Plan my Southwestern USA trip

[richardgbowen]

<p>Ok folks I have a serious problem. My wife, bless her heart, has given me my dream, but I really should have been careful for what I really wanted. She gave me a week off from reality and a directive: Go shoot! I have now narrowed down where I want to go, the southwest. So folks, if you were given a week what would you shoot?<br>

Couple of criteria:<br>

1) I am a Canon 40D shooter. I have glass from ef-s 10-22 to the 70-200 f2.8 IS this is as wide/long as I wish to go.<br>

2) I am in realatively good shape, and can handle myself fine, but it's not a fun day hiking 10 miles up and down mountains. I have done half dome in Yosemite in a day and consider that about the limit to what is "fun" and I took the next day off.<br>

3) I have a limited unlimited budget. I can do pretty much what I want/when I want, but within reason.<br>

4) I can go at any time remaining this year. I understand summer is miserable. I live in Orlando, so I have no desire to trade a wet heat for a dry one.<br>

5) I'd love to find shooters going at the same time. Local photo clubs, small tours, etc.<br>

Thanks in advance folks. I really need some help narrowing things down.</p>

[david_henderson]

<p>One of the great things about travelling alone is that you can take the time you need to do something properly without worrying about other people, or getting dinner at a certain time, or whatever. So take advantage of that by picking three or at the very most four locations and photograph them decently rather than rush around from place to place trying to cover the whole of the southwest in a week. You also have to bear in mind that whilst you will photograph pretty much all day long, your better photographs will be early and late and this cuts down the effective time you have. You also don't want any all day drives to interfere with that.<br>

Also pick places that won't be traumatic to reach and get around if this is a first time visit. For example, Capitol Reef would be on my list but a good part of that involves Cathedral valley via fording rivers and a degree of isolation. Fine if you've done it before, better with companions, but alone? Same with trips like Romana Mesa up the side of Lake Powell, which will seem never -ending on your own and where you'll be constantly wondering whether you're on the right track.</p>

<p>I'd go in October, which strikes me as being a good compromise between too hot and the risk of weather interruptions.</p>

<p>If it were me , my spots for a first timer would be </p>

<ul>

<li>Bryce Canyon staying close to the overlooks at Ruby's or the NP Lodge. At least one afternoon drive to Cedar Breaks where the amphitheatre is higher and faces the other way and so is best at sunset, unlike Bryce.</li>

<li>The Wave, for which you need permits from (I think the BLM) and these are limited so don't delay once your booking window opens up. </li>

<li>Grand Canyon, where I think you may be able to choose either rim and where again you will ideally stay close to or on the rim since thats where the photos are. A lot of people say to walk down, and i've no doubt that its an impressive and enjoyable hike. But all the best photographs I've seen have been from or near the rim and depend on light/sky as well as land formation.</li>

<li>Monument Valley , staying close either at the newer facility near the visitor centre or at Gouldings to be nearby for key times. </li>

</ul>

<p>Clearly there are lots of other places. You could spend much of your week in Moab and Canyonlands/Arches maybe in combination with MV or Bryce, but don't succumb to the temtation th squeeze just a few more things in - I've seen people on here construct complex and arduous journey plans to demonstrate tht you can see nearly all the big sites in a week. Well its possibly true that you can drive round these locations, but I'd contend that you can't reckon on <em><strong>photographing</strong></em> them well if you're on the move all the time.</p>

[sattler123]

<p>If this is your first trip to the SW, then I would concentrate on one area and really enjoy it, I'd shoot for Moab, Utah. There is so much to see and do. You can start out at Arches NP, then move over to Canyonlands (Island in the sky district), then drive south and visit Canyonlands' Needle district and you can hike the Fisher Towers at Sunset. Trust me, your week will fly by so fast - you'll wonder where all the time went.</p>

[charles_stobbs3]

See Kostya Nakazny photos in the Grand Canyon thread of Jay Brody down below to help your planning.

[luis_g]

<p> You have some good advice already. A few things to consider... It's big country. You can devour a lot of time moving between locations. A week is like the blink of an eye, so you need to look at pictures of the area (try Flickr) and get some idea and make some choices and get specific. What we focus on may be totally different than what you're interested in.</p>

<p>What do you tend to photograph?</p>

[vrankin]

<p>I did a serious solo southwest U.S. photo trip last summer. These were my key learning points from the experience: be aware of the vast scale of your selected areas; plan your travel so that you'll be at, or very near a selected area in the 2-3 earliest or latest daylight hours; use mid-day hours to re-locate to the next area for prime evening light; be prepared for fantastic photo opportunities in unlikely places or times. They aren't always in the most popularized places or within national park boundaries. Finally, for your own health and well being carry gallons of water in your vehicle. The dehydration rate for a photographer on the move is often extreme in summer months. But if you climbed Half Dome, you already know a lot about these things! Cheers!</p>

[arie_vandervelden1]

<p>I'd plan for early May if you can. Avoid the summer heat+crowds.</p>

<p>Vegas is a strategic starting point, easy and cheap to fly to. One option is Zion, Bryce, Page (Antelope Canyon, Horeshoe Bend, The Wave), Grand Canyon, then Route 66 back to Vegas. You really need two weeks, but this could be squeezed into a hectic week.</p>

<p>Another option would be to explore the Moab area. Arches, Canyonlands, Canyonlands Needles district, then maybe Mesa Verde if time permits.</p>

<p>My suggestion: bring a tent.</p>

[famico]

<p>I'm of the same mind as Arie regarding the Moab area. There is so much to see that is relatively close to each other - Monument Valley, Valley of the Gods, Moki Dugway, Arches, Canyonlands, Hovenweep, and a number of scenic routes and well maintained back roads to explore. You could set up your base in Moab, Monticello, Blanding, or Bluff, Utah, and be able to travel by vehicle to most of the places I mentioned.</p>

<p>Wherever you decide to go, congratulations and have fun!</p>

[roseberry guitars]

<p>No-one has mentioned New mexico yet. There are many "off the beaten track" places there where you will be able to discover amazing sites where few others have gone before. Chaco Canyon, Jemez Springs, Sangre de Cristo Mts., White Sands NM, back country around Taos and much more.</p>

<p>A few years ago my wife and I went to the Albuquerque International Balloon Festival, bought a ride in one of the balloons as they took off early in the morning (you can arrange this on line <a href="http://www.balloonfiesta.com/">http://www.balloonfiesta.com/</a> ) and then spent a week camping and hiking around Jemez Springs, Bandelier Nat. Monument and Los Alamos. Amazing!</p>

<p> </p>

[doug_nemura2]

<p>Get a copy of this book at Amazon:<br>

Photographing the Southwest: Volume 1--Southern Utah by Laurent Martres<br>

This book is well written and gives a tour of the southern Utah parks thru the eyes of a photographer with a lot of good hints on where to go and when. Great color pictures too. </p>

[steve_vanslow]

<p>My first exposure to the Southwest was a rafting trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon. My trip was a "full canyon", 8-day, Friday to Friday, motorized trip. It was amazing. No driving, hours of great photographic opportunities each day, all meals prepared, and tents, sleeping bags, and dry bags were provided. <br>

For me, it was pretty cool seeing the Grand Canyon for the first time from the bottom, looking up, and then after the trip, going to the rim and looking down.<br>

Steve.</p>

 

[richard_crowe4]

<p>Some important things to remember:<br>

1. The distances in the Southwest are very great. Give yourself enough time to both drive and to see the sights.<br>

2. Photography in the Southwest is very dependant on the time of day. What may be a boring sight at noon could become a breathtaking vista as the sun lowers and the shadows appear. The books "Photographing the Southwest" by Laurent Martres are excellent guides and will help you plan when and when you should shoot for the best light conditions.<br>

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_18?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=photographing+the+southwest&sprefix=photographing+the">http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_i_0_18?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=photographing+the+southwest&sprefix=photographing+the</a>+<br>

3. As you are driving on back roads; have your longest lens attached to your camera in an accessible spot. It is frustrating to miss photos of wildlife such as antelope, deer, coyote or even elk because your camera is packed away or is wearing a wide angle lens.<br>

4. The Southwest in the Spring can be quite windy and therefore very dusty. I would recommend a cover for your camera such as the lightweight and quite inexpensive OPTECH Rainsleeve. I always carry one of these in the back pocket of my photo vest.<br>

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Rainsleeve-Digital-Cameras-Lenses-Diameter/dp/B000PTFDYO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1264186223&sr=8-1">http://www.amazon.com/Rainsleeve-Digital-Cameras-Lenses-Diameter/dp/B000PTFDYO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=electronics&qid=1264186223&sr=8-1</a></p>

[gordon_lukesh1]

<p>Plenty of places just in NM alone! Check out my RedBubble group</p>

<p>Off Track Southwest United Staes in B&W to see some places you may never have heard of! Contact me vis<br>

<a href="http://www.vistablackandwhiteoftaos.com">www.vistablackandwhiteoftaos.com</a></p>

[jay_66]

<p>A solo trip is fantastic. No need to worry about the wife and kids. I extensively photographed the SW high desert solo back in the 70s. I had 2 months to do as I pleased. Moab is phenomenal. Don't miss Valley of Fire, Arches, Canyononland. I did the North Rim of Grand Canyon in the summer. Whatever you do, DON'T miss Monument Valley and Canyon de Chelly.</p>

[greg_campbell1]

<p>Well, what do you want to see?</p>

<p>You could do a typical tourist tour. One week is about enough time for a blitz loop: Start in Vegas, hit Zion, North Rim, Page/Monument Valley, Backtrack to Bryce, maybe a quick drive east along highway 12, then back to Vegas. This is the sort of trip most people wind up taking, but when they get back they barely have any memories of the trip! So much time is spent in the car, that the individual sights all sorta blur together.</p>

<p>FWIW, I'd suggest spending more time in two or maybe three parks / areas, taking the time to relax and enjoy the environment.</p>

<p>April through late May is a good time to go. The weather will likely be changeable, and you can alter your destination elevation to match the temperatures and conditions. Note that the North Rim will be closed 'till mid May.</p>

<p>Here's a big gob of Google Earth placemarks within the area that I've assembled, complete with short descriptions of many photogenic locations.<br /> The emphasis is on non-technical slot canyon hikes and other 'redrock' destinations, but there are plenty of general interest locations as well.<br /> <a href="http://members.cox.net/geonerd/Canyon_Hikes.kmz" target="_blank">http://members.cox.net/geonerd/Canyon_Hikes.kmz</a> <br /> You can download the file for use in GE, or paste the URL into the search bar at <a href="http://maps.google.com/" target="_blank">http://maps.google.com</a> <br /> If using GE, enable the Panoramio layer to see photos of the area in question. If browsing the google maps site, enable .</p>

 

[greg_campbell1]

<p>Richard, you there?</p>

[steven_f1]

<p>I would suggest Zion National park. Most hikes from Zion Canyon are about 5 miles. Some trails will go much further but many excellent views can be found within 5 miles. If you get tired of Zion Canyon you can drive to the east entrance and there is a lot of neet Sandstone formations there. If it gets to hot walk up the Zion River into the Zion Narrows where you have a cliff, the river (it's a small river), and then another cliff. Since the trial is the river you stay cool even if it is a hot day. </p>

<p>There are campsites at the Sprindale entrance to the park or you can get a hotel room in the town of Springdale. A free shuttle bus runs from Springdale to the park and another runs up and down Zion Canyon. The longest waite for a bus is 10 minutes. If you stay in the canyon you won't have to drive. And if you get tired of Zion Canyon a short trip on the freeway will get you to the north end of the park which few people visit. Early June is an excellent time for Zion. </p>

<p>For the Grand Canyon I think the best way to see it is a river trip down the length of the canyon. Unfortunately river rafting trips in the grand canyon are expensive.</p>

[richardgbowen]

<p>WOW! A ton of very usefull and varied responses. A little bit of feedback:</p>

<p>1) I am more into landscapes than animals. So vistas are the best.<br>

2) I will be flying from Orlando, so unless there is a major airport near a place (sorry Moab) that will not be accessible this trip. I can fly nonstop to phoenix or Las vegas and still be able to do something that day.<br>

Thanks again!</p>

[philgoble]

<p>Richard<br>

Could you indicate whether your wife would ever be willing to visit some place like Arches, Canyonlands, Bryce, etc.? If she would be, then you should use this as an opportunity to do things you may never get the chance to do that you know she wouldn't participate in. A couple of examples of what I'm talking about are driving out to Toroweap for an evening shoot, sleeping in your vehicle and getting up in the morning to shoot. Or driving out to something like Fallen Roof Ruin, which is a couple of hours away from Arches and a hike down a wash many spouses wouldn't be too excited about (even though it isn't that hard, just not pleasant for some).<br>

I'll wait for your response before providing details, although I think you already have some good suggestions from other individuals.</p>