Zion 2022 Pt. 1

Zion had been on my bucket list for a few years, so I was excited when we booked lodging in 2021. We almost canceled this trip entirely when Tino quit his job but decided to go anyway for a little retreat treat.

What's pretty neat about this road trip is that you drive through 3 states from California. Our Friday drive was about 10 hours long - we made several stops, and traffic was pretty bad through Nevada. We arrived at the lodge close to midnight, and it was dark! We live in DTLA, close to Staples Center (Crypto.com Arena, lol), so it's pretty jarring adjusting to a night without light pollution.

We woke up early the next morning to avoid the afternoon heat and hiked the Sand Beach trail along the canyon. As the name states, this trail was 90% deep sand, but you don't find this out until you reach the loop. Hiking Tip: Go clockwise around the loop. There are concrete patches to help walking uphill, and you can walk downhill in the sandy section.

We flipped a coin, went counterclockwise, and hiked uphill, ankle-deep in sand. I would describe it as walking near an ocean while going up a mountain. It's a workout. The views were spectacular, I definitely would recommend if you want to see the canyon at a higher elevation and the Court of Patriarchs, named after Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. The trail also has a variation of plants and wildlife - we ran into a lot of squirrels and deer.

Being more attentive in choosing film stocks was my lesson for this trip. I don't know why I decided to take my half-frame camera and load it with Fuji 400h, but I did. I love 400h, but I don't think it did Zion justice. The background in most of the shots came out with cooler tones than I expected. What I was most disappointed about was that the film stock muted the red Navajo sandstone Zion is known for, so my scans didn't seem true to life to me.

'22 in Review

Ah, what a whirlwind the end of 2022 was for me. A pity the deadlines trickled into 2023, but ...ok.(lol idk wut to say cuz meh)

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This post was scheduled for December, but it wasn't quite finished until now. Honestly, I just wasn't ready to share.

2022 felt like a desert to me. The world opened its doors, and I was going to get my whole life back; instead, it overwhelmed me. Opportunities that I thought were ripe for picking dried up in my anticipation of something better. Career, personal goals, hobbies - mirages in a desolate wasteland, like I was aimlessly walking with no sense of direction. Barren from a season of waiting, I was dry and thirsty from carrying all my burdens.

The amazing thing about deserts is the oasis you find in desperate moments. In the quiet, I learned to seek the soft voice in all my head noise. The peace in the reminder that the God that placed my feet on mountains is the same one that walks with me through the lowest of my valleys.

In the desert, I was reminded that the burdens of my heart are welcomed to be laid at His feet.

A few battles this year & the Word I choose to place my foundation on:

• I prayed for a change in circumstance, and the answer received was to change our character and outlook on life. We had to check who we looked to for strength and security. This one hit hard when we decided for Tino to quit, rest and refocus.

  • James 1:2-3 - 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

  • Jeremiah 49:11 - For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

• Discontentment & wrestling with the fact that a Christian life deviates from worldly expectations, comforts, and recognition. How often is this verse misquoted to frame God within our own will and plans? This verse isn’t a promise that things will go our way. The truth of Paul's words from a prison cell was that God was still with him though his circumstances were bleak. It's a reminder to keep my eyes on Jesus.

  • Philippians 4:11-13 - 11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, there with to be content. 12 I know both how to be abased, and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things am instructed both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.

• People's opinions of me weighed heavily on my mind & heart, especially those who willfully tried to misunderstand my character without even trying to get to know me. But why trouble my heart with those thoughts when I am already known? Not only am I fully known by God, I am deeply loved by Him as well. Humbly reminded that He is the God that pursues and changes hearts, even mine.

  • Psalm 139:1 - You have searched me, Lord, and you know me.

We are looking toward the Promise Land this year. New year, same God.

Cabo 2021 • A Xerophyte Study

Last December, Tino was named a Top 100 employee in his company and was invited to the Founder's Club celebration in Cabo San Lucas. The resort was a beautiful illustration of the desert meeting the ocean. My morning walks easily became a study of the desert plants surrounding their campus.

I packed light for this trip, so I only brought two cameras (hehe), and a roll of Fuji 400h ...which might have expired - I can't remember. My goal for a while now is to be able to shoot film side by side with digital and have a cohesive portfolio. It's hard when I visit a new place because I want to see so much of everything I don't have time to pause and take a shot on two different camera mediums. So happy I got to slow down and try it on this trip.

I'll leave these here for you to guess which was shot on film versus digital ...enjoy the cacti, if you can't tell, I did ˙ᵕ˙

I've decided that I prefer changing my camera settings before shooting for my digital workflow and not editing in post-production. This does limit the type of film recipe I try out per outing, but so far, it's been a great experience because there's less tinkering and the shots I post are SOOC.

These were my favorite comparison of the bunch between Fuji 400h film & a Superia 400 film recipe (below). Fuji 400h delivers a punch of coolness, but I love Superia's warmth, which made it a great comparison recipe. Check out the blues in the shadows, mmm I love how the film captured that. I believe I rated Fuji 400h at 200. Most of the shots were taken midday with the sun right above me.

All in all, I think this is my favorite film & digital combo I've shot. I was originally hesitant to post because I misplaced where I saved my film files, and I wasn't too in love with my digital shots for a standalone post. Probably because of the sheer number of interior shots I got of the bathroom. So before I end this post, I need to share this bathroom. I loved this bathroom. I thought I was not too fond of showers outside, but this bathroom changed my mind. I wasn't a huge bath person before, but after eating churros in this tub every night, I AM NOW. Get it? Life changing. Ok, that's it. Bye!