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Tropic of Capricorn

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What has living along the line of the Tropic of Capricorn done to me, or changed in me thus far? Hard to say as of now. Due to the ensuing pandemic it has been more difficult to get “out” and really see and feel the geography. One thing is for sure, I now know what it’s like to live where thunderstorms converge and bring fury as fast as emotions can rise within the body and bring rage. The vibe here on the line that separates the tropics, from the near tropics, is fine, and the lines one needs to walk here in the biggest city in South America can also be constantly shifting. Goals and ideas, are always in flux here, more so than in the calm Mediterranean climes I’m more accustomed to. I suppose it will be some time later when I will understand how living along this line of latitude has changed me, if at all, and it may be a change that I will never fully understand. 

As of now I am very disappointed that the pandemic has made it so hard to travel to places such as the Pantanal and Cerrado regions, where the biodiversity these places harbor would impress any naturalist around the world, and worse so, the fires that have ravaged the Pantanal leave me wondering if I will ever be able to see it as I had imagined. Fire seems to follow me, or at least to follow my dreams and my places of interest.

North Coast Peru with a couple of Disposable Cameras

North Coast Peru with a couple of Disposable Cameras

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Starting out in Lima we walked around the city, ate well, and prepared for our trip north. We enjoyed walking the streets and admiring some of the cool casitas of hip Mira Flores and the modern restaurants including a profound meal at Virgilio Martínez Véliz’s Central. After we left Lima we made our way up the north coast pf Peru via bus and taxis. Along the way we visited many fascinating cultural sites, almost all of which I had never heard of until right before I left for this trip. Among the many sites we toured was the largest mud-brick city in the world, Chan Chan. Impressive in its size and complexity the site of Chan Chan is a walk back to a different era. We also visited the royal tombs of Sipán, Túcume, and a few other Huacas, or temples. The Museum of the Royal Tombs of Sipán, which besides its interesting architecture from the outside, had amazing exhibits inside as well that displayed the many ornaments found in the tombs. Funerary items such as gold and silver chest plates, and face masks of turquoise and gold that resembled the items found in the Egyptian tombs. Also pictured are the temples of Túcume, and at Túcume I found the most interesting museum of them all. The museum was founded by the famous Norwegian archaeologist Thor Heyerdahl, who had successfully sailed an ancient ship across the Pacific from South America to the Polynesian islands proving that it could have been possible for ancient peoples to make long sea voyages.

Holga 35mm in Rio

Holga 35mm in Rio

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Getting back into the film groove I wanted to try and use my Holga camera that I have had for many years, so I brought it with me to Rio in May for my first visit to that famous city by the sea. I was there for the National Association of Interpretation’sInternational Conference, more on that later, and as part of the conference I was able to attend a couple of field trips to the natural and protected areas around Rio. I brought my modified Holga with me on those trips. I had modified the cheap plastic camera to shoot 35mm film in a camera made to shoot 120 or medium format film. It is made possible by adding a couple of custom pieces (that I bought from randy at Holgamods) that hold the 35mm film canister in place. This allows you to expose the entire film width, including the area around the sprockets, and allowing for a sort of panoramic capture as well. However, like any shot with a Holga you have to guess the exposure and with this particular set up you also have to count the number of clicks or turns of the film knob in order to advance the film and expose the shots evenly. 
This was my first time using the Holga in many years, and the first time with this 35mm adapter in place. The results were not groundbreaking in any way but I would give it another try one day for sure.

Roaring River and my Wilderness Introduction

Roaring River and my Wilderness Introduction

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I had never been to the west side of the Sierra before I found that job in Kings Canyon, even though I grew up and lived just 3-4 hours away from the Giant Sequoia groves and the famous national parks that protect them. Like many of my friends I was lucky to be able to visit the east side of the Sierras often over the years, but I never knew what I was missing over on the other side. Of course many people prefer the east side due to its scenic and dramatic beauty, as well as the easy access into the high country it allows. On the west side however, one finds rolling savanna like hills eventually leading to some of the most beautiful groves of large Valley Oaks before the hills get steeper and the oaks start to mix with pines. And eventually as you go up the mountain roads and above 6,000 feet, you reach the mixed conifer forest, the finest forest in the West. Made up of Ponderosa and Geoffrey pines, interspersed with White Firs, Incense Cedars, Black Oaks, Junipers, and in some places, Giant Sequoias. This is where I worked, in the Grant Grove district of Kings Canyon NP. And it was there during that first summer in 2010 when I would go on my first backpacking trip.

I had car camped all over California and Baja up until then, and I had hiked plenty too, but I knew nothing about this other world beyond the day-hike.

US Road Trip on Ilford Hp5 and PanF50

US Road Trip on Ilford Hp5 and PanF50

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After I moved from the states to South America I went back at some point to grab some old film gear. Among some gadgets and gear I found a few rolls of film. One of them was a roll of Ilford PanF 50, one of my favorite films. It had been sitting in storage and was way past its expiration date. I took it with us back to the states to shoot some scenes along our trip. And I also stopped by the legendary B&H to pick up some more film for the used Nikon F100 I had just bought.

These images were shot on our trip from Rochester New York towards Dallas Texas.