A Time-Lapse Video from our PolaWalk in Deep Ellum with the Instant Film Society
February 4, 2013 § 1 Comment
A little over a week ago, we hosted our monthly PolaWalk with the Instant Film Society, this time in Deep Ellum. Steve Reeves, of Makeshift Photography, who was kind enough to let us use his studio for this particular get-together, set up his camera above the studio, snapped thousands of images during the 7+ hours we were there and created this really cool time-lapse video afterwards showcasing the event.
If you’d like to see more images from our PolaWalk, click here or check out this article the Dallas Observer posted.
Enjoy!
PS – Thanks so much for taking the time to create this Steve.
-Justin
A PolaWalk in Deep Ellum / 8×10 Portraits with the Instant Film Society
January 28, 2013 § 4 Comments
This past weekend, The Instant Film Society hosted, what was more than likely, the largest gathering of instant film enthusiasts in the state of Texas. More than fifty photographers and lovers of instant film gathered at Makeshift Photography‘s studio in Deep Ellum to participate in a PolaWalk and also have their portraits taken on Impossible’s 8×10 film.
Photo: Justin Goode – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
A couple of days before the event, I spent a little time with Steve Reeves, Troy Bradford & Tyler Tyndell at Steve’s studio to get some things organized for this. We met up to talk 8×10 photography, get things set in place for Saturday’s PolaWalk and tested out a few things before we parted ways for the night. While we were there, we decided it would probably be best if we went ahead and knocked out a couple of the portraits before we had the rush of people that we were expecting on Saturday. Tyler took some great BTS photos of our meet up that evening.
Impossible Project 8×10 PQ – Burke & James Grover
Impossible Project 8×10 PQ – Burke & James Grover
Photo: Tyler Tyndell
Photo: Tyler Tyndell
Photo: Tyler Tyndell
Photo: Tyler Tyndell
Photo: Tyler Tyndell – Polaroid 1200 Cinema Film
When I woke up on Saturday morning, I was excited beyond belief. I couldn’t wait to get into the studio to set up for this particular PolaWalk. We’ve hosted quite a few since the Instant Film Society was founded, but nothing up to this point, had been as highly anticipated as this particular event. The lure of 8×10 cameras and large format instant film was creating quite a buzz within the photography community. About two weeks ago, I shot 8×10 instant film for the first time and immediately fell in love with the medium. It’s simply incredible. There’s nothing else like it out there in the market place and it’s quite honestly a rarity in a sense. At this point in time, only one company makes it and because of the high cost of materials & tools needed, most photographers don’t ever get a chance to see it or use it. Giving that opportunity to the D/FW instant community was something I was really looking forward to helping provide.
When Synthia and I got to MakeShift Photography’s studio on the day of the PolaWalk, Steve & Erin were prepping for the event and all of us were eager to get things started. Friends of ours started to trickle into the studio and within an hour or so, we were all gearing up for a busy day. I had split the 8×10 photo shoots up into two groups so it wouldn’t be too incredibly busy while we worked and by the time 3 o’clock rolled around, the studio was packed. Steve had his Toyo View 8×10 set up on one side of the studio utilizing a “blackground” and I was set up on the other side with my Burke & James Grover shooting towards a blank wall. Erin was loading up the 8×10 Polaroid holders and running the processor all afternoon and Synthia was scanning the 8×10’s, peeling the images and hanging them up to dry. It was definitely a group effort to get this whole shabang running quickly & smoothly.
When most of the participants had arrived, Daniel Rodrigue took the first group out to walk around Deep Ellum while the rest of us stuck around to start with 8×10 portraits. It was such a cool thing to be able to give this opportunity to these fellow photographers. I assume most hadn’t seen an 8×10 camera before. Everyone it seemed was just in awe of the process and I could tell were all stoked to have the chance to learn about this special way of creating images.
All in all, I think we ended up taking about 25+ 8×10 images and the ones who were photographed were thrilled to have an instant 8×10 portrait of their own. Attached are some of my personal favorites from our time at the studio …
Photo: Tyler Tyndell – Impossible Project PX-100
Photo: Tyler Tyndell – Polaroid 1200 Cinema Film
Photo: Richard Kacprowski – Polaroid SLR 680 – Impossible Project PX-680 CP
Photo: Richard Kacprowski – Polaroid SLR 680 – Impossible Project PX-680 CP
Photo: Richard Kacprowski – Polaroid SLR 680 – Impossible Project PX-680 CP
Impossible 8×10 PQ – Burke & James Grover
Impossible 8×10 PQ – Burke & James Grover
Impossible 8×10 PQ – Toyo View
Impossible 8×10 PQ – Toyo View
Impossible 8×10 PQ – Burke & James Grover
Impossible 8×10 PQ – Burke & James Grover
Impossible 8×10 PQ – Toyo View
Impossible 8×10 PQ – Burke & James Grover
A couple of friends of mine, Daniel Poe & Matthew Hogan were there at this event and I did let them take over and rearrange the setup for their images. These guys are brilliant with off-camera flash and there was no way I was going to pass up an opportunity to watch them work. They quickly rearranged the octabox & stripboxes for their portraits and when I took the test images on the “digi-roid”, I knew they had crafted something nice …
Impossible 8×10 PQ – Burke & James Grover
Impossible 8×10 PQ – Burke & James Grover
Photo: Scott Mitchell – Polaroid 180 – Fuji FP-3000B
Photo: RJ Connole
Photo: RJ Connole
Photo: RJ Connole
Photo: Adriana Salazar – Impossible Project PX-70 CP
Photo: Amy Hirsch – Polaroid 250 – Fuji FP-3000B
Because I was in the studio all day, I never had the chance to go out and shoot with the rest of the group that was wandering around Deep Ellum. It was really cool to see all of the great images that flooded into my inbox on Sunday. Here’s a handful of images from the PolaWalk portion of this event …
Photo: Troy Bradford – Polaroid 600SE – Polaroid 669
Photo: Troy Bradford – Polaroid 600SE – Polaroid 669
Photo: Troy Bradford – Polaroid Spectra SE – Polaroid Softtone
Photo: Troy Bradford – Polaroid Spectra SE – Polaroid Softtone
Photo: Tyler Tyndell – Polaroid Spectra SE – 1200 Cinema
Photo: Adriana Salazar – Polaroid SX-70 – Impossible Project PX-70 CP
Photo: Adriana Salazar – Polaroid SX-70 – Impossible Project PX-70 CP
Photo: RJ Connole
Photo: Jama Plotts – Polaroid 250 – Fuji FP-100C
Photo: Jama Plotts – Polaroid 250 – Fuji FP-100C
Photo: Laidric Stevenson – Polaroid SLR 680 – Impossible Project PX-680 CP
Photo: CJ Mejia – Polaroid 220 – Fuji FP-100C
Photo: CJ Mejia – Polaroid 220 – Fuji FP-100C
Photo: Laidric Stevenson – Polaroid SLR 680 – Impossible Project PX-680 CP
Photo: Laidric Stevenson – Polaroid SLR 680 – Impossible Project PX-680 CP
Photo: Nancy Stockdale – Polaroid SX-70 – Polaroid Time Zero
Photo: Kyle Vaughn – Impossible Project PZ-680 CP
Photo: Kyle Vaughn – Impossible Project PX-680 Gold Frame
Photo: Amanda Potter – Polaroid Spectra – PZ-680 CP
Photo: Amanda Potter – Polaroid Spectra – PZ-680 CP
Photo: Amanda Potter – Polaroid Spectra – PZ-680 CP
Photo: Jeremy Hughes – Polaroid Spectra – PZ-680 CP
Photo: Jeremy Hughes – Polaroid Spectra – PZ-680 CP
Photo: Scott Mitchell – Polaroid 180 – Fuji FP-3000B
Photo: Kathy Tran – Fuji Instax Wide
I haven’t mentioned this on my blog yet, but I was interviewed last week by the local ABC news affiliate, WFAA – Channel 8, for a story they are doing on people who choose older forms of technology even when newer more advanced technologies are available. One of the reporters was with the group on Saturday to tape our PolaWalk and ended up interviewing a lot of the participants. After he recorded all of this great footage, Ryan came up to me and told me that they were probably going to do a separate story on our event in addition to the one I was going to be featured in. That’s exciting. It’s promotion for The Instant Film Society and more promotion for instant film in general.
I’m still a little stunned that we had around fifty photographers and instant film enthusiasts join us this past weekend. It’s a testament to the work we’ve been doing for months around the metroplex promoting instant film. On Sunday, when I created the new event page for our upcoming PolaWalk at Klyde Warren Park in February, within 24 hours, we had 30+ people who had signed up to join us. This special community of instant photographers is growing exponentially and I’m really excited to see how it will progress over the next year.
-Justin
http://www.instantfilmsociety.com
http://www.goodephotography.biz
A PolaWalk in Sundance Square
December 18, 2012 § Leave a comment
This past Saturday, the Instant Film Society was at it again storming the streets with our Polaroids in hand. I’ve started to organize monthly meet ups around the D/FW area to help promote and encourage the use of instant film. While doing so, I’ve met an incredible amount of talented and passionate people that enjoy instant photography. Besides the ones that were already into it, I’ve helped a lot of my friends get their feet wet and most if not all, LOVE it. The tangible instant gratification is something that I think appeals to everyone that tries it out.
The weather on the day of was perfect. You really couldn’t have asked for better weather. It was slightly overcast and 70 degrees … in December. You’ve got to love Texas. Anyhow, I cruised out to Ft. Worth with my friend Jama and we ended up making it out there a little early. Made our way over to the The Flying Saucer (the meet up spot) and I saw Troy B. making his way towards us. I’ve interacted with Troy online quite a few times, but this was the first time he was able to attend one of these events with us. Long story short, he’s a super nice guy and his presence was definitely a bonus. We instantly started gabbing all things photography and clicked off the bat. By this time, Annie, another person I’d met online, showed up and you could tell that she was happy to be there amongst like-minded peeps. Come to think of it, most of the people that came to this particular walk were new to the group and had not been to a previous one. For me, that’s really encouraging. It means that this positive vibe I’m throwing out there, into the world about instant photography, is working. I truly believe the world reciprocates positivity when you give it the same. That seems to be happening with the Instant Film Society. I couldn’t be happier.
We waited around for the rest of the group to show up while talking shop with each other. Richard, who was at our first event, joined up with us and I’m so glad he came back. His energy is palpable and he’s so much fun to be around. My good friend Justin V. (JV) and his son Callum showed up .. which was awesome. Amanda P., this super nice girl I’d met online who’s working on a long term photo project (Impossibly Expired) came to the walk too and ended up loaning Callum a SX-70 and a pack of film to shoot with! Anyhow, JV later said that seeing Callum’s eyes at that moment was the highlight of his night. 🙂 RJ, a fellow film lover that I had met online was there. Amy, my good friend that has dove head first into Polaroid cruised out too. Laidric, one of the now regulars in our group came out again. He’s always fun to hang around with. Jessica H., a girl that knows one of my best friends, showed up with one of her friends (I forgot your name .. sorry!) Annie, whom I mentioned earlier, got me in touch with two photographers, Steve & Erin, who are into vintage cameras a few weeks ago and they of course showed up too! Last but certainly not least, Christian, Elaine and a group of their family/friends met up with us as well. Christian is a big promoter of instant film around his neck of the woods and has been to every event we’ve had. I just can’t say enough just how cool all of these people are and how much I enjoy their company. Alright, enough with the role call …
This walk, was mainly geared towards shooting instant film at night and shooting long exposures. We had about an hour of light before the sun set when we began. As things got darker, most used tripods to help steady their exposures during this PolaWalk. One of the things I love about photography and also hosting these events, is that I get to see and share unique perspectives from a variety of instant photographers. From beginners to professionals, each have their own approach in how they see and capture the subject which is reflected in these images.
Enjoy a healthy mix of Impossible Project, expired Polaroid, and Fuji peel-apart images …
Photo: Troy Bradford – Polaroid Spectra – Impossible Project PZ600 Black Frame
Photo: Jama Plotts – Polaroid One Step – Impossible Project PX-680 CP
Photo: Annie Donovan – Polaroid Spectra – Impossible Project PZ600
Photo: Amanda Potter – Polaroid SX-70 – Impossible Project PX-70 CP
Photo: Erin Curry – Polaroid SX-70 Sonar – Impossible Project PX-100 Old Gen
Photo: Amy Hirsch – Polaroid 250 – Fuji FP-100C
Photo: Jama Plotts – Polaroid One Step – Impossible Project PX-680 CP
Photo: Justin Goode – Polaroid SX-70 – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
Photo: Justin Goode – Polaroid SX-70 – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
Photo: Justin Goode – Polaroid Sonar SX-70 – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
Photo: Troy Bradford – Polaroid Land Camera – Polaroid 690
Photo: Troy Bradford – Polaroid Land Camera – Polaroid 690
Photo: Troy Bradford – Polaroid SX-70 – Imposible Project PX-70
Photo: Amanda Potter – Polaroid SX-70 – Impossible Project PX-70 CP
Photo: Amanda Potter – Polaroid SX-70 – Impossible Project PX-70 CP
Photo: Steve Reeves – Polaroid 600SE – Fuji FP-100C
Photo: Erin Curry – Polaroid SX-70 Sonar – Impossible Project PX-100 Old Gen
Photo: Amy Hirsch – Polaroid 250 – Fuji FP-100C
Photo: Annie Donovan – Polaroid Spectra – Impossible Project PZ600
Photo: Annie Donovan – Polaroid Spectra – Impossible Project PZ600
Photo: Annie Donovan – Polaroid Spectra – Impossible Project PZ600
Photo: Amy Hirsch – Polaroid 250 – Fuji FP-100C
Photo: Callum Vinson – Polaroid Rainbow SX-70 – EXPIRED PX-70
Photo: Jama Plotts – Polaroid One Step – Impossible Project PX-680 CP
Photo: Elaine Rios – Polaroid SX-70 – Impossible Project PX-70 CP
Photo: Elaine Rios Polaroid SX-70 – Impossible Project PX-70 CP
Photo: Justin Vinson – Polaroid Spectra – Impossible Project PZ680 CP
Photo: Christian Oliveira – Polaroid Alpha SX-70 – Impossible Project PX-680 CP + ND
Photo: Christian Oliveira – Polaroid Alpha SX-70 – Impossible Project PX-680 CP + ND
Photo: Christian Oliveira – Polaroid Alpha SX-70 – Impossible Project PX-680 CP + ND
Photo: Laidric Stevenson – Polaroid Spectra Pro – Impossible Project PZ680 CP
Photo: Laidric Stevenson – Polaroid Spectra Pro – Impossible Project PZ680 CP
Photo: Jama Plotts – Polaroid Spectra – Impossible Project PZ680 CP
Photo: Laidric Stevenson – Polaroid Spectra Pro – Impossible Project PZ680 CP
Photo: Justin Vinson – Polaroid Spectra – Impossible Project PZ680 CP
Photo: Justin Goode – Polaroid SX-70 – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
Photo: Justin Goode – Polaroid SX-70 – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
Photo: Justin Goode – Polaroid SX-70 – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
At the end of the night, a group of us met back up at The Flying Saucer and grabbed a few beers while talking about all things photography. Steve set up his Polaroid 600SE and snapped a couple of long exposures on his Polaroid using Fuji’s FP-100C. The following exposures were set up from the area we were hanging out at, exposed for 30 minutes due to the reciprocity failure of the film and were, as Steve said, “fueled by a Left Hand Milk Stout” 🙂
Photo: Steve Reeves – Polaroid 600SE – Fuji FP-100C
Photo: Steve Reeves – Polaroid 600SE – Fuji FP-100C
Are you interested in joining us for our next PolaWalk? We’ll be shooting around Deep Ellum in Dallas, TX on January 26th. If you’d like more info, you can find it here.
Twitter user? Follow us: @UseInstantFilm
As always, thanks for reading.
-Justin
A PolaWalk at the Ft. Worth Zoo
November 12, 2012 § 10 Comments
The meet-up at the fair was the inaugural event for the Instant Film Society, an organization I’m helping start that promotes the use, accessibility and education of analog instant photography. Following the success of the State Fair PolaWalk, we were all anxious to hook up again for another. The next event was scheduled for November 10th. The weather up ended being gorgeous and the turnout was phenomenal.
Photo: Daniel Rodrigue – Polaroid Spectra SE – Polaroid Softtone Film
On the day of, I packed a Polaroid Sonar SX-70, a SLR680 and a handful of packs of Impossible Project PX-70 COOL & PX-680 CP. Synthia had her trusty Spectra AF with some Polaroid Softtone film. We threw in a couple more Polaroid cameras for some friends to borrow, hopped in the car and made our way over to Ft. Worth.
The evening before I had been contacted by one of my cousins, Luke. To my surprise, he told me his family was going to join us at the zoo and needed to know where he could pick up some film. I mentioned I had a One Step he could borrow and directed him to Urban Outfitters. He ended picking up a pack of Impossible’s Rainbow Frame film. Another friend of ours, Amy, joined as well. She had been keeping up with the blog and was interested in learning more about The Impossible Project and instant film in general. In fact, they weren’t the only ones who were new to the walk. While promoting this event, I got connected with a few other photographers online who came and a large group from Brookhaven met up too. We had more than 20 people there. It’s really cool that we all met up for the love of instant film.
After we arrived and hooked up with everybody, we started making our way around the zoo. The images shot were a mix of Impossible Project, expired Polaroid and Fuji instant film. Enjoy the pics!
Photo: Luke Bolton – Impossible Project PX-680 Color Block – Polaroid OneStep
Photo: Laidric Stevenson – Impossible Project PX-680 CP – Polaroid Sun 660
Photo: Ashley Sierra – Impossible Project PX-680 COOL – Polaroid Cool Cam
Photo: Amanda Fleetwood – Polaroid 420 Land Camera – Fuji FP-100C
Photo: Synthia Goode – Spectra AF – Impossible Project PZ680 Old Gen
Photo: Laidric Stevenson – Impossible Project PX-680 COOL – Polaroid Sun 660
Photo: Ashley Sierra – Impossible Project PX-680 COOL – Polaroid Cool Cam
Photo: Kathy Tran – Impossible Project PX680 CP – Polaroid 600 One Step
Photo: Marc Weintraub – Bronica SQ-A – FujiFilm FP-100C
Photo: Luke Bolton – Impossible Project PX-680 Color Block – Polaroid OneStep
Photo: Justin Goode – Impossible Project PX-680 CP – Polaroid SLR680
Photo: Luke Bolton – Impossible Project PX-680 Color Block – Polaroid OneStep
Photo: Catherine Downes – Polaroid OneStep – Impossible Project PX-680 Color Block
Photo: Justin Goode – Impossible Project PX-680 CP – Polaroid SLR680
Photo: Catherine Downes – Polaroid OneStep – Impossible Project PX-680 Color Block
Photo: Justin Goode – Impossible Project PX-680 CP – Polaroid SLR680
Photo: Marc Weintraub – Bronica SQ-A – FujiFilm FP-100C
Photo: Amy Hirsch – Polaroid 100 Land Camera – Fuji FP-100C
Photo: Amy Hirsch – Polaroid 100 Land Camera – Fuji FP-100C
Photo: Ashley Sierra – Impossible Project PX-680 COOL – Polaroid Cool Cam
Photo: Laidric Stevenson – Impossible Project PX-680 CP – Polaroid Sun 660
Photo: Daniel Rodrigue – Polaroid Spectra SE – Polaroid Softtone Film
Photo: Justin Goode – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL – Polaroid Sonar SX-70
Photo: Scott Mitchell – Polaroid 180 Land Camera – Fuji FP-100C
Photo: Daniel Rodrigue – Polaroid 180 Land Camera – Fuji FP-100C
Photo: Scott Mitchell – Polaroid 180 Land Camera – Fuji FP-100C
Photo: Laidric Stevenson – Fuji Instax Wide
Photo: Marc Weintraub – Bronica SQ-A – FujiFilm FP-100C
Photo: Marc Weintraub – Bronica SQ-A – FujiFilm FP-100C
Photo: Christian Oliveira – Impossible Project PX-70 CP – Polaroid SX-70
Photo: Scott Mitchell – Polaroid Spectra – Polaroid Softtone Film
Photo: Adriana Salazar – Impossible Project PX680 – Polaroid 600 One Step
Some of the group has wandered off at this point and had gone their own way. We regrouped as many of us as we could and snapped a quick shot about halfway through the afternoon.
PolaWalk at the Ft. Worth Zoo – Polaroid Spectra AF – Polaroid Softtone Film
Photo: Synthia Goode – Polaroid Softtone film – Polaroid Spectra AF
Photo: Christian Oliveira – Impossible Project PX-70 CP – Polaroid SX-70
Photo: Amanda Fleetwood – Polaroid 420 Land Camera – Fuji FP-100C
Photo: Laidric Stevenson – Impossible Project PX-680 CP – Polaroid Sun 660
Photo: Kathy Tran – Impossible Project PX680 CP – Polaroid 600 One Step
Photo: Justin Goode – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL – Polaroid Sonar SX-70
Photo: Justin Goode – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL – Polaroid Sonar SX-70
Photo: Catherine Downes – Polaroid OneStep – Impossible Project PX-680 Color Block
Photo: Laidric Stevenson – Fuji Instax Wide
Throughout the day, we were approached by strangers inquiring about the event and just what all this was about. Everyone was thrilled that you could still buy instant film, smiled at the sight of the cameras and were glad to know that it was still being produced. We passed out handfuls of flyers & stickers from Impossible and helped spread the word about all things instant.
The next day I talked with many of the people that joined up with us. Everyone loved the event and most were already talking about the next. I could feel the energy & excitement. One in particular said she spent her Sunday afternoon obsessively looking on Ebay for Polaroid cameras and felt as if somehow she was supposed to stumble upon this hobby. That’s what this is all about for me. Spreading the love of instant photography to others and inspiring more people to reach out and try it. Once you shoot it and feel it .. it’s really hard not to love it.
Want to learn more? Come to our next PolaWalk on December 15th in Sundance Square. You can find details here.
-Justin
A Road Trip to Aspen + Impossible Project + Leica M2 & 15mm – Part:4/4
July 16, 2012 § 11 Comments
We decided the night before, that we’d wake up early on Sunday and take the jeep to check out The Crystal Mill. From Aspen, it takes about an hour to get to Marble and the mill is 5 miles outside of town, only accessible by way of the Crystal River Jeep Trail. I’ve seen it books in the past and have always wanted to see it in person. After it was built in 1893, it used a water turbine to power an air compressor, for use in silver ore processing at two nearby mines. The drive in was gorgeous, but was no comparison to what was in store. Once we reached it, we were stunned!
Crystal Mill – Colorado – Impossible Project PX-70 NIGO Edition
Crystal Mill – Colorado – Adox 20 – Leica M2 – 15mm Voigtlander
I ran around like a nut snapping pictures with the SX-70, Leica and the Polaroid 100 (for an emulsion-transfer collage). We stayed there for the better part of an hour and when we were about to leave, two jacked-up jeeps came roaring around a bend in the road and parked by us. One of the drivers hopped out and started walking towards us and Kat asked him if there were other roads to take besides the one we drove in on. He smiled. “It depends on where you want to go. You can go all the way to Crested Butte if you like. But if you’re trying to get back to Marble, if you take this road just past the town of Crystal, the Lead King Basin trail will loop around and take you back into town. If you’ve never done it before, it is totally worth it. A little sketchy at times, with some challenging switchbacks and steps (he motioned his hands to represent about a foot’s height), but if you take it slow you’ll be fine.”
As soon as Kat confirmed some of the more important turns on the route, we hopped back in the jeep and drove up the road into the quasi-ghost town of Crystal, CO. The town (10 or so homes & structures) is only occupied in the summer, as it’s completely uninhabitable in the winter. When we drove into Crystal, it was a sight that I had always imagined but had never seen. Nestled deep in the Rocky Mountains, was this little slice of heaven .. an outdoor-lover’s paradise. We pulled up a bit but then we all decided, for the sake of time, we’d backtrack our way in. We busted a U and I snagged a quick frame of one of the homes on some PX-70 NIGO film.
Crystal, CO – Impossible Project PX-70 Nigo Edition
When we drove back towards the Crystal Mill, the gent we had talked to earlier was standing near the middle of the road. He raised his arms in the air, put his hands on his hips and had a look of total disbelief. Kat chuckled and said “Oh lord, the Sheriff of Crystal …” He started shaking his head .. “I’m telling you guys, it’ll only tack on 30 minutes to your route. We’ll be right behind you if you come into a problem. We’re headed up the Schofield Pass, but we’ll be taking Lead King Basin on our way out.”
You just have to go with the flow sometimes. We busted another U and went back up the road into Crystal. As we were driving through the town, we passed a couple of kids who were playing with their dog, aptly named Crystal. The last home was deep inside a giant grove of Aspens before a fork in the road. As soon as we passed through the town, we all knew the man was correct; this was the way to go.
Crystal, CO – Adox 20 – Leica M2 – 15mm Voigtlander
To the right was the trail to Crested Butte and to the left was our trail. In between the fork, was a giant sign that read “Extremely Rough Road Ahead – Vehicle Traffic Discouraged – 4×4 with Experienced Drivers and Narrow Wheel Base Only”. Kristina asked Kat “Uhh .. Kat? Are you an experienced driver?” “Yes, Kristina.”
Lead King Basin Jeep Trail – Colorado – Impossible Project PX-70 Nigo Edition
Lead King Basin Trail – Adox 20 – Leica M2 – 15mm Voigtlander
Lead King Basin Trail – Leica M2 – 15mm Voigtlander – Adox 20
It took us about 2 hours to drive 8 miles in some of the prettiest parts of Colorado I have ever seen …
When we went through Marble earlier on our way to the Crystal Mill, we passed a barbecue joint; Slow Groovin’ BBQ. We all were starving by this point, so we stopped in for some grub & beer.
Slow Groovin’ BBQ – Marble, CO – Adox 20 – Leica M2 – 15mm Voigtlander
When the first round of brews arrived, we saluted Kat’s driving abilities and then sat back and enjoyed the Colorado summer day. After some pretty tasty BBQ topped off with a root-beer float, we started to make our way to the Yule Marble Quarry. It only took about 10 minutes to get there, but when we arrived, it was yet another spectacular view.
Looking towards the Yule Marble Quarry – Leica M2 – 15mm Voigtlander – Adox 20
Photo: Synthia Goode – Marble, CO – Spectra SE – Impossible Project Black Frame PZ600
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. We headed back to the house, to enjoy one last evening of hanging out before we had to leave in the AM. Due to a little bit of car trouble we had during the week (no road trip is complete without right?), we left a little later than we wanted to. As we were driving through the mountains on the way back, we both had that “why don’t we live here?” feeling. It’s just so nice in Colorado …
The drive out of the mountains was beautiful. Even though it was a little chilly, I rolled down the windows so I could breathe in the crisp mountain air one more time. I stopped a few times to take some snapshots …
Aspen, CO – Mamiya C330 – Fuji Acros 100 – Rodinal
Independence Pass – Leica M2 – Voigtlander 15mm – HP5 Plus – Rodinal
Independence Pass – Leica M2 – Voigtlander 15mm – HP5 Plus – Rodinal
When we passed through Westcliffe, about 30 miles outside, everyone was being stopped. Construction workers were telling everyone to turn around because the road had been washed out by a storm. The lady directing traffic told us that we’d have to go back into Westcliffe, and then make our way back up to Colorado City (about 60 miles away) to get towards I-25. She said from there, it would take about 20-30 minutes to get to the highway. Boo.
Synthia and I rode quietly in the car together for about an hour until we crested over a one of the mountains in the San Isabel National Forest. To my right, was something I hadn’t seen in years; The Bishop Castle. About 25 years ago, my family used to occasionally come to Colorado in the summer, to stay near Wescliffe. We had taken this route at one point, and I vaguely remembered visiting this castle as a kid. One man, Jim Bishop, has built this castle by himself over the past 40+ years …
Bishop Castle – Colorado – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
As a scale reference, there is a man on top of the right tower in the image above …
Bishop Castle – Colorado – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
Once the initial excitement of seeing this structure wore off, we hopped back in the car and made our way towards I-25 ..
Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
We merged onto the highway and cruised down to Raton, NM. When we started heading east towards Dumas, we drove right into a rainstorm ..
Raton, NM to Dumas, TX – Leica M2 – Voigtlander 15mm – FP5 Plus – Rodinal
After a while the storms gave way, and we drove the 400-ish miles we had left on our journey through the clear of the night …
Cruisin’ down 287 – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
It was a trip that I will remember for a lifetime. Synthia and I can’t thank Kristina and Kat enough for showing us such an incredible time, yet again, in Colorado. We love you guys so much!
BTW, Impossible Project – A big thank you to the chemistry of your product; from the way the film “sees” a scene, to the soft colors, to the painterly quality of the images, to the rich analog life it has .. all make me crave its photographic substance a little more. Diving deeper into instant photography is something I do not regret. Thank you for making such a quality product and for the inspiration.
-Justin
A Road Trip to Aspen + Impossible Project + Leica M2 & 15mm – Part:3/4
July 13, 2012 § 2 Comments
The following day, we decided to drive up Aspen Mountain to play some frisbee golf. When we got to the top, the signs read “highest disc golf course in the world!”. At 11,200 feet, it was an awesome place to play some disc. The course had 18 holes which zig-zagged their way down & up the side of the mountain.
Aspen Mountain Disc Golf Course – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
We ended up playing about 1/2 of the course and then decided to walk over to The Sundeck to take a break.
Enjoying a Fat Tire & the view from The Sundeck on Aspen Mountain
The view from The Sundeck on Aspen Mountain – Leica M2 – Voigtlander 15mm – Ektar 100
When we were finished, we took the jeep down the backside of the mountain towards Hunter Creek Rd. to get back into town.
Cruisin’ down Aspen Mountain – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
We eventually parted ways and Synthia and I decided to go up Independence Pass to check out the Lost Man Lake trail. The trail goes up to two lakes, Independence and Lost Man, which are near the top of the continental divide. We started at the Roaring Fork Trailhead and once we walked in about 1000 feet, it was like we had stepped into another part of the world. Dense, lush, spongy landscape rich with wildflowers and moss covered rocks. Just beautiful …
This was one of many moments on this trip, in which I was really glad we brought our boxer with us. Seeing her run up and down the trail, prancing around was a sight to see. She was so happy!
Maybelle on the Lost Man Trail – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
Taking a break on Lost Man Trail – Leica M2 – Voigtlander 15mm – Ektar 100
While we were en route, we could see a few people alongside a ridge about another mile up the trail. That was our goal. I knew that over that distant ridge was either Lost Man Lake or at the very least, an amazing view. Once we got to Independence Lake, we knew that Lost Man was just over the ridge. We passed a hiker on the way up, and mentioned something about it being our first time on the trail. A broad smile appeared, and he assured us that the view the first time, was something we’d never forget … he was SO right. When we reached the top, I was completely wowed. All I could do was stumble around in awe, as I gawked at the wondrous display of nature that was before me. We stayed up there for a good 30-45 minutes, just soaking it in …
Synthia at Lost Man Lake – Impossible Project PX-70 NIGO Edition
Independence Lake – Aspen, CO – Leica M2 – Voigtlander 15mm – Ektar 100
Lost Man Lake – Independence Pass – Leica M2 – Voigtlander 15mm – Ektar 100
Photo: Synthia Goode – Lost Man Trail – Independence Pass – Impossible Project PZ600
Lost Man Trail – Independence Pass – Impossible Projct PX-70 COOL
Photo: Synthia Goode – Independence Lake – Aspen, CO – Spectra SE – Impossible Project PZ600
It was nearing 7 o’clock and some storms started rolling in. We put on some parkas and made our way back down the trail. We were supposed to have dinner at Steakhouse 316 with Kristina and Kat at 9, so it was a good thing the impending storm nudged us along.
Dinner was scrumdiddlyumptious! If you’re ever in the Aspen area, you have got to go check this place out. Kat is the ridiculously talented executive chef at Steakhouse 316, and everything, I mean EVERYTHING she makes is fantastic. Hands down .. the things she has cooked has been some of the best food I’ve had in my life. The four of us enjoyed a delicious spread at the restaurant which included jumbo lump crab cakes and savory steaks, along with many highly delectable sides. By the time we finished our food, they were closing down so we walked back home to relax the rest of the evening …
Synthia: Relaxed? We actually went home to enjoy our 4th bottle of wine …
To be continued …
A Road Trip to Aspen + Impossible Project + Leica M2 & 15mm – Part:2/4
July 12, 2012 § 4 Comments
The next morning, Kristina & Synthia went to breakfast while Kat went to do some prep-work at the restaurant. I took the jeep out and cruised up to The Grottos to check out the ice cave. When we visited last year in June, the entrance was blocked with ice and there wasn’t a path. I was anxious to see if there was a clear route through the ice this time around. Luckily, there was and I made my way down and crawled inside …
The Grottos – Aspen, CO – Leica M2 – Voigtlander 15mm – Ektar 100
The Grottos – Ice Caves – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
The Grottos – Ice Caves – Leica M2 – 15mm Voigtlander – Ektar 100
Later on that day, I found some info on this cave in Hiking Colorado’s Geology ebook online. “The Grottos formed when the Roaring Fork River was swollen with meltwater from receding Ice Age glaciers about 15,000 years ago. The meltwater coursed over the granitic bedrock carrying rocks and other debris that sculpted the cavern’s walls through abrasive action. Today, the river has abandoned the channel through the Grottos, leaving behind a slot canyon with windows open to the sky. Unlike most caverns, which are created where limestone is dissolved by water, the Grottos are carved in solid Precambrian granitic rock (1.4 billion-year-old quartz monzonite).”
Once I was done chillin’ in the ice cave, I walked around for a bit and eventually sat down at this bench to watch the cascades …
The Grottos – Aspen, CO – Leica M2 – Voigtlander 15mm – Ektar 100
I made my way back down the mountain and met up with Kristina & Synthia at Victoria’s coffee shop. By the time I downed the best Cafe Mocha I’ve had in my life .. literally, Kat had cruised up on her bike. Maybe it was the coffee, but I was antsy to get back out there and ‘do something’ but Kristina & Synthia were content just hanging out sippin’ on their wine (I can’t particularly blame them now can I?). Something about hiking the Ute Trail was mentioned, and both Kat and I decided that was a good idea.
We brought the dogs with us, Diego & Maybelle, and made our way to the trailhead. Kristina & Kat had both warned me that this hike was BRUTAL … I had no idea. It was literally like being on a stair-master for almost an hour .. intense. The hike is about a mile up and you gain 1,300 feet of elevation during the hike.
Hiking The Yute Trail – Aspen, CO – Leica M2 – Voigtlander 15mm – Ektar 100
The whole way up, we were both huffin’ and puffin’, but as we passed people who were hiking down, they all said the view was completely worth it. Kat mentioned, that there are people that have lived their whole life in Aspen and have never made it to the top. A shame, considering the stunning view that awaits its victors …
On top of The Ute – Aspen, CO – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
Picture proof that we made it! – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
Top of the Ute Trail – Aspen, CO – Leica M2 – 15mm Voigtlander – Ektar 100
Unfortunately, it started to rain and Kat had to make it back into work. We hauled booty back down the ever-increasing slippery trail, but by the time we got back to the jeep, the rain was letting up.
Once we got back to the casa, Synthia had made a picnic dinner for the two of us and wanted to go lay out somewhere to enjoy the scenery .. uhh Ya! 🙂
I wanted to show her the ice cave, so we drove back to The Grottos and made our way up to this great little nook at the top of the cascades. It was away from the traffic of most of the visitors and to be honest, we saw maybe 10 people in the 3 hours that we were there.
Synthia @ The Grottos – Leica M2 – 15mm Voigtlander – Ektar 100
Photo: Synthia Goode – The Grottos – Spectra SE – Impossible Project Black Frame PZ600
Hanging out @ The Grottos – Leica M2 – Voigtlander 15mm – Ektar 100
My Beautiful Wife @ The Grottos – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
When we got back, I ‘pulled the old man card’ and relaxed the rest of the evening. I had to get a jump start on writing about our trip 🙂 Synthia eventually met up with K&K when they got off work, and the ladies came giggling back after the bars closed.
To be continued …
A Road Trip to Aspen + Impossible Project + Leica M2 & 15mm – Part:1/4
July 11, 2012 § 6 Comments
A road trip to Aspen. Two of my favorite people, Kristina & Kat, are fortunate enough to live there and my wife and I have visited them a couple of times since they moved. We have vowed to make the trip every year at least once. If you drive to Aspen it’s about ~ 16 hours from Dallas, but totally worth it. Granted, it takes 10 hours to get out of Texas, but who cares .. the last 6 are filled with an inspiring landscape worthy of any road trip. Colorado just makes you feel so good. Being there replenishes my soul ..
The plan was to leave on Tuesday night, July 3rd. We’d drive through the evening, take a nap for a few hours in Raton, NM and then hit the road again. Luckily, the adrenaline of being on a road trip usually just keeps me going. We decided to take Maybelle, one of our dogs, with us. She’s a 2 1/2 year old boxer and we knew that she would have the time of her life up there.
I brought a variety of cameras with me; a Leica M2, a Polaroid Sonar SX-70, a Polaroid 100 Land Camera and a Mamiya C330. For film, I brought some PX-70 COOL & NIGO, Kodak Ektar 100, Fuji Acros 100 & Adox CMS 20. 🙂 Synthia brought her Spectra SE and her grab bag of Spectra film. She’s been shooting a lot with it and is loving the black frame PZ600. It has this really cool vintage look and it ended being a perfect fit for the images she shot on this trip.
We packed all of the other essentials and ended up leaving at 7 o’clock. After we drove 6 hours and made it into Amarillo, we chose to just make the push to Aspen without stopping, and took turns driving and sleeping through the night. I can’t believe we had it in us to drive straight to Aspen from Dallas.
The Road to Westcliffe, CO – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
Twin Lakes – Colorado – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
Once we got over Independence Pass and were making our way into town, we stopped at a grove of trees and Synthia snapped this killer B&W shot with some black frame PZ600 …
Photo: Synthia Goode – Aspen, CO – Spectra SE – Impossible Project Black Frame PZ600
Our little Scion arrived in Aspen at 11am, just enough time to take a quick shower and find a spot to relax before the July 4th parade started. The four of us sat down at Hunters Bar and enjoyed some good ol’ fashioned ‘merican food (beer, burgers & dogs) while watching the parade from a distance. We both snuck up for a couple of frames of the festivities …
Three-wheeled Unicycle – 4th of July Parade 2012- Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
Photo: Synthia Goode – 4th of July Parade – Spectra SE – Impossible Project Black Frame PZ600
After the parade was over, Kristina and Kat had to head into work so Synthia and I went back to their place and passed out. When we woke up from our much needed nap, we decided to grab a quick bite to eat.
We ended up going to New York Pizza. Last year, I had met a local photographer by the name of Michael Brands there when I was in town. He had mentioned that his friend had just opened up a photography gallery in Aspen called The Nugget that was worth checking out. I made a point to stop in again this year to show Synthia and to introduce myself to the owner, Ross. When we walked inside, there were some fantastic photo-realistic paintings that a friend of his was showing. We started talking photography and about 1/2 way through our conversation, I asked him if he still shot instant film and if he had heard of The Impossible Project. He had not 🙂 I filled him in on the details and his interest seemed to pique when I mentioned that Impossible was now making 8×0 film as well. Later in the evening, when Synthia and I were walking around, she chuckled and said that TIP needs to hire me as a spokesman for their product. I’m practically an evangelist for them! But you know what? They deserve all of the positive press they can get.
The next morning, we all woke up and hiked part of Lost Man Loop. We probably hiked about an hour or so before turning around. It was a great warm up for us and I’m glad we ended up taking it a little easy. I think Synthia and I were still a little beat from the drive and adjusting to the altitude.
Fly Fishing @ Lost Man Reservoir – Leica M2 – 15mm Voigtlander – Ektar 100
Maybelle grabbin’ a quick drink – Leica M2 – 15mm Voigtlander – Ektar 100
Hiking Lost Man Loop Trail – Leica M2 – Voigtlander 15mm – Ektar 100
Photo: Synthia Goode – Lost Man Loop Trail – Spectra SE – Impossible Project Black Frame PZ600
After we got back, we were starving so we all ordered some grub from The Big Wrap. Kat recommended I have the Babs-E-Que and I’m so glad I did .. it was CRAZY good! Apparently this joint is packed all the time and rightfully so.
When the ladies went off to work, Synthia and I took their jeep out and drove up Hunter Creek Rd. to the ghost town of Ashcroft.
Representin’ – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
We had snowshoed right by this place in Feburary of 2011. To see it again in the summer was really cool. The town sprung up in in the early 1880’s when there was a silver boom in the area. At its peak, there were about 2,000 people living and working there. The mines initially produced 14,000 ounces of silver to the ton, but unfortunately for Ashcroft, it turned out to just be shallow deposits. As quickly as it boomed, Ashcroft went a bust.
Ashcroft Ghost Town – Leica M2 – Voigtlander 15mm – Ektar 100
Ashcroft Ghost Town – Leica M2 – 15mm Voigtlander – Ektar 100
Ashcroft Hotel – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
The view from Ashcroft Hotel – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
After a little while, a family met up with us and asked Synthia to snap a photo with their camera. When she was handing it back, she asked them if they wanted an instant photo. At first they said no because they didn’t want us to waste our film, but after showing them a photo that Synthia took of me on the hotel steps, their attitudes changed.
Photo: Synthia Goode – Ashcroft Hotel – Spectra SE – Impossible Project Black Frame PZ600
“Did you use some sort of filter for that?” “No. It’s just the way this particular film looks …” Synthia replied. After she shot their family photo and tucked it away in a brochure, we explained to them that they had to wait a little while before taking a peek. They were grateful and went on their way.
We moseyed our way back through the ghost town and then stopped at a nearby picnic table so we could just soak in the surroundings …
Ashcroft, Colorado – Impossible Project PX-70 COOL
Photo: Synthia Goode – Ashcroft, CO – Spectra SE – Impossible Project Black Frame PZ600
To be continued …
Justin Goode 
