Magdalena and Socorro, NM

So right now I am sitting in El Camino Family Restaurant in Soccoro, NM. Its about 3:30 right now and just ate breakfast. I woke up at 6:30 am to a pool of water in my tent. It's actually been raining here for the past couple days a lot. The mountains are a stones throw away from where we are camping at and the clouds are COVERED by the clouds. Today Kate, Nicole, and I were able to do a load of laundry for $2.50.

Anyways, time to cover what's happened since the last time I updated.

Mark, Sarah, Marisa and I went to a natural hot spring near the Redondo campsite. It was about a 2 mile hike to get there but before we were at a waterfall that was only a 1/2 mile away. The hot spring was pretty warm but not boiling hot. All of us brought our shampoo and soap there to wash up (which was nice for a change), but haven't washed up since then. TREASURE YOUR RUNNING WATER!

However, besides the hot springs that day, on the hike back to the car we rescued a black lab retriever!!!! When we were leaving the hot springs, there was another group of people walking down with a dog that wasn't theirs...it just...followed them around...and eventually us too. On the way back I gave her some of my water and some food. We weren't sure though what to do though. Mark suggested we just leave it behind because we don't want to take it away from the area she knows. As we were driving though she was chasing after the car! So after a 5 minute debate we decided to take her in the car and ask the camp host what to do since there was to collar/tags on the dog. Unfortunately they told us that most people just dump their animals off in the park areas which made all of us angry about that because this dog lead us on the way back to our car- very obedient.



Later the day I drove back into Los Alamos to register for my summer classes at John Cabot University in Rome, Italy. It's so weird to think that I have at least 3 more weeks left on this trip and before I know it I will be back out traveling again to Europe, this trip is already going by so fast! After registering, Kate and I went back near the Redondo site to eat with the rest of the group at Los Ojos. This bar/restaurant is where Brooks and Dunn filmed their first music video!

http://losojossaloon.com/V2.html

When the group was done eating most of us decided to take a "small hike" to an open area so Mark and I could do some more night exposures and here are a couple of images from that night

Los Alamos

So its been a few days since I have had access to this thing and I do have places to go but here's what has briefly happened the past few days.

We left Santa Fe to go to Hyde Park for a couple days. The park was nice and we were close to the city and was able to see Canyon rd. which has hundreds of art galleries. Stopped into Photo-Eye book store/gallery as well as other local shops. Later that night, Mark Andrus and I decided to photograph the stars for an hour doing 8 minute exposures with our cameras. Later, a group of art students and us decided to go on...a "little" hike. It was about 10:30pm when we finished photographing/started our hike and we didn't get back until 1am....it was rough considering the last meal I ate was around 7pm and we didn't have water on us. It ended up being about a 3 mile hike up the circle trail...aka pain in the ass. but when we reached the top, Mark and I decided to take more photos while we were up there.

The past 2 days we have been at Bandolier National Park. WE got lost coming here and before hand we saw tent rocks which is about 2 hours away. Before entering Bandolier we enter Los Alamos, which is were the National Laboratories are. Research on nuclear weapons are done here and there are security cameras all around town, 3 security checkpoints, and a lot of stores...but not a lot of people. Very creepy area. But at the park yesterday, Mark, Kate, Nicole and I hiked 13 miles!!! BY far the most demanding thing I have done in a while. The signs that were posted definitely did not state the miles right or the time.

If feels great though to be hiking almost everyday for the exercise, but me and a few others are starting to feel too touristy. We have actually had TOO much to do and I haven't really been focusing on what I specifically want out of this trip. Today though I have been sitting in a coffee shop charging my computer, 3 camera batteries, my cell, and other AA and AAA batteries so I can last another week without electricity. (without running the car as well for the power converter). I don't plan on doing anything today but reading and developing ideas for this trip. But also today we are out of Bando and heading towards the Redondo campgrounds...if we can find it haha.

I also have to mention I have not showered since last Tuesday!!! It hasn't been TOO bad since I have been using baby wipes, but still...a shower is necessary. I might go next door to the YMCA and pay $3-#5 for a shower. The next time we reach a hotel will not be until Saturday when we are at Flagstaff, Arizona. That's all for right now.

ciao

Santa Fe, NM part 1

We arrived in Santa Fe, NM around 3:30pm yesterday and relaxed. Yesterday was my turn to drive and drove from Amarillo TX to Santa Fe. There was road construction we ran into along I-40 ( which is historic Route 66) in the desert. The drive took about 5 hours and it was about 90 degrees outside but when we arrived in Santa Fe it was about 80. Around 7 we met up with the rest of the group in the Santa Fe Plaza off of San Francisco Drive and then went out to eat at the Plaza Cafe. Tony and I had a microbeer called Sierra Blanca Alien Amber Ale. It wasn't too bad. I first ordered a Miller-Lite and Tony ( my professor) said what?? you're ordering that?! I outta slap you for ordering that...so my rule for the trip is to not drink any domestic beers. I should get used to it too since I will be going to Europe in a couple months.

Last night after dinner with the group we photographed around the downtown area. There's so many shops to see as well as photo galleries. So that's what we're going to do today, but first we're going to Hyde Park which is 15 minutes away, to set up camp. Afterwards we can head back into town and do whatever we want.

St Louis/ Springfield, Missouri

So last night we spent the evening in St Louis. Today we decided to relax and go to the arch and the zoo to kill sometime since we still have 2 days before we have to arrive in Santa Fe, NM. The weather was great today and I was able to capture some images and touch them up in PS.

camera equipment

camera equipment, originally uploaded by MLaVere.

After countless hours of researching, purchasing, and organizing my camera equipment, I think I'm set to go.

This is pretty much all of the camera equipment I am taking with me for my desert workshop class for the next 6 weeks

Canon 40D
2 Konica 35mm SLR Bodies
Canon 15mm 2.8 fisheye, 50mm 1.4, 28-135 3.5
Konica 28mm, 40mm, 85 mm, and 70-200mm all 2.8 fixed aperture
Canon Battery charger- 2 third party replacement batteries from sterling tek.com
Canon 430 EXII flash
Lens paper and solution
2 lens cleaning brushes
anti static cloth
Lomo Fisheye camera with flash
Bren _Squared's 4x5 pinhole camera
Holga 120 film camera
Filter packs
Memory cards, flash drives, external harddrive
Canned air
Loupe
Battery Chargers along with AA's, AAA's batteries

Toyo 4x5 view camera with a 150mm and 210 mm lenses
FIeld focusing cloth (black and white)
3 film holders
2 polaroid backs
30 sheets of Polaroid type 54, and 72
cable release
Sekonic L-758 Light Meter

manfrotto tripod

Video camera with fisheye lens attached with step up ring

oh and how could i forget...
Color and black and white 4x5, 35mm, and 120mm film. at least 100 all together...thank goodness for quantity discount. Also I have a rain cover for my cameras (weather permitting)

This along with other course readings and camping will be my life for the next 6 weeks. For some odd reason though I cannot find my Sony Point n Shoot camera, must have misplaced while moving in between apartments. As if I needed more cameras to bring along...

I am thankful GVSU is letting me borrow a lot of this equipment as well. The 15mm fisheye, the holga 120, filters, light meter, and a polaroid back were all borrowed, and the 4x5 pinhole belongs to brendan. hopefully I can get something out of that.

Kate, Nicole, and I plan to leave GR around 10-11am Saturday to Drive to St. Louis, then spend a night whereever we make it, then arriving in Santa Fe, NM by Tuesday the 12th. Tomorrow (friday) we plan to pack up Kate's car with all of our luggage and camping equip.

Packing the rest of my clothes and other accessories isn't done but its getting there. By tomorrow this packing business should be done and then soon enough I will be on the road

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

Packing

The past few days have flown by in GR. I have moved into my new apartment downtown, but feel no progress because I packed half the stuff away...again! 2 more days and I will begin my traveling out west.

One thing I would like to point out is this photography trip is not going to be "touristy" per se. Granted I have never traveled to any of these states, but the class goals are different. Tomorrow we have to hand in a statement of intent to our professors in order for us to stay focused on this trip. I would like to develop some idea to use for my Senior Thesis that will begin in the Fall, my last semester at GVSU. In photo history this past semester I have really started to think about work related to Richard Misrach and Joel Sternfeld. Their social commentary through images are compelling and cause the viewer to question how western culture views landscapes. This idea of the "new topographies". The new topographies are the "human altered landscapes where nature and culture collide through banal-less dramatic subject matter" (Hirsch 414 Seizing the Light). There will be lots of snapshot type photos but that will not be the intent of my trip out west. It goes beyond something further than pretty sunset pictures or modernist pictures such as Ansel Adams.

I'll be graduating from college in less than 4 years. It does not seem like it whatsoever but this summer will be life changing. One trip out west and later one trip to Rome, Italy for 6 weeks. God has blessed me, my family and friends in so many ways and this is one of them. Every summer since I graduated high school I have taken summer classes and worked 40+ hours so this summer is my chance to take a break on that and shift my focus to more photography.

My equipment list keeps growing, and ALL equipment is bound to fail...at some point...especially for me...so pray that I will not have to purchase another Digital SLR camera body while I am out west or in Italy this summer. Currently I have all of my stuff layed out across the floor in my living room to make sure that I have everything as well as what else I need to buy. I will probably end up having 5 pieces of luggge. and most of my luggage will be supplies-not so much clothes.

1. for my 4x5 camera
2. for the rest of my SLR (film and digital equipment)
3. Clothes
4. Personal toiletries
5. Miscellaneous (camping, food, and tools)

I will not be finished packing by tonight, but tomorrow I plan on having most of my stuff packed and ready to go so I can enjoy these last few remaining days in GR, Mi