Since the first time I visited in spring of 2018, I knew I had to make it back to Mexico city one day. That day was back in February 2022, when my husband and I decided to take a “work-cation” for a week in Mexico’s capital. He worked remotely while I wandered around with my camera—also working! One of the main things I sought to capture once again were the vibrant colors of CDMX as seen on the streets. And this time, capturing those colors on film. Here’s a sampling of the rainbow of hues that saturate the city on 35mm film.

Expired Kodak Ultramax 800

Kodak Ultramax 400

Kodak Ektar 100

Kodak Ektar 100

Kodak Ektar 100

Kodak Ektar 100

Kodak Ektar 100

Kodak Gold 200

Kodak Ektar 100

Kodak ColorPlus 200

Kodak Ektar 100

Kodak Ultramax 400

Little did we know last summer when we booked a trip to Rincon, Puerto Rico for Christmas, how lucky we came to be with that decision. My husband and I had spent a Christmas holiday in Puerto Rico four years ago when we were dating and absolutely loved it. We knew we wanted to return again—and what better occasion than to celebrate our 1 year anniversary in December? We found the most perfect little cottage high up on a hill with spectacular views, especially of the sunrise each morning. And the temperatures were just right, hovering in the 70s—not too cold, not too hot. But, most importantly, warm! When I said that we got lucky, it was because we narrowly escaped the bomb cyclone that plunged most of the US mainland into severe cold. Our plane made it out the day before temps dropped to historic lows in Atlanta and we got to spend a week bathed in sunshine and warmth, very lucky indeed! Here are some photos of our stay that I shot on a roll of expired Astia 100F slide film, cross-process in C-41 chemicals. I love how the color shifts leaned heavy into pinks and purples, totally capturing the rose-colored glow we were living in for that week.

The more I shoot it, the more a fan I become of the film Lomochrome Purple. I love the shift in perspective through its color changes, which as the name implies, tends towards purples. You can shoot it anywhere from 100-400 ISO, though I’ve found I get the best results rated at 400. I’ve noticed I often get weird marks and scratches on the film, too, which only adds to its charm for me (I don’t shoot film to be perfect!). Turns out the desert gets pretty funky using Lomo Purple—and I’m totally here for it. Photos from my time in Phoenix and Sedona are below.

Green Mountain Cacti

Part Two of souping the desert takes us to Sedona, one of the most breathtaking places I’ve ever been to. My jaw was dropped in awe practically the whole time! But seriously, this place makes you feel small—small in the sense of your physical presence to the mountains, but also in the scale of time. Our Airbnb had a book explaining the geology of Sedona and what held me in awe the most was to think of what a blip our time on the planet is compared to the geologic history of the Earth. And that these rocks were once where Antarctica is now, drifting over time to the southwest, submerged underwater, and thrust up thousands of feet to erode to what we see today. I wanted to capture this sense of awe; even though the red of the rocks are stunning, I really like how these souped photos still give me that feeling of wonder of this magical place.

Last October, I visited the state of Arizona—and the desert—for the first time. As someone who’s lived her entire life in the southeastern US, experiencing this climate felt like living in a wonderland for a week. Of course, it helped that the temperature was mild and not excruciatingly hot! What stood out most to me were the Saguaros, the majestic cacti that fill the landscape and can only be found here in the Sonoran Desert. I must have taken hundreds of photos of these plants that anchor the ecosystem and provide shelter, food and water for so many wildlife. One thing I knew for sure was I wanted to soup some of the rolls of film to see how this process could turn an already magical place even more magical. Some of my favorite film soup photos are below.

Desert Dreams No. 2

Desert Dreams No. 3

Desert Mountain Sunset

Solo Saguaro

Prickly Pears