Las Vegas - Grand Canyon - Bryce - Zion trip

[bob_flood1]

Lens: didn't you say there'd be little or no hiking? That means that your ability to get closer to something that interests you will be depend on the reach of your lens, not your feet. A 17-50 won't let you reach interesting distant features. Your itinerary and the season won't put you in contact with much wildlife, maybe some deer in Zion or some birds over the Grand Canyon, so a longer lens will only help with bringing in more distant features you won't be hiking to.

 

Polarizer: darkening the sky isn't the best reason for a polarizer out here. Much of the rock has a bit of a gloss to it, and that limits color saturation. A polarizer really makes a difference. But at places like the canyon rim and Bryce, the altitude will be an issue - be careful not to polarize too much - the sky can turn nearly black at higher altitudes, and you can ruin an otherwise great shot with a completely un-natural sky. You can see this in the viewfinder and adjust the rotation of the polarizer to get the balance you like.

[Carl Stone]

The Grand Canyon strongly benefits from wide lenses, and the wider the better. You might

want that 70-300, but the odds are that it won't see much, if any use at that location.

[craig_gillette]

You're doing pretty well with the contraints you have on a family trip and trying to get in some shooting. Long lenses allow you to capture animals, etc., a little more easily and a 70-300 isn't that much more to add to all the assorted paraphenalia you'll need with a group trip.

 

The problem you can't work easily around is you have a lot of ground to cover and some time limitations. By going with a family group you have to accomodate those family dynamics as well. The more you can have time available early mornings and late afternoons, golden hours, the better the shooting should be. If you can't work around that, no problem. One thing about many of the places you're staying (well, maybe not Kingman :)), you aren't that far from spectacular viewing and shooting. Maybe not the classics of the classics, but if it's your first time to these areas, it's still going to be your first viewings. That first stop at the edge of the Grand Canyon is still a stunner. Even if there is someone to tell you that 500 million other tourists have taken the same picture. Some places, you can't walk too far away or get too different, to the extent you can, in many places, just a little walking will get you something different. Or at least away from the crowds.

[Carl Stone]

I failed to say something very important. When at the Grand Canyon, be VERY careful! We

lose people over the edge every year. Not long ago the victim was a 4 year old daughter of a

US Air Force pilot. The latest incident was a middle age man, who perished after falling over

the edge. Nobody saw him fall, and they only way they found him was because he left his car

unattended, and that prompted a search.

 

Trust me, it happens way too often, pay attention!

[swami]

Hey guys, thanks for your inputs and patience with my questions. Carl, thanks for pointing out the dangers wrt. GC and horses & cattle on the road from Kayenta.

 

Photographically, my first goal is take all the stock snaps of the places we visit and take them well. Would certainly love to take some unique photographs and will attempt to do. But given the time and other constraints, that may not be possible. At any rate, am expecting this to be a scouting trip for a more relaxed trip(s) to this area in the future.

[Carl Stone]

"At any rate, am expecting this to be a scouting trip for a more relaxed trip(s) to this area in

the future."

 

Considering the entourage that you'll have along, including a two year old, I think that's

probably the best way to look at the trip.

[caterina_lenards]

IMHO the North Rim has far better scenery at the top than the South Rim. It is 1000ft (300m) higher in elevation, enough so that the typical vegetation is fir, spruce and aspen. It offers excellent views of the large volcanic mountains to the south -- the San Francisco Peaks, Sitgreaves, Kendrick, etc.

[swami]

I would have preferred going to the North Rim. However, the driving times and logistics do not work out very well with North Rim in the itinerary.

 

Had a couple of questions about Monument Valley sunset.

* Is the Visitor Center closed for sunset?

* David Henderson had mentioned in other posts that there is a little road near the Visitor Center that leads to a campsite. And that this is a decent spot for sunset shots. Is this road still accessible? Has anyone been to this place in the last year or so?

[Carl Stone]

For more recent information about the Visitor's Center, go to this link.

 

http://www.navajonationparks.org/htm/monumentvalley.htm

 

A word of caution, moving around out there after dark, when you're unfamiliar with the area

can be hazardous.

[swami]

Carl, thanks for the word of caution.

 

Sunset time in early June is 8:30 pm. and the Visitor Center closes by 8. So, will need info on that campsite road....

[Carl Stone]

The Visitor's Center closes at 8PM, but the Scenic Drive closes at 8:30 PM, so you need to out

of there by that time.

[waite_watson]

I'd scratch Monument valley & replace it with Death Valley..or at least I would if you weren't going in June!But it is quit a closer to LV.