les_barstow

Thanks, Bob.

I've managed to circumnavigate the problem by stopping the reload, viewing the page source, and using the manufacturer link...

It would appear that the profile entry page for cameras has been hijacked.

The page loads camera items down into the 'D's, then after a couple of

seconds the page refreshes to Google.

Very hard to fill out my profile when the page won't let me.

That <b>is</b> a large area to wander. Arches to Monument Valley is about 3 hours each way. Arches to Zion is 6-8 hours. Monument Valley to Zion is forever (or so it seems...).

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And again, there are lots of other good places in between - Arches to Zion includes <i>Goblin Valley</i>, <i>Capitol Reef</i>, <i>Grand Staircase-Escalante</i>, <i>Kodachrome Basin</i> and <i>Bryce</i>; Zion to Monument Valley includes <i>Coral Pink Sand Dunes</i>, the <i>Paria Wilderness</i> (home of The Wave), the <i>Vermillion Cliffs Wilderness</i>, the other half of <i>Grand Staircase-Escalante</i>, <i>Grand Canyon</i>, <i>Glen Canyon</i>, and <i>Antelope Canyon/Page</i>. And Monument Valley to Arches is near <i>Natural Bridges</i>, <i>Glen Canyon</i>, and <i>Canyonlands</i>.

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Snow isn't usually a problem, except around Bryce Canyon and Boulder Mountain; but be careful if it's snowing, and don't get caught on dirt (read: clay) roads during a snowstorm. Most of these places look great after some snow (see the attachment for a modest sample...). Cold <b>is</b> a problem, though - the deserts often have clear night skies which drive down the temperatures significantly. Temperature gradients are often as high as 40-50 degrees F - nice days and frigid nights.

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As to what to photograph and when:

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<li>Monument Valley is a bit underpopulated in Winter; the Tribal Park hours were limited when I went last year in the off season. OTOH, I've seen many photos from Monument Valley which were obviously taken before or after regular hours - don't know how they do that, but it's probably with a Navajo guide. Later morning and earlier afternoon photos aren't necessarily bad with the addition of a polarizer.

<li>Arches is a sunrise/sunset park; during the day, the light is often too harsh - polarizers and warming filters may help, but it's not as magical without the dramatic shadows and golden-ruby coloring.

Park Avenue and sections of the Devil's Garden trail are your best bets for midday. On cloudy days, definitely go with the Devil's Garden trail for some abstract art photography.

<li>Zion is mostly a midday park - the canyon walls block early and late sun. For sunrise pictures, try the Temples of the Virgin and the Altar of Sacrifice from behind the museum. For sunsets, try either Kolob Canyons or the Watchman. The Narrows might be interesting given the previous poster's advice on drysuits.

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As you note, Winter is a more difficult photography season. Film speed is your choice - I almost always shoot ISO-100 slide film, you are doing 200 print...

More important is the exposure. Snow can really throw off the meter. I think someone else said it best - spot meter if you can (or center meter a wide expanse of snow otherwise) for best exposure. Snow is variable on the adjustments - in bright direct light, it's 1-1/2 to 2 stops; in bright overcast, possibly even all the way to 2-1/2; and under trees perhaps just 1. Matrix meters have variable responses to snow depending on the meter programming - only trial and error will tell.

Luckily, you're using print - one-hour photo shops are your friend, and you do get a bit of room to err with print films. Take an initial roll and have them developed at the one-hour shop, then see what comes back (try to add in whatever compensation they applied at the shop - it's often printed on the back of the print if you know how to read it...).

Have fun!

PS - many of the walking tour companies don't operate in Winter (though you'd think a ski resort would be different...) There's a small publisher in Colorado which makes many booklets on local history; one is called "Breckenridge!", and it covers some of the important stuff. Mining towns tend to be laid out in a compact linear fashion, so finding most of the buildings should be easy with a guidebook.

Better than extra batteries - Lithium batteries. They don't suffer nearly as much from the cold. Alkaline batteries will be gone before you know it if it gets really cold.

The valley around Breckenridge (including Dillon and Frisco) has some reasonably good mountain views. The Dillon Resevoir is pretty (prettier in summer, and when full...); it provides a nice foreground to some of the mountain scenery (be sure to get up to the scenic pulloff on I-70 right before town).

In conjunction with the Shuttle, if you're dressed for the cold you can hike (or maybe bike) to numerous destinations. A paved trail runs pretty much from Vail to Keystone; Vail is too far, but you can just start out of Frisco towards Copper Mountain - the town ends abruptly and you'll find yourself along a creek, paralleling I-70. Starting from Copper Mountain in either direction provides similar views. Either of these will probably get you some nice ice-on-river shots.

I agree also with the above poster on the side trip on US-6 over Loveland Pass - *if* it's been clear. Convince your driver to "detour". Much more scenic than the Eisenhower Tunnel :-)

In town - many of the ski towns have mining roots. Breckenridge is one of them. Go to the local book shop once you get there - there's sure to be some booklets detailing old buildings and mining history. Historic sites in town range from log structures through Victorian and industrial.

Lastly, don't overdo the polarizer - use it at less than its maximum enhancement or your skies will be VERY dark - being at somewhere around 2 miles above sea level does that :-)

Not much difference between a 28-80G and the other two, just a stretching of boundaries.

I picked up the 28-105D and use it constantly. It's inexpensive, lightweight, covers the prime focal spectrum, and has a much underreported 1/2 macro mode. My only recommendations on it are to buy either thin filters or a step-up ring, and to stop down a bit. Thick filters and wide open may cause occasional vignetting.

Pick up the 24mm (or splurge and get one of the super-wide-angle zooms). If you're looking to save cash, a 24mm should be available cheap. Personally, I find if I'm going to take a wide-angle shot below 28mm, I'm just as likely to need 17-18mm as I am 24mm.

Fatali himself answers only "The Colorado Plateau", and "not somewhere commonly known". No kidding. Fatali has a second picture of the formation which is a more distant shot showing an entire valley of goblins and hoodoos, with the "Back of Beyond" hoodoo at the head of the amphitheatre.

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It's not Bryce. Wrong rock, wrong erosion patterns.

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I was thinking <b>Goblin Valley</b>, but have yet to see a section of that park where the stone is stable enough to form the curved points. The vast array of goblins in the second picture remind me a lot of this park; there are large sections of it that I have yet to explore.

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I've also thought <b>Fisher Towers</b>, but haven't yet had the opportunity to hike to the back of that. The formations there have more intricacy, but I don't think the sun and moon line up right. I've been up nearby <b>Onion Creek</b>, and it's not there...

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Other than that, I suppose some remote section of a park or wilderness area is the best bet. You would think that something that striking would be more well-known. I'd be interested to see a link to the other photographer mentioned by another poster here.

<p>If you get a good, early start, I'd recommend a stop at Hanging Lake. Follow the signs in Glenwood Canyon (you'll have to some turning around to get going the right direction...).</p>

<p>Hanging Lake is a somewhat strenuous but shortish hike up the side of the canyon to a small "lake" with a picturesque double waterfall. If you do it during the week, there aren't many people; on weekends it's pretty popular.</p>

<p>Other than that, I agree with the other posters - Independence Pass (stopping at the ghost town of Independence) is a nice ride with some gorgeous scenery (but takes out Glenwood Canyon and Hanging Lake); for a truly full day, take Independence and then head out to the Maroon Bells area (shuttle from downtown Aspen, unless you get there before 9:30am, which makes it too early to take pictures of the ghost town).</p>

<p>--<a href="http://www.lesbarstow.com">Les Barstow</a>