Explore Landscapes #132
Shooting the Anza-Borrego Badlands (from Fonts Point) on Kodak T-Max 100 black and white film with my Mamiya RZ67.
Fonts Point Badlands, Anza-Borrego Desert State Park | © 2026 Jon Norris
October 2026 | Anza-Borrego Desert State Park | Joshua Tree National Park | New York | Orlando
I started the month off in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. I was there to volunteer for the Birds of Anza-Borrego class, organized by the Joshua Tree National Park Association’s Desert Institute, and led by Professor Kurt Leuschner.
I’m quite new to birding. I learnt so much over the weekend, but realized that I have so much more to learn. Kurt is a font of knowledge and makes these classes fun and very informative. Over the weekend we spotted 50+ different bird species … and a coyote.
The highlight for me was spotting a Great Horned Owl. It was so close that it filled my binoculars—and it’s intimidating yellow-eyes stared straight back at me.
After a busy September it was lovely to set up camp at the Arroyo Salado Primitive Campground—which I had to myself for both nights that I was there. It was relaxing to be off-grid, with time to just enjoy being out in the wilderness, hiking, birding, reading, and waking/sleeping with the sun.
I even found a few hours to head off-road to Fonts Point to shoot 2 rolls of Kodak T-Max 100 black and white film on my Mamiya RZ67. This month’s picture is my favorite from that shoot.
The light was harsh, but I liked how it accentuated the steep slopes, ravines and gullies that had been eroded in the sedimentary rocks. These contrasted with the sandy washes that snake their way into the distance.
The following weekend I was in Joshua Tree for the Dark Sky Festival—volunteering again for the Desert Institute. Unfortunately the weather didn’t play ball for the main event on the Saturday night that saw complete cloud coverage preventing any stargazing.
Then I had back-to-back work trips to New York and Orlando—with the flip-flopping of time zones doing a number on my body clock. I don’t know why, but that 3-hour time difference between the West and East coasts really hits me.
