william_bean

My wife and I went to Alaska for our 30th anniversary and went the B&B route along the way. In Anchorage we stayed at the Lake Hood Inn and out on the Kenai Penninsula we stayed at the Spruce Moose. Both places were excellent. Clean and comfy and I would recommend either one especially the Spruce Moose which is about 25 miles north of Seward near the town of Moose Pass. It was excellent.

 

www.sprucemoosealaska.com

 

E-mail me if you have any questions or need more information.

Not sure of what your time frame is but I have to second the rental car option. It's about 4 to 4 1/2 hours from Vegas to the South Rim. Optimally if you only have 1 day take the flight very early but if you can justify an overnight drive down from Las Vegas one morning and spend sunset and the following sunrise at the Canyon. You'll be rewarded with some wonderful photo ops. And you can take the tour of Hoover Dam on the way down or the way back. Try doing THAT from a helicopter.<div></div>

You're comparing apples to cumquats. The zoom will probably have a maximum macro ratio of 1:4 while the true macro lens will be either 1:2 or 1:1. I'm not familiar with the Sigma so I don't know if it requires a tube to get 1:1 but I've seen some nice reviews of it.

 

So...If you're interested in true macro go with the Sigma. If all you want is "close focusing" the zoom would be okay. Personally I'd rather have 1 too many lenses than 1 too few. I never want to have to say "If only I'd had (fill in the blank) I could have gotten that shot."

Been to Antelope Canyon several times. Given a choice I prefer Lower Antelope to Upper Antelope because it's not nearly so crowded and you don't need a guide to drive you 3 miles up the sandy wash to the entrance.

If at all possible, avoid changing lenses while in the canyon. It's impossible to NOT get dust on your sensor. The suggestion about plastic bags for your gear is a good one. Your 10-22 should be more than adequate. The tripod is critical because of long exposures.

 

Most importantly: If it's raining anywhere within 30 miles STAY OUT of the slot. We don't want to read about you getting fished out of Lake Powell.

This is one of the classic questions. If you ask 100 photographers this question you'll get 100 different answers. Here's mine:

 

First, I think when you mention the $500 price for tripod and head some of the folks here need a bit of a reality check on current pricing when they start talking about Gitzos. Even the Feisols are a bit pricey given a $500 cap for legs and head. I recently added a CF tripod and a new small ballhead to my arsenal and stayed at the $500 level only because I found a good used tripod at a great price.

 

I currently have 2 sets of legs and 2 ballheads to choose from and for the most part the length of my trip dictates which one goes with me. (shorter trip, smaller luggage=smaller legs) The leg sets I use are Manfroto 190XB and Manfrotto 441 which is CF and a little lighter but about 4 or 5 inches longer than the 190XB. The heads I use are Markins Q3 and a Graf Mini-Studioball. Both are good heads but the Markins is amazing so the Graf is mostly a paperweight these days.

 

As far as expenses, I paid full dollar ($285) for the Markins and haven't blinked. The Graf I got on ebay for $40 and have had no issues though it's not nearly as deluxe as the Markins. Both are good ballheads and support a 40D with 100-400 nicely.

 

The 190XB is aluminum alloy and is about the same weight as the larger 441 because it's smaller. Cost on the 190XB was about $140 and I got the 441 used for $200. Bottom line is: How deluxe do you want to go and, more specifically, what are your height requirements for a tripod? Given a choice I will ALWAYS use the 441/Markins combo unless I'm taking a small suitcase which simply won't fit the 441 even without a head.

 

I should mention that I did weeks of research and touched a lot of tripods before buying the stuff I now have. I really liked the Velbon El Carmagne series and also Benro and Feisol though I tend to lean more towards lever leg releases instead of twist locks. In fact, I was on the way to one camera store to buy the El Carmagne 630 and decided to stop in another store that has lots of used gear where I found the 441 for about $175 less than the new price of the El Carmagne.

 

Good luck sorting through all this stuff...lots of different opinions and none any more or less valid than the next. Except yours.

Assuming the weather warms up and stays warm for a couple weeks before you go it will be a good time to get there. Just prepare for varying weather. I was in the park last year the 3rd week of May and it ranged from 75 and sunny to snow the day I left. Depending on what you want to shoot perhaps June would be better but there will be a whole lot more people.

 

You don't mention if you're shooting digital or film: If you're shooting digital APS the 300mm with a converter should do for most situations. If it's film, you might be a bit on the short side for some things. I shoot digital and with the 1.6x factor my 400 was fine MOST of the time. Not sure if the macro will be useful or not as you will be way early for wildflowers. The 18-80 will do nicely for most landscapes.

 

I love the Tetons and, frankly, got the best shots of bears there though I did see quite a few grizzlies in Yellowstone, primarily the Lamar Valley from Roosevelt to Cooke City. Also, the wolves were very active in the Lamar though they tend to stay away from easy camera range.

 

In the Tetons, the usual spots: Schwabacher Landing, Oxbow Bend, Mormon Row (e-mail me or see a map of the Tetons for specific directions to these spots)

 

Yellowstone, it really depends on what you're looking for. Geysers, waterfalls, wildlife, it's all there.

 

Good luck and good shooting. Here's a link to my trip journal and images from last year.

 

http://www.wcbeanphoto.com/yellowstone07.htm

First, I love Lake Powell and have never been disappointed on a trip there. Keep in mind though, the waterside part of Antelope Canyon is probably 2 or 3 miles from the Lower Antelope Canyon and another mile or two from Upper Antelope Canyon that you see photographs of. If you want to avoid the majority of the crowds, go early spring or late fall to Lower Antelope Canyon. There will still be others in the canyon but you won't be elbow to elbow like Upper Antelope.

I agree with the comments about Sedona. Lots to shoot there. If you want to shoot the Grand Canyon, though, it's magnificent any time of day but it's magical at sunset or sunrise and you need to plan on being there for one or both of those times. Either way, Sedona or Tusayan or 1 day of each, you'll find more than enough to fill 3 days of shooting.

 

Here's my gallery and trip journal from the Grand Canyon last month

 

http://www.wcbeanphoto.com/oldtrip8.htm

 

Good luck and good shooting

Ditto what a lot of folks have said. I was in Lower Antelope on August 1, 1997 and got out just before a tremendous rainstorm. 11 days later 12 souls got washed away and drowned. Bottom line: If there's rain anywhere within 20 miles don't go in Lower Antelope. That being said, I was last there in 2005 and though things may have changed, at that time you just paid your fee and got turned loose in Lower Antelope Canyon. There was a time limit of 2 hours.

 

Like others have said, I much prefer Lower Antelope. In my mind it's more photogenic and the crowds are much smaller. If you want to photograph a slot canyon, go to Lower. If you want to see the iconic canyon that's featured in movies and tv commercials go to Upper but be prepared to be elbow to elbow.

 

In either case, mid day is preferable.

OOPS. Here's the proper link: http://wcbeanphoto.com/oldtrip8.htm

Here's a trip journal with images Vegas to Grand Canyon:

http://wcbeanphoto.com/oldtrip8.html

 

I don't like Vegas very much so I can't be of any help there. Depending on when you make the trip the North Rim may still be closed. Check with NPS for that info. The South Rim is my preference anyway but expect crowds. I prefer renting a car and driving rather than a bus tour but that's just personal preference. It's just over 4 hours from Vegas to the South Rim and you will drive across Hoover Dam on the way. If your mother can walk a little bit the tour there is worthwile.

 

Depending on what you want to see, from the Grand Canyon it's just a couple more hours east to Lake Powell and Antelope Canyon. Going south it's not too much farther than that to Sedona.

 

West of Vegas a couple hours is Death Valley.

 

Best bet if you decide to drive is get a good map and be prepared: Distances are greater and things are a lot more spread out here in the West.

I use the 190XB as my travel tripod. With a Graf Mini-Studioball head attached it fits in a medium suitcase without having to go diagonal but I suspect to make carry on specs I'd have to dismount the head. It's solid enough with the column collapsed but in the canyon you'll need some very slow shutter speeds so practice bending over and avoid extending the column if you can.

 

You neglected to mention if you'll be shooting in Upper or Lower Antelope canyon. Both are excellent but Lower is by far my favorite. In either case you'll be able to "get by" with the 24 but 16 would be superior. Main thing to remember is be very careful about changing lenses inside the canyon and avoid it if you can. The dust there seems to be trained to invade cameras at every opportunity.

 

Good luck and good shooting...it's one of my favorite places.

Depends on the nature of the trip. I travel a few times a year sometimes for photography and sometimes to accompany my wife who is traveling on business. For the photo trips I take a 40D with: 17-40L, 28-135IS, 100macro, and 100-400IS. I have a smallish Manfrotto with a small ballhead and a larger Manfrotto with a larger ballhead with the length of the trip (big suitcase or small suitcase) determining which one I take. On photo related trips I don't ever want to say "...I wish I had my (fill in the blank)."

 

If I'm traveling with my wife I may take the 40D with the 28-135 and no tripod but usually I take a G9. I'm not sure why but the wife gets a bit cranky if I spend too much time shooting when I'm traveling with her.

Chris, my wife and I took the same cruise on the Dawn Princess in 2005. There is a trip report and and photo gallery on my website. www.wcbeanphoto.com. Feel free to e-mail me if you have any specific questions.

Maybe it's just me but I rarely see the buffalo herd at Genessee when we travel through there. More predictable and easier to locate would be the herd at Daniels Park which is east of Hwy 85 near Castle Rock. Also there are 2 private buffalo ranches where I ALWAYS see critters when passing by. One is on Hwy 83 about 15 miles south of Franktown. The other is on Hwy 86 between Kiowa and Limon.

 

I echo the opinion that Bear Creek Lake Park is not really spectacular but I LOVE Roxborough.

 

Good luck and good shooting

I have an Art Wolfe/Sun Dog that is identical to the Super Trekker. I've been trying to sell it for a couple years now so the price is drastically reduced. If interested you can e-mail me at bill@wcbeanphoto.com

Everyone will have a different opinion but mine is that you have a real Catch 22 situation on your hands. The best time to avoid the crowds in Upper Antelope (and it DOES get crowded)is early morning but the best light is mid-day. I can't really speak to the size of the crowds this time of year since I've only been there in March, April, and July so maybe you'll get lucky. Good luck and good shooting.

For about the past 3 years or so I've been using Panorama Maker 3.0 by ArcSoft. As I recall it was about $50 when I bought it. I've tried the photomerge section of Photoshop and find Panorama Maker to be quicker and easier for my purposes. I'm sure there are newer versions but what the heck, 3.0 does what I need it to do with a minimum of post-stitch blending and correction. Like any software, though, the amount of thought you put into exposing the original images can greatly reduce the amount of post production work you need to do.

I was in Crested Butte last month just after the wildflower festival and unless they've started something new, the construction you wife's friend referrd to is right at the resort. They're building another lodge. There was no construction on the road to Gothic which, IMO, isn't really the best place for fall colors in the area. I prefer the areas west of the town of Crested Butte specifically the Kebler Pass and Ohio Pass roads. Don't let construction scare you off.

 

Beyond that, a lot of my fellow Colorado photographers prefer to head farther southwest to the San Juans for fall color. Bottom line is you can strike out for fall color in Colorado for several reasons but most of the time you have to work pretty hard at being skunked.

I've got the answer to your problem. I'll be going to Crested Butte in late September. Take the Yellowstone/Tetons workshop, send me the money for the CB workshop, and I'll send you some photos. (Just kidding)

What a choice...I have to agree with my fellow Coloradan since I have also photographed all those locations. Crested Butte will have few to zero wildlife opportunities. Your time frame falls during hunting season so the critters will be difficult to find at best. RMNP will be an elk trip first and foremost. It's kind of like the whale watching cruises in Washington and Alaska. They go for the sure thing first and everything else is low priority. In RMNP, elk is a sure thing.

 

For scenics, I haven't been north that late in September so I can't comment on the fall colors in Wyoming though that far north I'd be a bit concerned if they have an early cold snap. The Kebler Pass area west of Crested Butte sits in the middle of the largest Aspen forest in North America and can be quite spectacular.

 

If I had to make the decision and discount the fact that I live 2 hours from RMNP and 4 hours from Crested Butte, the determining factor for me would probably be to speak with the workshop instructors on the phone and go with the one I had the best rapport with. I've found that when it comes to workshops and seminars the instructor can make or break it no matter what the subject matter. Call em up and talk to them. The main thing for me is rapport but I also want to know if the instructor will be shooting also or merely instructing. I'm not really into financing photo opportunities for a workshop instructor. Let them shoot on their time, not mine.

 

Good luck and good shooting. I think you've come across a classic win/win situation and will not be disappointed with your decision whatever it is. BTW, I'm headed for CB (Wildflower capital of Colorado) this weekend. Hope to see you all there.

I took the cruise last year with a 10D body and 4 lenses: 20-35, 28-105, 100-400IS, and 100 macro. The 28-105 was a terrific walk around lens onboard and during port stops. While on the ship I really didn't use the 100-400 much except for some harbor seals and sea lions in Glacier Bay but it did get some use once we got off the ship in Whittier and spent 4 days kicking around the Kenai Penninsula. We also took a day cruise out of Seward and the 100-400 stayed on the camera all day. I used the 20-35 quite a bit for landscapes but the 100 macro never came out of the bag. I also brought an EOS 3 body for backup but it stayed in the bag with the macro.

 

As for choosing between the 100-400 and 300mm, the zoom has it, hands down. Also, run over to Target and get some 2 gallon ziplock bags. You can cut a slit in the bottom for your lens to poke through, zip the body inside the bag and use a rubber band around the lens hood to protect your gear from the seemingly incessant rain. While we were there, the weather was great. The couple of days it rained it didn't rain hard but it rained non-stop.

 

Enjoy the cruise! Ours was spectacular.

What a fun trip.....if you have time. Just did a quick mapquest and found that the MOST DIRECT route is over 1500 miles one way. Needless to say, the PCH isn't the most direct route so at the least, you can figure between 45 and 60 hours of driving. Divided by 7 days and assuming drive time of 56 hours (everyone has to stop for gas and for bio breaks) that's 8 hours a day driving. Not to sound discouraging but if you plan on spending any time at all shooting this agenda may be a bit ambitious.

 

That being said, no matter what route you choose you won't have a problem finding things to photograph. One of my favorite places on the planet is Northern AZ/Southern UT specifically the Coyote Buttes area between Page, AZ and Kanab, UT. (google search)

 

Good luck and travel safely.

I've typed 2 responses to Guy and deleted them both because I refuse to debate personal views on a public forum. You have your opinion, I have mine. Both are valid and the chance that either of us will change the other's mind is less than zero. Nuff said.

A pal of mine that conducts several workshops every year and I have kicked around the idea of a workshop conducted from a houseboat on Lake Powell. It's still in the formative stages but to date the finances haven't been attractive. It costs a bloody fortune to rent a houseboat big enough to accomodate enough bodies to make the venture profitable. Best time of year would be before mid June or after Labor day to avoid the beastly heat in the summer.

Not exactly sunset but I've seen some late afternoon images from the Snake River Overlook that are quite spectacular. Also if there are clouds that will reflect some of the sunset colors the beaver ponds near Schwabacher's Landing can be very nice.