With each trip to Kansas I try to see something different.  There is so much to see if one keeps their eyes and ears open.  Yes for many it is ‘fly over country’ but it doesn’t have to be.  Take a measured pace especially off the interstate and you are bound to see things no one has seen.

Rude license plate

Prairie Museum Colby

Prairie Home

typical one room school house

Largest Barn in Kansas

This is a sample of InfraRed Film ( Rollei 400IR) that I shot at the White Sands National Monument on our recent trip to Arizona.

I wanted to talk about stand development which is where you place the film in very dilute developer and just let it sit there for 60 min. I used a modification of this technique where you do a minimal agitation half way thru the 60 minutes.  This is said to reduce Bromide Drag: Bromide drag lines are a byproduct of development with no agitation. High concentrations of bromide is produced around the perforations and overexposed areas. Without agitation it slowly slides down the surface of the film, inhibiting development and creating drag lines.

There are some very nice things about this form of development - you can mix different ISO films in one tank and develop both the same.  By extension this means if you exposure is not terribly accurate the film may turn out OK as a film strip shot with different exposures stands a better chance of coming out fine.  

When shooting IR it’s a bit of a crap shoot as to what the correct exposure is.  Depends on the amount of IR there is, the light meter you’re using, etc.

For this film I used Rollei 400IR in the 120 format -3 ml of HC110 in 477ml of H20 for 0ne hour with gentle agitation at 30 min.

These photos were shot on Delta 100 and processed HC110 development for 60 min with one or two gentle inversions at 30 min.  They too have signs of Bromide drag - it looks different than on 35 mm film where the banding is from sprocket on one side to the other.  I had odd looking streaks across the 120 film but not every Frame.  The good negatives were preserved with cropping.

We’ve had a pretty rough winter in 2022 and we could hardly wait to get out of town on our way to Arizona for the Casa Grande, Region 11 rally.  It wasn’t as easy as driving south and then turning right.  We had to hook up in a snow storm in Santa Fe and had plenty of cold nites and mornings in  Alamogodo, NM.

10000 Waves Spa

On a wall in Santa Fe

Near the plaza

Santa Fe Skies RV

Santa Fe Skies RV

Santa Fe Skies RV

Once we got to Alamogordo we dropped our rig and headed to White Sands National Park for stunning scenes at dusk and sunrise.

Special note about the picnic structures - they are not seen anywhere else except at this National Park.  They were commissioned by the Park Service and designed by Lyle E Bennett.  The image below was shot by Gary Winogrand a famous street photographer during one of his paying gigs.

Some more imagery from Alamogordo including the Air and Space Museum high on the hill overlooking the town

Idiots are everywhere

Nazi V2 that crashed

Then it was onto Casa Grande for the Region 11 Airstream Rally - it was being held at the Pinal County Fairgrounds which was your typical rural, dusty dirt campground.  I gave a lecture on Alternative Travel Photography which was well attended and people seemed to enjoy it.

Strange to find BLM here

While in Casa Grande we went north to Chandler, AZ to the Airstream dealer - They took over an abandoned Big Box store and turned it into what they are saying is the largest AS dealer in the US.  It was their soft opening - they fed us, showed us around.  VP of sales from Jackson Center, Ohio ( home of AS) came to greet us.

Back at the fairground there were several Vintage AS to see - this is a a sub club within the main Club.

Also while we were near Phoenix decided to visit the local art museum to see an exhibit of Japanese photographers hosted by Hitachi.  Some of my favorites were there: Daidō Moriyama Eikoh Hosoe Masahisa Fukase Yasuhiro Ishimoto

Casa Grande Ruins are being preserved and show the structures used by the Hohokum tribe.  They farmed the land using multiple water canals.

Last Leg - Tucson.

Tubac - an artist colony near the Mexican border - I was there 30 years ago when it was quaint.  It has exploded into a much more commercial enterprise.  Many stores selling the same kitsch crap. The only thing I found of interest was their cemetery and the Mission at Tumacacori just outside of Tubac.

Inside the Mission

We’re pretty sure Leo was here

Happy Hour at the KOA - Last nite it was hosted by John Holly who put on a great spread of vegetarian chili, corn bread made in a Bundt Cake pan, shots of margaritas, wine tasting from St. Francis vineyards and Woodford Bourbon.

We made a quick trip up into Tucson to the Center for Creative Photography on the University of Arizona campus.  It is one of the premiere centers for the study of photography.  Unfortunately there wasn’t much to see for the visitor - I think its really a research museum.  Their viewing galleries are contained on an online database.

How Appropriate!

Next in line to see was Mt. Lemon abut 40 miles from Tucson and 9,171 ft above sea level.  They get snow and have a small ski area there.  

Lonely Cloud

HooDoos

HooDoos

What are HooDoos? A hoodoo is a tall, thin spire of rock that protrudes from the bottom of an arid drainage basin or badland. Hoodoos typically consist of relatively soft rock topped by harder, less easily eroded stone that protects each column from the elements. They generally form within sedimentary rock and volcanic rock formations.

Sonoran Desert Museum is a must see.  Doesn’t sound all that interesting but they have really done a nice job of explaining the various animals and plants to be found  in the Sonoran Desert.  From here is on to Mt. Lemon which tops out at about 9200 ft asl.

Then all good things much come to an end - we left the KOA in Tucson and headed to the Tullarosa Winery and stayed there over nite for free - it was just a patch of dirt, no hook ups.  They generally like folks to patronize the establishment.  This is thru Harvest Host program.

? wine making device

our Rig

Hold Watcha Got

   Hold whatcha got, I’m a-coming home baby
   Hold whatcha got, and I don’t mean maybe
   Been a-thinking about you and I’m on my way
   Don’t sell the house, and don’t wreck the car
   Stay there, honey, right where you are
   Hold whatcha got, I’m a coming home to stay

Well… in my mind I can see
That’s a pretty good sign that I need you
That’s why I can’t wait to get back home
So squeeze yourself real good and tight
I’ll be there before daylight
If you hold whatcha got, I’m a coming home to stay

Well… when I get back, honey, I ain’t leaving
I been too long, a little too much grieving
When I get back this time I’m going to stay
Well we won’t fuss and we won’t fight
This time things is gonna be all right
If you hold whatcha got, I’m a-coming home to stay

Monument Rock in Western Kansas is an amazing rock formation.  It is a remnant of the Inland Sea that was Kansas millions of years ago.  

Today was my travel day to go to Kansas for my two days of clinic.  There really is no time to look around when I’m actually in Goodland except the day before work.  I made as my goal to see the newly opened Little Jerusalem State Park ( LJSP).  It is South of Oakley, KS on 83 and actually past the entrance to Monument Rock which I also paid a visit to. LJSP is nicely set up with some easy trails to walk to the rock formation - I don’t think you can actually get that close like you can at Monument.  

Going back North for several miles on 83 gets you to the entrance to Monument Rock - It was my understanding that it was privately owned - seems like there are now signs and promotion by the town of Oakley.  When I went several years ago it was not easy to find.

Didn’t do much on SBS except try to clean my office which was a partial success.  I did take some shots inside because I liked the light.  I was rooting for the Bengals - at least they didn’t embarrass themselves like the Broncos usually do.  

I purchased a few rolls of EZ400 which is brought to us by New Classic Films - classic BW film in a cardboard container instead of plastic.   Thought it was a great idea.  Shot the roll and was very impressed.  It is a classic film and so the grain is present in classic amounts.  Then I did some research and while everyone is raving about it someone on some forum mentions that it is just Fomapan 400 repackaged.  EZ 400 has the same development times as Fomapan over 5 different developers.  That repackaging will cost you about $2.00 more per roll.  [ EZ 400 at $9 and Fomapan at $6.99]. I also learned that 100 ft of Fomapan is very cheap at $69 - most other well known films are closer to $100.  Live and learn.

I didn’t realize this song was so popular to cover by other artists.  First up is the original by Danny O’Keefe

Everybody’s gone away 

Said they’re movin’ to L.A. 

There’s not a soul I know around 

Everybody’s leavin’ town 

Some caught a freight, some caught a plane 

Found the sunshine leave the rain 

They said this town will waste your time
I guess they’re right, it’s wasting mine 

Some gotta win, some gotta lose 

Good time Charlie’s got the blues 

Good time Charlie’s got the blues 

You know my heart keeps tellin’ me 

You’re not a kid at thirty-three 

Play around you’ll lose your wife 

Play too long you’ll lose your life 

 Some gotta win, some gotta lose 

Good time Charlie’s got the blues

I’ve been visiting the Rocky Mountain Arsenal Wildlife Preserve for about a year now.  It’s only 20 minutes from my home but worlds away from the Urban Corridor.  It’s the former site of a nasty place that used to store, test chemical weapons.  It is now the home of Deer, Bison, Prairie dogs, walking trails and several lakes.  I’ve been inspired by the photography of Kelley Dallas who has some amazing photos of this area.

Audubon was actually my 2nd elementary school but it’s the one that I spent the most time in.

Part of going back to the old neighborhood was to visit Austin Bluffs which is a city park  that we visited frequently growing up in Colorado Springs

It’s a nice park to drive and hike thru .  The photos above show the vistas that can be had once you’re on top of the bluff.

One of the new things I saw when I visited Colorado Springs was the Ent Center for the Arts - it’s on the CU Colorado Springs campus.  I had no idea that this even existed.  I went mostly to look at the architecture which did not disappoint.

I went to Colorado Springs to visit some old and new spots.  It was a way to get out, take pictures and relive some memories.  This series was of the Fine Arts Center which since 2018 has been a part of Colorado College.  They have a pretty strict COVID policy - ID, Proof of Vaccination and N95 preferred.  One of the CC students that was working there said that they ARE in a bit of bubble there in Colorado Springs.  

The exhibits that caught my attention were the Brett Weston Abstract Photos and the collection of Eugene Atget photos that were saved for posterity by Bernice Abbott who had studied under him.  She went to Paris and retrieved some of his glass negatives and printed then herself.  Very nice grouping and it’s part of the permanent collection.

I was not very happy with the first run of this film - I shot a 2nd roll but this time I developed it in D76 straight for 6 min. This time it came out much better.  Not sure whey there would be so much difference between D76 and HC110 - yes they are completely different developers but generally this shouldn’t matter that much.

Cope, Colorado

A recent trip to Kansas for work I decided to get there by old Highway 36 thru north eastern Colorado.   Byers, Last Chance, Anton, Cope, St Francis

Once in Goodland, KS there were other sites to be seen such as there largest easel

Technical Note:  Shot on my very used Olympus Stylus Zoom with Film Photography Project Frankenstein 200 film.  Processed at home in HC110 1:47 for 6:30.  Was surprised by the look of the scanned images (i.e. it’s an acquired taste).  There was a lot of debris on the negatives which I don’t know why.

So with a minimum of knowledge I’ve thrown caution to the wind and ‘minted’ my first NFT (Non Fungible Token).  It is up for sale for $100 - You can buy this picture.  Sell or trade it.  I still own the copyright but you would be able to sell it.