As I wrote the title for this blog entry, I couldn't get the phrase "Manic Monday" out of my head. It is from a song from long ago, maybe from the 80s. I'll look it up after I post this.
I woke up today intending to get an early start and head off down to San Diego to see if I could photograph the Star of India sailing boat. I woke up in time, it was very bright outside, and I felt exhausted. I stayed home this morning, thinking I still had time to go if I wanted to do so in the afternoon, and that is what I did.
Driving down the 15 was a breeze today. It is a long, long drive. It involves getting on the 15, then the 163, then the 5 north. I left at about 1 p.m. and didn't get to the general area until about almost 3 p.m. Of course, as per my eternal proclivities, I forgot which way I was supposed to turn and I made my way in the other direction. It wasn't so bad, I ended up at the Cabrillo National Monument, although there was a long wait to get in and the cost would have been $20. I turned around and parked along the areas adjacent to the cemeteries, and I took photos there. I needed to see the ocean and also huge vistas, and I did.
Eventually I made it back to North Harbor Drive and made it to the Star of India, but it was almost 5 p.m. I took a few photos, but there were far too many people not wearing masks for me to feel comfortable. Yes, too many Anglos from San Diego feel entitled, and as a matter of fact, next to the administrative building that faces the boat, there was an anti-Gavin Newsome protest. Of course, San Diego is just another Orange County.
The drive to and back from San Diego is far too long. There were almost no delays, which means, some people are still following quarantine. Ordinarily, on weekends, the freeways in the area would be packed. I debated going to Oceanside to visit Mission San Luis Rey on my way back, but quickly discarded the idea. I drove home, and it was long and weary. It is a long way to Tiperrary, as Snoopy (Charles Schulz) used to sing, quoting a song from the past.
Photography is keeping me sane for now, but I am feeling more and more pressure. I am dealing with it for now, though. There is no more photography of events and there hasn't been since mid March, which is now five months away. Can you imagine it? Five months ago I was attending the third and final day of the Sabor Latino dance competition, and I remember feeling worried about attending in a crowded venue because even then the drumbeat of concern about the arrival of the virus was in evidence. I went, though, and spent almost 6 to 7 hours, and I took lousy photos, mostly because I was using an incorrect setting on my camera (I had changed it to flat lighting, which was the wrong thing to do) and I didn't have a good location. Plus, I must have been tired.
And now, we are nearing mid August, with no end in sight. The virus seems to be here to stay. It is like bearing with Trump these past four years, one says, enough is enough, this has to end. Every day there is a new outrage.
I think I am going to order more expired 4x5 film from Ebay. I love the grainy results I obtained with my Arista film, and want to use it for effects. I think that with the right subject matter, that grainy and vintage look would be outstanding. It would have to be old buildings, though, and monuments, and of course, open landscapes, not trees, not things with a surfeit of details, but open landscapes. I think it would work extremely well then.
This would be a good place to share some very problematic negatives I took with Arista 400 film. These were taken last year with the Travelwide when I went to Los Angeles and would walk around, starting at Olvera Street, then down to the Music Center (with the Geary building), then down to Grand Central Marketplace and along the streets of downtown. Those negatives were extremely thin, which tells me, they didn't receive nearly enough exposure. They are the opposite of the extremely thick (dark) negatives I obtained with the expired Arista film. The problem also has to do with a purple smear that appears on the Arista 400 negatives. It was very, very unfortunate, and it made me swear off using that brand of high speed film, but here are a few images.
This was taking at Redondo Beach. The smear I was talking about appears almost on the horizon, but it looks false. It almost hints at a shadow city behind the harbor. When we were kids, my dad used to bring us here to fish. I had not returned since the early 80s, which is almost forty years, but after the passing of my father, I had to do so. Maybe that is why there is an ethereal effect.
Here is another one from my thin Arista 400 4x5 negatives. (These are partial scans since my Epson V600 does not allow me to scan the entire image, only the central area.)
This one is from my meandering walks around downtown Los Angeles. I remember being excited about this composition as I took the photo, only to see it ruined once I had developed it. I still like the composition, though. Cactus and skyscrapers, and the cactus on the right is either flipping the bird or else proclaiming that it is #1.
Finally, here is one from the inside of Grand Central Marketplace, a small but historical eating place with many different shops. It has been here for decades, I believe. I perched myself somewhere, aimed towards the dim interior and left it with a bulb exposure for a few seconds. Of course, since my Arista 400 film is underexposing badly, I barely got any kind of image. The neon sign was very noticeable, though. The blur, of course, is because it was a long exposure. It is a humble place, but it is a place with history. Of course, I would be terrified to step in here now with the extreme crowds jostling about and the circulating air.
That is about it. I was going to develop some film today after returned from San Diego but I am exhausted. I have a few big things to finish this week. I need to renew my driver's license (before my birthday!) and also, finish my online class so that I can get paid. I am a week and a half from beginning the next semester.
And, tomorrow is my niece's birthday. We already sang for her as she blew the candles of her cake. She wanted to eat some ice cream and so didn't want to wait.
Good night. I wish my dad had been here today.
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