john_curtis1

Fall in the Sierras is my favorite time; after some night time freeze outs to wipe out the bugs and later in the fall for less high heat in the day. Yosemite Falls waterfall doesn't flow in the fall :-( Yosemite valley, where you want to be for a few days, at least, is not very high elevation, so the fall heat lasts longer. I was there last year during 3rd/4th week in Oct, perfect. This year our Sierra trip will be the last week in Sept and first week in Oct. I think the bugs will be just OK and the heat of the day will be on the hot side. There are occasional mid fall, day long rain systems but as a rule fall has the extreme blue skys day after day. You'll want to know your residential game plan real good. The rangers are police like and if you don't have an official camp or? they want you out at night, which is a long drive. Last year campsites cost 15$ a night, you've got to have reservations for a campsite or you'll be standing in line with 40 people trying for the 11 available spots. For day touring, get 3d map in well supplied, not too expensive store. Yosemite valley is remarkable for having all the dramatic monoliths right there in close to one another surrounding the valley floor. Your 3d map will be self explanatory for where to explore. Its really a great day hiking/touring area for every persons desire. A bicycle is a great item, the valley floor is flat. There are tours, rentals, showers, cafes, stores, no gas, post office, Ansel Adams gallery, the works. Its a nice "town" while you're there. The whole park is huge, the valley floor with its dramatic perimeter is a tiny part of the park. Roads take you thru outlying park areas for touring/ camping. Yosemite Park is only a small portion of the Sierra Nevada Mtns. Touring research for the Sierras is easy, the place swarms with folks during the summer season for every kind of recreation. There are guide books, maps and similar everywhere you look.

In Kanab Ut. stop at Willow Creek Coffee and Bookstore, N.E. corner of only stop light in town for good area outdoor travel/excursion/photo op. knowledge.

New to B&W, used some C41, pleasantly surprised with common and inexpensive film development, index sheet from shop too hard to see, contact sheet expensive $6. B&W prints expensive $1 ea., Costco has great prices for color snaps, they'll develop the C41 but won't print it, are there any buzz words or requests that can get the low dollar color guys to print C41 proofs so I can see what I've got?? Thanks

Anybody out there tried using Tech Pan to get super high contrast, black or white no mid tones, negatives and prints? Does it work? How do I visualise what will be white and what will turn out black? A lab told me to shoot it at iso 200, bracket 1/2 stop, and they will develop it in Tmax.