This new wordpress layout still sucks.
Perhaps that’s the reason I haven’t felt like writing anything here. Perhaps is because I’ve been busy as fuck (or so it feels, but then I realize I’m not).
Perhaps I don’t have much to write…
I’m fucking 35 now.
I feel old as shit.
Bahahaha!
For a while, I would look at myself in the mirror and just laugh.
I tried to be a character. I thought I would be able to last the whole year. I couldn’t.
Here are my chachachanges.
Too many pictures.
Could have been just one post. Could have used less pictures. Oh well. I find my facial hair funny.
When I got the haircute and shave, I couldn’t stop laughing. I also couldn’t stop playing with my shitty whiskers and do shitty braids with them.
Matingas the character.
That was the idea.
Be more eccentric. Almost all girls told me to shave that shit off.
Not to compared myself to Dalí, but I’m pretty sure his buddies or girlfriends told him to shave the ridiculous mustache…
Oeee!
What a week I had.
I stopped writing. This new WordPress still annoys the fuck out of me. WordPress. Please go back to what you used to be. Or at least fix all the glitches… I’m constantly terrified of losing everything I’ve written.
Oeee!
What a week I had.
I’ll post the best picture:
10 second exposure at 3200 ISO. I don’t like going over 1600 ISO, much less on a 7D, but I did and it was fantastic. Some of the wood is a bit over exposed. I blame a white paper. I lit it up with my iPhone. Single exposure.
I need better gear.
Oeee!
But what a week!
Or more like those two days.
The border has been a mess. It gives me horrible anxiety when I think about crossing it. And like always, I had to, for work. It’s Sunday today, it should bet he worst day for it. It’s calm.
Fucking border.
But I crossed on Thursday. Should be calm as well. It was really backed up, but it moved along nicely. It took me around 2 hours to cross and I was early. I had time to pick camping supplies.
Got to my gig early as well. It was one of the most challenging yet fun gigs I’ve done in a long time. Taking pictures of two girls on a speedboat while I am myself on a fucking speedboat. Small ass speedboats. Not nice big ones. Barely enough space for two people. And I was there. With a lot of gear. At least in the Pelican case. Those things are reliable as fuck. I shot around 600 frames. From bouncing around, a lot of them either are horrible cropped or blurry. I edited down to 200. One of them will be the cover. The rest are just for fun. At least a dozen are killer. And another dozen are extras that had nothing to with the story.
Those pictures later.
We got done at around 7 pm. I had scheduled work for the following morning and there was no way I was going to cross back.
I had the idea to go camping in Anza Borrego because a writer of the Reader also mentioned stargazing over there. Waxing Gibbous moon, cloudy skies, and more threaten the possibility of getting a killer shot. But I went for it. Short drive the felt long. Less than 90 miles away but with winding roads that made it long and tiresome.
I wanted to shoot the Milky Way at Galleta Meadows where they have random giant statues of animals. The idea was to align the galaxy with a statue. Because of the moon, the galaxy wasn’t going to show itself until almost 3:00 a.m.
I got to Galleta Meadows around 9:00 pm and saw a sign that said “no camping.” It said more. Like “we welcome photographers.”
But no camping.
That was my plan.
To setup camp next to a statue.
I panicked. I didn’t know what to do. I searched for nearby camping spots and found Anza Borrego State Park. I was hoping it would be free, but it was $25 for campsite. A waste to do by myself, super cheap if you go with friends. The campsite is lovely as well. Nice picnic table. Running water. Ok bathrooms. Bigger bathrooms in other areas. Nice trails. Fire pit and a grill.
Definitely want to go back and worth the $25 though you are sleeping on the ground.
It even gave me the fantasy of becoming a park ranger (and they are hiring). Get paid to live hike and make sure California is alright. Sounds awesome.
I setup camp with the help of Donatella (my car). I borrowed a nice tent from my brother instead of the usual small crappy one I have (which is also my brother’s). Wind was a bitch, but I managed to setup a nice camp with double sleeping bags and double bed to make sure it was cushy. I also swung by Klover Dispensary to pick-up a $10 pre-roll. It lit unevenly and I regret it a bit, but it did it’s magic. I opened a beer (Modern Times 4-Pack), setup the tripod, and started shooting.
My favorite of the first shots, illuminated by Waxing Gibbous moon.
Then the best one. There are a bunch of best ones. But this was probably the bestest one. I English very good.
And finally, experimenting with light.
I tried several things with the flash. Putting it on different settings. Discovered that in some settings, the flash only fires when the shutter opens, other when it closes, and the usual fires in both instances. If you are near, it over exposes by a lot, but if you are far, it still overexposes but it is rescuable. I wonder what I can do with the Elinchrom and dark skies. I was going to bring them, but it was going to be way too much work.
I went to bed after playing with my camera for a while, drinking a couple of beers, and eating a couple of po’boy sandwiches. I setup my alarm for 2:30 a.m., 3:30 a.m., and 5:30 a.m. I woke up every hour or so without the need for an alarm.
Didn’t sleep much, but little I got, I slept alright. It was windy as f. But I slept alright. Especially for being completely out of my comfort zone.
At around 2:25 a.m. I noticed the moon was finally gone and saw the Milky Way to my left. It was time to get up and shoot. I took a couple dozen. The one I posted is near the last ones I took. There are more though!
If you want to see ALL my pictures and exclusive text and MORE soon… SUBSCRIBE to my Patreon.
Yes. I’m still working on that….
I woke up at dawn without the need for an alarm again. I thought I could perhaps catch some Milky Way mixed with sun at dawn, but it was already way too bright. Passed out for a bit longer and finally woke up when I heard a car approaching. It was the park ranger. I’m glad I paid the $25 because I was thinking about skipping it thinking I would be out way too early for the ranger to check. Nah. He checked. I paid. I slept for twenty more minutes and then on the road again.
My last two tasks were simple and enjoyable. The Water Conservation Garden in San Diego. It’s a lovely garden that shows a variety of possibilities of what you could do with your garden. Again, overshot. The magazine only needs one shot, but I still took hundreds.
Lastly, a new bike park in Chula Vista. There was no one there. Perhaps because it was Friday morning. Perhaps because it seems to be brand new.
4 missions accomplished.
Came back home to Tijuana tired as fuck.
Edited the Milky Way shots immediately because I was excited. The rest I edited them the next day. A shit ton of shots.
A shit ton of shots.
I still have a shit ton of shots of Kim Shantal. THE Kim Shantal.
You don’t know who that is? Me neither. But she has over 10 million followers on Instagram, a million YouTube, and a shit ton more on TikTok.
Oh.
I also have a TikTok now. It’s not as bad as it seems from the outside. It is, however, very cringe. And I did some cringe material on purpose. It has uses though. It’s a very easy video editor. It gave me creative ideas (that shouldn’t be cringe).
Kim Shantal is going to be Chapter 28 of the Paparazzi Daze book if I ever translated into Spanish. You can find the book here.
And my other book. Buy them both.
Subscribe to my Patreon. And my YouTube.
Maybe one day I’ll be like Kim with a million and more followers. I don’t really want that many, I just want to live comfortably.
I have more photography plans.
And a shit ton of photography.
And more work!
My Eater beer map should be published soon. Or so I hope. And I’m hoping to do more work for them. And more for the Reader. And more for my Patreon. And whatever pays me.
Give me money.
I like expensive food and beer. And that’s it. I mean… nice accommodations are also fantastic. But I’m good with camping. A reliable car. And spending all my money in nice food and drinks.
I wrote a lot because I haven’t in a while.
A true word vomit.
Thanks for reading.
I’m fucking 35 now.
Matingas 
One response to “I’m Fucking 35, Camping Adventure Time – Matingas the Character – Kim Shantal”
Feliz cumpleanos my friend! Love the pictures as always.