kory1 0 Posted December 11, 2008 Over the years, I've been to New Mexico at least a dozen times. I've often thought about stopping at Carlsbad Caverns National Park, but always ended up passing it up in favor of more traditional desert locales. Now I know that was a mistake. Carlsbad Caverns NP is really something. It's like a page taken right out of a fantasy novel -- Tolkien would wet his pants if he saw the place! For a photographer, the opportunites are many. The caves have a ton of variety: some are quite large, with rooms easily a hundred yards wide, while others are very small and intimate. And, the formations are even more varied, ranging from huge stalactites to small pools of water to deep chasms and everything in between. Of course, all of that is great, but the most crucial thing in any cave (especially one that is 750 feet below the surface) is obvious: the LIGHT. And, for a photographer, that's the best part of it all. All throughout the park the Park Service has done an excellent job of installing beautiful colored ambient lighting which really adds to the drama of the scene. They've installed the lights in such a way that you rarely can see a light directly -- reflected light is all you get, which is great for us photogs as it eliminates potential image-wrecking hot spots. If this sounds like something you'd like to see, then you may want to do it sooner than later. A ranger told me that within the next couple of years, they're going to be replacing all the lights with a newer type that makes it easier to see, but won't be as dramatic or colorful. Great for everyone else, not so great for us photogs. Oh, and it goes without saying that you MUST bring your tripod. If you come early, there is almost no one there and you will have plenty of room to place your tripod wherever you want. Thanks for looking. Link to comment
chris_rowe1 0 Posted December 12, 2008 Quite nice, the ambient/colored light really does add to the picture. Great job :-) Chris. Link to comment
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