Kedrick: 12 - 2025/2026 Premier League Companion

Hello companions! We're now into August, which means something big is coming up: the start of the 2025/2026 English Premier League season!! I know you're all as excited as I am for footy to start back up again. However, this blog isn't For Me. It's for You. My goal for this blog is to give you, my dear reader, an overview of each of the 20 teams that are competing in the premier league this season. This will include a combination of the following: a brief history, their location in England, rivals, or players to keep an eye out for (whether they're club legends or new signings this summer). I'll be sorting these team overviews based on last year's table positions (standings) with the three promoted clubs last.

Now, you may ask, "Why the premier league? Aren't there other leagues in Germany, Italy, Spain, and France that are fun to watch?" Yes, while that is true, I believe the premier league to be the most fun to watch from top to bottom. It all comes down to one word: parity. While each of these 20 teams have their own expectations on what they'd like to get out of this season, most of them have a true chance at finishing in the top 5 and securing a spot in the most prestigious club competition in world football, the UEFA Champions League (essentially the European Super Bowl, more on that in a future blog maybe). So without further ado, let's get into it.

Brief League Background & Lingo

The Premier League (PL) as we know it was formally established in 1992. Prior to that date, the league still existed but was called the First Division. The TL;DR is that the top teams left the old league and established a new standalone league with its own governance while staying part of the English football system (for promotion/relegation purposes). This isn't overly important but is something to note as most records are as of 1992, kind of like the NFL's Super Bowl era. The phrase "top flight" is often used when speaking about both eras combined. The phrase "derby" (pronounced darby) is used for rivalry games.

Liverpool

In their first campaign since 2015 without longtime manager Jurgen Klopp, Liverpool won the league last year. Their last league title was during the 2019/2020 campaign. Prior to that season, Liverpool hadn't won since the league 1989/1990. For a team with 20 league titles now since their establishment in 1892, that was considered quite the dry spell. Liverpool are one of the oldest and most storied clubs in England and are located in, you guessed it, Liverpool, which is a port town in the north of England. The people from that region are often called "scousers" and have a distinct accent due to their unique roots, including a heavy Irish descent. Their main rivals are cross-town team Everton (they play in the Merseyside Derby) and Manchester United. Notable player movements are the departure of their homegrown talent Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid and winger Luis Diaz to FC Bayern. They acquired the 22 year-old German sensation Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen, who won the German league in the 2024/2025 season. The Egyptian King Mo Salah is their best player.

Arsenal

Runners up for the last 3(!) years in a row is Arsenal, who have been led by Mikel Arteta since 2019. Prior to that, they were managed by club legend Arsene Wenger from 1996 to 2018, which their most notable achievement in that time coming during the 2003/2004 season with "The Invincibles". They remain to this day the only team to go unbeaten during an entire PL season. Arsenal are in the midst of their best stretch since those days, led by talismanic midfielder Bukayo Saka and their elite defense, which has ranked among the best in the league in each of the last few years. Their main rival is fellow London team Tottenham Hotspur (North London Derby), who Arsenal haven't lost to since May 2022. They also quite dislike Manchester United and Chelsea. This summer, they haven't really lost anyone of note and they recently gained striker Viktor Gyokeres, who will look to fill a positional hole that has been left unresolved for the last few years.

Manchester City

The New Money of the Premier League, Man City has been absolutely dominant since their purchase by Saudi Arabian owners in 2008. They first won the league under new ownership in the 2011/2012 season and have won it 7 more times since then, most recently in 2023 when they completed the extremely rare "treble", which is winning the PL, the FA Cup (an English tournament), and the Champions League in the same season. Their main rivals are Manchester United (Manchester Derby) and - you guessed it - both teams are located in Manchester, which is in north England. They lost longtime central attacking midfielder Kevin De Bruyne this summer (washed) and added Tijjani Reijnders (I can't pronounce that yet) to bolster their midfield. After an "off" year in 2024/2025, they'll try to get back to their winning ways this year.

Chelsea

The original New Money team was bought by Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich in 2003. One of his first orders of business was hiring managerial legend Jose Mourinho, who led them to back-to-back PL titles in the 2004/2005 and 2005/2006 seasons. They won the league 3 more times and won the Champions League twice during the 2010s before their owner was essentially cancelled due to his ties to Putin during Russia's invasion of Ukraine. He sold the team in May 2022. They were purchased by a group led by American entrepreneur Todd Boehly, who also owns partial stakes in the Dodgers, the Lakers, and Cloud 9 (lol). They've spent a metric F-ton of money since this purchase but didn't get any decent results until the last campaign (they finished 12th and 6th in the prior two campaigns). Chelsea continued to spend up this summer and are looking to finally get back on track as a winning team. They are rivals with most other London teams and very much dislike Manchester United, stemming from their close title races during the 2000s. For posterity, I think they're going to be very good this year. They also won the Club World Cup this summer, which is a fairly big deal.

Newcastle United

The northernmost premier league club has been in the top division for most of the 2000s, with two relegations and subsequent promotions in that time. A club with a rich history but iffy (at best) results to show for it until they were purchased by - you guessed it - a Saudi Arabian ownership group - in 2021. Their last three league finishes were 4th, 7th, and 5th and they recently won their first trophy since 1969 when they won the EFL Cup, another English tournament. It remains to be seen what will happen with their upcoming campaign, but they've once again earned a slot in the Champions League, which is a huge deal for a club looking to be on the come-up. Their most important summer move is still unresolved as they try to retain their talismanic striker Alexander Isak as he considers a move to Liverpool. Their biggest rival is Sunderland, who are just 12 miles away across the Rivers Tyne and Wear (hence the Tyne-Wear Derby) and are (spoiler alert) in the PL for the first time since 2016/2017.

Aston Villa

Located in Birmingham, Villa have been in the premier league since the 2019/2020 season. It took a few years for them to gain their footing, but they've finished 7th, 4th, and 6th in the past three years. They participated in the Champions League last year and had a Great run, making it to the quarter-final where they were beat by one goal by the eventual winners PSG. They haven't spent much money improving their team this summer but are rather retaining their key pieces, including English striker Ollie Watkins, who has been with the club since 2020. They don't really have any rivals in the PL, but their biggest rival Birmingham City just got promoted to the Championship (2nd division)!

Nottingham Forest

Forest entered the PL for the first time in the 21st century during the 2022/2023 season. In May 2023, they beat Arsenal 1-0, which simultaneously secured their stay in the PL for another season and officially ended Arsenal's title hopes. While that was one of the first memorable moments for Forest, they were able to hang on once again by finishing 17th in 2023/2024 and then finally breaking through with an amazing 7th place finish last season. While this is an incredible achievement, supporters were left wishing they got just a little more as they were in the top 5 and aiming for Champions League football for pretty much the entire year. They've been able to establish a foothold in the PL, but have had trouble retaining their top talent this summer, with former Manchester United player Anthony Elanga leaving for Newcastle. Their big rival is Derby County, a fellow regular tier 2 team, and they play in the East Midlands Derby (another derby conveniently named after their geographical location). I expect them to take a step back this year.

Brighton & Hove Albion

The most southerly premier league team have been in the league since the 2017/2018 campaign (their first time in the top division since the early '80s). They started as a lower table club, securing their foothold in the PL while finishing 15th, 17th, 15th, 16th, and then finally 9th in 2021/2022 and up to 6th in 2022/2023. They've finished 11th and 8th in the past two years and have plenty of talent to once again finish in the top half of the table. They have several top players and regularly sell talent to top clubs for a large profit as most mid-table clubs are forced to do. In just the last few years, Brighton have sold 3 players (Marc Cucurella in 2023, Moises Caicedo in 2024, and Joao Pedro in 2025) to Chelsea for a combined 245 million pounds ($327M). It's tough to keep finding rising talents, but if anyone can do it, it's Brighton.

Bournemouth

After entering the Premier League in 2015/2016 with current Newcastle manager Eddie Howe, Bournemouth were able to stay up until getting relegated during the 2019/2020 season. They were able to come back up after just two seasons in the 2nd division and have been in the PL since 2022/2023. Their finishes in this span have been 15th, 12th, and now 9th last season. They have managed to keep most of their key pieces from last season, perhaps most notably PL nepo baby Justin Kluivert), but lost standout wingback Milos Kerkez, who left for Liverpool this summer to replace star aforementioned left back Trent Alexander-Arnold. They have a rivalry with Brighton as they are both located on the south coast, but their main rival is Southampton, who were relegated last season.

Brentford

West London-based Brentford have been in the premier league since 2021/2022, their first appearance since...just after World War 2. This will be their first season not managed by Thomas Frank since 2018 as he left to become the new manager for Tottenham Hotspur (not hard to see why Spurs hired a new manager since we haven't talked about them yet). This is, of course, an immense loss on top of the fact that their talismanic attacking midfielder and a personal favorite player of mine, Bryan Mbeumo, departed for Manchester United this summer. Their main rival is nearby club Fulham and their matches are referred to as a West London Derby (of which there are a few).

Fulham

Speaking of Fulham, this west London team is notably owned by Jaguars owner Shad Khan. His ownership is most easily evidenced by the fact that they are the only PL club with a pool in their stadium (the Jags are the only NFL team with a pool). Fulham is our first true "yo-yo" club, meaning they get promoted and relegated between the first and second divisions often. This is only a recent title for them as they were in the PL from 2001 all the way until 2014 when this pattern emerged. They've been in the top division since 2022/2023 and have finished 10th, 13th, and now 11th since then. Marco Silva has managed them since 2021 and their best players are American phenom Antonee "Jedi" Robinson and Arsenal academy product Alex Iwobi. Legendary American striker Clint Dempsey also played for Fulham!

Crystal Palace

Although they finished 12th last year, this perennial mid-table PL club from south London won the FA Cup this past May, beating Manchester City by a score of 1-0. A monumental achievement for the club! In theory, this major trophy should have secured them a spot in the Europa League (one tier below the Champions League), but some legal troubles stemming from their ownership may prevent that. Either way, they've been in the PL since 2013 and have yet to finish better than 10th place since then, so the FA Cup victory was massive for them. They should still be playing in a European competition for the first time this season and didn't lose any major talent, so this upcoming year could be even more fun.

Everton

One of the PL's longest standing clubs and a member of the first division of English football every year since 1954, The Toffees have a new home this season for the first time since 1892. It remains to be seen if moving from their historic home will be a positive or negative, but this year will look a bit different. David Moyes took over as manager in January 2025, a position he served at this club from 2001 to 2013, when he moved to Manchester United to replace legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson. Everton has fallen on tough times recently, facing points deductions from financial penalties a few years ago. They've finished 16th, 17th, 15th, and now 13th in the last few years. They were a consistent top-half team until around 2019, so they'll hope that their new stadium can provide the boost they need to back in form. As mentioned before, they are based in Liverpool and their main rivals are Liverpool (Merseyside Derby).

West Ham United

Another Premier League mainstay, West Ham have been in the PL every year since 1992 with the exception of three seasons - two in the mid 2000s, and once in 2011/2012. They've had a strange managerial history since they appointment David Moyes in November 2017. He managed them until May 2018, when his contract expired, then returned in December 2019 after the next manager didn't work out. Moyes led West Ham to some of the most successful campaigns in club history, including a 2023 victory in the Europa Conference League (third tier of European football), which represents one of, if not the most, important trophies in the club's history. The 2023/2024 campaign was unfortunately nowhere near as successful and he left the club after that season. This last season was even more of a disappointment for the Hammers with new manager Julen Lopetegui only lasting 22 matches before being replaced by current manager, Graham Potter. Their best player is attacking midfielder Jarrod Bowen and their longest-running rivalry is with 2nd tier club Milwall and their Dockers Derby.

Manchester United

Alllll the way down here we have a club that everyone's probably heard of. Led by Sir Alex Ferguson from 1986 to 2013, Manchester United have won an astounding 13 titles since the premier league was formed in 1992, with their last title coming all the way back in 2012/2013. Since then, they've come in second a few times but haven't been seen as a true contender since Sir Alex left. Coming off their worst PL finish ever, the Red Devils have brought in significant talent this summer including midfielder Bryan Mbeumo from Brentford and talented striker Matheus Cunha from Wolves. While managerial questions remain (some believe current manager Ruben Amorim should have already been sacked), the talent might be there for United to return to the glory days.

Wolverhampton Wanderers (Wolves)

Since Kanye's tweet "Imma fix wolves" 9 years ago, Wolves have been in the premier league as a mostly solid team. They finished in the top half of the table from being promoted in 2018 up until 2020 and since then they've settled around 13th place. They lost their star striker, Matheus Cunha, to Manchester United and key attacking defender, Rayan Ait-Nouri to Manchester City. As a club that frequently relies on a rich pipeline of talent and a "next-man up" mentality, they are on track to remain in the PL, but they would certainly be a club in trouble if one of the three promoted teams can put together a good run.

Tottenham Hotspur (Spurs)

And finally we have the last place finisher to not be relegated, Tottenham Hotspur. They've been in the headlines this week as longtime star Son Heung-Min has left Spurs and joined MLS team LAFC (amazing for America, let's fricking go). They made history last year as being the team with the lowest ever domestic finish (17th) to win a major European cup after they beat Manchester United to win the Europa League. This was a massive deal for the club but despite this win, they sacked their attacking-focused Australian manager Ange Postecoglou in favor of longtime Brentford manager Thomas Frank. They've made some good signings this summer and have nowhere to go but up from a domestic perspective.

Leeds United

A longtime premier league club and top rival of Manchester United comes back up to the premier league after playing in the Championship for the last two years. Leeds were a first division team and a founding member of the Premier League, where they played until their first relegation from top flight English football in the 2004-2005 season. It's been a very rocky road since then as they dropped another division for a few years in the late 2000s before finally coming back up to the PL in the 2020-2021 season. Their first season back was electric, with current Barcelona star Raphinha leading the charge to a 9th place finish. They proved to be a one-hit wonder with finishes afterwards of 17th and 19th. They are back, but are they ready to stay up?  

Burnley

You'll notice a pattern in these promoted teams here - Burnley is also a longtime premier league club and back after just one year in the Championship. They've been the textbook definition of a yo-yo club recently as they haven't played in the same league in consecutive seasons since before COVID. They're typically known for a strong defensive style and that doesn't look to be changing any time soon as they allowed only 16 goals during their entire season last year.

Sunderland

Former Netflix stars of Sunderland Till I Die are finally back in the premier league for the first time since they were famously double relegated down to the third tier of English football in back to back seasons in 2016/2017 and then in 2017/2018. Their now-famous Netflix show was recorded during the 2017/2018 season, when they were playing in the Championship (and not in the top division) for only the 3rd time in their club's history that dates back to 1890. What happened during that season was unprecedented - they were relegated down to England's third division for the first time in club history. This led to financial ruin and they stayed in the third division until 2022. They are now finally back in the premier league and looking to go back to their roots of being one of the most consistent teams in the PL. The big question remains - have they simply been replaced in the last decade?

 

To anyone that has read this entire blog, thank you for reading and to anyone who skimmed or read a few blurbs - thank you as well! Feel free to reach out and discuss during the upcoming season. I can't wait! 

Kedrick: 11 - An Exploration of 35mm Film Stocks

Good afternoon to my companions! Today, on the eve of my 30th birthday, I thought for a moment about writing something introspective about my 20s. Maybe a moment for each year or something. But that's a lot of effort, and that idea just popped into my head now. The timing of this blog's due date is pure coincidence (maybe). Just know that I've thoroughly enjoyed this past decade that spans three years of college, living in a new city (and state) for the last seven years, making new friends, getting engaged, and getting married to my beautiful wife! Truthfully, the current season of my life began long before my 30th birthday and really started back when I met Lizzie in February 2022. My early 30s won't look very different from my late 20s, which is a terrific thing!! 

But I digress. The purpose of this blog is to both inform you all and document the results of my rigorous tests over the last five months. I want to tell you about some different 35mm film stocks. One of my favorite things about shooting film is how you can get a distinct & unique feel within your photos by shooting different types of film in different conditions. It takes away a lot of the post-processing Lightroom work because you really want to just let the features of each film stock shine without touching anything up too much!

What will follow is a description of each film stock I've tested, some picture samples (I've tried to include mostly photos taken with my Nikon, but some were taken with other cameras), and my overall thoughts on the film and its value for the price (even though the prices vary by a few dollars, it adds up). The only important technical jargon that you need to know is what ISO is. ISO is the sensitivity of the film to light, and it's represented by a numerical value. The lower the number, the less sensitive it is to light, which means you need to either expose the film to more harsh light (a bright sunny day) or expose it longer (let that shutter stay open for a while). Different film stocks have different ISOs, and that value informs when you should use each. ISO also impacts how much grain the film stock has. Films with a 100 ISO will have a much finer grain (less obvious grain) than 400 speed films.

The People's Champs

We're starting with the heavy hitters, folks. These film stocks have become tried and true. They also represent the best bang for your buck. Anyone looking to explore the world of film photography for the first time would do well to use these.

Kodak Ultramax 400

For a cheap color film stock, you do not need to look further than the undisputed People's Champ of 35mm color still photography, Ultramax. I love love love this film, and you can almost always pick up a 3-pack from B&H for $27. It performs incredibly well on point-and-shoot cameras, is insanely versatile (can handle a lot of different lighting conditions), and has that classic film grain that people shoot film for. It has high vibrance, contrast, and saturation, which can be a con for some people, but it's a pro in my book. I love shooting reds with this film.

ATL skyline with my Nikon

Shout out contrast

Punchy point-and-shoot

Great shadows

Ilford HP5

One of the two kings of black and white film. Although B&W film tends to be more expensive to develop, it is also much cheaper ($9/roll). The way I describe this film vs other black and white films is that HP5 offers more of a "grayscale" feel than pure black and white. This feature makes it the most consistent, in my opinion, but keep in mind I've only tested the two most common types of B&W film.

One of the my favorite pics

 

Another favorite with my Nikon and some HP5

Life-affirming

Kodak Tri-X 400

The other half of the black and white empire. Tri-X is punchy as hell. High contrast and a very clean, pure black and white film stock. My favorite fun fact about Tri-X is that this photo by Jim Marshall was taken with it. It's also around $9/roll and looks so good for that price, it's insane. Black and white photography is one of the main selling points of shooting with 35mm film, and I need to use it more!! This film has a coarser grain than HP5, which can be a good or bad thing based on personal preference. I've only shot this film once so far, which is a definite blind spot.

My first favorite photo. From my point-and-shoot in SF!

...also SF

Kodak Pro Image 100

The Photo Spot guy put me on to this film stock when I tried to buy a different 100 speed film, Kodak Ektachrome, which is one of two Kodak films I haven't shot yet! Ektachrome is famous for its extremely rich saturation. Pro Image represents a middle ground between that high saturation and the more "lifelike" colors that Kodak Portra's line offers (their "professional" film). At a price point of $10.50 per roll, it also offers excellent value. I have only shot this type once in Cozumel, but I will be going back to it.

An all-time classic

Handsome guy

Fun with double exposures

Kodak Gold 200

This one is my least favorite of this category, but the value is undeniable. You can pick up a 3-pack for around $25, which is the best value in the dang business. Candidly, I have probably sold this one short, but that's more because of my love for the rich saturation and versatility that Ultramax offers at a very similar price point. This film stock is at its best when you're taking golden hour photos since it already has a tinge of gold, hence the name. Or when you just want an affordable film with a finer grain that can handle some harsh lighting conditions.

Favorite from the only time I shot Gold with my Nikon

Thanks for the lighting shout, Q

Love those greens

The Professional & Specialty Corner

Unlike the People's Champs, these are either 1. more expensive per roll or 2. more limited in usage scenarios. They all have an important place in the film world and can give you some of the best pictures you'll ever take, but aren't necessarily budget-friendly picks!

Kodak Portra 400

This is the People's Champ but for pros. It has all the great features of Ultramax but with less saturation and a much finer grain. Both of those things can be a good thing, especially when photographing people. This type of film is the best there is at photographing realistic skin tones, hence its name being based on the word portrait. At a cost of around $15/roll (most of the time you have to buy 5 rolls for $75), it's more expensive than a People's Champ, but generally speaking, it's easily worth it. Best for special occasions like a fun trip or visiting a new city. The only roll I shot with this film stock using my Nikon was when I found out I had a light leak, so I haven't the chance to take a special picture with this yet. I used it to test my new point-and-shoot I found in a Minnesota vintage shop, though!!

Downtown Alexandria

The cabin from the lake

Companions!

Kodak Portra 160

I shot this for the first time in Minnesota and was obsessed with the results. One of the best rolls I've ever shot! The grain is so dang fine, but still very present. The colors are lifelike yet dreamy. It's at a similar price point as Portra 400 (this one is a little cheaper at $14/roll), but again, it's worth it for special occasions, like a fun sunny trip to the lake!

Instant all-timer status

Sunsets on the lake

Portrait of a Companion

CineStill 400D

This film is Kodak motion picture film but respooled into film for still photography. They also take off the "RemJet" layer so it can be processed the same way typical 35mm film is processed. This comes into play more when we look at 800T. 400D is a daylight-balanced film that can be purchased at the same price as Portra 400, which is sadly its main drawback. As much as I liked this film the first time I tried it, I don't think it can match the versatility of Portra. Still, it's super cool to shoot on motion picture stock, and the film makes it much more stylized than Portra. As if your photos are from a movie!

The Skyway at sunet

My favorite shot of the Chacchoben Mayan ruins.

Two thumbs up!

CineStill 800T

This one is special. The crowd favorite for night photography! Due to the removal of the RemJet layer, this film creates a "halation" effect when you shoot lights, which can be both good and bad. It's very good when distant light turns into a "bulb" of sorts, but not good when your subject is words that become a blobby mess. You also can't shoot this film stock during the day without the colors coming out extremely cool (very blue and green). That didn't stop me from trying that to see what it looked like, though! And you can get around that by buying a lens filter. Although its uses are more limited, when you shoot this in the right conditions, you'll get some of the best photos you'll ever take. I'll be shooting this one in the future.

Fireworks on film!

An excellent example of the halation effect is the lights above the pumps

Perfect example of the cool daytime colors contrasted against the warm-colored house!

 

If you've read this far, I appreciate your time, and I hope you learned something new. Let me know your thoughts on anything I've said or what your favorite samples were! I look forward to speaking with you all again soon.

Kedrick: 10 - Blogaroo 2025

Hey everyone!!! Long time no see. I had a good post planned today detailing by experience and the music I saw at Bonnaroo 2025. For those of you who have not yet heard, the festival was cancelled yesterday (Friday, June 13th) at 7:36 PM central time due to weather, primarily flooding. This post is therefore dedicated to the frontline Bonnaroovians who are either still there or are trying to make their way home, however far that is.

Ready for Roo!

I’ll start with the original plan. My buddy Danny and I bought Friday single day passes and were going to see Foster the People, Goose, Tyler the Creator, Glass Animals, Tipper, and likely other assorted artists. Insanely stacked lineup for one day! Since we’re only about 3 hour drive away from the festival, we planned on driving over Friday afternoon, enjoying the festivities, and then sleeping in my car either in the day parking lot or finding a truck stop to park at. We’d sleep a couple hours and then be on our way back home. The setup was actually pretty cool.

Thanks for the idea Lizzie :)

Now here’s what actually happened. As I mentioned, the drive from Atlanta to Roo is just about 3 hours, so we left around 1:30 Eastern. After two quick stops, one at Walmart to pick up an impulse idea (two disposable cameras), and one at Chick-fil-A for a delicious lunch, we were off to the festival. For some reason, even though I’ve been to the festival twice before, neither Danny or I considered the fact that it’s in the central time zone. Free hour though, nice. Since we’re both males in our late 20s, we obviously just drove straight through without stopping. Throughout the drive to Tennessee, we got a couple text updates from Bonnaroo that the music was delayed and gates would be closed for a few hours. Not a big deal! It would blow over and be open by the time we got there (or shortly afterwards). 

We arrived at the box office at 4:30 central, which is at a local high school. I thought it was a cool setup. I picked up our day parking pass and we drove towards the festival gates. Bonnaroo social media hadn’t provided an update in over an hour, so we were hopeful that the gates had opened up. As we neared the road that leads to the gate, traffic started to build up. As a religious believer in the “zipper” method, I hopped in the lane that was moving with the intent to merge later. We got to the road and were informed by a cop that the gates were closed. Danny thought he was doing a bit at first, like a “haha I hate my job turn around we're closed” type deal, but I suspected he was serious. We got to the road we need to turn onto and BAM, traffic cones! Darn. We kept going and passed the Circle K that serves as the last stop before the festival. Absolute f****** madhouse. Cars were for some reason bumper to bumper in the parking lot, I’m talking maybe 40 cars in there. No getting in or out. Why??? We kept driving a couple hundred yards further and parked on the shoulder of the road as many other people were doing. I did a U-turn as well which gave us a great view of the disastrous situation that was happening. Vibes at this point were still pretty darn high.

I'm on the edge of life, and the view is gorgeous

Bonnaroo provided an update at around 5PM central. Not a good one - they said the gates and centeroo (where the music is) would be closed for another few hours. OK. Not optimal but not terrible. Bonnaroo starts pretty late since it’s extremely hot during the day (as you can imagine), so the sets we really wanted to see didn’t start until 9:30. Pretty good amount of time to work with!! 

At about 5:30, it wasn’t raining so we got out of the car, cracked a couple beers, and walked ahead to a gas station (across from the Circle K, nowhere near as busy) to talk to people and kill time. We were over there for around 45 minutes until it started raining again. We headed back to the car and Danny started FaceTiming some of his friends to fill them in on the situation. This was an excellent way to pass time! 

Patiently waiting

By 6:45, vibes were still reasonably high. It stopped raining and the sun was even peaking through the clouds so we got out of the car again. I went to pee and took the last photo I have before the Big News. 

Good spot to pee

While walking back, I saw the truck in front of us left and was replaced with an SUV full of people that immediately got out. It looked like they were getting ready to go into the festival, so we asked them what was up. They informed us that they had friends in a car that made it pretty close to the gate, so they were going to walk over there. One of the guys (maybe the driver) was a little concerned they might get towed so he gave me his number in case anything started happening, then they all went towards the gate. We would not see them again.

Around 7, it started raining again. This was the famed “last band” before it would be dry the remainder of the night. We got back in the car. I started another session of refreshing new posts on r/Bonnaroo. The last official update was at 5, so we were due for an update very soon. Still enough time to get in and see the acts we really care about. Tyler didn’t go on until 11!

By 7:30, it really set in that this cancellation of Friday’s acts was possible if not probable. I’m sure the day parking lot was completely underwater and with the length of this delay, cars were very built up around the area and the line to get into day parking was sure to be an absolute mess. Still a shred of hope though!

7:36 PM central time. Danny gets a twitter post notification from Bonnaroo. He clicks and pauses for a split second before uttering one word:

“Drive.”

I refreshed instagram and read the first 3 words of the post before throwing the car into drive and peeling out of our spot. “Read the whole post to me but we gotta get out of here”, I said. We had to take a left through gridlocked traffic to get onto I-24 the correct way, so I elected to not do that and just hop on the interstate the wrong way and turn around at a different exit. Amazing call. We turned around and drove past the two festival exits. The shoulder of the interstate was lined with people waiting to get in. Some very dystopian stuff.

We got out extremely easily and then were able to really understand and take in the weight of what just happened. They didn’t cancel just Friday, they cancelled the entire remainder of the festival. It was about to be an absolute nightmare for people to get out even if their cars weren’t stuck in mud. Danny immediately called his fiancee and let her know what happened, then we called my beautiful wife Lizzie and let her know as well. Pretty much everybody, us very much included, was in disbelief. The first half of our 3 hour drive home was filled with calling people and telling them what happened, which was a very good way to pass time. We talked to a couple of Danny’s friends and then we talked to a fellow companion, Quentin. The drive went by extremely fast since we had just lived through a historic event and got out basically unscathed.

We arrived back in Atlanta at 11:30 eastern. I dropped Danny off and then got a Taco Bell cravings box. Overall, I had a great time at Bonnaroo. Can't wait to go back.

TB!

Kedrick: 9 - What a Ride

Hey everyone! Hope you’re doing well this Sunday. My beautiful wife Lizzie and I just got back from a weekend trip to Franklin, Tennessee for an engagement party. It was really more of a wedding shower that couples were invited to instead of just women (although I was the only male on the bride’s side that came besides family). The other reason I refute its “engagement party” status is because we went to Nashville the day they got engaged for a surprise party that happened directly afterwards. But I digress.

Last Saturday at 5:02 PM in the Eastern time zone I received a call from my father, Gustavo. He informed me that he and Beth were at the BMW dealership looking at a new (used) car, specifically a 2022 BMW X5. She previously had a 2019 white BMW X3 and every time Lizzie and I rode in it, I mentioned in a joking fashion that when she got a new car I would gladly take her old one. All this to say - I knew exactly why he called me. The conversation lasted 3 minutes.

We spoke again at 8:27 PM, this time for 12 minutes. Gus and Beth were arriving in their golf cart to Fireside Pizza, a family favorite spot. I expressed my excitement for both her and myself, then we began to talk logistics. Several ideas were thrown out on how we’d navigate this car delivery with the 8+ hour distance between us. I’m coming down to FL for my birthday in July, so Gus mentioned that I could drive it back up to ATL that weekend. “It would be a great birthday present”, Beth remarked. I then asked how we’d get my current car, a beautiful 2012 Acura TSX with only 94,000 miles on it, down to Florida. Gus was stumped. I could theoretically drive both ways, but we’re flying down on Thursday, July 17th (my birthday) and I don’t necessarily want to spend 8 hours in a car on my 30th birthday. He said he’d talk to the car dealership guy about tag/insurance ideas when they bought the car the next day and we left it there.

We spoke again for 11 minutes at 9:57 PM. He had a “light bulb” moment. Gus would drive my new car up and then take the Acura on the way back. Pretty good idea! I assumed he’d be doing this on Monday-ish, staying the night, and departing the next morning. He clarified a few minutes later that he was indeed planning on doing this the very next day. Wow! He wasn’t sure when exactly he’d leave, so we agreed to speak first thing the next morning.

I awoke around 7:30 AM to the sound of Lizzie coming up the stairs. She was talking with Gus on speaker phone. She hung up and then made sure I was awake. Lizzie then explained that Gus told her he was in Ocala and that we should clean my car out and start driving, then see where we meet. It all happened so fast. I woke up, brushed my teeth, and we went down and emptied out my car. By 8:30, we were on the road. I hadn’t even officially said that I wanted the new car (I, of course, wanted it). 

We spoke with Gus on the phone no less than 10 more times during our drive. Exit 109 in south Georgia was the agreed upon meeting spot. It took Lizzie and I a little less than 2 hours to get to that quaint exit, where we found Gus leaving the combined McDonalds / gas station. He shook his head, signaling “don’t go in there” and let us know it was a s***show in there. We went walked back to where we parked our cars, exchanged hugs, titles, swapped our belongings between cars, and just as quick as we arrived we were headed out separate ways.

Lizzie and I stopped at two places on the way home. The first was Buc-ee's for lunch and the second was the outlet mall south of Atlanta for some light shopping. She drove when we left the outlets to test out the new car and by 3 PM, we were home once more. At 4 PM (he called a few times before this of course), Gustavo and my ol’ reliable Acura were back in Palm Harbor.

Less than 24 hours after my dad called me for the first time, the car swap was complete. What a ride.

Kedrick: 8 - Photography Struggles and DC

Happy Thursday to my fellow companions! Today, I will share the first real challenge of my film photography journey. As you may or may not recall, I started shooting on 35mm in February when I purchased my Olympus PEN EE3. It's a fantastic point-and-shoot camera, which essentially means it functions similarly to a disposable camera. The camera does 90% of the work for you, all the user needs to do is...point and shoot! I firmly believe it is the perfect camera for anyone interested in beginner film photography. It was only $100 on eBay, and it's a half-frame camera, which means you can shoot anywhere from 72 to 75 pictures per roll of film (rolls that would typically allow you to take 36 pictures). It's an insane value, especially when film photography is becoming more of a niche hobby and therefore increasingly expensive. As with anything, there's a downside: I don't have much control over the photos. I've evidenced in a previous blog on the exposure triangle that I have a fairly advanced understanding of the basics of photography. Sometimes I want to be able to use that knowledge and manipulate the settings on my camera. 

This led me to take the next step and purchase a Nikon FE film camera body that came with a 50mm lens for $150 on eBay. Solid deal considering it comes with a lens (most of the time you have to buy each separately). The camera arrived during April, and on Friday, April 18th, and Saturday, April 19th, I shot a test roll of Kodak Gold 200 on the camera to ensure everything worked properly. I dropped the roll off for development that Saturday and got my photos back on Monday. It worked! I was able to get 38 pictures because the Nikon FE allows you to shoot on exposure numbers "00" and "0", which are usually reserved for allowing additional room to ensure that your film is loaded properly and to ensure that exposure number 1 is not exposed to sunlight when you load your roll into the camera. Very exciting! Here's some of my favorites from the test roll.

If it worked, then why is this blog about my first challenge? Well, I wouldn't learn until Friday, May 2nd. I dropped off two rolls of film that day from the trip that my beautiful wife and I took to Washington, DC the weekend prior. The first roll was Ilford HP5 black & white film I shot over Friday, April 25th, and Saturday, April 26th. Black & white film has to be hand-developed, so it both costs more and takes longer to get back (both drawbacks are so incredibly worth it, I love this film stock so much). The second roll was Portra 400, my first time shooting Kodak's professional color film stock that people swear by. I shot this roll on Sunday, April 27th, during our Monuments and Memorials bike tour before we returned home. Since color film is typically developed and scanned within a few hours, Will and I were playing DayZ that same Friday afternoon when I received my scans for the roll of Portra 400.

I excitedly opened the transfer link and looked at my photos. It was at that moment that I discovered my new camera has a "light leak", which is something that happens when the back of the camera isn't properly sealed and light leaks through, damaging the film inside by exposing it to outside light. What was even more confusing is that I only received 32 pictures back, which is not something that would happen because of a light leak. I was incredibly confused by both issues because my test roll returned all 38 exposures with no signs of light leakage. I began thinking back on the light conditions and film stock (Kodak Gold, an ISO200 stock) when I shot my test roll over those two days.

Over that weekend, I looked at the photos I got back, researched, thought long and hard, and eventually came up with two hypotheses, one for each issue, as I now believed them to be separate.

1. The light leak

 

 

This issue is easy to diagnose, so I was very confident in saying that there is a light leak. I was more interested in why I didn't see it on the first roll. Did I somehow damage the camera? I did bike with it multiple times, after all. I thought back on the lighting conditions of the test roll for each day I used the camera. The first time I used it, I took it on a bike ride along my typical route. I took about 10 photos, and most of them were in or around shade, as there are a ton of trees along this route. No direct and intense exposure to sunlight, certainly not the kind we had on that Sunday morning with nary a cloud in the sky. The second time I used it, Lizzie and I went on a hike at Sweetwater Creek State Park. I had never been, and it seemed like a cool spot, plus they have filmed a bunch of movies there, including a scene from The Hunger Games: Mockingjay Part 1 where Katniss and Gale talk at a cool destroyed building along a river. The hike where I took most of our pictures was under the cover of trees, and the camera was used under shade for pretty much every picture. Okay, makes sense. Lesson learned on how to properly test a camera!

2. The 32 exposures issue

 

This one is much more complicated. A few scans like the ones above that I received were extremely helpful in diagnosing this issue. This confirmed that if I didn't get 38 scans back, it must be because those exposures were completely black. I received a couple of scans like that one back because there was also a light leak on it. I eventually realized that it is likely due to an issue with the shutter. The Nikon FE has a somewhat automatic mode where it chooses the shutter speed based on the amount of light + the ISO of the film stock. I used Kodak Gold 200 for my test roll and Portra 400 for the roll that was messed up, which is another clue. 200ISO film, such as Gold, requires a longer shutter speed to get a properly exposed photo. That, combined with the fact that I wasn't in super bright conditions, meant I never got up to the super fast shutter speeds like 1/1000th of a second. On a bright sunny day in DC, shooting 400ISO film? You bet that meter was probably recommending a 1/1000 shutter speed fairly often. Boom! Epiphany. For whatever reason, that shutter speed is BUSTED.

After coming up with these hypotheses, which were like laws of physics as far as I'm concerned, I reached out to the eBay seller on Sunday to try and seek a refund since I wasn't sure how costly it would be to repair this camera (I still don't know). To my surprise, they responded incredibly quickly and offered a choice between a partial and full refund (not sure who would choose partial here), plus I get to keep the lens, which works perfectly, and the camera. I purchased a certified eBay refurbished Nikon FE body the next day, and it has arrived at my door at the time of this typing (Thursday, May 8th at 12:24 PM Eastern). Wow!! What a quick, easy, and happy resolution! Yet another #TestRollWeekend is on the horizon.

The Wildcard - My Roll of Ilford HP5

After all the dust had settled, I was still eagerly awaiting my scans from the roll of HP5. This film stock is also ISO400, but was taken on rainy days, so I was extremely hopeful that those photos would turn out well. Well, folks, on this past Monday, right as I was arriving for a dinner with the ATL boys, I got the transfer link. I snuck a peek at all the photos before dinner (37 exposures in total!) and was overjoyed with the results. There is some light leakage, but it's nowhere near as consistently present and in most cases it's pretty tasteful. Cheers to more knowledge gained on film photography. Enjoy these photographs!