Last day of Eastern Sierra trip with Fuji GW690 and Lomo Turquoise film

An odd combination, I know. I took a trip up to the Eastern Sierras of California to photograph fall colors in mid October. I have been meaning to take this trip for several years now, maybe a decade. I always found excuses not to go, but in this case, after an office-mate made a similar trip up to Reno, Nevada, the old adage, "if he can make it, why can't I?" proved to be my best ally. I made the trip, and it turned out to last three days. And it was worthwhile.

I had all kinds of film with me, but I had wanted to use Lomo Turquoise, the "Houses of the Holy" film. (I am referring, of course, to the cover of a Led Zeppelin album from the 70s). So, I popped it in. Heck, I was shooting everything else, black and white, color, slide film, why not Turquoise? I am glad because, as the hackneyed expression goes, "Variety is the spice of life". 

So, the first ones are of Convict lake, my destination on the last day of my trip, a Tuesday. Don't worry, the leaves were not that lethal-looking cobalt blue. They were a brilliant yellow, and yes, I do have photos of those yellows, but I kind of like these colors as well. It just takes me out of my usual place.

The trip was long, but never dull. I got tired of the driving, though. I described the trip to myself in my monologues that I tape. I can't transcribe them here, they are a spur-of-the-moment thing. They are uttered and then the words disappear forever. If I wanted to sound very cliched, I would say, they are like bubbles popping, or the foam at the edge of a river back in the industrial midwest that has been laced with runoff from an industrial plant that creates a toxic waste site and draws politicians who call for investigations and legislation to hold those companies responsible to account but then Republicans foil any attempt at regulation so that they can protect that black money that funds their campaigns and nothing gets done, the toxic spills occur again and again. Did I get political?

Well, let's get back to spiritual. The craggy mountain. The framing by the trees. The lake shore. The gates (the middle photos were taken after I left the lake and was driving frantically back to southern California but couldn't resist pulling off to the side of the road to take photos of these fields, many with small dark shapes in the distance which turned out to be cattle because, yes, this is cattle country). But if there is a lake, well, that is Convict lake. 

I hope to return next fall.