Today was a Zoom day. I had two Zoom classes to teach during the morning, but the time went by quickly. It helps to know that you have a recreational trip planned after.
I left at about 11:45 a.m. and drove to Freestyle in Santa Fe Springs, CA. I needed to pick up a large order of film, forty rolls as a matter of fact. Also, I was picking up developing chemicals. I got there in 45 minutes, there was very little traffic. I am grateful.
Afterwards, I left for a quick photographic trip to the California Botanic Garden in Claremont. I have been there probably a dozen times during this year of Covid. I knew what I wanted, there were beautiful clouds in the lower part of the sky, and I thought, I wanted to go to the desert garden at this location and use black and white with either a filter or infrared film. It turns out, the clouds were dissipating as I was driving towards the location. What were a few beautiful clouds evaporated until I just had a small residue left in the sky. But they were there, and the garden has become so familiar to me that it is a pleasure just to walk in and start heading to the other end.
It was not too warm, although we did hit the mid 80s today. It being a week day, there were very few people there. It felt very pleasant. The flowers are coming in at the rose garden, I might have to take mom on the weekend. They aren't roses, it isn't that fancy, but they were the marigolds and others that are beautiful too.
I shot about 8 frames with the 6x17 camera. I didn't use any other camera except my cellphone. I was hoping to take my Canon T-90, now that I discovered where I had hid it away in my closet, but it was just too heavy. I'm not a beast of burden. So, I just used the 6x17 camera.
When will I develop my black and white rolls? Sometime, but today, I was too tired. Maybe in the next few days. I am accumulating film now, I realize. The good thing is that I have fresh chemicals to process them.
Tomorrow I am hoping to go to the Greystone Mansion and Gardens in Beverly Hills, a mythical place I have never visited even though I lived in Los Angeles for over 10 years. The only thing that worries me is that they appear to have a very restrictive policy with regards to photography. This is a public site that is opening up again, but they are very, very, very much aware of the commercial value of this venue, and they want to charge for everything. The site is not definitive when it comes to photographic restrictions, they do leave open the door to permits, but the cost is prohibitive. I am not going to pay over $300 per hour to be allowed to take souveneer shots. I just want to take some photos with my 6x9 camera, but I am sure they will see the massive Texas Leica (the Fuji GW690ii) I own and say, no, no, you are commercial, there is no way you are a hobbyist, pay up! But I will try. Even if I just am permitted to walk with no photos, it should be a nice place to visit, but I need a backup. Where can I go if they won't let me take photos? Well, why not Venice Beach? I've never been there either, and I can play like Gary Winogrand in the photography documentary series I saw in the 90s where they followed him with a camera at that location. (I can't compare myself to that celebrated photographer.)
Here are some cellphone photos from my trip today to the California Botanic Garden. Tomorrow never knows, as Ringo Star is purported to have said, as relayed laughingly by John Lennon.
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