CALIFORNIA PHOTOGRAPHY BLOG: Trip to Fontana

Yesterday was a warm day. It was warmer than expected, even though if one walks around during the early morning, there is a chill in the air. Well, yesterday being Sunday, Nov. 29th, I wanted to go out at least for an hour or two and do something outside. When it is bright and warm outside, it seems like a missed opportunity if we decide to stay in and just sit in front of a computer screen.

I was looking at my collection of cover photos for my Facebook account and found one of the Mary Vagle Nature Center in Fontana. I don't remember why I went there all those years ago, it certainly couldn't have been for an event because I can't imagine what they could have hosted there. It must have been just exploration on my part.

I went, after seeing that there was supposedly a trail around the hills surrounding the center. Also, I wanted to go because of the lake and the trees surrounding it. I thought that the trees might have changed color by now and I could get a good composition. It also seemed to me that it would be a place that was not heavily attended. It turned out to be "medium-attended", and almost all the parking spaces were taken. Now I will know.

Walking around gave me much pleasure, even if I was making a ton of mistakes with my camera. I guess I was just eager to take photos. I was using my 4x5 Travelwide and right away, the first shot I take, I checked afterwards and saw that I had not focused correctly. I set the focus gauge for much closer, when I wanted a landscape shot. That is one photo that almost certainly will be blurred. Next, I took a photo of the building amidst the landscape, and wouldn't you know it, I couldn't slide the film holder slide in after taking my shot. I must have loaded that frame incorrectly, and you can't just jam a film slider in if the space is occupied by a sheet of film. So, it was fortunate that I had my changing bag in my back pack, and I sat down and took a long time (longer than it should have taken me) to place my Travelwide into the bag, take out the holder inside the bag, remove the film, put it into my envelope with negatives, then load the film holder again with fresh film. I used that same holder again, and this time, there were no problems with the slides.

Here are a few cellphone photos. I was also using my Holga 120 Pan.

The bad thing about this, other than the fact that is is just a dirt field, is that off-road vehicles were riding up and down this trail. Each time they passed they generated tons of dust.

Not my best composition, but I wanted to capture the changing colors. Orange is turning to yellow here.

The road I took to try to see if I could climb the nearest peak. Turns out, it leads to a dirt field. I was impressed, though, at how well it was maintained, and also, no graphiti on the walls! Wow, that is an amazing plus, if this were in my hometown, so much blank space on walls would have been an irresistible lure for taggers.

What I confirm over and over, backlight photos do work if you can find a way to obscure or hide the light source.

I should have just cut across this field to climb up to the hills. I know it doesn't look steep here, but these were not the highest hills next to the center. I saw that if I cut through the brush, I would end up having to climb very steep slopes, and while I might be able to go up, coming down would be the hard part because, without a trekking pole, that is where I might lose my footing.

All the suburban tract homes, even in what I thought was relentlessly working-class Fontana. I have heard others call this city "Fontucky" (Fontana + Kentucky).

One area of the lake had open trails around it, the other had trails that were blocked.

This was a nice shot. If I had been quicker, I might have adjusted my composition by scrolling up and catching the giant passenger plane preparing to land at Ontario Airport. (When, oh when, will I be able to take another airline trip?)

Love the colors.

And love the San Gabriel mountains.

The Mary Vagle center, which was closed, as well as the bathrooms. I was taking this photo with my Travelwide and that was when my slide would not go back into the holder anymore.

Another lake shot. There was a much better vantage point but a Hispanic man and his family (two kids) were firmly camped there in that spot and they had no intention of leaving, so I didn't get that shot.