Saguaro National Park, c 1991
This photo was taken the same day as the picture from my previous post; a warm March sunset six weeks before these cactuses typically bloom. In those days, I’d have to pick up a cooler and bags of ice to keep the film from getting ruined on hot days. And there was a second ritual of asking to have my film passed around the x-ray machine at the airport. When 120 film cameras became scarce in the 2000’s, the airport ordeal moved up to a higher level of complexity.
JOHN TODARO 
U2 should have asked you to shoot the front of The Joshua Tree album instead of Anton Corbijn! Lovely greys!!
Thanks Chris – you made me laugh. It is a great album cover so I’m going to have to disagree 🙂
He is not a bad photographer indeed, one of my favs.
Those smooth tones are gorgeous! Saguaro NP is a beautiful spot and represents the southwest as well as anywhere. I hope you have more as these two have me wanting to go back.
Thanks, nicely said. Saguaro NP may not have the monumental landscape of the Grand Canyon but it’s certainly as iconic
Excellent, John! Love the framing and amazing details.
Many thanks Harrie!
I love the drama of these, and the immaculate processing.
I never used to worry too much about X-rays, at least with normal speed films and just an outward and return pass. But the latest generation of airport CT scanners are pretty much guaranteed to damage film of any speed in one or two passes. UK airports are notoriously uncooperative about hand searches, so I’ve reconciled myself to the sad situation that analog photography is no longer compatible with air travel.
Agree. The last few times I tried to travel with film resulted in getting pulled off the line for lengthy inspections. As I recall, there was just as much concern about my Hasselblad equipment as there was with the film. By 2010 those cameras were rarely seen anymore…
Such gorgeous tones! Of course, the angle and composition are really exciting but in the end it’s those tones, wow. Very nice light, too. I don’t have to tell you that it was wroth dealing with the ice, the coolers, and the airport security. 🙂
Of the five images in this series this one stands out for working well in color too. The warm light from sunset is pretty much masked in bw. Maybe I’ll post it in a few weeks…
I’d love to see that – any time you can see photos in two versions tends to be interesting.
Brilliant picture that pays tribute to the amazing saguaro that the Tohono O’Odham consider people. Then there’s that alluring desert sky. Close your eyes. Smell the creosote?
I miss the fragrance. Thanks for the comment bro