Soda Lake, Carrizo Plain

Close to Home - love letters on film to the Central Coast

I’d heard about California wildflower blooms for years. This past March, I finally went.

I got off work on a Friday evening and drove straight to Soda Lake in the Carrizo Plain — about an hour and a half from the hospital. No planning beyond that. The sun was already low when I arrived, inching back toward the horizon, and the backlight was just a *chef’s kiss.*

All of the photos below were shot on a Canon Autoboy with Kodak Gold 200. I also had a Canon AE-1 with me, but those rolls are still being developed — the particular procrastination of sending in ten rolls at once two months after shooting. (Worth the wait!)

Kodak Gold 200 was the right fit for this. It has a warmth bias that leans into yellows and oranges — which, when you’re standing in a field of goldfields at last light, means the film is doing a favor. The backlight shot was pure flare, and Gold handled it the way only film does: not as a technical problem to correct, but as part of the image.

The grain on Gold 200 is fine enough that you don’t notice it at normal viewing distances, but it’s there — it gives the images a softness that suits this particular landscape. Carrizo Plains feels like it’s from another era, and I think the film agrees!

There’s a lovely path and boardwalk around the lake. I came across a grand total of three other people at the beginning of my walk and zero by the end. It was ever so slightly unsettling to be the only person out here in a landscape that size, but so very serene.

I would definitely come here at sunrise or sunset - the light changes everything. The flora can photograph flat in midday. Also, there is just about no shade at all, so if you do end up in a hot one, bring deodorant and a hat.

Another thing about this adventure – I cut it very, very close with gas. In the future, I would definitely recommend fueling up beforehand, as there is nothing nearby. Also download Google maps before hand instead of winging it back to the right direction like yours truly.

I’m already thinking about where to go next. A road trip is overdue, and this feels like the right weekend to sit down with a big cup of coffee and start mapping it out. If anyone has been somewhere worth shooting on film this summer — or is planning something — I’d love to hear it.