Thanks for taking the time to view some of my work. I really do appreciate you all in this wonderful Community of Photographers here on Substack.

A hallmark of this region is the Wax Palm trees which are characteristically tall and slender, providing dramatic vertical exclamation points across vast areas of the landscape.

My wife and I spent the day hiking on some of the many trails that take you through the hilly countryside. Some of the land is also used for farming.

As you can see, at least one horse is very friendly. I can’t speak to the disposition of the rest of the animals but they mostly displayed a certain level of indifference towards us.

Thank you for taking the time to read this post and for viewing some of my photographic work.

All photos © Bob Loudon.

These images, and my continuing attempts, are works in progress. When I am hiking in remote areas I am on the move and have neither the time nor the setup with a true panoramic camera to make single-image pano’s. So, at present, stitching together multiple images is the way to go.

Here are several examples. As is my way, I am not delving too much into the technical aspects of this. I am just curious what your impressions are of these images. However, if anyone wants the particulars please let me know in the comments below and I’ll provide more information.

As you can see, I am presenting some of the images in both color and black and white.

Cordillera Huayhuash, Ancash, Peru. © Bob Loudon.

Adolfo. Cordillera Huayhuash, Ancash, Peru ©Bob Loudon.

Duomo di Milano, Italy. ©Bob Loudon.

Nassau Point, Long Island, New York. ©Bob Loudon.

Along ruta 3N, South of Huaraz, Peru. ©Bob Loudon.

Cordillera Huayhuash, Ancash, Peru. © Bob Loudon.

Thanks for taking the time to look at these images. I welcome any constructive criticism/comments.

Gratitude

Many thanks to for suggesting that I write this article. Please check out Rebecca’s Substack for extremely helpful suggestions & insights regarding all things related to the Camino de Santiago.

Who am I?

To begin with, I would describe myself as a serious amateur photographer; I have been making photographs using various 35mm and medium format film and digital systems for over 40 years. It is not overstatement to say that photography is an all-consuming passion for me. Chances are, if you find me on the street or traveling abroad, I will have a camera in my hands.

In my professional life (prior to retirement last year), I was a biomedical researcher and professor of biology. The work I did was, perhaps not surprisingly, fairly technical and often required more than a superficial understanding of how various scientific instruments work. From this, you’d think that I was a technologically savvy person who reveled in working with gadgets and loved tinkering in the lab. In fact, I was not. For me, the devices & equipment that I used were necessary to achieve a larger goal; to address experimental questions relevant to my interests in molecular biology and biochemistry. The equipment was merely a means to an end, not an end unto itself.

Gear Heads are alright!

With photography, I’ve adopted the same mindset. Cameras and lenses are tools that, when applied in particular ways, help me express my artistic vision. Before I go on, I should be clear: this is NOT an article meant to minimize or put down those who love talking/writing about camera gear. In fact, I owe a lot to those who have discussed the virtues and drawbacks of various cameras, lenses, film stocks, developers, etc. These folks have done a lot of the hard work that I am, quite frankly, too lazy and undisciplined to do. I am forever in their debt. Their efforts have aided me in my testing and choosing specific pieces of photographic equipment for my own work.

Where I stand on the issue of “camera-tech-speak” probably has more to do with the (mis?)wiring of my brain; I will focus “enough” on the gear side of things to get me to my artistic objective. I am not inclined to dive too deeply into the technical aspects of something, though. For instance, film stocks; does it have a particular “look” I’m after? How are the shadows rendered? Or, for color film, how are the colors rendered (muted, saturated, biased towards a specific color, etc)? I’m not so much interested in the technical aspects of how I get there, just that I get there. Years ago, when I was interviewing for entrance into grad schools, I remember one professor asking me where I would place myself on a scale measuring technical & quantitative vs. qualitative (the “how” and “why”) thinking in my approach to science. An enlightening question, I thought. I told him that I’m probably somewhere in the 60-70% qualitative camp. This is consistent with the notion that I will learn enough of the technical aspects of something to help get me to answering a broader scientific question.

So, with that preamble (or is it just a ramble?) out of the way, I am about to embark on doing something I thought I’d never do: write a “gear” or a “what’s in my bag” article.

The Camino de Santiago

The context of this piece will be as a photographer walking the Camino de Santiago. The most popular of the various Camino tributaries, the Camino Francés, originates in the Pyrénées mountain village of Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and terminates in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, some 500-miles/800-kilometers away in northwestern Spain. The Camino is steeped in both religious and cultural traditions and history. In the magnificent cathedral of Santiago de Compostela, it is believed by many to hold the remains of St. James the Apostle and, thus, has for over 1000 years served as a pilgrimage destination for generations of Christian believers. As I alluded to above, the Camino Francés is but one of many routes to Santiago.

In the Spring of 2022, I walked several of these tributaries: the Camino Mozarabe which covers parts of Andalusia and Extremadura in the south of Spain, the Camino San Salvador in Asturias in northern Spain, and the Chemin du Piémont in the south of France (3 months in total; ~800 miles/~1300 km of walking). During this time, I also spent one week walking the stunning trails of the Picos de Europa.

Word for the day: Intention

Okay, so what photography gear did I bring with me on this epic journey? Well, before answering this question, I should begin by asking the reader to focus on this one word: intention.

What are your intentions in terms of the kind of trip you want to have and, more specifically, what are your photographic intentions? Is it critical that you travel light and fast? Are you interested in photographing the people you meet along the way, a few scenic photos perhaps, but doing these things without the encumbrance of large & heavy camera gear? If so, maybe a small, compact point-and-shoot camera or your cell phone is the way to go.

Or, are your photographic intentions more involved? Do you want to have more flexibility composing images using a zoom lens? Do you want higher resolution images for making large prints? Are you someone for whom image quality is paramount? For me, the latter was more important. I had a very specific set of photo-centric objectives that I felt would be best met using a mirrorless camera system:

• Document some of the Semana Santa processions (part of my Camino fell on Holy Week) and other local festivals in Andalusia.

• Landscape photography.

• Make portraits of some of the folks I met along the way.

• The longer-range goal was to build a travel photography portfolio that I could incorporate into my website, social media, and for making prints.

Note: All of the photos posted here were made using the camera gear described in this article. I’d like to think that this shows what is possible, photographically speaking, with a two-camera/two-lens kit when used to capture special moments on the Camino. Importantly, however, this doesn’t mean that you can’t generate great photos with a lighter, simpler kit. As with anything in photography, it’s the photographer not the gear that matters most.

The List

Finally! Here is the list of gear I brought and carried with me (I will present the list and then discuss why I chose what I chose. Note: I am not endorsing any particular brand. I make no money from mentioning specific companies or products):

• Two full-frame mirrorless camera bodies: both Sony a7Riii.

• Two zoom lenses:

  • Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 GM (wide-angle zoom lens)

  • Sony 70-200mm f/4 G (telephoto zoom lens)

• Accessories (six batteries, sensor cleaning wipes, lens brush, extra SD memory cards, battery charger, CP filters).

• Peak Design Capture clip (this allows me to attach one camera onto my backpack strap for easy and quick access while I’m walking).

• Two Hyperlite mountain gear camera pods/bags (light, waterproof camera bags that can be clipped onto your backpack or carried on the side with a strap. Not shown in the photo below).

• Euro plug adapter.

• NewQ File Hub travel router.

• 2TB Extreme Sandisk portable external hard drive.

• Total photography kit weight = 13 lbs/~5.9 Kg

• Grand total weight (photo. kit + backpack, clothing, water, etc.) = just under 30 lbs/13.6 Kg

Photo: My camera gear. Full disclosure: I have upgraded my two cameras from a7Riii’s to a Sony a7RV and a Sony a1 (both pictured here). Also, the Sony 16-35mm f/2.8 lens is the newer GM II version which is slightly smaller and lighter than the older GM version. The Sony 70-200mm f/4 pictured is also the newer G OSS II version; again, slightly more compact and lighter vs. the previous version of this lens.

Photo: perhaps you can see the Peak Design Capture clip holding one of the cameras on my backpack strap. Taken near Cordoba on the Camino Mozarabe. April 2022.

Did what I brought on the Camino work for me?

In the real world, intention often crashes head-long into reality. I still had to pack and carry the camera gear necessary to meet my objectives. Clearly, an almost 30-pound pack weight is not going to work for everyone. I met people on the Camino (no cameras, mind you) who walked with only 15 lbs of pack weight. The upper limit on what is acceptable or possible will be different for each person. That said, for me 30 lbs. was acceptable. However, one rule applied here: whatever I brought with me had to include gear that I would use frequently; not just occasionally but most of the time. This is important; you don’t want to bring gear that you might only use once or even a handful of times. For me, carrying an extra lens or lenses for 3 months would’ve been unacceptable and worse make my walk undoable. As a then-62-year-old, the added unnecessary weight would’ve been too much for my body (this is even more the case now in 2026!).

But what about that wonderful 35mm f/1.4 prime lens with beautiful bokeh that I love using for portraits or that 300mm f/2.8 telephoto lens that I could use to capture images of animals or far-off mountains? Wonderful lenses to have, but they are heavy and, based on how I do photography, these lenses would just weigh me down and/or limit my options in terms of changing focal length for a given circumstance. So, I had to balance intention with reality.

I wanted to be able to have enough flexibility to photograph landscapes and people without breaking my back or permanently damaging my knees. So, my suggestion is when planning your trip (ANY trip, not just the Camino), make sure you know what your intentions are and then balance that with the reality of what you can carry AND are willing to carry on a long walk such as the Camino. If you rent a car or have an assistant who can carry your gear (or an understanding, loving life partner) then maybe you can expand your kit somewhat by including several additional lenses and cameras. If you’re walking the Camino, chances are you won’t have a car or an assistant at your disposal. So, less is more. In practice, it is better to have one or two flexible options. This “limitation” in gear also makes choosing a lens much easier since you aren’t wasting time deciding which lens, among four or five different ones, to use. Keep things simple.

The two zoom lenses I brought also provided me with maximum flexibility in terms of focal length. The trade off is that these lenses are heavier and larger than many prime lenses. In my case, having the two camera bodies and these two zoom lenses provided me with a level of flexibility and a “weight penalty” that I could live with. Also, having a telephoto zoom with a maximum aperture of f/4 means the lens is smaller and lighter compared to an f/2.8 version of the same telephoto zoom.

So let me play devil’s advocate for a second: From the list, you can see that I brought two cameras. Why not one camera so I can travel lighter? Well, since I was going to be on the trail for 3 months, I felt it important to have a back-up body. Imagine doing the trip of your life and then your one camera dies or is stolen. Also, I could pair each camera with one of the two lenses I brought. This meant that I didn’t have to change lenses on each camera which, as any photographer will tell you, means less chance of getting dirt and/or dust on the camera’s sensor.

Also, there is a seemingly trivial feature of the cameras I use that I insist upon; I prefer using cameras that have two memory card slots instead of one. Why does this matter? The issue has to do with backing up your work. With two cards in the camera, I can set up the camera to save the image files onto both cards simultaneously. This means that, if one of the cards crashes, I still have my photos backed up on the second card. In actuality, I’ve never had a memory card fail on me but that doesn’t mean it can’t or won’t happen at some point. Saving your images onto two memory cards in parallel means you have a way of backing up your work without the necessity of doing so with a computer or external hard drive.

For the extremely paranoid who absolutely, positively must have additional layers of redundancy (or who are doing paid work for a client) there are relatively new systems that allow for backing up image files without needing a computer to do so. The NewQ File Hub travel router allows for wireless backup of image files on an SD memory card while avoiding the need to bring along a laptop computer. This is the set up I use when I want that added level of redundancy for backing up my work. Note: I didn’t have this when I did my Camino in 2022, but it’s a part of my kit now (I’ve included the travel router and a 2TB Extreme Sandisk portable external hard drive in the camera gear photo above so you can see how small/compact they are).

What works for me might not work for you

If you ask any photographer what he or she might bring on such a journey as the Camino (or any trip), I dare say you’ll get many different answers. It’s all a matter of what you can live with and what you want to accomplish with your photography. For me, this two-camera, two-lens combo works great. Were there times I wished I carried less gear? Probably, but in terms of what this allowed me to achieve I have absolutely no regrets. If you search the Internet, you’ll find photographers who insist on a one-camera, one-lens kit. You’ll find photographers that swear by a 50mm lens. The solutions are many and varied and, as stated above, it comes down to what your intentions are and what you’re willing to live (or walk) with. After many years of trying different camera + lens combinations, I have a pretty clear idea of what works for me. What works for you might be different and the only way you’ll know is to assess how you photograph the world around you. It is important to know how you “see” the world.

Landscape photographers of a certain age will remember Galen Rowell. For all of the amazing, iconic photos he made in some of the most rugged, inaccessible parts of the planet, Rowell often carried a minimal (translate = LIGHT WEIGHT) kit. He’s famous for saying that 90% of his photographs in the mountains could’ve been made with a 24mm lens and an 80-200mm lens. In fact, Rowell’s interests typically rested more with technical mountain climbing rather than making photographs. He’d rather have access to a place more than bring lots of photo gear along to capture it. If the shear weight of the gear prevented him from doing so, he left it at home. In short, his main intention was to experience a place more than photographing it.

As for me, the two-cameras/two-lenses combination worked so well that I brought a similar kit with me to the Cordillera Huayhuash circuit in northern Peru last year. Trekking at high elevations for 3 weeks was the most physically challenging thing I ever did. This was a once-in-a-lifetime adventure and my feeling was that I wanted to make photographs that I could enjoy and be proud of. Again, no regrets.

We have options….

The good news about all of this is that, now more than ever, photographers have so many different camera systems from which to choose. A popular alternative to what I used are the so-called crop-sensor cameras and all of the major manufacturers of cameras (Nikon, Sony, Fujifilm, etc.) sell these. The main advantage of such a system is that the camera bodies and lenses tend to be smaller and lighter than the full-frame varieties. As with anything, there are trade-offs and, once more, it boils down to what you can live with (or not). On a related note, when I walked the Camino Francés in 2017, I brought only one camera (a Leica M10 rangefinder) plus three compact M-mount lenses (Leica 21/3.4 Super Elmar, 35/2 Summicron and 90mm/4 Elmar tele); a much smaller kit than what I use now, but you can still do a lot with it.

In case you’re interested in seeing more photos from my 2022 Camino, you can check out my website: https://bobloudonphotography.com/camino-mozarabe-2022

I’d be curious to know what your thought process is on this. Please feel free to include your comments below. Thanks very much for your time. I hope this was helpful.

All photos © Bob Loudon.

Fast forward to the 1930s when plans for the 1939-40 World’s Fair were being drawn up. These plans included using the area for this major international event with the theme of “The World of Tomorrow”, which would showcase some of the technological advances of the day and provide futuristic visions of society.

Civic improvement projects followed and the development of a large city park with walking paths and recreational fields began to take shape. City planners, led by Parks Commissioner Robert Moses, spearheaded an effort to develop the park further in order to host another World’s Fair, this time the 1964-65 version with the more socially conscious theme of “Peace Through Understanding”.

Many of the iconic structures associated with the park, such as the Unisphere, the New York Hall of Science, and the Marina on Flushing Bay, were either built or expanded for this event and a number of these structures still stand to this day. For tennis lovers, the park includes the site of the the U.S. Open Tennis Championships.

On many occasions, I have used this place as my photographic muse and to walk a 10-mile loop from my house, through the Park, and then back home again.

New York has, like all big cities, its share of problems but the one thing I think this town gets right is its system of city parks. Everyone knows about Central Park in Manhattan; it is a must-visit destination when you arrive in NYC. In fact, it is hard to think of a single place that is more iconically “New York” than Central Park.

That said, I have come to know and appreciate several of the parks in the borough of Queens and I try to spend time in these places as often as I can.

The Unisphere as viewed from the Freedom of the Human Spirit monument (below, 1 image):

________

The New York State Pavilion (below, 3 images):

________

Views down one of the tree-lined avenues of the park (below, 2 images):

________

The Unisphere in Springtime (below, 1 image):

________

The Unisphere with the fountains flowing on a hot Summer’s day (below, 1 image):

________

Maloof Skate Park (below, 5 images): The park is popular with skateboarders. I don’t know much about the local community of skateboarders, but the guys I interacted with were very friendly and extremely passionate about their sport.

________

Meadow Lake Bridge (below, 1 image):

________

Shoes (below, 1 image):

________

The Marina (below, 1 image):

________

The Unisphere is a popular meeting point and place to hang out (below, 3 images):

All photos © Bob Loudon

Flushing Meadows Corona Park, Queens, New York City. © Bob Loudon

“The camera helps you, but the engine is your heart or your head. Having silver cutlery is not gonna make your food taste any better” ~Cristina Garcia Rodero

New York City subway. © Bob Loudon

“If you don’t have anything to say, your photographs aren’t going to say much”. ~Gordon Parks

Coney Island, Brooklyn, NYC. © Bob Loudon

I’ve been lucky to have met some of my photography “heroes” over the years. One of most influential of these for me is the photojournalist, Peter Turnley, who has photographed many of the most important world events over the past 50 years (if you read Newsweek magazine back in the day, chances are you’ve seen some of Peter’s work. Peter likes to point out that his photographs have graced the cover of Newsweek 43 times).

Coney Island, Brooklyn, NYC. © Bob Loudon

Peter is one of the great “humanist” photographers alive and he fits the mold of the legends such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Doisneau, Edouard Boubat, André Kertesz, & Josef Koudelka, all of whom have served as mentors to Peter at various points in his career.

Baiona, Spain. © Bob Loudon

In addition to having a great innate ability to sniff out relevant stories and reveal the Human Condition through his images, Peter is also a superb educator of photography and he taught me two important truths concerning photography.

Manhattan, NYC. © Bob Loudon

The first truth is, be comfortable with the notion that you are a photographer. It may be street, it may be landscapes, it may be travel but, whatever you are drawn to photographically, you are a photographer plain and simple.

Cartagena, Colombia. © Bob Loudon

Sounds simple enough but, years ago, I was hesitant to claim this title for my very own for a long time. I felt that I didn’t have the credentials required. I’d never been hired by a prestigious photo agency, never published a photo book. I hadn’t even won any photo competitions (BTW, all of these things are still true). Nevertheless, it shouldn’t have prevented me from thinking of myself as a photographer. I was too concerned with how others defined the word, I suppose. Claiming ownership of the title was an important step in my growth as a photographer.

Jackson Heights, Queens, NYC. © Bob Loudon

Walnut Street Bridge, Philadelphia © Bob Loudon

City Hall, Philadelphia © Bob Loudon

Washington Square Park, Manhattan, NYC. © Bob Loudon

I wonder how many selfies Mona is in? Many, to be sure. The Louvre, Paris, France. © Bob Loudon

Paris, France. © Bob Loudon

Paris, France. © Bob Loudon

Once I started believing that I was, in fact, a photographer, there was a certain freedom associated with it. For me, adopting this approach eventually led to explorations into various kinds of photography. I now understand that I need not restrict myself to one kind of photography for my own sake or for someone else’s.

To be sure, the type of photography one ventures into will often bring with it particular challenges. Travel & landscape photography, for instance, might include things like unanticipated travel logistics, poor weather conditions, high-altitude trekking & physical conditioning (see below), overcoming language barriers, dealing with temperamental people, dealing with temperamental animals, loss, theft, and/or damage to camera equipment, etc.

Cordillera Huayhuash, Ancash, Peru. © Bob Loudon

I am not young anymore. Embarking on a 3-week trek in the Peruvian Andes recently was probably the single most physically challenging thing I’ve ever done. Preparations and training for high-altitude trekking was extensive and absolutely necessary to get my 65-year-old body ready for such an arduous adventure, despite the fact that I have done many long-distance walks and have been hiking/camping for over 40 years.

Salkantey Trek, Cusco, Peru. © Bob Loudon

Yet, despite these challenges, a willingness to explore different avenues of visual expression has helped me to mature as a photographer and as a person. Spending 3 weeks with several Peruvians who guided & fed me and transported my camping and photography gear over rugged terrain provided ample opportunities to learn from them things about their country’s history, indigenous languages & cultures, and daily life experiences. As a bonus, I learned more dirty words in Spanish during that time than I ever had before or since, but I also saw how hard these guys work and I learned about grace, generosity, camaraderie, endurance, and even gained friendships that continue to this day. Spending extended time in a particular place very much unlike my own allowed me to acquire new insights and ways of seeing things emotionally and visually (see the Second Truth below….).

Cordillera Huayhuash, Ancash, Peru. © Bob Loudon

Cordillera Huayhuash, Ancash, Peru. © Bob Loudon

I had similar experiences while walking roughly 800 miles through parts of Spain and France over three months several years ago. It was physically demanding but I was able to immerse myself in the vibrant cultures of Asturias in Northern Spain and Andalusia & Extremadura in the South.

La Calahorra, Spain. Camino Mozarabe. © Bob Loudon

The second truth is, Photography must come from your life experiences and from the things that matter most to you. Camera gear, while important, is secondary.

La Calahorra, Spain. Camino Mozarabe. © Bob Loudon

Peregrino. La Calahorra, Spain. Camino Mozarabe. © Bob Loudon

Peregrina. La Calahorra, Spain. Camino Mozarabe. © Bob Loudon

I’ve discovered that photographers like Peter, when you talk with them, will rarely focus on the gear they use but, instead, emphasize the importance of living life and allowing the experiences gained to inform and guide your photography.

They also emphasize keeping your eyes and heart open and to anticipate that something beautiful will happen. I love this idea. This mindset should not be trivialized. Many of the humanist photographers of the last century lived through major conflicts. For many, the Second World War was the defining moment in their lives (think Cartier-Bresson, Boubat, Lee Miller, Robert Capa, W. Eugene Smith, to name just a few) and the notion of seeking beauty & grace in their work was, in fact, a counter response to the horrors that many of these individuals saw and experienced in war. Peter Turnley documented the Bosnian War, the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, and Chechnya, as well as countless natural disasters and famines, and his expressed desire to photograph aspects of the Human Condition that promote love, grace, respect, & beauty are, in large part, his humanist response to the darkness he witnessed as a photojournalist covering these horrific events.

Shepherd near Logroño, Spain. Camino de Santiago (Francés). © Bob Loudon

Semana Santa, Baena, Andalusia, Spain © Bob Loudon

Semana Santa, Baena, Andalusia, Spain © Bob Loudon

Semana Santa. Alcaracejos, Andalusia, Spain. Camino Mozarabe. © Bob Loudon

Semana Santa. Alcaracejos, Andalusia, Spain. Camino Mozarabe. © Bob Loudon

“The single most important component of a camera is the twelve inches behind it.” ~Ansel Adams

True confession, here: I’ll admit to a certain level of gear-hoarding; my extensive collection of current & older digital, 35mm and medium format film cameras far exceeds what any one photographer truly needs. Yet, I find myself drawn to the history and soul of vintage equipment, and I do use (nearly) every one of these cameras when I’m out and about. That said, I still firmly agree with dear Ansel’s quote above.

Finisterre, Galicia, Spain. Camino de Santiago (Francés). © Bob Loudon

Well, if you’re still reading this tome, then thank you very much for your time and patience. I hope you found something useful here. If you like what you see and read, please consider subscribing to my page and sharing it.

New York City Skyline (Manhattan view from Hunters Point, Queens), Long exposure. © Bob Loudon

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The “white tree” of Cares. Ruta del Cares.

Late afternoon along the road from Tielve.

Moonrise over the Picos.

A calf sticks close to his mother. Along the trail to Sotres

Picu Uriellu towers over a dilapidated shepherd’s shed. Along the trail from Bulnes.

Ruta del Cares.

Ruta del Cares.

Along the road from Tielve.

Ruta del Cares.

Bulnes.

Ruta del Cares.

Ruta del Cares.

Picu Uriellu basks in the afternoon sun. The view from Póo de Cabrales.

All photos © Bob Loudon

Picu Uriellu (in Asturian) or Naranjo de Bulnes (in Spanish) at sunset.

There is a poem originally written in defense of the Asturian name given to this mountain:

“No me llames Naranjo / que yo frutos no puedo dar; / llámame Picu Urriellu / que es mi nombre natural”. (Spanish)

“Don’t call me Naranjo (orange) / for I cannot bear fruit; / call me Picu Urriellu / for that is my natural name.” (English translation)

Morning mist begins to lift along the Ruta del Cares.

Spring wildflowers brighten the view along the Ruta del Cares.

It’s a cows life at the Lagos de Covadonga.

Early evening light on the return from Lagos de Covadonga.

The day’s last sun rays illuminate the tops of the trees on the road from Tielve.

All photos © Bob Loudon.

Salkantay trek, Peru.

Salkantay trek, Peru.

Uros Islands, Lake Titicaca, Peru.

Porto, Portugal.

Cartagena, Colombia.

Manhattan, New York.

Central Park, Manhattan, New York.

Berlin, Germany.

All photos © Bob Loudon.

All photos © Bob Loudon.

And so I give you trees. Most of the photos here are ones I made while walking the Camino Mozarabe in Southern Spain and the Chemin de Piémont in France.

Andalusia, Spain.

Andalusia, Spain.

Andalusia, Spain.

Valle de Cocora, Colombia.

Andalusia, Spain.

Andalusia, Spain.

Andalusia, Spain.

Chemin de Piémont, France.

Chemin de Piémont, France.

Chemin de Piémont, France.

Paris, France.

All photos © Bob Loudon.

All photos © Bob Loudon.

Outside of those who practiced photography (and there are some that still do) using, by comparison, very old techniques (like cyanotype, wet plate collodion, photogravure, gum bichromate, etc.) film was “it” back in the day for still photography.

I’ve adopted an “ecumenical” philosophy about photography. Clearly, there is room for multiple avenues of artistic expression. I would argue that film and digital can, and have, existed in peaceful co-existence. If there’s a problem with one or the other, I don’t see it. As with many things in life, there are pros and cons, pluses and minuses, advantages and disadvantages. It all boils down to what one prefers in terms of his or her artistic tastes.

There are many who have expounded on the virtues of film photography in ways that are far more articulate and interesting than I ever could. That said, I love the medium and so long as my eyes, body, cameras, and film stocks last (all are required in concerto) I shall continue making film photos.

Most of the images shared here were ones I made using a Leica M6, Nikons (various bodies: FM2n, FM3a, FG, F3), Pentax MX and, for medium format, a Rolleiflex f2.8 Planar or Hasselblad 500cm. Film stocks vary and I won’t bore you any further with my choices (mostly the common varieties of Ilford and Kodak), but if anyone’s interested, just ask in the comments or send me a message and I will provide more specific information.

The theme with this selection is Nature & Family.

With one exception, all of the images were made using black and white stocks. The last photo was one I made with the Rolleiflex f2.8 Planar loaded with the Fujichrome Velvia 50.

All photos ©Bob Loudon.

All photos © Bob Loudon

For the better part of two weeks in September 2023, my wife and I hiked and Kayaked in some of the most beautiful parts of Southern Utah including Bryce Canyon & Zion National Parks, Monument Valley, Valley of the Gods, the San Juan River near the town of Bluff, and Cedar Breaks National Monument which is situated between Bryce & Zion NPs.

Cedar Breaks National Monument is described as a “one-half-mile-deep geologic amphitheater” with incredible hiking trails and views.

Looking down into the amphitheater from the ridge line.

Another view into the amphitheater.

Maria hiking on the Ramparts Trail towards Spectra Point.

Ramparts Overlook at the top of the photo (above).

Hiking along a section of the Ramparts Trail.

In addition to the incredible geological formations that define this place, Cedar Breaks also is home to some of the most hardy flora you’ll find anywhere. The landscape contains Bristlecone Pine, Douglas Fir, as well as several other species of Fir, Pine, and Spruce trees. Upon observing the twisted, almost tortured appearance of these trees one will notice the forces of nature that have sculpted them into such beautiful, otherworldly forms.

These trees are marvelous examples of survival despite the physical forces (heavy winds, snow & ice, high elevation [almost 11,000 ft.]) and lean soil that typify this part of the world.

A three-headed monster.

Wood sheared in such a way that it could be mistaken for bird feathers.

A “framed” view of the opposite side ridge of the amphitheater.

Maria passes a tree that looks as if it is extending tentacles to catch her.

Near Ramparts Overlook.

All photos © Bob Loudon.

In this photo, Papi was 100 years of age (thankfully, he’s still with us and going strong and will be 102 later this month [January]) and he is holding 4-month old Maya.

All in all, a span of four generations.

© Bob Loudon

Chinese New Year celebration in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, NYC a few years back.

© Bob Loudon

© Bob Loudon

© Bob Loudon