Back to Hidden Valley (JCH Streetpan Infrared)

 The rest of my trip to Hidden Valley on Friday was quick. I had a roll of infrared film loaded in my Fuji GW690ii and I knew I had to expose it. The clouds were hardly there at all, but still, maybe I could get something. I went down to f11 aperture and 1/30th of a second for exposure, and since I developed this roll in the same tank as the HP5+, I pushed it. Both were in the developer for 11 minutes.

I went all the way to the eastern parking lot and took a few photos. They were my usual shots as I stand on the cliff and look to the north at the San Gabriel mountains. Seeing the images, I wish the mountains stood out more. If they had received a good coating of snow from the rain they would have, and that was what I had been hoping for, but of course, the rain was very modest. Strangely enough, the San Bernardino mountains did have a good coating of snow, and looked majestic, but they don't dominate the skyline from this vantage point as the San Gabriel mountains do.

There was no need to get into a photo frenzy here. I have been to these sites many times, and with my Fuji camera, I only have 8 exposure per roll. I only have a few JCH 120 rolls left, I will need to buy more next week. I am hoping to renew my supply, as well as buy some Rollei Infrared, but I would like to combine the purchase with Arista (or Foma) 4x5 200ISO film, but it is not listed as available yet on Freestyle (nor the big place in New York). So, I can wait. I am spending too much on film as it is, but it relaxes me, the work flow is so much more conducive to stress relief than the frenetic use of a DSLR.

I then drove to the other parking lot and took a few photos. I only had two frames left of infrared, and a few of my Kodak Portra 400 in my Holga. I walked along the road and grabbed the first two frames here. I like them, I like them! Moon over Hernandez, New Mexico. Well, no, they aren't the classic by Ansel Adams, but I see a little similarity. (Ansel Adams was not using infrared film.)

As I was walking back to the parking lot the horse trailer with the Trump horseback riders drove back. I gave them a quick look, and I tried to make it friendly. They had their windows rolled up, but I am sure they must have cursed at me again for wearing a facemask during a pandemic. I guess collateral damage is okay, the people who fall sick are intended to die, especially if they are minorities or the elderly. Or maybe, they believe that Covid is just another unjust imposition on Anglos. (I know, I sound angry, and I am. I'll try to let it go.)

That was it, I drove back home but first stopped for some faux Chinese food (Panda Express). This is the year of the Ox, the Lunar New Year. Then, I whiled away some time on the web and then developed the two black and white rolls. The color roll will join the others and probably be sent to the Darkroom.