Patagonia Remix

This year we are revisiting (and updating ) our first Calendar, which featured our trip to Patagonia in 2005.

Glacier Grey

See more of our Patagonia Pix HERE.  We've also decided to revamp our website and maintain it going forward.

More than a 'Make My Day' Moment!

Oh Yeah, Kodak you have made my YEAR! Even though I have to wait until late Fall 2017, my favorite film makes a comeback in 35 mm format:

Lately I've been 90% medium format.  But I have Minolta X-700 and XD-11 cameras that need some love.  So I'll be using them more once this film rolls out......

And now a Kodak E100GX Blast from the Past Favorite from our trip to Patagonia:

Happy New Year!

And for the New Year we inaugurate another series:  Sundays Overseas, where I share my foreign travels with you.  This is another attempt to force me to dig into those files for: More from Britain, South Africa, Norway, Panama, Mexico, etc..........

We begin with an old favorite, Cerro Torre from Argentine Patagonia.

Tech Data:
Minolta X-700
Kodak E100GX Film
Tamron f/2.7 28-200 Zoom Lens

Patagonia Sunday: The Massif

Found a Patagonia Pic that never got posted. A closer view of the Paine Massif.

Patagonia Sunday: Mt Fitzroy

Mt Fitzroy from the Argentine side.  Apparently the mountain sits on the border with Chile. 

Fitzroy sits near the town of Chalten, which was a disputed area claimed by Chile.  So the Argentine government encouraged migration to the area to bolster the population against Chilean advances.  Remember that President Mehnem was voted out because he sign a treaty with Chile that gave up more land.  Basically the entire border is in dispute.

Patagonia Sunday

We'll resume our Sunday adventures in Patagonia.  Today on the Argentine side approaching Los Glaciares National Park I saw, yes, another dead tree (have you figured out that I like dead trees?).  I had my filter on full polarization.  I was criticized once for "over polarizing" but I do it because I am not trying to reproduce nature, I'm trying to reproduce what appeals to me!

Another final bow to E100GX!

All of our Patagonia photos were taken with it.

E100GX, Gone Forever!

I was trying to place a new order for my favorite transparency film: E100GX, only to find that while I wasn’t looking, Kodak cancelled my film! 

They say that there was little demand for it, but I say they deliberately killed it by refusing to sell to small distributors and forcing only the most dedicated to order on-line.  My local photo developer dropped ALL Kodak films after they weren’t allowed to sell E100GX.  Losing vendors is really shooting yourself in the foot!  They are currently pushing E100VS, but it is grainier and produces violet tinged reds.

I can still get some 35mm E100GX, so I’m stocking up.  But it leaves me to wonder if I should completely discontinue Medium Format Color Photography.  I don’t like Fuji Velvia, which is supposed to be comparable.  I’ve never really liked Fuji color films, so I’m not particularly encouraged to try Fuji Astia, unless one of you can guarantee that I won’t end up with red Buffalo!

So I have 5 rolls of medium format E100GX, what should I photograph with it?

Sundays in Patagonia

Glacier Huemul, Argentina

A Huemul is actually a miniature deer native to Argentine Patagonia.  Now very rare and endangered because of predation by feral dogs.  The Glacier of the same name also appears to be 'endangered'.

Sundays in Patagonia

"Jack Ass " Penguins come by their name because of the braying sound they make.

Donald loves these guys.  When we were in South Africa in 1998 we had to go to the coast to see their 'cousins'.  An so we visited these little guys near Punta Arenas, Chile.

Sundays in Patagonia

View for the new lodge at camp #2 looking back towards the mountains and the old lodge.

Saturday in Patagonia

Sorry I was late selecting the photo for my post..........

Here one of the ubiquitous Guanacos, a wild relative of the Alpaca, Llama, and Vicuna.

Once near extinction, they are everywhere.  

Our only surviving wild member of the Camel 

in the hemisphere where I believe Camel's originated?

Saturday in Patagonia

We'll visit Patagonia today, 

because Palm Sunday should have a Faith on Film

We ended our hike of the "W" at Gray Glacier.

We approached the glacier face, and had cocktails made from Glacial Ice.

Sundays in Patagonia

The Towers of the Paine Massif

Sundays in Patagonia

 

My favorite mountain proved to be Cerro Torre in Argentina.  It was the site of one of the most famous mountaineering hoaxes featured in a film titled "The Rocks Cry Out".  I had seen parts of the film years ago, and tried to find it after out trip.....Seems not to exist anymore.  ( I've linked to a National Geographic article, because if you search for the title of the film you'll be sent to evangelical christian sites.  Apparently someone used the same name for a recent religious book.)

The day of our visit there was supposed to be a Base Jumper.  Very dangerous sport.  But the weather closed in (Below) and the jumps was canceled. 

 

Sundays in Patagonia

By request we will spend the next few Sundays in Patagonia

 

 Blue Lake, our last day Trekking in Chile before heading to Argentina.

The Famous Towers of the Paine Massif in the distance.....

And below I zoom in with my 28-200 lens;  Minolta X-700,

Kodak E100GX film.

 

Santiago Airport

 

 Our last few hours in the Country.  After touring Pablo Neruda's home,

and a final meal of Chilean Sea Bass....... 

An interesting sculpture at the airport. 

If you'd like to see more of our Chilean Adventure just post a comment here. 

Chile

From our trip to Patagonia...........  

  

Keeping the latest earthquake victims in Concepcion and Santiago in our hearts and minds

Just Wait!

Something interesting that I found last week:

The Art of Waiting, a truly unique concept in this digital age.  These film users have agreed to set aside a camera, occasionally taking photos, and waiting until 2011 to develop the film.  I found them through HolgaJen.  I've been foraging afield again searching for film users.......

We recently lost a digital follower, but quickly regained a film follower.  So let's welcome Hugo.  I'm not sure he has a blog yet.  But we'll add him to our Blogger Friends when he does.  So let's pull up a film favorite from Patagonia for our new friend:

Patagonia Dreams

In January 2005 we fulfilled one of Donald's travel adventure dreams by trekking the Paine Massif in Chilean Patagonia. To document our trip we pre-tested several Kodak transparency films: E100G, E100GX, and E100VS. We settled upon Kodak E100GX as our primary travel film. E100GX has a naturally warmer color balance; E100G is too cold for my tastes; E100VS (vivid saturation) will brighten already bright reds and blues (see example at the end).




Here are two of Our Favorites, with more available for viewing at Patagonia Calendar.

A wide angle view of the Paine Massif, taken with my Minolta X-700 in manual mode (shutter speed priority); using a Tamron f3.8 28-200mm zoom. This is my favorite travel/hiking lens. My back-up camera for the trip was my ever reliable Minolta SRT-202, but I didn't need it.

Film: Kodak E100GX. exposed at ISO 125 following the guidelines of Galen Rowell. I highly recommend his book: Galen Rowell's Inner Game of Outdoor Photography, for the Adventure travel photographer.





Donald's contribution taken with his Olympus OM-1, which is a manual camera; using a Tokina f3.5 28-200mm zoom with macro option. His back-up camera for the trip was an Olympus Camedia D-520 zoom digital camera (2 megapixels).

Film: Kodak E100GX, also exposed at ISO 125.





All of these Kodak Transparency Films are still available. However, due to some bulk purchasing requirements imposed by Kodak, you cannot buy E100GX at your local photo supplier. I can recommend two options: B&H Photo and Adorama, both listed in my Links. I have had trouble free experiences with both of these companies for both film and equipment purchases.

Now for a taste of E100VS. This red is just a bit bluer than the original fire hydrant. And it does get your attention. E100VS is more readily available than E100GX. So you can check your local store first.