david_daniel

I might suggest one change and one addition. Instead of visiting the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, go to the North Rim when you are in the Bryce area. From Bryce you go down through Kanab, Fredonia and Jacob's Lake. There will be way less tourists, the temperatures will be milder. And if you are renting a high clearance vehicle you can get directions to some points on the Canyon on dirt roads where you will be alone! Like Kanab point.

 

While in the Moab area you might want to go over one morning (early - to beat the heat) and hike down into Horseshoe Canyon, a separate area of Canyonlands NP. This is where the incredible Indian Pictographs are including the Great Gallery. These are the finest examples of Pictographs in America, including figures 8 feet tall! Here is a good link: http://www.desertusa.com/canyon/du_can_todoshoe.html .

4 corners is definitely heating up. I was in Farmington until 4pm today and it was hot, at least 90. Just checked weather.com and it says 95 tomorrow (friday) in Farmington, 96 in Sedona, 90 in Grants, 99 in St. George. I'm heading to Flagstaff, where it will be in the low 80s. Kanab/Fedonia's another place that won't heat up too much, probably stay under 90.

I went hiking in South Mountain Park a few weeks ago and wildflowers were incredible. Great park right in Phoenix and if you pick your trails correctly, very few people.

You've gotten some good advice here, although it may be hard to pick and choose from all the places mentioned. I used to live in Flagstaff and in fact just returned from a week long trip there, phoenix to flag and back out of phoenix. just a few points to consider:

- DONT let anyone talk you out of going to the Grand Canyon. There are lots of incredible places in the SW, but nothing compares to the Canyon. You may never be back here, don't miss it.

- No way you can get to the river and back in 1/2 day, unless you own a copter! A good route into the inner canyon is the Horseshoe Mesa trail out of Grandview point. VERY steep. Great views.

- DO follow the advice to exit the Canyon out the east side. Desert View and better yet nearby Lipan point are two of my favorite views of the Canyon, lots of river in site. Great end of the day spots. And on your way to Cameron be sure and stop at the Navajo Scenic Spot for an incredible up close view of the Little Colorado Gorge (and lots of Navajo jewelry).

- Don't miss Wupatki Ruins on your way towards flag.

- While in Sedona, there are two good ruin sites, check at the Forest Service ranger station in Sedona for directions. Lots of good rock art at each of these sites.

- We did some hiking in the South Mountain Park in Phoenix last week. The wildflowers were great!

enjoy, dave

while you are in laguna, get someone to direct you to victoria beach (southern part of city). go down the stairs to the beach and turn right around the rocks (low tide only) for a neat surprise. years ago this structure held a staircase for the cliff top resident to use to get to the beach (it still does, but is no longer used). This house is next door to the house Bette Midler bought after she made the movie 'Beaches'. i believe she has since sold it however. this beach is also where o.j. simpson used to own a house. this area has great tidepools at low tide, its my favorite place to watch the sun go down.

 

be sure and have dinner at Las Brisas in laguna. the best view restaurant in southern california. and the coffee place across the street is a good place to hang out and watch people late.

gary, just returned from 3 days in the columbia gorge, and it wasn't enough time. i think you could easily spend the whole 10 days in the gorge, with a couple days diverted to the Mt. Hood loop area. Especially if you plan to do some hiking to many of the hidden waterfalls and meadows. Short of Belize, the southern shore of the gorge is the greenest place you will ever see! Enjoy, Dave

Of my clients who still accept film submissions or assignments, EVERY ONE of them also accepts digital. For my calenders, as long as I can deliver Tiff files large enough to compare with my 67 transparencies, most of them prefer digital. I've gotten rid of my 35mm film system and only have the p67II and two digital cameras. Personally I will not miss film when it is gone, being able to review my photos instantly on my powerbook versus waiting for them to come back from the lab, plus the dreaded light box, good riddance.

You are wise to avoid Arches this time of the year. I have been twice between xmas and new years and it was great, days were warm enough (50-55), crowds were non existent, even delicate arch was deserted one evening (well deserted is an exaggeration, myself and two french couples asking me to take their photos under the arch while they were making out, quite fun).

 

This time of the year you might consider heading to Flagstaff. It is 7000 ft high, and as hot as it gets is mid 80s, and very cool at night still. Wupatki, Sunset Crater, Walnut Canyon parks are right there. A little further but still a day trip would be Petrified Forest/Painted Desert, and the towns of Winslow and Holbrook. Lots of Ruins and Rock Art all over, if you are interested in that sort of thing. Hike into the basin of the San Francisco Peaks, a great experience. And of course, there is also Oak Creek and Sedona. Flagstaff is a great city with a cool downtown filled with good restaurants and better bars.

One thing not mentioned here is the real feature of Canyon De Chelly, of getting into the canyon, is the archeology. If you ae interested in Indian ruins, or Indian rock art, then getting down into the Canyon is a must! And yes, you can drive your own vehicle, but only with a Navaho guide. And is must be 4x4. I hired a guide for the day and he showed me all the rock art in the canyon. It is extensive and some of the best in the state. I was happy to spend the money to see this feature of the canyon. I spent 4 days there, many exploring side canyons that I could hike extensively without any bother from anyone. One of the most beautiful and interesting places I have ever been.

I'm sitting in my hotel in Hell's Kitchen, watching it start to get light out. I have my tripod set up in front of an open window in my 16th floor room and a planned skyline shot with the morning sun rising on it.

 

I am in NYC at least 5-6 times a year on assignment. I spend most of my off time roaming the streets, riding the ferries, walking over bridges. All looking for the 'best' shot. Since my first photo safari to NYC 15 years ago, I have NEVER been hassled by any public agency person. My only problems have been with private security people when I attempt to set up my tripod on private property, like a courtyard of a office building (this happened today). I'm going to have about 25 of my photos published in a book about Hudson river and the Bridges over it, and those were all shot since 9/11. One prominently features a mounted policeman.

 

If I was to only take one lens here, it would be my Vivitar Series 1 35-300.

 

NYC is an exciting, difficult, stimulating, daunting place for photography.

Go to Victoria Beach in Laguna, near South Laguna. This is a favorite beach for home owned by celebrities, Bette Midler, OJ Simpson, Harriet Nelson, over the years. Very rocky and picturesque, lots of tide pools and a very unique, old, architectural feature right on the beach (turn right when you go down the steps). Try to be sure to go a low tide, you will not be able to get past the rocks at high tide. There is a nice beach in addition to the rock area. Very uncrowded as it is difficult to find a parking space up top. Then go to Las Brisas for the best dinner and night view in town.

I will be in the Tucson/Southern Arizona area for a couple weeks end

of Dec, first of Jan. I am interested in finding and shooting

archeology, from ruins to missions to rock art to Ghost Towns and old

Cemeteries. I can find the very public ones, National Parks, State

Parks, etc. But I would love to hear from anyone familiar with the

area that could guide me to places not generally known by the public.

And for that matter, anything else in S. AZ. anyone has found

interesting. I may even get over into Southern N.M. All comments are

appreciated and I welcome private emails if you are concerned about my

intentions in delicate archeological areas. drdroad@earthlink.net .

Thanks, Dave<div></div>

painted desert, petrified forest (both are in the same national park) and sedona are NOT in Southern AZ, very north. And Joshua Tree National Park is in California. While in Tucson be sure and hit the mission just on the Southern outskirts, Mission San Xavier del Bac. Best in the late afternoon. Check out this web site: http://emol.org/tucson/sanxavier/sanxavier.html. <p>

Also note the cemetary a few hundred yards north of the mission.<p>

 

I thought Tombstone was a huge disappointment, a huge tourist trap.

 

Have fun, dave

Can someone please tell me how to remove the Pentax strap from those

lug things on the camera body. I have used P67 cameras for years, but

just acquired a used back up body that has the actual Pentax strap

attached. this is new to me and I cannot figure out how to de-attach

it. Now I know why people like this strap so much, IT WON'T COME OFF!

But I have no use for a strap, it just blows in the wind atop my

tripod. thanks, dave

the north rim 'itself' will be closed only if snow has closed the road. they do not plow this road once the snows hit.

I'd also like to know what suv gets 30 mpg. i own one of the smallest and it struggles to get 20 mpg. come on guys, unless you own one of the suvs that are bigger than rhode island, no reason for all this guilt. most cars don't get that great of mileage either! and they won't take you and your cameras to hikes like horseshoe canyon.

Christian,

If you are going to Walnut Canyon NM, then you WILL be in Flagstaff, part of that park is actually in the city limits. And you will not be able to get into the ruins area after hours. A way more interesting ruins park is Wupatki NM, about 30 miles north of Flag. All four major public ruin groupings are self guided, open 24/7, and you are allowed to walk through most of them (don't stand on the walls!). Get to Wukoki Ruin (within Wupatki) for sunrise, it is spectacular. The red rock of Wupatki makes for a much more interesting surrounding landscape and you have the opportunity to also explore adjacent Sunset Crater NM. Having seen all of these parks numerous times, there is no doubt I would substitute Wupatki for either Tuzigoot or Walnut Canyon (or add it). Enjoy.<div></div>

Planning a trip to Merida, Mexico this fall for the Day of the Dead

Festival - end of October, beginning of November. Would like to hear

from anyone who lives in the area or has been there to help with hotel

recommendations both in Merida and near ruins. Also would like to hear

which ruins within 100 miles of Merida people think are the most

outstanding, for whatever reason (elaborate, secluded, unique,

photogenic, rock art, etc.). Anything else in the area a photographer

should know about? Thanks for any input.<div></div>

Geoff,

 

don't be dissuaded, northern lights (auroras) happen all year long, especially this year. go to spaceweather.com and check out their photo gallery of auroras. most photos include how the photographer made the photo, and many of the photographers can be contacted. there is even a way to sign up to be emailed when the sun is acting up and auroras will be likely.

Hi Ed,

 

I think the answer to your dilemma has much to do with when you are planning your NEXT trip out west. Is this the only time you will be here for years, or is this just the first of many? I used to take these road trips where I would hit a little of everything for a week or two - but got tired of it. Now I find a place I know will intrigue me (usually someplace I saw for a day and wanted to spend more time there) and stay my whole trip, getting to know it intimately. Since you are clearly most interested in Death Valley, if this was my trip, I would plan the whole time there. You will not be bored, especially if you will have 4x4, or at least high clearance. So many intriguing places missed by many, like Marble Canyon. Also lots to see just outside the park, like Eureka Dunes and many ghost towns (Ryholite is special). Zion and Bryce are close to each other and would make for a great trip, the next time! Enjoy, Dave

OK, I know I am risking being burned at the stake here, but I just reread the original post on this thread, and I'm trying to figure out what all the uproar is all about. Just WHAT did this guy do that was so bad he should be put away for the rest of his days.

 

Are we mad because he was "from 3 hours away" and shouldn't have taken advantage of a local situation? Is the offense trespassing? Geez, my lawn gets trespassed most every day, by someone trying to sell me a newspaper, magazine, or someone elses God. He attracted a bird to an area he wanted by using bait. Just like I was taught in nature photography class to do, by using those wildlife tapes with the sounds of dying rabbits. Or by picking up road kill to attract coyotes or mountain lions.

 

And he didn't feed the owl. Seems most people would have thought feeding the owl would have been a BIGGER offense. So basically the worst thing he did was take 40 minutes out of this birds day away from his searching for food. I can't see he put any real unusual stress on the owl. I'm sure this was not the first time this owl saw a meal he didn't end up getting.

 

It just seem to me this guy did basically the same thing wildlife photographers do every day when they hide in a blind and play tapes/CDs with the sounds of distressed animals on it to attract a predator. I have been to wildlife workshops that do this and teach this, and the animal never gets fed. Maybe the big sin here is this photographer didn't just sit around hoping for a shot, he worked to get a great shot.

I am considering getting a 400 for my 67 system and have the

opportunity to either get the newer ed version or the older lens. Of

course the price of the ed is considerably higher, but can get a used

one for under $3000. The review of the older 400 plus comments made on

this forum suggest the older version lens was a terrific piece of

glass. I am wondering what people who have used both consider the main

advantages of the newer version. Did the older 400 have a rotating

tripod ring? Can you put filters on the front of the older lens? (what

size?) When using filters on the rear, how do you twist a polarizer?

Thanks for the help, Dave.

Does anyone know if another company other than Singh Ray make hard

edge graduated ND filters for the Cokin and other holders?

Thanks, Dave

Personally, I agree to delete 35mm posts. It is hard enough to read through all the posts of all the forums I belong to without wading through the ones that aren't supposed to be here.

Try the "wide angle" polarizers. Also called slim filters, the rim is much thinner to cut down or eliminate vignetting. I see them on ebay occasionally in different sizes.