#saw 3%er decals on cars

[adriansmithcarslove]

2020 Polestar 1 First Test: Need for Swede

“What is that thing?” It’s a question you get used to answering when you spend time with the 2020 Polestar 1. This is a car dripping with presence, stance, and Scandinavian style. It stands out, but it does so in a way that’s quietly anonymous. The Polestar badge is unrecognizable to most people, and the moniker appears just twice on the entire car, in small script as part of a decal on each front fender. It’s no wonder people ask questions.

So exactly what is it? The short answer is, it’s a mega quick, mega powerful plug-in hybrid grand touring car from Polestar, a new technology-focused automaker under the Geely-owned Volvo Car Group. It may also be the best grand tourer to usher in the next decade. As for the long answer? Keep reading.

Power, Speed, and Everything Swede

Let’s start with mega quick. Polestar claims a 4.2-second 0–60 run for its flagship coupe, which would be mighty impressive for a 5,155-pound machine, but that’s not the number our test team recorded. At the track, the Polestar 1 accelerated to 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds and cleared the quarter mile in 12.0 seconds at 119.1 mph. (Braking is equally impressive; big Akebono stoppers haul the Polestar down from 60 mph in 102 feet.)

That quarter-mile time is more impressive than a BMW M4 GTS, an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, and a hallmark grand touring car, the Bentley Continental Supersports. As I said, mega quick. Road test editor Chris Walton achieved that time with home-brewed launch control (brake torquing), after which he said the Polestar leaves hard as its front end gets light and squirms around a bit.

Walton, the man who conducts all of our acceleration testing including that of sub-3- second cars like this year’s bonkers McLaren Senna, used an exclamation point to modify the word fast in his notes about the Polestar. That’s how you know.

Power is delivered from a number of sources: three electric motors and one gas-powered engine. The gas engine is up front. It’s the twin-charged (turbocharged and supercharged, like a Lancia Delta S4 rally car) 2.0-liter four-cylinder that’s available in T6, T8, and Polestar Engineered versions of most of the cars in Volvo’s current lineup.

Unfortunately, even with its fancy carbon-fiber airbox, this powerplant doesn’t sound like much more than a forced induction food processor. Here, it develops 326 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque transmitted through the front wheels with an eight-speed automatic.

But 326 hp won’t launch a two-and-a-half-ton coupe to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. The rest of the power comes from those three battery-powered motors—two on the rear axle for instant torque vectoring and an integrated starter generator up front. Total system output sums to 619 hp and 738 lb-ft.

The complex drivetrain translates to a car that can feel alarmingly quick on the road. It can take a moment for the car’s electrical brain to process that its gas pedal—er, go pedal?—is pushed to the floor, but past that moment, the Polestar 1 is an eye-widening, chest-compressing super coupe. Driving in Power mode keeps the engine running at all times and holds a lower gear to cut down on lag, but there’s still some hesitation.

Driven on its limit, the Polestar flagship reveals other flaws. The car’s colossal curb weight was impossible to ignore around our figure-eight course, and that moment of slack in the drivetrain makes it difficult to adjust midcorner. My ride-along lap with testing director and figure-eight guru Kim Reynolds saw him frequently and frustratingly toggling the traction control system, which kept turning itself back on at the slightest degree of slip angle.

Road Mode

Where the Polestar 1 makes the best case for itself is not on our figure-eight course and not on a racetrack. It’s as a daily driver. Everything about living with the Polestar 1 and driving it on the road feels premium, proper, and fitting of a modern six-figure grand tourer.

Looks are, of course, subjective, but I’m of the opinion that this is the best-looking car to grace our garage in 2019. The design is largely unchanged from that of Volvo’s 2013 Concept Coupe, itself an homage to the gorgeous Volvo P1800, and the Polestar is all the better for it. Its wide grille, Thor’s Hammer headlights, and especially the wide haunches that frame the rear end stirred excitement in me every time I’d approach it with the keys.

Most of the interior bits are cribbed from Volvo’s S90, but that car’s interior feels at least one step above its paygrade, so it’s convincingly luxurious in the Polestar. Little things, like the weighting of the metal knobs that open and close the air vents, are just right. The Bowers & Wilkins audio system is among the best I’ve heard. Bespoke details—intricate broguing on the front and rear seats, a small Polestar logo subtly projected onto the full glass roof, the way the hood panel meets the wheel arches and artfully overlaps with the A-pillar—elevate the Polestar to design greatness.

The Polestar also benefits from Volvo’s Pilot Assist active safety features. Although they’re not perfect (like all Level 2 autonomy), the systems are well integrated and as adept at trundling through stop-and-go traffic as they are at lessening fatigue on long highway stints.

Balance between ride and handling is strong. The manually adjustable Öhlins suspension doesn’t flatten or erase broken pavement in its default settings, but I was impressed (especially considering the Polestar’s 21-inch wheels) with the way it took sharp impacts and rounded off the corners, like a woodworker smoothing edges with fine-grit sandpaper.

Manual adjustability adds a definitive racing-tech cool factor, but we don’t foresee any owners popping the hood or jacking up the rear end to fiddle around with these dampers. I know it’s a classic Polestar move, but I’d call for in-car suspension adjustment on its next six-figure project.

Right for Right Now

The defining characteristic of the Polestar’s everyday driving experience, though, is its electric power. If the battery has plenty of charge, the gas engine sits dormant until your right foot explores the final inch or two of throttle travel. The hint of lag that’s present when you’re demanding the powertrain’s full potential is nowhere to be found in most street driving scenarios. It just accumulates speed the way a car in this segment should.

Few Polestar 1 owners would ever need to put gas in this car. With a full battery, it can run in all-electric rear-drive Pure mode for up to 65 miles—the longest range of any plug-in hybrid. Another six-figure plug-in, the BMW i8, can travel just 18 miles on pure electricity. What’s more, if you’re more averse to charging stations than gas stations, an hour-long heavily trafficked trek into downtown Los Angeles in battery charge mode restored a third of the Polestar’s battery. This is a grand touring car that excels in a world whose electric vehicle infrastructure is still in progress.

Yes, the back seats will only fit the most compact of passengers, and sure, there’s more trunk space in a BMW Z4 (you can thank the electrical hardware for that), but the Polestar 1 offers a different kind of practicality. It’s a stunning electric coupe with zero range anxiety. It’s a smart, comfortable, 600-hp audiophile’s delight that eases my environmental guilt and can be driven without a drop of gasoline.

It may or may not be as timeless as the P1800, but the Polestar 1 has its own distinct personality that captures this moment in our automotive history better than anything else right now. I can’t think of another car I’d rather take with me into the next decade.

2020 Polestar 1 BASE PRICE $156,500 PRICE AS TESTED $156,500 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 4-pass, 2-door coupe ENGINE/MOTORS 2.0L/326-hp/384-lb-ft turbo/s’charged DOHC 16-valve I-4 plus 1 front/2 rear electric motors; 619-hp/738 lb-ft combined TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 5,155 lb (47/53%) WHEELBASE 107.9 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 180.5 x 77.1 x 53.2 in 0-60 MPH 3.8 sec QUARTER MILE 12.0 sec @ 119.1 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 102 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.98 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 24.5 sec @ 0.83 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 65 mpg-e (comb est) ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 52 kW-hrs/100 miles (comb) CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 0.30 lb/mile

The post 2020 Polestar 1 First Test: Need for Swede appeared first on MotorTrend.

via RSSMix.com Mix ID 8134279 https://ift.tt/2QHS3Qw

[perksofwifi]

2020 Polestar 1 First Test: Need for Swede

“What is that thing?” It’s a question you get used to answering when you spend time with the 2020 Polestar 1. This is a car dripping with presence, stance, and Scandinavian style. It stands out, but it does so in a way that’s quietly anonymous. The Polestar badge is unrecognizable to most people, and the moniker appears just twice on the entire car, in small script as part of a decal on each front fender. It’s no wonder people ask questions.

So exactly what is it? The short answer is, it’s a mega quick, mega powerful plug-in hybrid grand touring car from Polestar, a new technology-focused automaker under the Geely-owned Volvo Car Group. It may also be the best grand tourer to usher in the next decade. As for the long answer? Keep reading.

Power, Speed, and Everything Swede

Let’s start with mega quick. Polestar claims a 4.2-second 0–60 run for its flagship coupe, which would be mighty impressive for a 5,155-pound machine, but that’s not the number our test team recorded. At the track, the Polestar 1 accelerated to 60 mph in just 3.8 seconds and cleared the quarter mile in 12.0 seconds at 119.1 mph. (Braking is equally impressive; big Akebono stoppers haul the Polestar down from 60 mph in 102 feet.)

That quarter-mile time is more impressive than a BMW M4 GTS, an Alfa Romeo Giulia Quadrifoglio, and a hallmark grand touring car, the Bentley Continental Supersports. As I said, mega quick. Road test editor Chris Walton achieved that time with home-brewed launch control (brake torquing), after which he said the Polestar leaves hard as its front end gets light and squirms around a bit.

Walton, the man who conducts all of our acceleration testing including that of sub-3- second cars like this year’s bonkers McLaren Senna, used an exclamation point to modify the word fast in his notes about the Polestar. That’s how you know.

Power is delivered from a number of sources: three electric motors and one gas-powered engine. The gas engine is up front. It’s the twin-charged (turbocharged and supercharged, like a Lancia Delta S4 rally car) 2.0-liter four-cylinder that’s available in T6, T8, and Polestar Engineered versions of most of the cars in Volvo’s current lineup.

Unfortunately, even with its fancy carbon-fiber airbox, this powerplant doesn’t sound like much more than a forced induction food processor. Here, it develops 326 hp and 384 lb-ft of torque transmitted through the front wheels with an eight-speed automatic.

But 326 hp won’t launch a two-and-a-half-ton coupe to 60 mph in 3.8 seconds. The rest of the power comes from those three battery-powered motors—two on the rear axle for instant torque vectoring and an integrated starter generator up front. Total system output sums to 619 hp and 738 lb-ft.

The complex drivetrain translates to a car that can feel alarmingly quick on the road. It can take a moment for the car’s electrical brain to process that its gas pedal—er, go pedal?—is pushed to the floor, but past that moment, the Polestar 1 is an eye-widening, chest-compressing super coupe. Driving in Power mode keeps the engine running at all times and holds a lower gear to cut down on lag, but there’s still some hesitation.

Driven on its limit, the Polestar flagship reveals other flaws. The car’s colossal curb weight was impossible to ignore around our figure-eight course, and that moment of slack in the drivetrain makes it difficult to adjust midcorner. My ride-along lap with testing director and figure-eight guru Kim Reynolds saw him frequently and frustratingly toggling the traction control system, which kept turning itself back on at the slightest degree of slip angle.

Road Mode

Where the Polestar 1 makes the best case for itself is not on our figure-eight course and not on a racetrack. It’s as a daily driver. Everything about living with the Polestar 1 and driving it on the road feels premium, proper, and fitting of a modern six-figure grand tourer.

Looks are, of course, subjective, but I’m of the opinion that this is the best-looking car to grace our garage in 2019. The design is largely unchanged from that of Volvo’s 2013 Concept Coupe, itself an homage to the gorgeous Volvo P1800, and the Polestar is all the better for it. Its wide grille, Thor’s Hammer headlights, and especially the wide haunches that frame the rear end stirred excitement in me every time I’d approach it with the keys.

Most of the interior bits are cribbed from Volvo’s S90, but that car’s interior feels at least one step above its paygrade, so it’s convincingly luxurious in the Polestar. Little things, like the weighting of the metal knobs that open and close the air vents, are just right. The Bowers & Wilkins audio system is among the best I’ve heard. Bespoke details—intricate broguing on the front and rear seats, a small Polestar logo subtly projected onto the full glass roof, the way the hood panel meets the wheel arches and artfully overlaps with the A-pillar—elevate the Polestar to design greatness.

The Polestar also benefits from Volvo’s Pilot Assist active safety features. Although they’re not perfect (like all Level 2 autonomy), the systems are well integrated and as adept at trundling through stop-and-go traffic as they are at lessening fatigue on long highway stints.

Balance between ride and handling is strong. The manually adjustable Öhlins suspension doesn’t flatten or erase broken pavement in its default settings, but I was impressed (especially considering the Polestar’s 21-inch wheels) with the way it took sharp impacts and rounded off the corners, like a woodworker smoothing edges with fine-grit sandpaper.

Manual adjustability adds a definitive racing-tech cool factor, but we don’t foresee any owners popping the hood or jacking up the rear end to fiddle around with these dampers. I know it’s a classic Polestar move, but I’d call for in-car suspension adjustment on its next six-figure project.

Right for Right Now

The defining characteristic of the Polestar’s everyday driving experience, though, is its electric power. If the battery has plenty of charge, the gas engine sits dormant until your right foot explores the final inch or two of throttle travel. The hint of lag that’s present when you’re demanding the powertrain’s full potential is nowhere to be found in most street driving scenarios. It just accumulates speed the way a car in this segment should.

Few Polestar 1 owners would ever need to put gas in this car. With a full battery, it can run in all-electric rear-drive Pure mode for up to 65 miles—the longest range of any plug-in hybrid. Another six-figure plug-in, the BMW i8, can travel just 18 miles on pure electricity. What’s more, if you’re more averse to charging stations than gas stations, an hour-long heavily trafficked trek into downtown Los Angeles in battery charge mode restored a third of the Polestar’s battery. This is a grand touring car that excels in a world whose electric vehicle infrastructure is still in progress.

Yes, the back seats will only fit the most compact of passengers, and sure, there’s more trunk space in a BMW Z4 (you can thank the electrical hardware for that), but the Polestar 1 offers a different kind of practicality. It’s a stunning electric coupe with zero range anxiety. It’s a smart, comfortable, 600-hp audiophile’s delight that eases my environmental guilt and can be driven without a drop of gasoline.

It may or may not be as timeless as the P1800, but the Polestar 1 has its own distinct personality that captures this moment in our automotive history better than anything else right now. I can’t think of another car I’d rather take with me into the next decade.

2020 Polestar 1 BASE PRICE $156,500 PRICE AS TESTED $156,500 VEHICLE LAYOUT Front-engine, AWD, 4-pass, 2-door coupe ENGINE/MOTORS 2.0L/326-hp/384-lb-ft turbo/s’charged DOHC 16-valve I-4 plus 1 front/2 rear electric motors; 619-hp/738 lb-ft combined TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST) 5,155 lb (47/53%) WHEELBASE 107.9 in LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT 180.5 x 77.1 x 53.2 in 0-60 MPH 3.8 sec QUARTER MILE 12.0 sec @ 119.1 mph BRAKING, 60-0 MPH 102 ft LATERAL ACCELERATION 0.98 g (avg) MT FIGURE EIGHT 24.5 sec @ 0.83 g (avg) EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON 65 mpg-e (comb est) ENERGY CONS, CITY/HWY 52 kW-hrs/100 miles (comb) CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB 0.30 lb/mile

The post 2020 Polestar 1 First Test: Need for Swede appeared first on MotorTrend.

https://www.motortrend.com/news/2020-polestar-1-first-test-need-for-swede/ visto antes em https://www.motortrend.com

[sanwaldeen]

Bad Negatives: California Coast and the Redwood Forest

New Post has been published on https://sanwaldeen.com/journal/2019/11/18/bad-negatives-california-coast-redwood-national-forest/

Bad Negatives: California Coast and the Redwood Forest

[vc_row row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“5” top_padding=“1” bottom_padding=“2” overlay_alpha=“50” gutter_size=“3” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” position_vertical=“middle” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“1/3”][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” position_horizontal=“left” gutter_size=“0” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“2/3” css=”.vc_custom_1574096303707padding-top: 30% !impor­tant;” column_width_pixel=“528”][vc_column_text el_class=“sanwal”]Jurassic Park had just been released in Pak­istan, and Dino-fren­zy ensued. The Chip-Kidd designed logo cov­ered every inan­i­mate thing in red, yel­low and bone. Wrapped up in the fren­zy, I begged my par­ents to fill my life with dinosaurs. They bought me a T‑Rex, a veloci­rap­tor, and a tricer­atops. Once I had the toys, I decid­ed to go a step fur­ther; I con­vinced myself that *I* was a dinosaur, and so in every pic­ture, for almost a year, I would fero­cious­ly open my jaws tall and wide, ready to bite with vicious ani­mos­i­ty. It nev­er worked out how I imag­ined though because my teeth had­n’t come out yet.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=“1/3”][/vc_column][vc_column width=“2/3”][vc_gallery el_id=“gallery-566520” medias=“81851,81850” gutter_size=“3” screen_lg=“1000” screen_md=“600” screen_sm=“480” single_overlay_opacity=“50” single_padding=“2”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=“1/3”][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” position_horizontal=“left” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“2/3” column_width_pixel=“528”][vc_column_text]One day, dur­ing our lunch break at school, one of the kids who had just come back from a sum­mer vaca­tion in Amer­i­ca yelled: “I saw the dinosaurs!” All the kids hud­dle around him. “I went to a place called the red­woods, where they have the tallest and old­est trees in the world. The trees are so tall, that they extend beyond the sky! Its the only place in the world dinosaurs are alive! Look at this,” he said show­ing us pic­tures of him with a bron­tosaurus.

When I came home and told my par­ents and my broth­ers, they would­n’t believe me! “That’s it,” I thought. “I have to go to Amer­i­ca, and I have to go to the red­woods, and I have to see the dinosaurs for myself.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=“1/1”][vc_separator sep_color=“color-889705” el_height=“10px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row unlock_row_content=“yes” row_height_percent=“0” overlay_alpha=“50” gutter_size=“3” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0” shape_dividers=“”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” position_vertical=“middle” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“1/3” css=”.vc_custom_1574096237194padding-left: 100px !important;”][vc_single_image media=“81847” media_width_percent=“100”][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” position_horizontal=“left” position_vertical=“middle” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“2/3” column_width_pixel=“528”][vc_column_text]Alas, years went by. I grew up and real­ized that the pic­tures my friend took were real­ly at Uni­ver­sal stu­dios and that dinosaurs were sup­pos­ed­ly extinct.

But the dream to see the Red­woods was still alive, so Mag­gie and I decid­ed to dri­ve 8hrs from Seat­tle to Cres­cent City CA. Of course, the first thing I did when we booked our trip was get­ting a 3ft Juras­sic Park decal, and stick it to the tire cov­er of our big red jeep whom we affec­tion­ate­ly call Jhule Laal.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=“1/1”][vc_separator sep_color=“color-889705” el_height=“10px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row unlock_row_content=“yes” row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“0” top_padding=“0” bottom_padding=“0” overlay_alpha=“50” gutter_size=“3” column_width_percent=“71” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” position_vertical=“middle” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“1/3”][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” position_horizontal=“left” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“2/3” column_width_pixel=“528”][vc_column_text]Going to Cal­i­for­nia was a shock to all my expec­ta­tions. Grow­ing up on Coke, movies, and pop-cul­ture, I always imag­ined Cal­i­for­nia to be a mag­i­cal place with beau­ti­ful and lib­er­al peo­ple who cared about mak­ing art and adding beau­ty to the world. The sun­light baked every­thing in Cal­i­for­nia gold.

To my sur­prise, the real­i­ty was a lot more con­ser­v­a­tive than what I had imag­ined. We stopped by at a Star­bucks shop just out­side of Cres­cent City, only to find peo­ple car­ry­ing guns as they went about their lives shop­ping for groceries:[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=“1/4”][/vc_column][vc_column width=“3/4”][vc_gallery el_id=“gallery-690402” medias=“83651,83650” gutter_size=“3” screen_lg=“1000” screen_md=“600” screen_sm=“480” single_overlay_opacity=“50” single_padding=“2”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“0” top_padding=“0” bottom_padding=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” gutter_size=“3” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0” shape_dividers=“”][vc_column width=“1/3”][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” position_horizontal=“left” gutter_size=“0” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“2/3” column_width_pixel=“528”][vc_column_text]I under­stand that some peo­ple tend to love their guns because of the sec­ond amend­ment, and I can appre­ci­ate that; how­ev­er, it was a bit jar­ring to see some­one open­ly car­ry­ing a weapon capa­ble of mur­der while doing sim­ple tasks such as car­ry­ing gro­ceries and their baby.

The encounter set the tone for the entire trip.

As soon as we entered Cal­i­for­nia though, the grandeur of the trees over­whelmed all oth­er feel­ings. The trees were unlike any­thing else I have ever seen before. Sur­pris­ing­ly, it was not their immense size that I was drawn to the most but their texture–red-brown, the bark stood tall and straight like crack­ling fire soar­ing towards the pas­tel sky.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“2” top_padding=“3” bottom_padding=“3” back_color=“color-jevc” overlay_alpha=“100” gutter_size=“3” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0” row_height_use_pixel=“”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” gutter_size=“3” style=“dark” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” zoom_width=“0” zoom_height=“0” width=“1/6”][vc_column_text]Redwood Tree, Cres­cent City CA[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” medium_width=“0” zoom_width=“0” zoom_height=“0” width=“5/6”][vc_single_image media=“84759” media_width_percent=“100” media_title_uppercase=“”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row unlock_row_content=“yes” row_height_percent=“100” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“0” top_padding=“0” bottom_padding=“2” back_color=“color-889705” overlay_alpha=“50” equal_height=“yes” gutter_size=“0” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” gutter_size=“0” back_image=“84885” back_repeat=“no-repeat” back_position=“left cen­ter” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“1/3” mobile_height=“340” back_size=“500px”][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” position_horizontal=“left” position_vertical=“middle” gutter_size=“0” override_padding=“yes” column_padding=“5” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“2/3” column_width_pixel=“528”][vc_column_text text_lead=“yes”]Their beau­ty betrayed the secret to their long lives—the rud­dy col­or of the trees comes from the pres­ence of tan­nin, a chem­i­cal that pro­tects the trees from attack­ing insects and fun­gi. If a tree falls and breaks, the tan­nin soon cov­ers the bro­ken ends of the tree, giv­ing it the appear­ance of hav­ing been burned or cre­osot­ed, and this nat­ur­al treat­ment pro­tects the wood from decay.

The red­woods con­tain nei­ther pitch nor resin, a flam­ma­ble sub­stance found in many oth­er trees like pines. Instead, the sap found in red­woods pri­mar­i­ly con­sists of water; com­bine that with the asbestos-like bark that is often more than six­ty cen­time­ters in thick­ness, and you have a tree that is vir­tu­al­ly inde­struc­tible by fire. When a fire does catch, it burns its way through the cracks in the bark and essen­tial­ly hol­lows out parts of the tree, leav­ing the major­i­ty of the struc­ture intact.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row unlock_row_content=“yes” row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“0” top_padding=“0” bottom_padding=“0” overlay_alpha=“50” equal_height=“yes” gutter_size=“0” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“1/3” mobile_height=“340”][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” position_horizontal=“left” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“2/3” column_width_pixel=“528” css=”.vc_custom_1573952384110padding-top: 10% !important;”][vc_column_text text_lead=“yes”]Neither dis­ease nor fire could kill these giants. They can and have exist­ed for more about 2000 years. The only real threat to the for­est came in the 1800s when the Euro­pean invaders start­ed mak­ing their way west and kept chop­ping them down in the good name of indus­try. The nation­al park web­site states:

“By the 1960s, log­ging had con­sumed near­ly 90 per­cent of all the orig­i­nal red­woods. It wasn’t until 1968 that Red­wood Nation­al Park was estab­lished, which secured some of the few remain­ing stands of uncut red­woods. In 1978, Con­gress added more land that includ­ed logged-over por­tions of Red­wood Creek. Today, these lands are under­go­ing large-scale restora­tion by the parks’ resource man­agers. Log­ging con­tin­ues on pri­vate­ly-held lands near­by and through­out the red­wood region.” 1

That’s unfor­tu­nate because look­ing at the red­woods is tru­ly a mag­i­cal expe­ri­ence, it is like star­ing right into the length and breadth of his­to­ry. A world with­out the red­woods would be a world with­out imagination.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row unlock_row_content=“yes” row_height_percent=“0” overlay_alpha=“50” gutter_size=“3” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” position_vertical=“middle” align_horizontal=“align_center” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“1/3”][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” position_horizontal=“left” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“2/3”][vc_gallery el_id=“gallery-337129” type=“justified” medias=“84767,84886” explode_albums=“yes” justify_row_height=“250” gutter_size=“3” single_overlay_opacity=“50” single_padding=“2”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=“1/1”][vc_separator sep_color=“color-889705” el_height=“10px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row unlock_row_content=“yes” row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“0” top_padding=“0” bottom_padding=“0” overlay_alpha=“50” equal_height=“yes” gutter_size=“0” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“1/3” mobile_height=“340”][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” position_horizontal=“left” gutter_size=“3” override_padding=“yes” column_padding=“1” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“2/3” column_width_pixel=“528”][vc_column_text text_lead=“yes”]The next day, as we were dri­ving down to the red­wood for­est, we encoun­tered a gigan­tic Paul Bun­yan tow­er­ing as tall as the red­woods with an ax in his hands and an admirably hairy chest. “The Trees of Mys­tery,” the sign read. There was also a gigan­tic cow next to Paul; Amer­i­can kitsch at it’s finest, and I loved it![/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=“1/4”][/vc_column][vc_column width=“3/4”][vc_gallery el_id=“gallery-337129” medias=“84920,84921” gutter_size=“3” screen_lg=“1000” screen_md=“600” screen_sm=“480” single_overlay_opacity=“50” single_padding=“2”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row unlock_row_content=“yes” row_height_percent=“0” overlay_alpha=“50” equal_height=“yes” gutter_size=“0” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“1/3” mobile_height=“340”][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” position_horizontal=“left” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“2/3” column_width_pixel=“528”][vc_column_text text_lead=“yes”]The main attrac­tion of the trees of mys­ter­ies was a long ride towards the top of a moun­tain in a gon­do­la. Lazy and exhaust­ed from trav­el, we decid­ed to take a golf cart towards the Sky­train, where we had to wait in a long time till it was our turn. We shared our Gon­do­la with a cou­ple that spoke in Ger­man.

More than the trees and the ocean, I loved the way the light was falling on Mag­gie, and how expres­sive and hap­py her face had become when she saw the ocean. Prompt­ly, I took her pic­ture. We were to be greet­ed with a breath­tak­ing view as we reached the top. The tall tree­line formed a nat­ur­al “v” shape, lead­ing the eye to the bril­liant blue of the ocean.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=“55” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“2” top_padding=“5” bottom_padding=“0” overlay_alpha=“50” gutter_size=“4” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“7/12”][vc_single_image media=“84923” media_width_percent=“100” shadow=“yes”][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_percent=“80” position_horizontal=“left” gutter_size=“2” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” align_medium=“align_center_tablet” medium_width=“0” align_mobile=“align_center_mobile” mobile_width=“0” width=“5/12”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“2” top_padding=“0” bottom_padding=“5” overlay_alpha=“50” gutter_size=“0” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“1”][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” gutter_size=“3” style=“dark” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“2” shift_y=“-5” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“8/12” column_width_pixel=“900”][vc_single_image media=“84919” media_width_percent=“100” shadow=“yes” shadow_weight=“std”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row unlock_row_content=“yes” row_height_percent=“0” overlay_alpha=“50” equal_height=“yes” gutter_size=“0” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“1/3” mobile_height=“340”][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” position_horizontal=“left” gutter_size=“3” override_padding=“yes” column_padding=“0” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“2/3” column_width_pixel=“528”][vc_column_text text_lead=“yes”]On the way down, we decid­ed to fol­low a trail that took us through a sec­tion where the trees were orga­nized in a cir­cu­lar for­ma­tion and stood tall togeth­er. We learned that “the trees that have grown up from the liv­ing remains of the stump of a fall­en red­wood, and since they grew out of the perime­ter, they are orga­nized in a cir­cle. If you looked at the genet­ic infor­ma­tion in a cell of each of these trees, you would find that they were iden­ti­cal to each oth­er and the stump, they sprang from. They are clones!” 2

Because of their cir­cu­lar for­ma­tion, the trees were labeled as “cathe­drals.” We saw a lot of peo­ple on their knees, pray­ing as if in a sacred site. It felt a lit­tle intru­sive to be in that space so we ven­tured onwards with­out spend­ing too much time to look at and admire the trees.

We left the Red­woods for the ocean.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=“1/1”][vc_separator sep_color=“color-889705” el_height=“10px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row unlock_row_content=“yes” row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“0” top_padding=“0” bottom_padding=“0” overlay_alpha=“50” equal_height=“yes” gutter_size=“0” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0”][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” gutter_size=“3” override_padding=“yes” column_padding=“5” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“1/2” column_width_pixel=“528”][vc_column_text text_lead=“yes”]The ocean was, as always, spec­tac­u­lar. Some­thing was reas­sur­ing about watch­ing the waves hyp­not­i­cal­ly ris­ing like rolling hills, spread­ing, then dying on the shore; com­fort­ing to know that acts of beau­ty and grace will con­tin­ue to repeat like musi­cal notes, pound­ing end­less­ly across the shore. With each pass­ing wave, the pacif­ic seemed to be mur­mur a secret, and I felt I could spend my entire life try­ing to deci­pher it.

We start­ed walk­ing along the shore­line as Mag­gie want­ed to explore the tide pools and observe every­thing that washed up to the shore. We made a friend named George who seemed to be run­ning away from us. The clos­er we came the faster he ran.[/vc_column_text][vc_gallery el_id=“gallery-151477” medias=“84913,84914” gutter_size=“3” screen_lg=“1000” screen_md=“600” screen_sm=“480” single_width=“3” images_size=“one-one” single_overlay_opacity=“50” single_padding=“2”][vc_column_text text_lead=“yes”]It start­ed get­ting unusu­al­ly hot so we walked clos­er to where the waves were break­ing. look­ing at the waves lap­ping our feet, I noticed small tad­pole-like crea­tures float­ing in the water before reced­ing into the ocean with the waves. They wrig­gled and wreathed. Nat­u­ral­ly, I squealed with fright because I did­n’t want to acci­den­tal­ly stomp on them; Mag­gie, how­ev­er, start­ed laugh­ing at me even though I did­n’t think there was any­thing fun­ny about the sit­u­a­tion.

Soon, Mag­gie’s laugh was to turn into ter­ror, as we dis­cov­ered where all these crea­tures were com­ing from:[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=“1/1”][vc_single_image media=“84917” media_width_percent=“100”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row unlock_row_content=“yes” row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“0” top_padding=“0” bottom_padding=“0” overlay_alpha=“50” equal_height=“yes” gutter_size=“0” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“1/3” mobile_height=“340”][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” position_horizontal=“left” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“2/3” column_width_pixel=“528” css=”.vc_custom_1573951965970padding-top: 5% !important;padding-bottom: 5% !important;”][vc_column_text text_lead=“yes”]It was a small organ­ism engulfed in a ten­der shell; the tad­pole-like crea­tures seemed to be ema­nat­ing from it. We could­n’t tell if the organ­ism in the shell was their moth­er, or if they were eat­ing it. Or both? It was ter­ri­fy­ing to look at, so ter­ri­fy­ing that we imme­di­ate­ly walked far­ther back into the safe­ty of the sand.

We talked about our dreams and our future. We dreamed about how we would like to own a large house where our loved ones could live around us. About hav­ing a real Dha­ba one day, where we could spend each moment in each oth­er’s pres­ence. About mak­ing art and adding cre­ativ­i­ty into the world.

I love these long, ten­der walks with Mag­gie. I love hold­ing her hand and walk­ing along­side infin­i­ty, dream­ing about what is and what can be. It is a feel­ing as com­plete as sun­light under a palm tree sway­ing with the breeze.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“2” top_padding=“0” bottom_padding=“0” overlay_alpha=“100” gutter_size=“3” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0” row_height_use_pixel=“”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” medium_width=“0” zoom_width=“0” zoom_height=“0” width=“1/6”][vc_column_text]Maggie walk­ing along the pacif­ic ocean.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” medium_width=“0” zoom_width=“0” zoom_height=“0” width=“5/6”][vc_single_image media=“84916” media_width_percent=“100” media_ratio=“three-two” media_title_uppercase=“”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row unlock_row_content=“yes” row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“0” top_padding=“0” bottom_padding=“0” overlay_alpha=“50” equal_height=“yes” gutter_size=“0” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“1/3” mobile_height=“340”][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” position_horizontal=“left” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“2/3” column_width_pixel=“528” css=”.vc_custom_1573951659184padding-top: 10% !important;padding-bottom: 1px !important;”][vc_column_text text_lead=“yes”]Later on that night, we returned to the beach because I want­ed to exper­i­ment with gelled flash and ocean water at night­time. The mood at the beach had dra­mat­i­cal­ly changed from the after­noon. There were a lot more fam­i­lies, and the waves meshed and mixed with the sound of laugh­ter and hap­py moments.

Mag­gie helped me set up my cam­era and made sure my bag and equip­ment did­n’t get flood­ed by the incom­ing waves. At that moment, I felt a deep appre­ci­a­tion for Mag­gie. To have some­body that sup­ports your dreams and goes out of their way to sup­port you in mak­ing them hap­pen, sup­port you even when you fail…looking at the ocean and then at Mag­gie, I thanked the stars for how lucky I am to have her in my life. It’s as if she is my eyes, with­out her all the dreams would with­er away like ash­es in the wind.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“2” top_padding=“5” bottom_padding=“5” overlay_alpha=“100” gutter_size=“100” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0” style=“inherited”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” align_horizontal=“align_center” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” medium_width=“0” zoom_width=“0” zoom_height=“0” width=“1/3”][vc_single_image media=“84928” media_width_percent=“100”][/vc_column][vc_column width=“1/3”][vc_single_image media=“84910” media_width_percent=“100”][/vc_column][vc_column width=“1/3”][vc_single_image media=“84912” media_width_percent=“100”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=“1/1”][vc_separator sep_color=“color-889705” el_height=“10px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“2” top_padding=“3” bottom_padding=“5” overlay_alpha=“100” gutter_size=“3” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0” row_height_use_pixel=“”][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” medium_width=“0” zoom_width=“0” zoom_height=“0” column_width_pixel=“800” width=“1/1”][vc_column_text]On our last day, we decid­ed to do a quick hike around Enderts Beach, eat an ear­ly break­fast and head back to Seat­tle so that we could reach home before night­fall.

It was a very atmos­pher­ic morn­ing. Fog shroud­ed every­thing in a mys­tery, reveal­ing the world one move­ment at a time. The trees seemed larg­er than ever; the fog engulf­ing the tree­tops and cre­at­ing the impres­sion that the bark extend­ed for infinity.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“2” top_padding=“3” bottom_padding=“3” back_color=“color-889705” overlay_alpha=“100” gutter_size=“3” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0” row_height_use_pixel=“”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” medium_width=“0” zoom_width=“0” zoom_height=“0” width=“1/6”][vc_column_text]Scenes from the hike to Enderts Beach; Music by Satya­jit Ray[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” medium_width=“0” zoom_width=“0” zoom_height=“0” width=“5/6”][vc_single_image media=“84887” media_width_percent=“100” media_title_uppercase=“”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“2” top_padding=“3” bottom_padding=“5” overlay_alpha=“100” gutter_size=“3” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0” row_height_use_pixel=“”][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” medium_width=“0” zoom_width=“0” zoom_height=“0” column_width_pixel=“800”][vc_column_text]The shore was per­haps the high­light of the trip. There were tide pools every­where; Mag­gie start­ed face-tim­ing her mom and left me to my devices; I prompt­ly start­ed snap­ping away. My film was near­ing its end so I had to rewind it just a lit­tle bit to snap the last frame which led to an inter­est­ing, almost panoram­ic mul­ti­ple-expo­sure:

After chang­ing the reel I went onwards to explore the rocks and all the lit­tle crabs and fish­es hid­ing in the crevices.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“2” top_padding=“5” bottom_padding=“5” overlay_alpha=“100” gutter_size=“100” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0” style=“inherited”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” align_horizontal=“align_center” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” medium_width=“0” zoom_width=“0” zoom_height=“0” width=“1/1”][vc_gallery el_id=“gallery-958453445” type=“carousel” medias=“84908,84906,84905,84909,84907,84904,84903” carousel_lg=“4” carousel_md=“3” carousel_sm=“1” thumb_size=“one-one” gutter_size=“1” media_items=“media,icon” carousel_interval=“3000” carousel_navspeed=“400” carousel_dots=“yes” carousel_dots_space=“yes” carousel_dots_mobile=“yes” stage_padding=“0” single_overlay_opacity=“50” single_text_anim_type=“btt” single_h_align=“center” single_padding=“2” single_icon=“fa fa-search3” single_border=“yes” single_css_animation=“bottom-t-top” single_animation_delay=“200” lbox_caption=“yes” no_double_tap=“yes” carousel_rtl=”” single_title_uppercase=”” single_title_bold=”” single_title_serif=”” onclick=“link_image” custom_links_target=“_self” items=“eyI4ODY4X2kiOnsic2luZ2xlX3dpZHRoIjoiNCIsInNpbmdsZV9oZWlnaHQiOiI0In0sIjg4NjJfaSI6eyJzaW5nbGVfd2lkdGgiOiI0Iiwic2luZ2xlX2hlaWdodCI6IjQifSwiODg2MF9pIjp7InNpbmdsZV93aWR0aCI6IjQifX0=” single_half_padding=”” single_no_background=“”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“7” top_padding=“3” bottom_padding=“5” overlay_alpha=“100” gutter_size=“3” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0” row_height_use_pixel=“”][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” zoom_width=“0” zoom_height=“0” column_width_pixel=“700”][vc_column_text]As we were dri­ving back, I noticed this beau­ti­ful open­ing by the side of the road, and instant­ly knew I had to get a pic­ture, much to Mag­gie’s dis­may. To make mat­ters worse, I insist­ed on tak­ing the peo­ple pic­ture using my large for­mat cam­era, so it would take some time set­ting up the pic­ture. She decid­ed to wait in the car as I walked towards the pic­ture with my dark cloth, tri­pod and film backs.

Just as I had fin­ished set­ting up, I saw Mag­gie run­ning towards me. Even from a dis­tance, I could tell she had a pet­ri­fied look on her face. Ter­ror com­bined with anger. So I did what any sen­si­ble per­son would do–hid under the dark cloth and start­ed focus­ing the lens as quick­ly as pos­si­ble. With the focus adjust­ed, I was about ready to put the film back in, when I felt my dark cloth go off.

“Come on, we got­ta go. We haven’t seen a sin­gle cop through­out this trip and I just saw three go by us. You look strange hid­ing under your dark cloth with that Giant cam­era, and I don’t want any­one to both­er us. Let’s go.”

“But but!!!” I protest­ed “I am almost done with my pic­ture”

“Ok hur­ry up!”

I quick­ly insert­ed the film back and pressed the shut­ter. “Ok, just one more.”

By this time I had com­plete­ly exhaust­ed Mag­gie’s patience. She grabbed my bags and start­ed walk­ing towards the car.

“But it’s all set up! Let me take just one more.”

Alas, she would­n’t have any of it. My bag and film were gone. At least I got the picture:[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“2” top_padding=“0” bottom_padding=“0” overlay_alpha=“100” gutter_size=“3” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0” row_height_use_pixel=“”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” medium_width=“0” zoom_width=“0” zoom_height=“0” width=“1/6”][vc_column_text]Foggy Land­scape, Cres­cent City CA[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” medium_width=“0” zoom_width=“0” zoom_height=“0” width=“5/6”][vc_single_image media=“84996” media_width_percent=“100” media_title_uppercase=“”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=“1/1”][vc_separator sep_color=“color-889705” el_height=“10px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row unlock_row_content=“yes” row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“0” top_padding=“0” bottom_padding=“0” overlay_alpha=“50” equal_height=“yes” gutter_size=“0” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“1/3” mobile_height=“340”][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” position_horizontal=“left” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“2/3” column_width_pixel=“528” css=”.vc_custom_1573951659184padding-top: 10% !important;padding-bottom: 1px !important;”][vc_column_text text_lead=“yes”]We drove onwards to the break­fast din­er. There was a long line and we had to wait for about 30 mins before we got a seat at the table. It was very uncom­fort­able to be there because we did­n’t feel very wel­come. There weren’t a lot of oth­er restau­rants in the vicin­tiy, so we did­n’t have much choice.

As we were leav­ing the restau­rant, an old­er woman hissed at me. A curse would have seemed intim­i­dat­ing, per­haps even dramatic…but a hiss? I won­der what she was thinking.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column width=“1/1”][vc_separator sep_color=“color-889705” el_height=“10px”][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row unlock_row_content=“yes” row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“0” top_padding=“0” bottom_padding=“0” overlay_alpha=“50” equal_height=“yes” gutter_size=“0” column_width_percent=“100” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“1/3” mobile_height=“340”][/vc_column][vc_column column_width_use_pixel=“yes” position_horizontal=“left” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” shift_y_down=“0” z_index=“0” medium_width=“0” mobile_width=“0” width=“2/3” column_width_pixel=“528” css=”.vc_custom_1573951659184padding-top: 10% !important;padding-bottom: 1px !important;”][vc_column_text text_lead=“yes”]Film Cri­tique:

I devel­oped the 35mm neg­a­tives using reclaimed chem­i­cals after devel­op­ing my 4×5 neg­a­tives. In ret­ro­spect, it was a poor deci­sion, because a lot of these neg­a­tives seem to have come out under­ex­posed. The images are unusu­al­ly grainy and noisy. But I can’t be 100% sure. There are so many X fac­tors that could have caused the neg­a­tives to come out like this: 1) Poor expo­sure 2) Exhaust­ed Chem­i­cals 3) Scan­ner qual­i­ty 4) When I was devel­op­ing the 4×5 neg­a­tives, I did­n’t do a rinse bath between the devel­op­er and Blix. The Blix might have been con­t­a­m­i­nat­ed and caused prob­lems 5) I devel­oped the 35mm film using the reclaimed chem­i­cals from the 4×5 devel­op­ing with­out increas­ing devel­op­ing time. Neg­a­tives might be under­de­vel­oped

I believe in film. But when I see my images come out look­ing like crap, images that could have been good, I begin to have seri­ous doubts about all the time, effort and mon­ey I have poured into explor­ing ana­log pho­tog­ra­phy. It makes me feel guilty, hope­less and makes me want to give up pho­tog­ra­phy alto­geth­er.

While I still love the way my medi­um and large for­mat neg­a­tives look, I have become increas­ing­ly dis­mayed by the neg­a­tives that come out of 35mm cam­era, which is a shame because I enjoy shoot­ing 35mm the most. Maybe it’s not even the medi­um, maybe the prob­lem is hap­pen­ing with my scanner…Either way, I am at a point where I have invest­ed so much time, mon­ey and resources that my patient to invest any more time explor­ing this is run­ning thin.

As a next step, I am going to try and elim­i­nate some of the X‑factors when I devel­op my col­or film next. I will: 1) Expose all films at the prop­er set­ting 2) Use fresh chem­i­cals 3) DO a rinse cycle between devel­op­er and Blix 4) Scan the same neg­a­tives at the PCNW using flu­id mount­ing tech­niques.

If I keep get­ting results like this, I might just stop try­ing to devel­op neg­a­tives at home and just send them out to the lab. If that does­n’t work either, I am switch­ing back to digital.[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row row_height_percent=“0” override_padding=“yes” h_padding=“2” top_padding=“5” bottom_padding=“5” overlay_alpha=“100” gutter_size=“100” column_width_percent=“100” border_color=“color-gyho” border_style=“solid” shift_y=“0” z_index=“0” style=“inherited” css=”.vc_custom_1555600965929border-top-width: 1px !important;border-bottom-width: 1px !important;”][vc_column column_width_percent=“100” align_horizontal=“align_center” gutter_size=“3” overlay_alpha=“50” shift_x=“0” shift_y=“0” medium_width=“0” zoom_width=“0” zoom_height=“0” width=“1/1”][vc_gallery el_id=“gallery-43823” medias=“84996,84928,84759,84929,84927,84926,84925,84924,84923,84921,84920,84922,84919,84918,84917,84916,84915,84914,84913,84912,84911,84910,84909,84908,84907,84906,84905,84904,84903” gutter_size=“2” media_items=“media,icon” screen_lg=“1000” screen_md=“600” screen_sm=“480” single_width=“2” single_overlay_opacity=“50” single_h_align=“center” single_padding=“2” single_icon=“fa fa-plus2” single_border=“yes” single_css_animation=“bottom-t-top” single_animation_delay=“100” lbox_title=“yes” lbox_caption=“yes” lbox_social=“yes” lbox_deep=“yes” lbox_no_tmb=“yes” no_double_tap=“yes” items=“e30=”][/vc_column][/vc_row]