sequoia national park, ca

The Sequoia National Park is yet another amazing place in America where Nature thrives. The sequoias themselves are astonishing. Their bark is an unusual reddish brown colour and they're so tall you can barely see where they end. Some of the largest trees' branches alone would have made fairly large trees. Photos don't do them justice. I borrowed a panorama photograph but even so, it's a lot more impressive to see all of this live. For a sense of scale, the fifth picture was taken inside a dead sequoia.

By the end of the day we were all exhausted, but my father and I had one last challenge to take on: the Moro Rock trail. We climbed the last 100m to the top of the dome to see the most beautiful sights of the day.

diaries // october '14

October was actually pretty good. 

(I may be biased, but oh well.) 

☺

1. lunch // 2. brigadeiro i // 3.amsterdam, prague and bratislava

4. a favourite print // 5. m // 6. flower

7. birthday pictures i // 8. rooftop // 9. popcorn

10. snail mail from paris // 11. brigadeiro ii // 12. coincidentally halloween-y

13. tungsten film // 14.birthday pictures ii  // 15. boo!

11 facts + 11 questions

I was tagged by Sara from Eternally Wonderlust for the Liebster Award, a tag where you're supposed to write 11 facts about yourself and answer 11 questions. A bit lengthier than usual, but here's a different kind of post, for a change.

11 FACTS

1. My favourite cameras are my SX-70 and my Zenit E (which sadly needs replacement!)

2. I'm currently learning French.

3. I have a Project Life album I try to update weekly.

4. I collect postcards from around the world. Most of them were either bought in my own travels or brought by loved ones from theirs. So far, I've collected postcards from 35 countries and many more cities.

5. I love travelling.

6. Studio Ghibli has made some of my favourite films.

7. Favourite shows atm: The Big Bang Theory and Legend of Korra

8. I'm looking into developing my own film because the cost per roll would decrease by more than 50%.

9. I want to try peel-apart photography.

10. One time I found a really cool-looking tin box with a vintage ad by Coca Cola in it and ever since, every now and then, my mother spots a retro themed tin box and brings it home for me.

11. I have a sweet tooth.

11 QUESTIONS

1. Who's behind the blog?

My name is Carolina and I am from Portugal.

2. Studies?

My academic background is scientific.

3. Why did you create your blog?

The main focus here is photography, and whilst I had a Flickr account already, I wanted a place to share other kinds of content. Bits & pieces, artists that I keep finding... I wanted a place for photography that felt a little bit more personal and where I'd have complete freedom.

4. How long have you had your blog for?

I created my blog in July 2013.

5. Which blogger would you like to meet in real life?

Probably Nirrimi Hakanson, from The Road is Home. I've been following her work for 6 years already. We're close in age but we're from very different walks of life. I'd be curious to have a chat with her.

6. What is a quote that speaks to you?
"To practise any art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow. So do it." - Kurt Vonnegut

7. What are your favourite clothes stores?

Zara and Mango.

8. Style-wise, do you have an inspiration?
Here's my two cents: If it fits their personality and if they look good in it, that's cool. So most of the times, I'm not on the lookout for fashion I can see myself in, but imagery that makes sense. I guess I may nonetheless tend towards a certain style, but it's pretty casual and mostly simple, actually.

9. Are you addicted to social media?

I like to keep it organized and mainly keep accounts that I do use. I also prefer social media that doesn't require constant attention. So I just choose the ones that work for me and stick with them.

10. Which countries would you like to visit?

In my wildest dreams I'd go everywhere, but to name a few specific places... Austria, Switzerland, Japan and Iceland.

11. What do you think of the blog that tagged you?

I love the clean aesthetics and the travel photos of Sara's blog. I've been following it for a while.

yosemite, ca

First and foremost, I'd like to apologise for the fact there will be no "diaries" post for September. Most of my daily snapshots are taken with my phone and during this past month I had a problem with the camera. I wish this series would go uninterrupted, but it is as it is. 

Let's get back on subject though, shall we? Because I have a confession to make. I had been anticipating Yosemite for literally months. It was one of the places I was most eager to see, to experience and to photograph. We spent a day there but I could have easily been there for the whole week and never get tired of the views and everything it had to offer. I could never imagine the immensity had I not seen it with my own two eyes. In America, everything is so big and far apart that you almost forget how Humans tamper with Nature. This was a haven. I've never been keen on camping, but for this place I would have made an exception.

san francisco, ca

We left Seattle and flew in to San Francisco. I have to say that coming away from this trip, I realise this was one of my favourite stops. It was diverse, huge and visually stunning. Whenever I think about the cities I saw, San Francisco lingers the longest in my mind. 

The arquitecture was both interesting and colourful, Being used to a certain kind of arquitectural aesthetics that regardless of its European charm, mostly sticks to neutrals, the colours easily caught my eye. Sometimes the houses would be a flamboyant combination of colours and odd shapes. Others, they'd form one long street of houses alike in faded tones of blue, pink, yellow and every other tint you can imagine.

What I loved the most, however, is how the city really keeps you busy. Pier 39, Haight Street, the Ghirardelli Square, Chinatown (by far the most enthralling I've ever been to), the Golden Gate Park and its museums (and the Conservatory of Flowers that won me over completely)... Quite honestly I can't even name half of it. I feel like it would take me forever to run out of things to do and see in a place like this. And of course, with the Golden Gate Bridge and the cable cars it also reminds me a little bit of home. If I ever live in America, I hope it's in San Francisco.

seattle, wa

After Vancouver, we headed to Seattle. Our stay there was short but sweet. The weather pretty much varied between a slight drizzle to a downright downpour though - no wonder they call Washington the evergreen state. But while the rain did cause a few setbacks, we still had a wonderful time. We visited the Museum of Flight, the Space Needle, the Public Market, the EMP Museum... The museums were particularly interesting. The EMP Museum was, in my humble opinion, one of the coolest museums I have ever visited. A truly modern space dedicated to music, pop-culture and sci-fi. It's full of memorabilia, some pieces of art, some great hands-on exhibits... And everything was presented in a creative, engrossing manner. The Museum of Flight is basically an old Boeing factory full of airplanes from all countries and all times. They even had the Concorde and the NASA FTT. Still, it was most impressive to see the impact that the Wars had on aviation. A few years really did push technology forward. Sad motivation, but remarkable in its way.