A Day on Route 66 (Albuquerque)

[bmattock]

Well, today was a rotten day, weather-wise. It started off snowing on the mountain, and raining down here in the valley. Wrong kind of day for photography? Nah, I've got to get out and get some photos.

So, I decided to 86 my idea of taking my Canon SLR and CV Bessa kit out in favor of a Minolta 9 and a Yashica Electro 35 GSN. Stopped by Camera and Darkroom and picked up a couple of 55mm filters and two rolls of the Ilford XP2 Super (hadn't tried that before). Then I went out to the end of Central Avenue (Route 66 as it passes through Albuquerque) and started taking pictures of motel signs.

For some reason, I kept seeing things that struck me as funny...

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[bmattock]

No doubt about what THEY sell...

 

[bmattock]

Cows on the roof. Yep, that's what I look for in a restaurant.

 

[bmattock]

Seems self-commenting, somehow...

 

[bmattock]

I'm almost afraid to ask...

 

[GeneW]

Bill, this is a great series. My wife and I laughed and laughed. Good eye!

I think the weather was perfect for these. Added some texture to the sky. When I lived in the Southwest (AZ) there were so many clear days I had a lot of bald skies in my pics.

Gene

 

[bmattock]

Gene,

Thanks! I enjoyed taking them, but should have used my Minolta Hi-Matic 9 with the filters I bought. I don't know why, but I used my Yashica Electro 35 GSN instead - it has the Yashica-Guy battery adapter and works well, but since you can't set the shutter speed on the Electro, and it doesn't meter through or above the lens, you can't use filters unless you fiddle with the ASA settings. I should have used a deep red filter - skies were still washed out, even with the overcast day!

I'll be in Seattle on Monday, I'm taking the Hi-Matic and some B&W film and the filters. I'm going for moody. We'll see...

Best Regards,

Bill Mattocks

 

[Doug]

Some fun pics, Bill! As you demonstrated, all it takes is a reasonable idea and a good eye... and then getting out there and doing it!

Good luck on the weather in Seattle; you just never know, but best to be prepared for rain. I don't know about your plane's route, but those from the east (NYC for instance) glide almost silently right over my place on the landing path to SeaTac airport 100 miles away. Keep your eyes peeled for volcanos!