me to really test the sharpness and the ability of the meter!

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Two Minutes Between Frames Can Make all the Difference!

This might be my current favorite image. I’ve always told myself that there is no such thing as a favorite image because the next picture I take better be my favorite. Though, this is not usually the case and making images that I am truly proud of has become harder then ever recently. But, it’s funny because whenever I need inspiration to create this is the image that always comes to mind. A favorite image is quite subjective and I’d say there’s a difference between the best image I’ve ever taken and my favorite photograph. This fits in the favorite category because technically it’s a bit soft on a low resolution sensor, but has everything a good photograph should.

The real reason I’m writing this is that I was going over images and noticed how much this image stood out compared to ones taken slightly before and after. Also, how this image basically just made itself no fancy preparation, previsualization, just a button press. It’s a truly fleeting moment, the gold standard in photography, where minutes before or seconds after wouldn’t yield the same result. A blend of happenstance, luck, and existing to witness a moment, all intersect to create the perfect image.

The story of this image starts, like many others in 2019, with a trip hosted by the College of Idaho Outdoor Program. We spent three days climbing in Smith Rock State Park where I took some of my favorite images of the year. That first day we arrived later in the afternoon just in time to scout some crags and set up camp. As we ate dinner and settled in we could see the clouds darken and felt the cold wind of an incoming storm. I remember sitting around the campfire bundled up and not ready to move away from the warmth, but some feeling to make images as the earth shadow rose was too strong. After setting up the tripod and noticing there was only a half battery in the Canon (I still had two days left there), I grabbed the Fujifilm x100s which had two expendable batteries.

It was dark out and the sky was hard to see with the naked eye but I know from the faint city glow there was something to be had. So I mounted my little camera to the big tripod, stopped down to F/4 for sharpness, set the camera to 200 ISO in order to keep the grain down, and set up a 2 second timer to reduce shake. It took me nearly 15 minutes to focus the camera to infinity before I took a series of shots. It was amazing the subtle tones and color the camera picked up and how quickly the scene was changing between each 30 second exposure.

Somewhere in this series the picture seen above was captured. The churning of the low level clouds and subtle light from dusk peaking through creates drama in the sky. The tent in the foreground was lit up perfectly to match the ambient light and the warm glow projected on the clouds from Bend Oregon, draws the eye to the bottom of the frame giving context to the image. The best part was how a car’s light from some distance away gave the foreground densionality and a matching warm glow that ties the clouds to the ground. A million things came together here all completely out of my control and all making a striking image.

However two minutes later the image changed completely. The images below shows the same location, same shot, on the same day but 1.45 minutes later. Let me know which image you like better but for me it is a pretty obvious choice.

Smith Rock, OR. 2019. Fujifilm x100s on a tripod. Two minutes after the image above.

This is absolutely another striking image and if this was the only shot I got that night I would have been thrilled. But, it wasn’t and the first shot in my opinion is much better for a multitude of reasons. First, the ambient light dropped enough to overexpose the tent in the foreground and the orange glow is now extremely bright compared to the first image. This makes the light feel unbalanced and makes the exposure look to dark and contrasty. Second, a cloud above the tent caught some warm orange light from the setting sun causing it dominate the sky. I usually love to see color like this in the sky but for this image it draws attention away from the main subject (the tent and the idea of camping) and clutters the scene overall. Finally, and most importantly there is no warm tungsten light in the foreground around the tent like in the first image. This renders the main subject in a more 2D way that looks more boring when compared to the first images. Within just about 2 minutes an image went from my favorite to just another blue hour shot. Below I’ve put them side by side so you can make your decisions.

First image.

Same scene but 2 minutes after the picture on the left.

It was also interesting how I couldn’t get the colors to match either when editing. This is probably due to the ambient light falling, although if I spent enough time I could probably get them to match up. I’ll also confess that there is a fair amount of local adjustments in both images to further even out the tonality.

Anyways, what I’m trying to convey with this is the importance of just being present to witness the light changing. Sometimes photography is as easy as that. This picture was taken with an 8 year old camera with no prior preparation or planning, no fancy accessories, and while others were asleep. It’s not the gear, the hours of class or practice you’ve had, or the youtube videos you watched, it just getting out there and pressing the button.

Snow in St. Louis

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.

Goals for 2021

I am lucky to have had the ability to travel home for winter break. I get to wake up everyday with the view that you see above. This is part of the Gore Range here in Silverthorne and it is now my new home away from home. My parents sold their house in Golden and have moved to Silverthorne in a nice place right next to Blue River. It’s a pretty tough place to be especially when you realize that I’m 10 minutes from Copper Mountain. Anyways, I’ve been wanting to share some images from up here and share some thoughts I had this past year.

Many people will say that 2020 was one of the worst years ever. For me it wasn’t, it was a time of growth contemplations and discovery. Which will often happen in the context of a tough year, if you have the right mindset . I was finally able to find closure from a relationship I was stuck on, I made my own prints for the first time, bought a new film camera (one from the bucket list), and I hit my first block as a photographer. This year was also one of the toughest semesters of engineering school I’ve had. It felt like there wasn’t ever time for a break so being here, away from St. Louis, has been much needed.

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Canon 7D MarkII, Canon 70-200mm F2.8 USM, Silverthorne CO, 2020

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Fuji X100s, Copper Mountain CO, 2021

I have a couple photography goals this year. The first is that I really want to get published. I’m not sure why this hasn’t been a goal in the past, but for whatever reason I finally feel ready. I want to get published in order to provide further context for making images and sharing what I think is interesting. Making images for myself has always been enough, and being able to document what happens around me has always be what drives me to create. That being said I’ve realized that my images can and probably should be used to tell stories that can be shared with a broader audience. So this year I’m hoping to get some images published in some way. I’m looking at the revampt Outdoor Idaho Magazine, Idaho Magazine, and really whomever may be interested. If you’re reading this and you’re like, “I know someone that would love to publish this guy,” please don’t hesitate to reach out!

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Canon 7D MarkII, Sigma 18-35mm F1.8, Silverthorne CO, 2020

The second goal for this year is to start focusing on a a personal body of work. As I’ve said before I usually get inspired to shoot by documenting life around me. But, as I dive deeper into my film photography I want a more artistic challenge. What really made me want to start a personal project is the passing of a really special person named Paul Kresge. Paul was, among other things, my dad’s “ski instructor” a true playful child at heart who intentionally dusted his wisdom and passion onto every person he encountered. He was a true staple in the community in Summit County and I had always had it im my mind that I was going to do a short photo series with him. Some photographic project that would attempt to show others who this amazing person was. Sadly he passed away and I was never able to complete this project.

So this year it is my goal to not assume these people, places, stories, or things that I find exceptional will last forever. I want to start a body of work with the general context of Stanley, Idaho focusing on the people who live there and make it special. I now have some money saved so that when something pops into my head I will have the means to create it and hopefully be able to share it with all of you.

Film Scanning Review: $15,000 Flextight X1 v.s. $120 Epson V550

This review of sorts has been in the making for a long time. When I got to Washington University St. Louis the first thing I did was join the photography club. There I learned that the department had a pretty special scanner in their lab. At first I was told they had a drum scanner, sadly this was not the case but they did have the king of the CCD type dry scanners, the Flextight X1. This is a $15,000 CCD scanner made by Hasselblad, the world renown camera manufacturer from Germany. All I can say is that I’ve been itching to run some slide film though this scanner for a while now and I finally got to make some archival scans.

This year I was finally able to play with this wonderful machine and I can say it certainly doesn’t disappoint. Before I had access to the X1 I did all of my 35mm film scanning on an Epson V550 with the proprietary software. The results from the flatbed scanner never made me really happy although I never really knew anything else. The V550 does a fine job for 120 sized film but for 35mm it lacks the ability to pull the quality locked into the positive image. So I will attempt to compare the two scanners and share what my thoughts are.

First lets start with some specs of the scanner to try and understand why the X1 is so much more expensive and try to justify why someone may want this crazy machine. The Felxtight X1 scanner is a CCD dry scanner with a maximum optical resolution of 6300dpi, Dmax 4.6, and auto focus for the flex type film carrier. The Epson v550 is a flat bed scanner with a maximum resolution of 4800dpi (true resolution is probably closer to 1500dpi) and Dmax of 3.4. The final difference is the software used to convert the files. Hasselblad has its own software and file type to keep as much information as possible in the file from the scan, these files are large too with a 35mm scan being about 450 mb! While I mostly scanned positive film I will include a color negative example to compare how the two scanners convert negatives. The purpose of this comparison is to show the final product. I’m not going to simply make them the same because the files these scanners produce are very different. With that out of the way let’s look at some pictures, hover over the photo to know which scanner is which.

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Flextight X1 (Nikon FM, Provia 100f, Delhi ID 2019)

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Flextight X1 (Nikon FM, Provia 100f, Delhi ID 2019)

V550 (Nikon FM, Provia 100f, Delhi ID 2019)

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The first image was taken in India on my Nikon FM, I believe that it was shot at F2.8 on Fujifilm Provia 100f. The Flextight scan was done at 6300dpi and the v550 was made at 3200dpi and I would say the difference is astonishing. Not only is the Flextight scan close to 50 megapixels, but I honestly believe it’s picking up 50 megapixels of resolution from the film. The V550 on the other hand looks mushy with little detail in the cropped image even though the resolution should be somewhat comparable. Another big difference is the dynamic range, if you look at the gentleman’s jacket or the highlights on the jeans you can see just how much more detail can be pulled out using the X1 compared to the V550.

The next image to be compared is a medium format frame from the Mamiya C3 with a the Sekor 80mm F2.8. It was shot on Kodak Ektar 100 in the Sawtooth National Forest forest two years ago now. It’s one the sharpest frames I have on 120 so it should serve as a good comparison. It’s important to note that the Flegtight’s maximum resolution for 120 film is 3200 dpi which means both negatives were technically scanned at the same resolution. So this is probably the best apples to apples comparison of the two scanners.

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Flextight X1 (Mamiya C3, Kodak Ektar 100, Bonanza ID, 2019)

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Flextight X1 (Mamiya C3, Kodak Ektar 100, Bonanza ID, 2019)

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V550 (Mamiya C3, Kodak Ektar 100, Bonanza ID, 2019)

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V550 (Mamiya C3, Kodak Ektar 100, Bonanza ID, 2019)

I’d say all the same things apply here as they do for the 35mm example, higher dynamic range and more sharpness. The other important improvement over the V550 is the color accuracy. This comes as no surprise to me because the Epson software has always bugged me when it comes to color. I was always disappointed in this photo because I could never get the rust to truly look like rust, or get the sky blue while still holding a warm tone. The amount of information locked away in the X1 file is truly impressive. When editing the X1 file the amount of latitude I had rivals even the Fuji x100s sensor which is an impressive feat on its own.

So what’s the verdict? Am I going to shell out $15,000 on this scanner? Well let’s just say if I had $15,000 I would be half tempted. This scanner is absolutely impressive and it makes me want to shoot Provia the rest of my life. The way it renders the grain in an image is really magical and the color and ease of producing an image is also something to lust over. But, $15,000 is a lot of money and there are a lot of other options out there that can do a good job too. To be honest I was surprised at how well the V550 did compared to the Flextight X1 it’s undeniably better but the results of the flatbed are still pretty darn good (at least for 120 film). Also, there’s the Nikon Coolscan scanners that have a very similar image quality for just about $4,000, though these machines are starting to get hard to find. Anyways I will be very sad when I don’t get to use this scanner anymore and I have hopes to take advantage of this scanner for as long as I have access. If you have any questions about how I scan my pictures or about these scanners just comment or send me an email.

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Update: 8/16/22

My last year at WUSTL I did one final comparison with specifically slide film and the X1 scanner. If you’d like to check out the comparisons please hit this link!

Shooting Film

Why Shoot Film?

Most people think that film can't compare to digital, that Kodak is dead, and film is impossibly hard to find. Well I can tell you that it's not only easy to find film but it is readily available and the selection is just as good if not better as back in the day (well maybe not). Kodak is still pumping out lots of film and companies like Illford and Fujifilm are here to stay. Finally, film cameras aren't being made anymore and what’s out there is all that’s left so the race is on.

Something that you find out real quick is the best image quality you can get from any medium still comes from film. Large format film cameras can produce wall sized prints with more quality then an 11x14 made with my $1400 DSLR. Not only does film allow you to capture the best images possible, but shooting film is an entirely different experience. You have one ISO, the cameras are usually more limited in the available shutter speeds, and oh yah you have 36 pictures max.

Types of Film  

• Black and White Negative Film - Obviously this is kind of film produces a negative B&W image and is the easiest to start with and often the cheaper film to buy. It is usually a silver halide based chemistry so developing this film is very easy but often expensive because of the silver waist produced. Another important piece of jargon is the newer t-grain films v.s the older traditional grain. There are pluses and minuses of both but I find t-grain to have sharper looking results but traditional film has more freedom.

• Color Negative Film - Like the B&W this film produces a color negative image. This is the most readily available film next to B&W on the market and has many choices. The easiest way to think about it is there are cheap color neg film and expensive. Cheaper film will have more noticeable grain and be less sharp when compared to more expensive film. However, unless you have the inclination to print your images it won't really be noticeable. Color negative is C-41 chemistry and is mcuh harder to develop on your own but very cheap for labs and photography stores.

• Color Positive (Slide) Film - This is not only the most exciting film you can buy but it is by far the most expensive and hardest to develop. The E-6 chemistry is expensive and doesn’t keep well, pair that with slide film being the hardest to find on the market nothing about it is cheap. The reason this film is so cool is that it produces a positive color image and therefore the detail and colors of this film is much more spot on and real. The other issue is the exposure latitude on this film is also reduced. This means that for high contrast scenes this film usually can't capture detail from highlights to darks. That being said if you get the exposure right, the detail slide film offers is unbeatable and therefore its the first choice for professionals.

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Nikon FM, Nikkor 50mm F1.8 Ais, Kodak Color 200, V550, Bogus Basin, ID

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Mamiya C3, Sekor 80mm F2.8, Fujifilm Pro 400H, V550, Bruneau Sand Duns, ID

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Canon Snappy LxII, Fujifilm C200, V550, Caldwell, ID

What do I Shoot?

I shoot with a lot of film cameras currently and the list is always changing as new deals and film come out on the new and used market. I will save the discussion about the types of formats and good beginner film cameras for another time. It’s an a totally different discussion. I currently have a camera that shoots all formats except 6 x 4.5 medium format and the biggest and baddest of 8 x 10 film. The newest edition is my Pentax 6x7 with the 105mm F2.4 lens and it’s quickly becoming my favorite camera. I also shoot with a Nikon FM with Nikkor 50mm F1.8 ais, Canon Snappy LxII, an Anniversary Graphlex Speed Graphic, and finally my trusty Mamiya C3 with a Sekor 80mm F2.8. They all have their place in the quiver.

But back to the main point, why shoot film? For me it’s complicated and not easily explained. Though in short, it inspires me. Tearing open another roll of film just helps me point a camera and take images almost like having multiple tools allows you to complete the job correctly. Some cameras inspire projects by the way they render the images or diffuse tension in a subject. Others are pocketable and need just to be pointed and shot. It’s the lack of flexibility, knowing you have only 10-36 shots, and you need to finish a roll to move on, that’s what I like. I like the slow aspect and not being able to review your images. It’s hard to explain but film cameras have life to them that is hard to feel or see with a digital camera.

But the greatest reason why I shoot film is that it is the way I remember life going by me. I can record these fickle moments on something that will be around for ever. Something I can touch and feel just like the memories that catalyzed the images themselves.

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Nikon FM, Nikkor 50mm F1.8 Ais, Kodak Color 200, Yosemite, Ca

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Canon Snappy LxII, Fujifilm C200, V550, Moab, UT

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Canon Snappy LxII, Fujifilm C200, V550, Galena Summit, ID

Update, since it's been a while....

School has definitely kept me busy this semester, but so has my photography. I have spent more time buying and selling gear/supplies than I ever have before. I Think it comes from buying a new camera and being inspired to create images, but also I am starting to fall into how I want to use my film photography. Its funny how often I reach for a film camera instead of a digital one these days and no I haven’t figured out yet how to choose just one camera. Over the past month I’ve sold two lenses, sold a broken camera, received my CLA’d camera that was still faulty, sent that back, bought 8 rolls of expired 120 slide film, sent 5 rolls of 35mm slide film to the wrong house, the list goes on.

Pro400h, Pentax 67, Takumar 105mm F2.4, V550 Negative Lab Pro, Stanley ID

The craziest thing to happen and the most stressful thing that I’ve had happen for a long time was the week+ I thought my 16 rolls of developed negatives were lost. The second I got to St. Louis I sent my shot rolls to be developed at ProPhoto Connection in Irvine, Ca. It ended up taking longer than usual as they had to wait to develop my E-6 film and ever time they sent an update the address was wrong on their form. Long story short the box never showed up at my door and I was broken. The thought of all those images from 2017 to now, from India to Idaho were going to be lost was a lot to take in. Luckily the package was found by USPS and later returned to me safe and sound. The pictures shared on this post are images from those rolls that I thought I’d never get to see. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do.

I am busy but I’m going to do my best to keep updating this blog with new content and Ideas. I’m hoping to share with you all perks of using Negative Lab Pro, film comparisons, and personal projects that I’m working on. So keep your eyes out for that!

Fujifilm C200, Nikon FM, 50mm F1.8 Ais, Yosemite CA (2017)

I Need to Shoot More Black and White Film

If you have been following along with my blog you know that at the beginning of the summer I bought all I needed to develop my long overdue pile of black and white film. I ended up developing 13 rolls of film and four 4x5 sheets in CineStill Df96 monobath at 90F. While I like the convenience of this monobath and how quick and cheap it is, I found that the film didn’t clear super well and that the acutance was pretty low. This all culminated in negatives which were much harder to scan and ended up being a bit soft which is a bit of a bummer. That being said there are so many images that I absolutely adore!

This first set of images are all images taken on my Mamiya C3 with Fujifilm Acros 100 film. What I love about black and white is that it strips the image into something more simple, more refined. I found when shooting black and white I was more focused on composition, on the raw light itself and how it interacts with the subject. In this way these images are usually more interesting with more focal points and less distractions. After shooting these rolls of film especially through the Mamiya I felt like I was truly working on the craft of photography as opposed to just creating an image.

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Additionally it is important to understand that just converting a color image to black and white is not the same as having the medium only capable of producing monochromatic photographs. When B&W is all you can create you must previsualize in monochrome which is an entirely different experience to previsualizing in color. It makes you look at the light differently, the way it falls equitably on the scene without distraction of color. To me this is the real advantage of shooting with this medium is that it is almost makes you discover photography all over again.

The images below were all shot on on the Nikon FM with a 50mm F1.8 on Ilford HP5+ again developed in CineStill Df96 at 90F. I found that there are way less images that I am very smitten with that went through this camera, but that’s also the point. What I love about 35mm film cameras is that they allow for experimentation and spontaneity that a larger camera just doesn’t let you do. This usually means less keeper frames but means more images that have potential to be better.

The reason I need to shoot more black and white film is that it makes my other images look better. Without the crux of color your image has to speak based solely on luminance, composition, and subject. In addition I think I need to also keep developing it on my own. Film is meant to be a craft and if I’m going to shoot it then I should be able to develop it the way I’m satisfied with. Going forward I’m going to shoot more film by real developer, fixer, and put the time and effort into the craft it deserves.

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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.”

Volunteer Trail Work With the Sawtooth Society

Dalton in his favorite spot near the top of Boundary Creek Trail. A truly perfect view of the Sawtooths.

Over the fourth of July I was invited up to stanley to camp and see a bunch of old friends from college. If you know me at all you know that I’m actually obsessed with this place. Whether it is the mountains, the cold nights, the memories made there, I seem to be addicted to landscape and wilderness here. Two of my good friends Dalton Warr and Kit Foster are one of the trail crews in charge of clearing the trails and maintaining the this beautiful recreation area. So when I got invited to tag along and clear the trails I was all in.

Both Dalton and Kit work for a non-profit called The Sawtooth Society which was created in 1997 to exclusively: serve as the advocates for the Sawtooth National Recreation Area (SNRA), preserve the open spaces, enhance the recreation facilities and services, and facilitate stewardship and volunteer projects in the SNRA. Since 2013 89 volunteer projects have happened with a total of 900 participants logging nearly 7500 hours of volunteer time. These people are really the stewards of the Sawtooths and it was fun being able to do some trail work and capture the work they do.

Among the many amazing things the Sawtooth Society does, the most notable impact they have, in my opinion, is clearing the trails in and out of the wilderness boundary every year. With steep elevation grades and lots of deadwood due to fire and disease this maintenance takes a lot of work from devoted people. During the two “short” days I spent with them we did both tree clearing and maintenance of the drainages on two popular trails.

The first day we spent at Stanley Lake clearing a section of the Alpine Way Loop that stretched in between Iron Creek and Stanley Lake. The major job on this trail was the downed timber scattered across the trail. Since the Alpine Loop is in the wilderness area no mechanical machinery is allowed at all, this poses a problem when there is a two foot thick log on the trail. For this the forest service uses large 6+ ft crosscut saws from the early 1900s. Not only are they completely hand driven but actually quite efficiently and are great tool to replace any chainsaw. You may ask why are they from the early 1900s well it’s because the machinery/forges to make these don’t exists anymore. It turns out that after the chainsaw was invented these forges were melted down and there is not enough demand to make them again. The saw the we used was actually one of seven found in some guys basement and restored by a special group of people in the forest service that still know how to sharpen and services these old blades.

The second day, which I truly helped with, was up Boundary Creek Trail a steep 2.9 mile trail with about 2600 ft of elevation and we had around 120 drainage steps to clear. It was a steep hike but with 8 people the work time was cut to just 3.5 hours which helped Kit and Dalton a ton. It was truly a gift to be able to give back to this wonderful place. Ever since I took the Winter Wilderness Class I’ve been trying to get back and do more than just hike and take pictures. I hope to make a tradition of going up to Stanley and doing a day with this special crew. For more information or if you are interested in volunteering yourself click the box below to get to the Sawtooth Society website.

Bouldering Idaho Basalt and Being Back

Being back in Idaho has had some real ups and downs. I love being in this part of the United States where I can climb, bike, hike, and see family. But what I didn’t count on was the rush of memories from last summer. My experiences and memories are heavily based on place, where I was and where I am. Being back in Idaho has brought back these complex feelings, memories, and connections which feel lost in time. Last summer in many ways felt like the best of dreams and being back now in the context of COVID, looming school, and anxieties manifested from what was; I’m having a hard time settling in the way I usually do.

There’s not much I can do about these feelings and I know like all things there is an ephemeral cycle. Last summer was a peak and I’m glad and fortunate to have had amazing people and relationships around me to help me get there. Now is different and that is ok, I still have great people around me and I’ve reconnected with many of those I didn’t see last summer. While I’m not at the peak of my cycle I’m trying my hardest to take advantage of the time here and now.

Nature has always been a release for me, a privilege that I want to share with as many people as I can. Yesterday I decided to go

and boulder with a good friend from school. We went out to a new place for me called Swan Falls just outside of Kuna, ID. The basalt boulders sprinkling the landscape here came from the high walls carved out by the river below. It was an uncharacteristically cool day for June in the Idaho desert creating an inviting environment to scramble the deep dark rock boulders and meet some new climbers. After cutting our hands on the sharp volcanic rocks and feeling the heat from the sun, the weather rolled in. It was a pretty amazing site to see the dark ominous clouds roll over the cliff edge, to feel the wind build up into tiny droplets, and to escape to our cars just as the rain got strong. Overall a great day.

Minimalist B&W Film Developing

Introduction

As many people know I started my photography passion in high school when I took my first photography class. It was all analog shooting film through cameras, developing that film, then enlarging and printing the film images. It was a slow process that required true tactile skill and artistic vision. It always felt more like an art form then just pressing a shutter button on a digital camera. Ever since I settled into my digital camera kit a few years back I wanted to get back to this process of film photography. But where to start?

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Mamiya C3 Sikor 80mm F2.8: HP5+ 125th @F4

Many people think film is scary, too many moving parts, things to think about, cameras that don’t automatically expose an image, and many other anxieties. For me, those have always been part of the attraction but what always got me was the price of film and more importantly the price of development.

I’ve been sending off my film for developing for some time now (yes plenty of stores still develop film) and in many cases it cost more than the roll of film itself. One way to avoid these costs is to develop the film on your own and that’s just what I started doing.

This post is going to cover my personal minimalist black and white film developing kit that I’m currently using and I’ll make sure to crunch the numbers to see what I’m actually saving! I’ll also suggest things that I wish I had or things that would make your life just a bit easier. Also just to be clear this is all you need to just develop your film in the context of a hybrid process where I scan my film instead of enlarging it onto photo paper.

Before I start with my process there are entire books devoted to just choosing the best film for the best developer and the most archival fixer for the most contrast for the light you have on your subject……. This stuff can get pretty heavy pretty quick so I won’t go into detail there I’ll just explain what I have currently and why.

The Bare-Minimum

When I say minimalist I truly mean it so I’m simply going to give you a list of the must have things I use to develop my film:

1. Daylight developing tank: These usually come with a tank, film spools, and are made of plastic or metal made to keep the film safe from light when developing. The only thing that you need worry about is the film sizes the spool can take 35mm, 120, 127, or 4x5. Otherwise just get some that are affordable and work from used websites like Craigslist or Ebay. I personally bought a Paterson Super System 4 Universal Tank because it allows me to develop 2 rolls of 35mm or one roll of 120 film as well as 127 film if I need. It’s even tall enough to be able to develop 4x5 film using the taco style. (more to come on this)

2. Developing Chemicals: There are a lot of choices here and at minimum you need developer and fixer. Some developers are reusable some are single use as well as all have certain characteristics. I avoided all the confusion and went with convenience choosing a monobath which both develops your film and fixes it in one shot. Specifically, I bought Cinestill’s Df96 in powder form to make a liter of chemistry which is good for 16 or so rolls of film.

3. Thermometer: Most film chemistry is very sensitive to temperature so you must keep track of the water temperature and chemistry temperature. I used an old electric meat thermometer because of the fast readout but anything that accurately measures temperature should be fine.

4. Measuring Cup: The best thing to use if you have the money is a graduated cylinder if you want to get the most reproducibility. I however just used a glass measuring cup from the store which works just fine. With the monobath, since it is reusable, I don’t need to worry about volumetric measurements as much as other one shot developers.

5. Small Bottle Opener: These are used to open the 35mm film canisters. If you don’t use one of these then you risk scratching your film and you will waist a great deal of time.

6. Scissors: A good pair of scissors is needed to cut the film of the spool and create a nice flat leader to load up the film spool. Some people like to use safety scissors but I just use normal scissors since cutting yourself is pretty hard.

7. A Dark Room: Obviously all the loading of the film into the daylight tank must be done in complete darkness. Most houses have a place that is truly dark or you could make truly dark. I use a half bathroom in my apartment and a dark sheet to block the stray light from the door.

8. Binder Clips: Binder clips are probably the most effective office supply to own. They are perfect for holding your film strips to dry in a dust free place.

Not Necessary But You’ll Probably Want it.

The list above is the absolute minimum and assumes you have a couple things that some people may not so this is a list of things you may want to get when you have money.

1. Photo Flo: This is a kodak chemical that is used for the final wash before you hang the film to dry. It reduces water spots that can appear on film as well as streaking on the negatives. I do personally use this in my process because the water I use where I live is mostly hard water.

2. Film Changing Bag: Effectively a black cloth bag that is a portable darkroom with enough space to load your film into the light safe tank. These are nice because you can develop film even if there is no real dark room where you live. Watch your scissors though!

3. Dedicated Timer: Yes you can use your phone or timer apps but a dedicated darkroom timer is really nice to have and can help the reproducibility of your development process.

4. Stock Bottles: Any photo supply store will have a selection of stock bottle while a one liter soda bottle works fine if stored in a dark place a good stock bottle can help keep chemistry for much longer if used correctly.

5. A Funnel: Pretty self explanatory but a good funnel can really make things easy. I’m using a makeshift funnel made from a water bottle I cut in half and melted with a liter. It works but isn’t real pretty.

6. Film Sleeves: For protecting your film for years to come it is important to store your negatives in plastic film sleeves. Not only are they great for organizing your film but they also protect the film emulsion from scratches and dust. I just recently bought a couple packs of these for my pile of negatives. Alternatively, just find a box or bin and keep them in a cool, dry, place away from sunlight.

Cost at the end of the day

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Nikon FM 50mm F1.8 Ai: Arista 400 1/60 @F1.8

That’s it really. The fact that I can just purchase one bottle of chemistry and develop my film is really quite amazing! With shipping the chemistry was $20.74 so if I truly get 16 rolls of film then I’m paying around $1.30 a rolls which is easily affordable and much cheaper then the $5.00 lab fee. Now I think I’m only going to be doing B&W at home because the lab charges about the same as what I can buy C-41 color chemistry at home for (about $4.00 a roll). Slide film is getting close to being cheaper at home with my lab charging $7.26 and at home chemistry coming in at about $5.50 but being that I can just send off all the color film to the same place I don’t find that a couple of dollars is worth it. I also don’t shoot a lot of slide film so there’s that too.

Obviously, there is some initial buyin to get started with film development but even that was surprisingly affordable. My fancy do everything tank was $32.75 and the rest of the supplies I could find around the house. The not necessary list will cost a bit more but you really don’t have to have them as long as you’re willing to sacrifice a little flexibility with your process. So if you’re going to be shooting black and white film at home developing with this “easy” minimal setup is really the way to go!

Fixing Your Own Clothes

I posted an Instagram story the other day and if you follow me on Instagram you know my stories are 50% interesting and 50% random pictures I took with my camera that I just chuck up for people to see. (It’s nice to share work that doesn’t necessarily have a direct purpose) Well my clothes story literally came from when I was productively procrastinating by fixing the holes I found and saw some nice light on my bed. I would say that I get a little impulsive when there is good light so I set up a little composition and took some images. Long story short (short story shorter) I got a lot of responses on my story about the idea that I fix my clothing and so I figured I’d elaborate a little here.

First of all I got the impression that people don’t fix their clothes which leads me to believe they either throw them out or well I’m not sure….. Personally, I’ve always been the person who finds some clothes I like and the day they die I cry because I will “never replace such a perfect garment.” That is why I started to fix my clothes, yes a perfectly justifiable self serving reason of being afraid of losing the only pair of pants or a shirt that I like and not wanting to find another. I also realize that this is not how most think about the clothes in their closets so the labor of fixing that sweater you wore twice and will only where two more times might not be worth it.

I have realized that it’s not really self serving it’s the way I buy my clothes. I only buy clothes that I know I will wear to the ground, I think about how versatile it is and if I can wear it with a wide variety of my pants and short. I also make sure it’s going to at least attempt to last adn come from some company that I trust. If I can sum up the way I buy clothes now it is this:

“Buy clothes worth fixing!”

I probably stole this from Patagonia Worn Wear (definitely did) but I don’t think they will mind. If you buy your clothes with the intent to fix them you not give yourself an excuse to say no to that floral kimono that you’ll wear only once but you will also find you’ll be happier with your clothes. By doing this you are helping consume less and not taking part in the sensational fashion problem we currently have. So how do I choose clothes worth fixing?

1. Buy clothes you love, for me that’s clothes from outdoor companies like Patagonia and Prana who also have the sustainable focus I find important. For you it could be certain fashion or other reasons but these are still absolutely valid.

2. Buy used. Yes this means going to thrift stores and finding things the look similar to what you love for the fraction of the cost. Try different places around where you live you never know what gold you’ll strike.

3. Number 2 doesn’t always work so what I do is spend an hour or two every month on Ebay. If you are on Ebay regularly with the knowledge of what you want you can often get killer deals. I got a Fitz Roy Parka from Patagonia for $100 (go for $450 new) and found Timberland Company Oxfords, the hand made ones, for $40 (go for $350 new) just to name a few.

Now that you have clothes worth fixing, how do you fix them? Well all you have to do is buy yourself a sewing kit which a can be found almost anywhere and learn to sew if you don’t already know. YouTube is a great resource as well as DIY websites. I swear people who don’t know how to sew are fishy people that can’t be trusted.

Some Mini Art Projects in Quarantine

I’ve been finding it exceedingly difficult to stay in high spirits right now with everything that’s going on. School feels more rough with the online lectures, not working in person with anyone, and very little change to workload. I feel like I’m on the verge of going crazy right now. That being said I don’t really have the option to go crazy so I’ve been picking up small art projects to try an keep my mind at peace.

Here is one of the things that I’ve been working on. It literally can about because of what I had on hand. The doodles you see I made a while back, probably my sophomore year which I just had laying around. So with the art paper I bought to make a little book I mar these little frames for each of the doodles I had. I didn’t have a glue stick or anything so I used the super glue I had and the double sided foam tape for putting hooks on the wall. I have to say it came out quite nice.

The next thing that I really want is to make is my own stamps but I need to go to the store or order online so…

Using Lightroom Collections (India Trip)

Since this was a big trip for me I think it would be cool to show people a larger selection of my images. It definitely not every single one because it that would be ridiculous and embarrassing. But is shows what I was looking for when I was creating images there. Now I could just use a bunch of blocks in Squarespace but Lightroom actually has a great solution for this if you’re website doesn’t have great gallery options. Click the button below to experience india and keep reading of you’re interested in using Lightroom for shareable galleries.

I’m probably behind the curve but I hope someone learns a cool new thing Lightroom can do like I did. They’re called Lightroom Collections which are basically folders that you can fill with images you want in the same place. Personally I collect all of the images above a certain rating for a given multi day trip in the same folder for quick access. But what I didn’t know is that you can make these collection public so that clients or friends can access, download, comment/like, or I can even edit images real time all from Lightroom! Here’s how you can do this:

1. Open Lightroom Classic and make sure that you are signed in and have Lightroom CC downloaded. This enable the Adobe cloud sharing within Lightroom. Once signed in when you click your name at the top left corner it should given another section for Sync with Lightroom.

2. Now on the left column of lightroom under the Navigator panel scroll down till you see Collections panel where you can click on the plus symbol and to create new collections. For this gallery we just want a collection which is at the top of the list. I will then prompt you name the collection, make sure the sync with Lightroom is selected.

3. To add photos to the collection simply drag and drop images from anywhere on Lightroom. It effectively creates a virtual copy so no data is lost and images don’t move around. Yay! Remember you can use the shift/click method for multiple images in a row, command + A to select all in a folder, or command + click for multiple images.

4. Once the collections is filled with what you want you can make it public by clicking the Make Public box on the upper right corner of the library panel. This creates a shareable url that you can now send to whoever.

5. Now if you want people to be able to download you can follow the prompts after clicking the url or I find using the Lightroom app on my phone is the easiest. Either way you can now share rating, let people comment/like, and even share metadata.

What’s great about these galleries is that they are fully customizable in terms of what the client sees. You can change the background spacing almost everything. You can eve show what your rating for the images are. The best part it is all directly connected to Lightroom Classic so any change made on your desktop are automatically updated in the online collection. The only thing that would make this better is if these updates were truly real time, currently the updates are slow but workable.

So there you go a new (or maybe old) tool lightroom offers. It’s a great way to showcase images to clients and have images on hand if people ever ask.

The Jewel Box

It’s spring break and I finally had time to get out for a bike ride around forest park. This art deco green house was a spot that I wanted to see for a really long time. It was a sunday so it wasn’t open to go inside but I definitely waited around for the light to get good. What I love about this structure is the tall windows gilded in turquoise copper siding, it’s really a sight to behold. At some point a reflection pond is filled and water lilies and tulips line the path up to the greenhouse. My hope is to come back later this spring and capture the same images but with clouds and a long exposure.