Shots in the dessert repost due to spam

Hai,

First message thread filled with a spam answer, so may be deleted now as far as

I am concerned.

We are planning a holliday in oktober in the Sinai and surrounding area. I will

be taking the K10D and my wife a *ist DS.

I am very interested in any advise as how to cope with the light. I am thinking

of settings (in camera) as well as filters lens hoods etc.

Further I want to travel light but complete, I am thinking of maybe the new 16-

50 or the 16-45, one zoom (pentax-F 70-210) and perhaps a macro lens.

I do want to go well prepared as far as hardware is concerned, as buying

anything there won't be posssible.

Read Douglas Kempke's answer, we will allways be u early as we sleep in tents

and breakfast will be freshly baked by local bedoein people. So I/we will try

to take advantage of that as much as possible.

Thanks

Ton

The sands are microprisms reflecting light and covers everything. The sources are the sun and moon, bright, harsh, and dazzling. Unelss you are near big water or there is sand in the air, the light will cut like a scapel from sunrise to sunset.

What lens? The one with the least tendency to CA. UV filter, lens hood, and a UV rated umbrella (held up by your partner to shade the lens against light, plus it can be used for diffusion). You should each have one anyway.

An insulated gear bag that isn't black, especially the inside (imagine rummaging through the pack in the harsh light, black lenses in black cases in black bag, black memory card cases, black batteries, etc). I hate black camera gear. Don't forget cleaning kit...several.

High quality handheld light meter -- you are going to long for the latitude and highlight rollover of print film. Take anything you think will help with that.

Sunscreen SPF 30-50 or so. Wide brimmed, high crowned hat (I prefer real panamas, but a Stetson with 4 1/2" brim will do), high crowned to put airspace between the hat and your head, plus a second hat less wide for tripod work where the stiff wide brim may interfere, kept in gear bag. I find those technical UV hats to be too floppy and close to the head. YMMV. Several of those led keychain lights, distribute liberally throughout all your gear. Long sleeved shirts, long pants. Dress in light layers. Deserts are not the place to work on your tan.

Learn about hydrating yourself. If your urine is dark, you aren't drinking enough water. If you aren't drinking enough water you will do stupid things.

Plenty of water, plenty of sunscreen. Look after yourself well and the pictures will be easier.

As for the desert sand reflecting and refracting light, use this to your advantage. Other than that, be prepared for clear dry air and harsh sunlight. I find this easier to work with than the diffuse light you get in more humid areas, although that just may be what I'm used to.

Another thing to remember about deserts is that they are active and alive, with lots going on close to the ground, under vegetation, in shadows and so on. Whether this is your photographic preference or not, it's worth looking at, and taking some time to watch. Too many people see the desert only through the window of an airconditioned vehicle.

As with just about anywhere else, the golden hours - 1 hour either side of sunrise and sunset can be spectacular in the desert.

Finally, when it comes to lighting, there is a particular dark shade of blue that the sky takes on in the Kgalagadi of South Africa, Botswana and Namibia just before it turns black.

For lenses, I think that you should be well covered with what you have. You would be well served with a polarising filter. For travelling light, something like a Sigma 17-70 may cover a slightly wider zoom range, as well as giving you some close focus capability. Another thought is to look at a widish prime, to try to capture some of the sharper detail of the desert, although the 16-45 should do the trick as well.

One thing to remember with DSLRs is dust. Be prepared for it and be careful when changing lenses.

I never travel in arid or desert areas without a tripod. There are some amazing opportunities for night time photography.

You don't need to buy lots of special gear for the trip, unless you have some special photographic goal in mind, what you have is very adequate. Having lived and photographed in deserts, here's some useful things you will need:

* All the regular advice about drinking. A canteen, bottles, collapsible water bladder, gourd, whatever works for you. Carry more than you think you'll need. If you're thirsty, you're already dehydrating.

* Dust is your greatest enemy. Zip-lock bags in lots of varied sizes are your friend. If its not in use, it should be sealed up. A bag for the gear that has more than a floppy lid with clasps. Zip closures are a pain but worth it when things get really dusty.

* A big powerful hand-operated blower, like the rocket blowers or similar. Avoid lens changes in breezy places.

* 'Lipstick' style soft brushes for getting the dust out of crevices.

* Spare batteries. Power supply might be unpredictable. A few Li-ion non-re-chargable CRV3s for emergency use when you can't get recharged will work well for the DS.

* A wide-brimmed hat that is big enough to shade ears and neck. Baseball-syle caps aren't enough. In a pinch, a good hat can also be used to protect the camera in use from billowing dust. Plenty of sun-lotion.

Sinai in October should be very pleasant and not outrageously hot, but the wind can be brutal, especially if you're unlucky to get caught in a storm in an exposed spot.

Have a great trip. It's a stunningly beautiful land, especially if you enjoy desert scenery or have an interest in geology. One of those places you have to see for yourself to really 'get'.

Hai,

Thank you all for all the tips. I am looking forward to go there. For what I have seen we should be able to get some nice shots. Water will be provided for, carried in camels. I am bold so the hat part is veri important, I currently only have basebal style so I need something in that area.

We own good combined backpacks for gear and more zipped up and the gear part weather proof. Definately will get some quality brushes for cleaning of the dust. Further a light weight tripod will be bought to complete the gear. Zip locks will come to, didn't think about those yet, easy to use and light weight a great adittion.

Lots of memory cards, probably will be seperating like 100 shots on a card and than another tp spread the risk.

Thanks again.

Ton