There has been one bucket list trip that I had been planning since the before times; the Redwoods in Northern California. After returning from Paris last month, I still had some vacation time so I figured I’d take the opportunity to drift towards more experiences that will help me to smile in my future.
Usually, I travel alone. This time, I invited a young friend of mine to take his first trip without his family. An eager photographer named Cameron who desires to capture the world but is a little too inexperienced to pull dreams from beyond the ether and live them. I remember those days myself so I attempted to help a young person get away from whatever issues plague young adults today, if only for a few days. So I lead the way, paying for his own hotel room in exchange for his talent to help take photos of me.
We flew into Sacramento then we drove north the next day and stayed in the city of Eureka. Enjoying a sleepy coastal and artsy town and savoring every hot bowl of clam chowder and other seafood. We stayed at The Inn at 2nd and C and I do recommend Phatsy Kline’s for dinner and drinks.
Just outside the main city, we explored the coastal beaches. The beaches seem like some flipped or negative version of the sun-soaked and vibrant beaches of Southern California. The north is gray and desolate. Cloud-covered and eerie. Quiet and cold. But they have their own mesmerizing allure and we happily found beauty within the bleakness.
If you look closely in the water of one of the beach photos, you’ll see a special and curious visitor. The last day it we fought the cold and rain, visiting other beaches and another longer and advanced trial of the Redwoods. As if our first trek into the Redwoods wasn’t surreal and unworldly enough, the rain and mist rolled in and gave the Redwoods an ethereally haunted beauty.
Time-proofed memories that envelope my soul. Experiences that have preternaturally affected the trajectory of my life. Selected shards of my anima, paid as penance for entry and acceptance, lain for the roots of ancient mist-shrouded giants that I still can’t believe are of this earth.
I’m experimenting with Lightroom presets and different color and detail settings. So you’ll see a few artistic choices in a few of the photos. Both of us wanted moody and dark and are happy with the outcome. Photos taken with my Nikon Z6 and Cameron’s Sony a6000. Various lenses used and edited in Lightroom for iPad. If you’d like to view the entire album of snapshots, you can find it here.
Take care, everyone. I don’t know what an ever evolving and virus-stricken world will look like or where I’ll go this coming year. But I’ll stay safe and take solace in knowing that the world will be waiting.
phxdown 