While on my trip to the Grand Canyon I kept a journal of my experience in order to create an after-the-fact travelogue.  Presented over the next few days is an edited version + photo essay of my trip.  ( First entry here) ---

6 Oct 2010 2022

Today was both overwhelming and underwhelming.  Overwhelming because of how massive the park is.  We barely scratched the surface and yet we felt very tired at the end of the day.  Overwhelming at how many different nationalities were present.  We heard french, german, japanese, vietnamese, and The Queen’s English.  There was a constant cycling of tourists foreign and domestic at the Grand Canyon Village.  To stand there is to constantly be surrounded by Grand Canyon green horns.  It was also amazing to see so many animals.  We saw a neat type of squirrel, a mouse/chipmunk thing, dear, a woodpecker, and a beautiful blue bird.  It was so awesome - especially the blue bird.  At the end of the day, it was amazing how dark it was and how many stars there were in the sky.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have a camera that could properly capture the night sky.  That’s why I want to get a film 35mm Canon camera.

While on my trip to the Grand Canyon I kept a journal of my experience in order to create an after-the-fact travelogue.  Presented over the next few days is an edited version + photo essay of my trip.  ( First entry here) ---

6 Oct 2010 0638

I forgot to mention yesterday how neat it was to see cacti in the wild.  It’d seen them in arboretums and botanical gardens, but this was the first time I saw them growing in their natural environment.  Biggest impression:  unlike cartoons, the “arms” are not even.  Some of them even have only one “arm”.

While on my trip to the Grand Canyon I kept a journal of my experience in order to create an after-the-fact travelogue.  Presented over the next few days is an edited version + photo essay of my trip. ---

5 Oct 2010

Tomorrow I get to see the Grand Canyon!  I’ve been waiting to see it for years.  Today was pretty awesome because I got to see another thing I’d wanted to see for a while now - I saw a hummingbird for the first time.  The best part is that it was completely accidental.  We got into the rental car and, as Danielle set up the GPS, I looked up at the some flowers and saw a hummingbird.  It quickly left, so it was just being there at that exact time that allowed me to see it.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have my camera with me.  Hopefully I get to see it again.

?This is part of my NYC Tet Travelogue.

See part one here, part two here, and part three here.

Unlike the previous entries, this one was written a week after the events, but it covers events from 14 Feb 2010.

–

This is part of my NYC Tet Travelogue.

See part one here.

See part two here.

?this was originally written on 14 Feb 2010

Life sure is strange.  This morning I was sure I’d be buying a Holga today.  After talking to Danielle, it even seemed that SHE would get one too.  She wanted to have one loaded with color film and one loaded with black and white film.  Then she asked a few questions.  I can’t remember the exact words, but it got me thinking.  Do I REALLY want a Holga?  I mean, the biggest attraction for me was the ability to medium format film.  As I mentioned on 12 Feb, it’s a connection with the past and a chance to shoot with better film than I ever did.  But the more I looked at other photographers’ Lomo results, the more I wondered if this was how I wanted to re-experience film.  What put me off the most is the fact that the results are so random.  I don’t understand how people go on vacations to places as far away as Asia with a Lomo as their sole means of capturing their experiences.  They could be getting completely blown out photos the whole time and come back without any photo memories.

Part of my NYC Tet Travelogue.  See part one here.

this entry was originally written on ?13 Feb 2010

I went to the Lomography store yesterday and it was a very interesting experience.  The store matches the aesthetic of the Lomography movement.  It has a very casual feel to it.  It definitely belongs in Greenwich Village.  The wall is a huge collage of Lomo prints; most appeared to be of or taken in New York City.  There was a lot of repetition and it had the feel or working well as a larger work of art.  It’s worth visiting the store just to see the wall.  But the layout was also great - all the cameras are sitting on a table in the middle and you can touch them and handle them and get a feel for the camera.  I have a feeling they would have probably let me load some film in and take some shots for them to keep.  (And I might have if I hadn’t been there with others)  The table has an outline of each camera beneath it with the price of the camera listed.  The staff (well, the one woman there at that time) was very knowledgeable and helpful.  Definitely a good hire.  There were also tons of books and magazines wholly consisting of Lomographic images.

After reading Dan’s great Japan travelogue, Super Ichiban Travel Blog, and another source where someone had his children always keep a journal when they travel, I decided I wanted to do this as well.  To practice for when I go to some place that’s foreign to me, I decided to start keeping a journal when I travel to places I’ve already been.   Here’s the first entry from last weekend’s trip.

–

Three years ago I was discussing photography with a fellow photographer, pictured below.  We were discussing places for good photography in the DC-Baltimore vicinity and he mentioned Shenandoah Valley.  He also showed me some photos of deer he had gotten there.  He was pretty impressed with how close he got to the deer (although - spoiler - I eventually got closer).  I was impressed with the deer photos and his description of Shenandoah Valley.  I resolved to visit it.