Every year, Tino and I visit a national park to celebrate our wedding anniversary. This trip in November 2022 holds a special place in my heart because as we hiked the mountains of Zion, we were metaphorically climbing our own in our marriage. It sounds dramatic, but it really wasn't. As happy as we were, we encountered multiple crossroads this time last year — career, family, and life goals decisions.
Zion, Tsiyon in Hebrew, is the highest point and signifies a place of importance. In the Christian faith, it's often considered as the dwelling place of God, a holy place. Walking through the park, you are surrounded by Zion's red rock formations in the valley. The valley created over a million years of flowing water that cut through the red Navajo sandstone beds that form Zion's sheer walls. Unlike the Grand Canyon, where you stand on the rim and look out, Zion Canyon is usually viewed from the bottom looking up. Words escape me when trying to describe the feeling of being there.
We hiked every day and talked about our hopes for the future. We debated what goals to prioritize and solidified plans for navigating those goals together. We dwelled in our meeting place with our God as we offered our prayers.
On the hike to the Emerald Pools, we toyed with the idea of starting our family — which comes full circle as I type this while I watch my son babble and roll in his crib next to me. M was born in November 2023, exactly a year later.
This was the view from our lodge (photo above). I loved sitting on a rocking chair with a coffee, watching the peaks turn bright orange as the sun rose. The picture below shows the view of the valley with the lodge to the right among the trees.
Okay, if you scrolled past all the sappy stuff up top just to see the pictures (which I'm totally fine with lol), you might notice the drastic color change in these photographs from the last post. The difference? I used Fujifilm Fujicolor 200 (rebranded in 2022 from C200), and I think it captured the essence of Zion in the fall PERFECTLY.
The warmth of the red rock? Check ✔
The golden hues of the fall leaves. Check ✔ Great exposure latitude to accommodate changes in light? Double check ✔✔
Inexpensive color negative? Triple check ✔✔✔
I think the film handles outdoor shooting well. For most of the hike, you're in the shadows of the trees and mountains, but the colors still come out beautifully compared to the pictures taken in direct sunlight. I still want to do a side-by-side comparison to Kodak's Gold 200. It's been rumored they have a similar chemical recipe.
These shots (above) were taken on my half-frame camera as we hiked to the Emerald Pools. There was ice on the ground, but the temperature wasn't so cold that I had to worry about my camera malfunctioning. Tino kept reminding me to hold the handrails, saying the ground might look wet, but it might be ice. I ignored him, thinking that walking slowly would be okay. I slipped and fell fast, walking underneath the waterfalls, trying to get a shot. He was not happy when I was more concerned if I broke my camera : | lol
^ Hi to my husband Tino ˙ᵕ˙ I'm grateful you choose me every day.
