Random Camera - Mamiyaflex C2

Sorry I've been off the grid for awhile, but I've been busy shooting and working on a few projects that have kept me from dedicating as much time to this photography blog as I would like.  To end the drought of posts, I've decided to give you the next feature in my Random Camera/Random Film series.  For this installation, I'll be discussing the Mamiyaflex C2 TLR camera.  I stumbled upon the Mamiyaflex C2 after grabbing coffee with one of my good friends.  His father was heavily into photography and the Mamiyaflex was a camera that he used regularly.  My friends' father no longer uses the camera and he graciously let me borrow it.  So, like any new camera (old) camera, I grabbed a roll of film and took it for a test drive.

For those of you that don't know, a TLR camera is also known as a twin lens reflex camera.  A TLR has two lenses, both of the same focal length and one is used for taking the image while the other is used for composing the image.  The composing lens, also known as the TLR's viewfinder system, is typically a waist level viewfinder.  According to Wikipedia, TLRs were first introduced sometime around 1870, primarily to reduce the amount of time it took creating an image.  The most iconic of the TLRs is the Rolleiflex.  It was introduced to mass market around 1929 and many of the TLRs that came after owe their design to that camera.  It was the camera of choice for many past photographers as well as photographers of today.  In fact, Vivian Maier, whose amazing photos have been popping up in galleries all over the world the past few years, primarily shot with a Rolleiflex.  Once I get my hands on one of these, I'll probably write a number of blog posts, but today I'm going to discuss the Mamiyaflex C2.

Mamiya entered into the TLR business in 1948 with the introduction of a fairly straight forward offering, the Mamiyaflex Junior.  They continued to make changes to the design and added more features to each camera that came after the Junior; it wasn't until 1956/1957 that Mamiya went for the professional market with their TLRs.  They released the professional series, also known as the C series, with the introduction of the Mamiyaflex C.  The major design change to this line and any other TLR at the time was the inclusion of bellows for close focusing and a wide variety of interchangeable lenses.  The C model didn't last very long and is extremely rare because Mamiya improved the design with one major change and released the C2 in 1958.  This major change was the addition of a second focusing knob; allowing for a left-handed or right-handed photographer to easily focus the camera.

The first thing I noticed about the Mamiyaflex C2 (and any medium format camera from the same era) is its' weight.  These cameras were built to last; they're solid, heavy and are a far cry from the Lomography cameras (Holga, Diana F+, Fisheye 2) that I also use.  This camera was the second professional medium format kit that I've been able to experiment with.  Like my Hasselblad 500 cm, the Mamiyaflex C2 takes 120 film, has a waist level viewfinder, interchangeable lenses and produces a beautiful square image.  In addition to the camera, I was given two lenses, an 80mm and a 180mm, to work with.  I chose the 180mm because the shutter speeds weren't firing correctly on the 80mm.  This was okay in my book because I'm used to shooting with a 150mm on my Hasselblad.  After getting my hands on an old manual, it was time to load the camera and create some images.  I decided I would start with one of my favorite films, Adox CHS 50; however, the film loading/winding didn't go as I planned and I ended up winding through the entire roll.  Without a dark bag or darkroom to rewind the film, I had to switch to another roll.  The film loading process isn't particularly hard, it was just a bit different from what I was used to.  I popped in a roll of Kodak Tri-X 400 without any issues and I was off.

I split my shooting of this camera in three different locations, spread out over a number of weeks.  I shot on an overcast day in a cemetery, a sunny day with some abandoned structures and a day in a low light barn.  The camera and film choice performed quite well in all three scenarios.  Outside of my Lomography cameras and my 35mm, I typically don't like to hand hold my cameras.  I prefer to mount them on a tripod and since I didn't have a camera strap for the Mamiyaflex C2, I opted to stick with that practice.  It worked well on a tripod and I'm sure it works just as well for any individual wanting to hand hold or street shoot with it.  Overall, I really liked how this camera performed in the field.  It was rugged and solid, performed in all situations I tested it in and was easy to use.  Below are some of my observations:

•  Pay attention to the exposure correction scale on the camera-  On the side of the camera, when you extend the bellows for focusing, you'll find an exposure compensation scale etched into the metal.  Due to the lens being moved away from the film plane, exposures may need to be altered slightly from the metered scene to compensate for the additional distance.  The exposure compensation scale lists the lens size and will give you a corresponding exposure compensation to factor based on the length of the extension.  It's very easy to use and in my case I didn't have to refer to it often based on the length of the lens I was using.  
• Parallax correction in the viewfinder-  In the viewfinder, there are two horizontal lines that run across the top of the screen.  These are guidelines for where the top of your image will be.  These correspond to the exposure correction scale.  The line that will be the top of your image moves lower the higher the exposure correction.
• The viewfinder-  The viewfinder on the Mamiyaflex C2 is not as bright as the viewfinder on my Hasselblad.  This is my biggest complaint with this camera.  My Hasselblad viewfinder is very bright and it's very easy for me to achieve sharp focus; it took more time and multiple looks before I felt the image was focused just as I wanted.  
• Provides beautiful bokeh-  The Mamiyaflex C2 had wonderful range; Fine details were present with the larger depth of field and the shallow depth of field lent itself to separating the subject from the background and providing Hasselblad quality bokeh.
• The film back can be removed-  There were a number of accessories made for the Mamiyaflex C2.  In fact, the film back can be removed and replaced with a single exposure plate.  I've yet to find one of these lurking around on the net or eBay, but I'm very intrigued as to what size single exposures this camera can take.  If I find one, I would love to give it a go.

Overall, I was very impressed with the Mamiyaflex C2.  It's a quality medium format camera with a few unique features that has the capability of producing fine images.  If you've never shot a TLR before, it takes some getting used to.  Once you get the hang of them, they're great cameras.  I would recommend the Mamiyaflex C2 to anyone looking to shoot a TLR. It's a sturdy medium format kit that will provide a quality shooting experience.  In addition to various accessories, the range of lenses is quite nice and provides you with many shooting options.  While it's not a Rolleiflex, it is the perfect camera to get acquainted shooting TLR before you drop the money on a Rollei.  Below are a few images from the Mamiyaflex C2:

Lens:  180mm

F22 @ 1/8 second

Lens:  180mm

F5.6 @ 1/125 second

Lens:  180mm

F22 @ 1/125 second

Lens:  180mm

F16 @ 1 second

Good News ( A little self promotion)

Things have been quite busy lately.  Outside of work, I've been working on a number of things.  I've been camera testing an antique Kodak camera that's been modified to accept 120 film.  I've had some light leak issues and once I get those taken care of, I'll post a video review as well as some sample images.  I shot a pinhole camera for the first time (which I plan to do more of in the future) and I ran a test roll through a Mamiyaflex C2 that I plan on purchasing.  Outside of that, I've been working on a project that's been in the conception stage for over a year.  I started creating images for this project in January and I'm happy with the progression, although it's still a long way from being completed.  Maybe when I feel compelled to show some of this work, I'll post something here.  In addition to that, I have some good news to report.  I don't typically use the blog to convey this type of information, but I've had a number of positive things happen this week, so I thought I would share.

I typically enter a number of regional competitions over the course of a year.  I've decided to branch out and enter a few national and international competitions in 2012.  Curious Camera  is an organization that was started in Arizona in 2009.  They embrace the photography created by "curious" cameras including, but not limited to plastic/toy cameras like the Holga, pinhole cameras, antique cameras, instant cameras and phone cameras.  They've been hosting an annual competition of images created with these cameras and I decided to enter a few of my instant images.  They select a first, second and third place winner and then 30 honorable mentions out of hundreds of entries from around the world that will then hang in an exhibit at the ArtsEye Gallery in Tucson, AZ.  The image below won an honorable mention.  It's posted in the Curious Camera online winner's gallery here and you can see it in person from April 28-July 31 in Arizona.

As you know, I've become an avid instant photographer and I love the Impossible Project.  Last year they launched a special film in conjunction with the Ace Hotel.  In addition to that film, Ace Hotel created an online gallery where photographers could upload their Impossible photos.  In the fall of this year, a number of curators will select images in this massive online gallery to hang in a physical exhibit in NYC.  In the meantime, they've been selecting monthly winners.  I found out this week that the image below was selected as one of April's winners.  You can see the post on Ace Hotel's blog here as well as Impossible Project's blog.  Keep your fingers crossed that I get into the physical exhibit.

There is a magazine dedicated exclusively to film photography called Films and Grains.  They have themes in every issue that photographers can submit their work to.  They also have an open theme section dedicated to instant photography.  I decided to submit a few images to the instant gallery and one of them was chosen to be published!  The piece is entitled "Gallery" and was taken on a Polaroid 440 Automatic Land Camera with Fuji FP-100C film.  The piece will be in Issue 5 of Films and Grains slated to be released on May 4.  You can purchase it here on May 4.

That's it for now.  I'll hopefully be back soon with more work to show, cameras reviewed and the next installation of the Artist Spotlight Feature.  Keep shooting and I'll see you soon!

Artist Spotlight Feature - Alfred Stieglitz

Towards the end of 2011, I mentioned that I wanted to introduce an artist spotlight feature.  One in which I could profile a photographer; whether it be a great photographer that helped shape the state of photography as we know it or a newer photographer that's trying to create their own identity in the medium.  I wasn't able to launch this feature when I initially wanted to, but I'm happy to report that today is the day that it will finally appear on Imagery As Art.  For this first feature, I'm concentrating on Alfred Stieglitz.  He may not be the most well known photographer, but he was certainly instrumental in making photography an accepted medium of the fine arts.  As I was taking an art history course, his work was an inspiration; additionally, I find him to be one of the most important photographers and artists of the 20th century.

New directions and ways of thinking were seen as possible and plausible in all forms of life in America during the 20th century; it was as if a new "spirit" was taking over the country.  Alfred Stieglitz was born in 1846 and died in 1946; during his life, America saw some of the most rapid and radical changes to occur in society and culture (American Masters:  Alfred Stieglitz, n.d.).  New York became a bustling metropolis; skyscrapers were a symbol of a new age and abstract movements in art were in full effect.  Stieglitz was a major contributor to this art shift, but like the time period he lived in, his art took on different directions and encompassed a different spirit throughout different points of his life.

Stieglitz was born in Hoboken, NJ and was educated as an engineer in Germany (Hostetler, 2004).  He picked up a camera in 1883 and shot for the better part of 50 years.  It was in 1890, when he moved back to New York, that he began to elevate photography to the fine art form that it is now. In 1891, Stieglitz joined the Society of Amateur Photographers of New York (Jeffrey, 2009).  The following year, he began to use a hand camera; this was typically frowned upon by professional photographers but it allowed him to shoot on the street and capture scenes and happenings as they occurred (Jeffrey).  1897 came along and he founded a journal for the Camera Club of New York, which was known as Camera Notes.  Stieglitz was very strict in his editorial policies and the work he published in Camera Notes; he believed in the potential of photography as a medium and he published to those standards (Hostetler).  This angered a number of the members and in 1902, Stieglitz, along with other like-minded individuals, broke away from the group and formed Photo-Secession (Hostetler).  The group was founded on the principles of the craftsmanship of photography; employing intensive print making techniques (Hostetler).  While Stieglitz was a great printer and craftsman, he often favored compositional choices and elements to create the perfect image (Hostetler).

One of the greatest achievements to come from the Photo-Secession was the publication entitled Camera Work.  Stieglitz produced this piece until 1917; a fifteen year run with 50 total issues.  This publication was printed on Japanese tissue from original negatives.  The publication featured such greats as Edward Steichen, Gertrude Kasebier and Frank Eugene.  Steichen, who designed the cover of Camera Work, also donated studio space.  This space became known as the Little Galleries of the Photo-Secession and later was simply called "291" (Hostetler, 2004).  Stieglitz organized numerous exhibitions for the photographers of the Photo-Secession and later expanded to other forms of art at the time; including European modernism (Hostetler).

The Terminal, 1892, Alfred Stieglitz

By 1917, the year "291" closed, Stieglitz's thoughts on photography began to change and it was evident in his work.  It was no longer about creating a polished, manipulated print that was of the same aesthetic as a painting, drawing or watercolor (Hostetler, 2004).  It became more about capturing a moment, a feeling; something that was a natural strength of the medium.  During this time, Stieglitz produced hundreds of portraits of Georgia O'Keeffe; who later became his wife.  He also created a stunning series of clouds entitled Equivalents. In the latter part of his life, Stieglitz spent the majority of his time running his gallery; when he did photograph, he usually shot something from the gallery window.  Those photos were striking compositions of New York City skyscrapers and the geometric forms that had taken over the city.  They were simply a reflection of art and the times; the evolution of art during Stieglitz's lifetime; the evolution of photography; the evolution of America and lastly, the evolution of Stieglitz.  

The Steerage, 1907, Alfred Stieglitz

Stieglitz was a visionary; he saw the potential in photography as a true art form and he worked diligently to present the medium in that fashion.  He altered the face of the photography as well as the face of art by championing European modernism in the states.  He exhibited Picasso, Rodin and Matisse; he helped publish a Dadaist magazine; and he photographed Marcel Duchamp's Fountain for a publication.  Fellow photographers and the art world owe a great deal to Mr. Stieglitz.  Photography wouldn't be what it is today without the images and the pioneering of this man.

I've selected a number of Stieglitz's images to display. These images are classic Stieglitz; they clearly demonstrate his aesthetic and his progression as a photographer. The Terminal and The Steerage are two selections from his early work. They are classic examples of Stieglitz's ability to capture a scene or a moment in time. They have a photo journalistic quality to them, yet they convey emotion. Even with street scenes or standard everyday occurrences,the true fiber of the moment was communicated in his final print. This continued and evolved with Stieglitz's later work, especially in his portraiture work. I've selected two images from over hundreds of images he created of his wife Georgia O'Keeffe. He had a unique perspective when it came to portraits. His images are clearly not the "stuffy" portraits that were so common in his time period. He approached portraiture as if it was a dance; he masterfully moved around his subject and focused on characteristics that aren't typical of a studio head shot. Many of his O'Keeffe images focus on her hands. This was brilliant, because to know her hands is essentially to know her. Her hands were one of the most important tools she used in life. They display emotion; they convey the struggles and the triumphs that she has lived through; they show pain; they show joy and they show passion. As I look at her hands, I feel as if I'm looking into her soul. To convey this type of feeling with an image is the real power of photography. His powerful photography continued with his Equivalents series and in the final images that he produced from his window. Even while spending most of his time tending to his gallery, he still contributed his own vision of the world, even if it was simply by looking through a window. Stieglitz opened more than a window for photography and for that, I'm eternally grateful.

Georgia O'Keeffe, 1918, Alfred Stieglitz

Georgia O'Keeffe, 1920, Alfred Stieglitz

Equivalent, 1926, Alfred Stieglitz

Looking Northwest from the Shelton, 1932, Alfred Stieglitz

References

American Masters:  Alfred Stieglitz (n.d.).  Retrieved from 
http://www.pbs.org/wnet/americanmasters/database/stieglitz_a.html  on March 17, 2012.
Hostetler, L. (2004).  "Alfred Stieglitz (1864–1946) and American Photography". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. 
Jeffrey, I. (2009).  How to Read a Photograph.  New York:  Abrams.

More Holga Fun

I've become quite fond of my Holga 120N camera over the past year.  I've ran a number of different film styles through it and I've shot it in various lighting conditions and settings.  I've had great results; I've had good results and I've had bad results.  It's all part of the fun with film and the Holga.  My latest Holga experiment came on my recent trip to San Francisco and Sonoma.  I shot a roll of Lomography 100 Color Negative film and a roll of Kodak Tri-X 400 (which was shot with a Holga red filter).  The color negative was shot on Alcatraz and around Fisherman's Wharf.  The Tri-X was shot in Sonoma and the rest of the roll was finished up in Ohio at the Hobart Nature Preserve.  I was pleased with the results; I hope you enjoy them as well.

Camera:  Holga 120N
Film:  Lomography 100 Color Negative

Camera:  Holga 120N with Holga Red Filter
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

Camera:  Holga 120N
Film:  Lomography 100 Color Negative

Camera:  Holga 120N with Holga Red Filter
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

Camera:  Holga 120N
Film:  Lomography 100 Color Negative

Camera:  Holga 120N with Holga Red Filter
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

Camera:  Holga 120N
Film:  Lomography 100 Color Negative

Camera:  Holga 120N with Holga Red Filter
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

Camera:  Holga 120N
Film:  Lomography 100 Color Negative

Camera:  Holga 120N with Holga Red Filter
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

Camera:  Holga 120N
Film:  Lomography 100 Color Negative

Camera:  Holga 120N
Film:  Lomography 100 Color Negative

Hasselblad on the West Coast

If you've been following this blog regularly, you know how I feel about my Hasselblad 500 c/m camera and you've seen the type of images that it produces.  I've continued to shoot this camera on a normal basis, and besides my Polaroid SX-70, it's currently my camera of choice.  I took the Hasselblad with me to California; while I've gone into great detail about the trip, I'm simply going to post images I took using the Hasselblad.  All images were made using Kodak Tri-X 400 film.  Enjoy!

1 of 2 images not taken in California
Camera:  Hasselblad 500 c/m
Lens:  150mm
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400
F16 @ 1/30 sec.

Camera:  Hasselblad 500 c/m

Lens:  150mm

Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

F32 @ 1/25 sec.

Camera:  Hasselblad 500 c/m

Lens:  150mm

Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

F4 @ 1/4 sec.

Camera:  Hasselblad 500 c/m
Lens:  150mm
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400
F32 @ 1/60 sec.

Camera:  Hasselblad 500 c/m
Lens:  150mm
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400
F4 @ 1/500 sec.




Camera:  Hasselblad 500 c/m
Lens:  150mm
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400
F22 @ 1/25 sec.




Camera:  Hasselblad 500 c/m
Lens:  150mm
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400
F16 @ 1/125

Camera:  Hasselblad 500 c/m
Lens:  150mm
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400
F16 @ 1/60 sec.

Camera:  Hasselblad 500 c/m
Lens:  150mm
Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400
F11 @ 1/4 sec.

2 of 2 shots not taken in California

Camera:  Hasselblad 500 c/m

Lens:  150mm

Film:  Kodak Tri-X 400

F22 @ 1/125 sec.

"Chocolate" Sonoma

In 2011, The Impossible Project put a number of old Polaroid films for pack cameras on sale.  One of those films was Polaroid Chocolate.  This is an 80 speed film that features gorgeous brown tones, hence the chocolate in the name.  Like all other Polaroid branded films, this is no longer produced.  Impossible Project had some remaining stock and I'm glad I stocked up since I hadn't had a chance to shoot this film before.  I felt like Sonoma would offer me the perfect landscape to try this film out.  Seeing the amazing results posted on Flickr and Polanoid, I was anxiously awaiting my experience.  This film is everything it's cracked up to be; I'm in love with the film and I can't wait to shoot it again.  I shot one pack and was very happy with the results, which you'll find below:

Camera:  Polaroid 440 Automatic Land Camera
Film:  Polaroid Chocolate (Expired 2009)

Camera:  Polaroid 440 Automatic Land Camera
Film:  Polaroid Chocolate (Expired 2009)

Camera:  Polaroid 440 Automatic Land Camera

Film:  Polaroid Chocolate (Expired 2009)

Camera:  Polaroid 440 Automatic Land Camera

Film:  Polaroid Chocolate (Expired 2009)

Camera:  Polaroid 440 Automatic Land Camera

Film:  Polaroid Chocolate (Expired 2009)

Sonoma

In the last post, I discussed our recent trip to San Francisco and posted a number of Impossible Project images that I took during our first few days in California. The second leg of our trip was spent in lovely Sonoma, CA.  We arrived in Sonoma during the early evening hours of Friday, December 23.  We settled into our cottage and took a quick trip around the corner to downtown and dined at a lovely Mexican restaurant by the name of La Casa.  The Mexican food was great and it was the perfect way to start our experience in the wine country town.  After dinner, we ventured to Whole Foods to stock up on a few grocery items.  We then settled in and prepared for our fun filled Christmas Eve activities.

We started our day at Gloria Ferrer Caves and Vineyards.  Gloria Ferrer is a winery that produces sparkling wine; in fact, it's touted as the first Sparkling Wine House in the Sonoma region.  Established in 1986, it embodies the Spanish wine-making traditions.  We were booked for the 11 a.m. tour; in addition to myself, Brittany and my sister-in-law, there were only two other people.  It was a small group and our tour lasted a bit longer than scheduled.  Our guide was very knowledgeable and he provided us with a great deal of information; not only on wine, but also on some of the sparkling wine making processes.  During the tour we enjoyed three different sparkling wines and then we went out to the terrace and enjoyed a couple more glasses as we overlooked the vineyards on a wonderful, sunny, Christmas Eve afternoon.

Camera:  Polaroid SX-70 Sonar One Step

Film:  Impossible Project PX680 Color Shade Gold Frame Edition

After Gloria Ferrer, we headed to Buena Vista Winery.  Buena Vista Carneros is the oldest, premium winery in California and is now a California historic landmark.  The winery was founded in 1857 and produces a variety of wines, including Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.  The tasting room and visitor's center was warm and inviting and reminded me of a lodge.  We got right into the tasting bar and enjoyed a variety of wines.  The reds were clearly my favorite, but we all decided on taking a bottle of Chardonnay home to have with dinner.  Afterwards, we had a late lunch at the Sunflower Cafe.  It's a quaint little cafe in downtown.  I had the grilled duck breast sandwich and washed it down with a poinsettia mimosa.  The sandwich was amazing; tender and overflowing with flavor.  It was on a ciabatta bun and was served with a bed of greens.  For dessert, I had the bread pudding and vanilla ice cream.  It was so good, my mouth is watering as I type this.  Afterwards, we headed to the grocery store, grabbed supplies for Christmas dinner and a few steaks for the night.  We headed back to the cottage, fired up the grill and enjoyed a quiet evening at the cottage with great food, great company and great wine.  

Christmas day was super chill and relaxing; the girls headed to the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa for a massage and I ventured around Sonoma taking pictures.  Afterwards, we all gathered in the kitchen and began cooking our Christmas dinner.  We had quite a spread:  ham with a delicious brown sugar glaze, mashed potatoes, fruit salad, broccoli rice casserole, winter squash with roasted pumpkin seeds, cranberry-wine sauce, rolls and Boston cream pie and mini eclairs.  It was wonderful; we enjoyed each other's company, exchanged Christmas gifts and watched the Christmas Story.  

Camera:  Polaroid SX-70 Sonar One Step

Film:  Impossible Project PX680 Color Shade Gold Frame Edition

The day after Christmas, my sister-in-law's boyfriend was coming into town.  We picked him up in a small town about a thirty minute drive from Sonoma.  After picking him up and dropping his luggage at the house, we went to the Red Grape Pizzeria for lunch.  The place was packed and we had to wait about 30 minutes before being seated.  The crust of the pizza was paper thin and crispy and the ingredients were the freshest of the fresh.  It was some of the best thin crust pizza I've ever had.  Afterwards, we headed to the Gundlach Bundschu for a 2:30 p.m. cave tour.  Gundlach Bundschu is a family owned winery that has been producing quality wine over six generations and over 150 years.  The have a massive farm/estate; however, they only produce about 25,000 cases a year (if my memory serves me correctly).  The tour was much bigger than the one we took at Gloria Ferrer.  The guide was super cool and knowledgeable and after our tour and five samples of wine, he took us into the tasting room to sample anything else we wanted.  A great way to spend a few hours.  We headed back to the cottage to relax.  Brittany and I decided to go for a little adventure for dinner; we were in search of the La Bamba taco truck.  After a half hour of driving around, we found the little gem of a street food vendor.  The menu was entirely in Spanish and Brittany and I were the only non-Hispanic individuals waiting for food.  It took about 30 minutes to get our food, but it was worth the wait.  The tacos were made to order and were authentic; served open faced on small tortillas with meat, cilantro, caramelized onions and a fresh lime and radish slice.  We drove back to the house and enjoyed our little Mexican find.  

The next day was our last day in Sonoma (and California for that matter).  We set off to the local bike shop to rent bikes for the day.  After picking our perfect cruisers, we headed to Bartholomew Park Winery.  Bartholomew Park Winery is situated on a historic, organically farmed estate complete with a park and hiking trails.  We were greeted by George, a very friendly wine enthusiast.  He guided us along our tasting; we talked and ate cheese while we drank.  Bartholomew Park is an exclusive winery that produces roughly 4,000 cases a year.  The wine is only available for purchase in the winery or via the wine club.  We purchased a bottle of Chardonnay and drank it on a picnic table overlooking the estate.  Afterwards, we took our bikes to Ravenswood for another tasting.  Ravenswood is a "newer" winery in Sonoma and they're known for their Zinfandel.  This was my least favorite tasting room experience, but the wines were delicious.  Brittany experienced her favorite wine of the trip, their Moscato.  We purchased two bottles and headed back to downtown.  We had one of the best meals of the trip, at a Sonoma staple:  The Girl and The Fig.  They didn't have space for four the rest of the day, be we were able to get full service at the couches they had sitting by the door.  The food was out of this world; I had a fried pork belly sandwich with frites and a Hemingway cocktail.  It was delicious; the flavors of the meat, the egg that was on top of the sandwich, as well as the ranch aioli was mouth watering delicious.  I sampled everyone else's food and it was all exquisite. It was the perfect meal to top off our trip.  We relaxed the rest of the evening and enjoyed our last night in Sonoma.  

Sonoma is a super chill town; the downtown is small and quaint and the wineries produce a small amount of cases per year.  From what I hear, it's much more relaxed, less touristy and less developed than the other side of wine country - Napa.  Sonoma is not only a town for wine enthusiasts, but it's also a town for foodies.  We didn't have a bad meal and there are so many great restaurants around town.  They're all using super fresh and organic ingredients and they're providing a culinary experience in such an artisan manner.  I highly recommend visiting if you ever get a chance.  In addition to top notch experiences with the culinary arts, Sonoma is a great place to take pictures, as I found out.  I'll post some additional images in my next post. I hope you enjoyed reading my little photo "travel journal" of our California trip.  Stay tuned for more photo specific related posts.  

Camera:  Polaroid SX-70 Sonar One Step

Film:  Impossible Project PX680 Color Shade Gold Frame Edition