So as we headed back home from Mammoth, we decided that we would stop at a place called Alabama Hills, which happens to be a location that is very popular for westerns and movies like Iron Man. Once you step foot here, you can definitely see why — with these amazing rock formations, and a backdrop like those mountains, it’s easy to see why Hollywood loves to film at this location.

Whenever I travel, I always end up learning something new about myself — my behaviors, and how I cope with things. Putting yourself into new situations always does that. One of the biggest lessons I learned was how much pressure I put on myself to “perform” when I’m shooting sometimes & how valuable it is for me to let go instead.

I had challenged myself to shoot only film for this entire trip (I didn’t even bring my digital camera — I only had an iphone if I ever wanted digitals), and I found it difficult for me to get in the “mood” of shooting. I think mainly because I was putting pressure on myself to produce amazing images. And I was having a hard time feeling good about the images I was creating because 1) I wasn’t feeling how I was expecting myself to feel (inspired at every. little. thing!) & 2) I couldn’t actually see what I was producing, so I didn’t know how good my images actually were. But after realizing that I needed to let go, stop putting those expectations on myself, and just let things speak to me, it made the experience so much better. I began to feel good about the images I was creating, even if I couldn’t see the end result of what I was actually shooting. And that in itself made the whole trip even better, because I was fully allowing myself to be in the moment, and letting that move me, rather than putting thoughts of what the trip should be, and how I should feel.

Putting expectations on yourself and your work is never a good thing, because you end up creating from a not-so-honest place. You end up creating from a place that isn’t your own. Images that truly move are from a place of authenticity. A place that comes from deep within. And from now on that is where I want to be when I create images.

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Mamiya 645 | Portra 160 & 400
Canon QL17 | Tri-x

On our second day in the Mammoth area, Jasmine and I decided we would do two things — visit the top of Mammoth Mountain and then head to Mono Lake and explore. The top of the mountain is beautiful — it’s a shame that 1) I’m pretty afraid of heights & 2) I can’t snowboard well enough to go down any of those slopes, because I’m sure it would be an amazing ride.

After seeing the sights on the top of the mountain, we headed to Mono Lake, which actually ended up being colder than the top of the mountain due to the high winds. But it was also completely magical, with its strange tufas, foam (yes, that is foam next to the water — not snow) & magical sky sunsets.

Stay tuned for day three, the final day — where we visited Alabama Hills — a magical place & a film location to many a westerns as well as the movie Iron Man ;)

Mamiya 645 | Portra 160 & 400
Canon QL17 | Tri-x

One of my favorite things in the world is snow. I think some people think it’s crazy, but I far prefer cold weather to warm weather! There is just something magical about the quiet, the chill, and the bundling up.  Huddling with friends around the fire, having drinks, & enjoying ourselves. And seeing a landscape totally change. It’s mysterious and beautiful.

This is part one of a three day excursion through the Mammoth Mountain area with my dear friend Jasmine (who you may remember from my last post of the Salton Sea.) I apologize ahead of time as this post (and the future posts of Mammoth) are all very Jasmine-heavy, since she was the one person I spent the most time with, as we went out and explored and frolicked the area. In fact, this is not the first time she and I have gone out on our own and took many photos of one another while exploring a new location — we began this tradition years ago and named them “frolics.” And because of that, I credit her for breaking me of my in-front-of-camera shyness. :)

Stay tuned for day two & three, where we visit Mono Lake, and the most beautiful landscape of Alabama Hills.

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Mamiya 645 | Portra 400
Canon QL17 | Tri-x (probably expired)
Polaroid 420 Land Camera | Fuji 3000B