California VI - Point Lobos

I talked about this place so much on other posts...

First of all, I have to say: no pictures in the world will make justice to the beauty of this place. It was probably one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen! It is located in the Highway One, in Monterey County. If you ever decided to travel through this beautiful road, please, don’t miss this State Reserve. And take all the hiking trails. You won’t regret.

Nikon F100
35mm f1.4G
Portra 160 (exp 2014)

California V - Muir Woods

I totally forgot to post about Muir Woods! It should have been posted before Yosemite, haha.

It happens, right?! Before late than never!

It is such a beautiful place. You’ll probably remember it from the new Planet of the Apes series. It is Ceasar’s home. But let me tell you, it didn’t remind me of the movie... One scene I remember clearly was James Franco’s character and the girlfriend having a picnic there. But there are MANY signs informing that is forbidden to eat anywhere in the park. Haha. I took a lot of food and a nice towel and all I did was eat an energy bar in the middle of the trail.

Anyway... I just wished we could have spent more time there. We were in a hurry to hit the road to Yosemite... The sun was setting at 5pm, and we didn’t wanna take the road in a complete darkness (which happened anyway). Even though, we had enough time to take one trail and enjoy what nature has to offer. :)

Funny story: I took this Velvia roll before the Wine Tour we did. By the time we were leaving the hotel I mistook this one, that was expired, thinking it was the other Velvia 100 that is not so expired. I only noticed what I did when I got back from the lab. Now I put a yellow mark in all very expired rolls, so I’ll never mistake them again. Haha, living and learning.

Nikon F100
35mm f1.4G
Fuji Velvia 100 (exp 2009)

California IV - Yosemite

I love mountains. Always did, since a little girl. So you can imagine how happy I was to visit Yosemite National Park for the fist time. The park was all autumn-yellow, like a painting. Cold (there were snow in a few higher points), but not too cold. For me, it was the perfect weather.

The bad thing was that, since it was autumn, and Califa is on a drought period, the biggest waterfall was almost dry, and so was the Mirror Lake. But other than that, it was a lovely time I spent there. When I think about Yosemite, a smile just show up in my face.

A (not so) fun fact: I almost didn’t shoot on film there. My fiancé took my digital and shot almost everything with it, I grabbed the camera whenever I saw something TRULY interesting. And since I was on vacation and didn’t wanna miss the moment, I kind of kept everything inside my head. It doesn’t sound like me, I’m always shooting everything and everybody, but I needed the rest. For the eyes, the mind and the body. Not mentioning the soul.

The half dome. My second favorite (the firt one was El Captain, which, funny enough, I don’t have on film)

Nikon F100
35mm f1.4G
Kodak Portra 160

Monday bubbles

Vanity and pride are different things, though the words are often used synonymously. A person may be proud without being vain. Pride relates more to our opinion of ourselves, vanity to what we would have others think of us.

Jane Austen 

Alcatraz in Colors - Chapter 2

Back to the Alcatraz in colors. I already told you I didn’t like the development and the colors of this particular film, right? But the only ones I did like were those from Alcatraz because, in a strange way, these tones remind me of the Clint Eastwood movie “Escape from Alcatraz”. Don’t you think they do? I’m not crazy, am I? Haha. Do you get what I’m saying?

Did I mention I miss San Francisco? California didn’t catch my heart they way Paris did, but it still one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever visit. From up north in San Francisco to down, really down south in San Diego (I almost passed the Mexican border), California is the kind of trip everybody has to do at least once in their lives. There are tons of pictures yet to share with you, hope you’re not bored.

Nikon F100
35mmf1.4G
Portra 160

Things I like lately

I love this tag in other blogs so much that I decided to do something similar around here.

Things I like:

- Being engaged! After 15 years together. I thought it wouldn’t be much different, but I must say I enjoy saying to people “let me check with my fiancé first” even when I don’t need to check with him first. It feels good.
- Spend the 23rd anniversary of my father’s death walking around with my goddaughter. I had to leave a few films at the lab and she made me company. I walked by my grandma old house, where I spent the whole “day” crying, 23 years ago. The house belongs to someone else now, and it’s all different. And to walk by that sad place, with a new life, knowing some how his blood still runs through her veins also made me think of how big this all is. He is alive with me in so many ways.
- Listening to the new Foo Fighters album. Good music from the guys I have loved since forever always cheers me on. I’ve always been a huge Nirvana fan, even before Kurt die, and have been following Foo Fighters since the very beginning. And when “follow” was more than a button on a Twitter/Facebook page. It meant buying records, going to concerts, buy pirate (which at that point meant live shows recorded underhand), buying magazines, and all that. And Dave have never failed on me.
- That the tennis season is about to begin! Finally my days (and nights) will be filled with the little yellow ball and much tension. Hope 2015 will be Roger’s year again!
- The book I got from my sisters-in-law. I love french cooking, love to cook, and the book is so well done. Beautiful pictures (pictures capture me more than the recipes, I must confess), cute drawings and very nice approach.
- That I’m writing again! It’s not gonna be a best seller, I warn you, but I like to write, haven’t done in a while but one day I woke up and felt like doing it.


Things I don’t like

- My neighbors have a rooster and it crows everyday from 1am until noon. It’s impossible to have a decent sleep.
- The heat is unbearable. Last night it was 39C at 10pm. THIRTY NINE DEGREES. At TEN PM. I wonder how I’m going to survive until the end of the summer.
- The feeling post-amazing-trip: when everything seems so boring. I have to learn how to get back at reality.

From the archives: Boris Becker, a little out of focus, but very charming either way. 

California III

During that week we spent at San Francisco, we decided to take the wine tour through Napa and Sonoma. It was a really beautiful sunny day (I already shared one photo in this post). The wines there are soooo good. I end up buying a Chardonnay at the Sonoma Winery we visited (where the portrait from the other post was taken), I believe it’s called Richolson Nicholson Ranch or something. If you ever go there, buy their Chardonnay. It was the best I’ve ever tasted and I regret had bought only one.

And the food there is also amazing, we had lunch somewhere around Napa at a place called “Pacific Blue”. I ordered the Veggie Burger, and it was from out of this world! Seriously. 

The other thing I forgot to mention before: when in California, try to get your films developed at Richard Photo Lab. Their work is amazing, really (if the picture didn’t come out as I expect I’m the only one to blame, haha), and I don’t need to say that. From their giant client list you must know that. It was fun to know the place and the people working there. It is in LA, at North La Brea Av, 979 . and they have parking which is a plus considering you're in LA. I didn’t developed all my films in there, because they got lost in my luggage and when I find there wasn’t enough time, so if you’re organized and smart, try to develop all of them. You won’t be sorry. 

Entrance of one of the Wineries we visited.

I tell him all the time: if our kids don’t have his eyes, I will divorce him immediately! (it’s a joke, of course!)

Wouldn’t it be amazing to have a wedding here? 

Nikon F100

35mm f1.4G

Velvia 100 (exp 2009)

Release me

Internet is really fascinating. As much as we are screaming to the whole world, it seems sometimes no one is listening. I kinda needed it right now. I need to scream really loud, but I don’t want anyone to actually listen to me. Does that make any sense?

I lost my father when I was 9 years old, almost 10. It was so fast. Everything was fine, we had a great day and then he started to feel sick, went to the hospital and never came back. He was 45 and it was a fatal heart attack. It was december 29th, 1991. From this day on, every december is my time to feel sick. I don’t know how people survive around me this time of the year. All I do is listen to Pearl Jam’s Release and feel really bad about my life. Questioning God and all that. I know I had many good things in my life, but none of that fill the void of not having my dad here to ask simple questions. Is that ok to cross the red lights at 2 am? do I have to vote if there’s not even one good candidate? should I spend money buying another lens or should I buy a car and stop taking cabs? do I always have to pick up the road not traveled? And, most important, what should I do with my life?

Every time I ask Marcelo to take a picture of me, although I hand the camera all set, it takes him around 975 hours to actually click. And almost every time he chooses to do it while I blink. It really amazes me. But actually I love this pic, although I look a bit drunk (and there’s an empty glass in my hand) it was a really good day. Just to lighten up this dark post.