Petrified Forest A-I-R on deck.

[Robert Langham]

Oct 3-17. Making a list and checking it twice. I've been over-walking the area on google maps, finding features and measuring distances. Pretty neat to be able to switch from "terrain" to "satellite" for a close look. Desert is full of road tracks and abandoned roads and bridges. We'll see what kind of access they give me. I will get a long half-day in Canyon de Chelly and a day at Shiprock. There are a lot of dirt roads in the area just outside the park that navigate pretty interesting country.

Ordered 250 sheets of film from B&H. Taking my 5X7, a Hasselblad and a Fugi 6X9 with a 65mm on it. May not touch the roll cameras but I do have an idea that requires them if I shoot it. Katie going with me, so that will be nice.

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Looking back through the past few years of negatives to see where I was and where I might be going visually.

The park service started cutting Russian Olive and invasive species and opening up the canyon last year. Some scenes that hadn't been visible since the 60s are open. Much more chopping and burning should have been done by now, unless the process broke down. Be interesting to see.

[Robert Langham]

On of the great things about film that digital shooters miss is buying a stack of boxes and wondering what adventures, miracles, disasters and travels are going to happen before you get to the bottom of the stack. I've got 250 sheets to take West to Petrified Forest. I'll be a slightly different person by the time I get back and you can count the changes by the sheet.

[John Kasaian]

On of the great things about film that digital shooters miss is buying a stack of boxes and wondering what adventures, miracles, disasters and travels are going to happen before you get to the bottom of the stack. I've got 250 sheets to take West to Petrified Forest. I'll be a slightly different person by the time I get back and you can count the changes by the sheet.

That's a great observation about the film boxes----I have similar feelings about them.
Have a swell trip. I've flown over the Petrified Forest several times and have long been curious about the area. Please post your adventures:cool:

[Robert Langham]

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Boxes of fun and adventure! I usually log the shots as they happen, but can get in a hurry. Usually that's on the white cardboard that comes inside the film box. (It goes in the negative file with the processed and proofed images.) I'll be posting some on the Book of Face, but mostly on Robert Langham Blog. Depends on the Wifi connection. Planning to cut down on social media for a lot of the trip, but will all get posted sooner or later.

Not everyone does this, but I vista-printed some Robert Langham/AIR/Petrified Forest business cards with contact info and a photo on them. I'll hand them all out.

[Robert Langham]

We are in the cabin and starting to work. Trapped mice the first night after hearing one beginning to sort the tortilla chips. Five mice, fed to a Raven on the first night, two last night. Rained out of a shot waiting on rainbow. Perfect weather with just a bit of wind.

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Pueblo Pintado

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Kin Ya'a.

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One night's run through the mice.

[Drew Wiley]

You know the old Navajo taboo about mice don't you? Handle em with disposable gloves or use hand sanitizer afterwards. Deer mice sometimes carry stuff in the
SW.

[David Lobato]

You know the old Navajo taboo about mice don't you? Handle em with disposable gloves or use hand sanitizer afterwards. Deer mice sometimes carry stuff in the
SW.
Hantavirus - you don't want to get it

[Drew Wiley]

Even out here, in the Sierra, we've had a few recent rodent deaths from both Hanta and the plague. The biggest risk is on wet years (we're in a drought now),
when mice overpopulate and rapidly spread things between each other. Plague in endemic. Too many people (Yosemite for example) or too many mice in one
area, and the risk goes up. But Hanta can be caught thru old droppings. Plague is via fleas of course. Someone got it from chipmunks in Tuolumne Mdws this summer. Fortunately, it can be cured with antibiotics if diagnosed early enough. The statistically risk of catching either of these is quite rare; but given the potentially fatal result, nothing to be foolish about either. I always have some sanitizing wipes with me when car camping.

[Willie]

What is "A-I-R"?

[Kirk Gittings]

Artist-in-residence.

[Robert Langham]

Dead and outside for the Ravens is MUCH better than rattling around inside. (You should have seen the first Raven throat-pouching FIVE at once...). Trap-take dropped to zero last two nights though I might have gotten one outside: something took the trap from in front of the side door.

Mostly scouting around. Found an unrecorded Eagle nest stuffed in a crack, a cave nobody seems to know about and walked around inside Pintura Peak in cracks. I've shot some OK things, but no signature image yet. Nice interior through two guest rooms in the old inn across the road. At Canyon de Chelly for a couple of nights. Great skies, but probably clear through the rest of the way. It's work, but much fun. Simply wonderful country.

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[Robert Langham]

Starting to post about the trip on my blog over at http://robertlangham.blogspot.com/

Wonderful trip for working and shooting and pretty terrific time for my wife. Petrified Forest has a VERY varied landscape and ecology. Lots of things for anyone to shoot. Film has to sit a bit waiting on the finish of other work. The Blackfork Bestiary has to be delivered for a show by November 1....

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