ydobon

<P>You could always try a rather bluish emulsion. Fujichrome Provia

100 (RDP II) was a pretty cold toned film; it might give you the

results you want.

<P>Also, stay in the shade and try not to take pictures around dawn or

dusk (lest you resort to filtration) unless it's heavily overcast.

Good luck.

<P>Well, just for the record, today the sky did drop a few snowflakes

on the SF Peninsula at lower altitudes which is a rarity (although

nothing stuck to the ground). I think it snowed a tad one year in the

late 1980s (I guess that was the year it snowed in Malibu). The last

time any snow really stuck to the ground (maybe 2-3 inches) around

these parts was one day in 1976.

<P>Greg, if you're still reading this, even in California it is

prudent to check current weather/road conditions before undertaking a

trip. However, apart from the normal bad road behavior that

typically accompanies the winter holidays, there's shouldn't be too

much to worry about. Don't forget those chains, though.

<P>A couple notes about Mangelsen's photography: Essentially all of

Mangelsen's wildlife shots are 35mm; whenever someone asks "What is

the largest size I can enlarge to?" in the regular Q&A forum, I just

think about those big Mangelsen shots...

<P>He also has a Linhof panorama camera and I believe some MF/LF gear

which are inevitably used only for landscape stuff. I concur with

Dan: He's a damned good technician, he's in the field a lot, and yes,

he's talented. He's a personable guy face-to-face and does the PR

stuff like book signings really well. He also appears to be a fairly

astute businessman; note that all four of his California galleries are

four very monied suburban towns (he probably has a good idea where his

stuff is gonna sell).

<P>Well here in on the San Francisco Peninsula today, there are no

travel advisories, winter storm warnings, flash flood statements,

dense fog statements, et cetera ad nauseam currently.

<P>Valley fog is quite normal during the winter in California. Apart

from when it actually rains, the coast is often very clear (marine fog

is more of a summer problem). Today, for example, would be a

spectacular day for a drive up the coast; as a California native, I

find nothing unusual with the fact that the sky is crystal clear.

<P>I'll leave it as an exercise to the reader to go to the <A

HREF="http://www.nws.mbay.net/">San Francisco Bay Area National

Weather Service web site</A> and read the extended forecasts and

summary statements for winter storms.

<P>For up-to-date information, tune your weather band radio to 162.40

MHz in San Francisco. If you don't have a weather band radio, I guess

you'll just have to rely on TV, radio, and newspapers for your travel

advisories.

<P><I>I never new [sic] Mamiya made tripods ?</I> Uh, neither did I.

That's why I said they were new; they weren't there the last time I

visited the store.

<P><I>What dealers were you dealing with and are these tripods

distriputed from Mamiya USA ?</I> The dealer's street address is 290

California Avenue and phone number is (650) 327-8996. I didn't bother

to ask from which distributor they obtained these tripods. You'll have

to make the phone call yourself.

<P>There is a new line of Mamiya carbon fiber (CF) tripods that is in

direct competition with the Gitzo Mountaineer line and is priced

perhaps 30% cheaper; I played with them today at my local pro shop

(Keeble and Shuchat, Palo Alto, California) after I picked up some

processed film.

<P>The Mamiyas look very, very similar. The twist locks are actually

easier to grip and don't require much more than a gentle twist to

secure the legs. One leg has a rubberized grip for carrying. The three

Mamiya models competed directly with the G1227, G1228, and a G13xx

model. In each case the Mamiya model was 10-15% lighter than the

corresponding Gitzo and maybe 30% cheaper to boot.

<P>The build quality of the Gitzos might be every so slightly better

than the Mamiyas. The two Mamiya tripods (G1227 and G1228 competitors)

had little levers for each leg for three different leg positions. The

pattern on the carbon fiber looks a little different, but the colors

were identical, even to the metal hardware. I actually walked by the

Mamiyas a couple of times before I started examining a small Linhof

ballhead and looked at a Gitzo for scale.

<P>There was also a Mamiya CF monopod, once again in direct

competition with the Gitzo G1568 and again slightly lighter and maybe

30% cheaper. The Mamiya was however, slightly (6 inches?) shorter at

full extension.

<P>Of course, I didn't get to field test the new Mamiya supports but

in the store they appeared to be comparable in rigidity to the Gitzos.

Also, I have no data on reliability and durability, but as mentioned,

the build quality is very similar to Gitzo. I didn't bother to grab a

spec sheet which is too bad since there is no mention of them on

either the Mamiya America or B&H web sites, so you'll have to get the

marketing collateral the old-fashioned way (phone and snail mail).

<P>So if you folks are interested in a lightweight tripods for

hiking-walking-camping-backpacking-mountain biking-cycling-whatever

and don't want to pay Gitzo prices, you should consider the new Mamiya

CF tripods. I like the Mamiya twist locks better than the Gitzos. You

won't save much in weight or space, but on a bigger model, you might

save US$250+ (retail pro shop price) - not enough for an Arca-Swiss B1

or a 20/2.8 prime, but definitely not chump change as far as tripod

legsets are concerned.

<P>Take a look at <A

HREF="http://db.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=00019S">

this thread in the regular Q&A forum</A> on hummingbird wings. The

topic is actually covered quite extensively.

<P>At least in sunny conditions, I think a graduated ND filter might

be more useful than a polarizer (especially with slide film). Take 0.6

and 0.9 ND grad filters along with your polarizer; I admit I'm not

familiar with Antartica weather conditions in January (it's summer,

right?) although I've been to Australia/NZ.

<P>Tripod: buy one and use it.

<P>I try to avoid taking pictures with a lot of sky when it's overcast. Macro/closeup stuff is often pretty good

since the lighting is really soft. Overcast days are great for tree photography. Go to a forest and take great

shots of trees. I use both B&W and color (Velvia works great on overcast days). Metering seems to be easier on

overcast days since there are no patches of brightness to fool modern metering systems.

<P>Since the light is pretty consistent through the day when it's overcast, you'll actually have more usable

shooting hours than on a sunny day (at high noon the light is really unflattering). Good luck and enjoy.

<P>Most of the Hawaiian islands have good dive opportunities. I've

seen the mantas on the Big Island. I've also seen sea turtles

and heard spinner dolphins (certification dives on Kauai), and seen

white-tipped sharks and bottlenose dolphins (Ni'ihau dives). I still

think Kauai has more easily accessible photographic opportunities

for landlubbers than the other islands, which is why I singled it out.

<P>I'm not much for organized tours - I tend to do my own thing esp.

in regard to photography.

<P>That said, at least one location that fits would be Kauai. I had a

great time on my 3-tank boat dive off of Ni'ihau (specifically Lehua

Island - a volcanic crater); I'm not an experienced diver at all

(actually these were my first 3 dives since certification). There are

plenty of photogenic landscape sites on the Kauai, but I never

searched for any photography tours.

<P>Depending on your time/feelings about diving/etc., my home state of

California might be a good solution. You could dive Monterey Bay or

some place down south (Catalina?) and then go on a Galen Rowell

photography workshop (<A

HREF="http://www.photo.net/photo/workshops/rowell.html">as described by

Piaw Na</A> in photo.net). There are walking photography tours (less

focused on technique) at national parks like Yosemite. Heck, there are

probably walking photography trips of San Francisco, if that's more of

your cup of tea; SF is certainly a photogenic city.

<P>Although it has been <EM>many</EM> years since I've been to Japan,

I will point out that January 1, 1999 falls on a Friday. Travel

logistics will probably be more difficult than usual, due to the

longish holiday period. It would be wise to have everything reserved

and confirmed, and not expect too much in public services,

transportation, lodging, banking, and other tourist services from

December 30 through January 4. I would assume that domestic air travel

(at least the inexpensive stuff) will be fully booked during this time

frame as will the Shinkansen (bullet train).

<P>That said, I remember the western side of Japan (e.g., Niigata) as

particularly pleasant, but I was there during the summer. Good luck.

<P>Howard has excellent advice. Since you are addressing friends and

family, there is a good chance that they will like much of your work.

However, a really concise slide show might fit in better to the

Thanksgiving weekend activities when lots of people think more about

eating or watching football than looking at photographs.

<P><U>You</U> need to figure out what these people can tolerate; after

all, you know them better than we do. If there are a bunch of kids or

elderly folks, 20 minutes is probably tops. Oh yeah, if you try this

after turkey dinner, don't expect people to be awake much longer than

that either.

<P>There's a whole <A

HREF="http://db.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-one-category.tcl?topic=photo%

2enet&category=Slide%20Projection">section on slide projection</A> in

the regular photo.net Q&A forum. There's <A

HREF="http://db.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=0007Gs">

one thread (Composing of Slide Show)</A> that covers this topic

thoroughly. There are a couple of additional comments in a <A

HREF="http://db.photo.net/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=000CMh">

thread dated six months later.</A>

<P>In a nutshell: plan ahead, write a storyboard, stay below 40-45

minutes, stay below 80 slides, don't be a bore, and practice,

practice, practice.

<P>There is no reasoning behind signatures. It's a personal choice.

This is not limited to photography. People have been signing/not

signing art for thousands of years and some individuals haven't been

consistent in their own body of work (e.g., Michelangelo).

<P>I personally think big signatures on photos are tacky, but

nature photographer Thomas Mangelsen does it and his downtown Palo

Alto (California) gallery moves enough prints to pay commercial rent

in yuppie heaven. But heck, I think Michelangelo's signature in the

strap across the Virgin Mary's torso of the Vatican Pieta is tacky,

too.

<P>Equally tacky are frame jobs that have a separate cutout in the

matte just for the signature (naturally outside the image). It's just

a matter of personal taste, that's all.

<P>Well, I'm not sure what to make of this thread but <I>how much time

does one lilypond serve?</I>

<P>I suppose if you want your images to go on a world tour a century

after they were made, you should spend a couple of years on them (not

forgetting to earmark enough time to paint Rouen Cathedral forty

times).

<P>I've shot the same tree at a nearby marine reserve maybe 30-40

times in the 2+ years I've been shooting. I'll probably stop when I

shelve my camera gear or the tree falls into the Pacific Ocean (it's

on a cliff and the area took a beating in this year's El Nino-driven

storms).

<P>That said, Edward Weston took a bunch of pictures of the same chick

(Charis Wilson) while Ansel Adams took pictures of the same big rock

(Half Dome) over a period of years. It's up to you to figure out when

enough really is enough.

<P>Concerning Ano Nuevo (with its elephant seal population), it is off

limits from December 1-14 as most of the big bulls arrive for the

start of the mating season. The drive on the PCH above San Luis Obispo

is pretty nice - might be worth stopping in Big Sur.

<P>While I know very little about the Canon 35mm SLR system, I guess I

should mention that the photodo.com site is laughably inaccurate in

its presentation of <U>objective data</U> concerning the Contax SLR

system (stuff like mirror lockup on the RTSIII, interchangeable

focusing screens on all SLRs, built-in film advance on the AX, etc.).

<P>I find such sloppiness difficult to defend/accept since this type

of data is readily available in <U>free</U> Contax marketing

collateral. I don't know if the Canon data is any more reliable on

photodo.com. This may or may not have any bearing on their subjective

lens tests; it's up to you to decide that one.

<P>I noticed that the liquid amber and maple trees (non-native in my

neighborhood - SF Bay Area) are turning color, but it's not very

impressive this year. I guess the conditions weren't quite right.

<P>Apparently, Yosemite is happening right now. There's supposed to be

some report on the local evening news tonight (Monday, October 26)

about fall colors in Yosemite.

<P>I think all the aforementioned advice is quite reasonable and will

help you get good shots. However, I've been commuting on a train for

quite a while, so the quality of your images will be heavily dependent

on the cleanliness of the windows and relative absence of scratches in

the glass or plexiglas.

<P>Amtrak runs my commuter train service here in the SF Bay Area and

I've haven't noticed any propensity from them to keep the trains'

windows free of dirt or scratches (or to keep the restrooms clean and

functional, for that matter) despite increasing ticket prices.

However, I admit that I have not taken the Oregon-Wisconsin line.

<P>While I typically do not take my vacations in late winter/early

spring, I guess you should consider the American Southwest, in

particular some of the deserts if you don't care for tramping around

in the snow in national parks, etc. Depending on the weather (mostly

luck), you should be able to get some interesting shots.

<P>Another place that might be of some interest is Mexico. I forget

where the monarch butterflies roost, but lots of creatures seem to

head there for the colder months. If you want to shoot wildlife/birds,

I guess it's up to you to decide what you want to photograph and go

chase that animal (provided it's not hibernating).

<P>While Tasmania isn't exactly in North America, I can vouch that

both Australia and New Zealand are pleasant places to visit in

February. I don't know if two roundtrip tickets Down Under are really

in your budget. Also, I personally don't enjoy spending 15-20% of my

limited vacation time in an aluminum tube at 30,000 feet.

<P>BTW, what's wrong with Hawaii?

<P>[Frankly, I think ten days is probably too short for Hawaii.]

<P>There's nothing yet where I live (San Francisco Peninsula). I went

over the hill this past weekend to Half Moon Bay and nothing has

happened over there either. There are some liquid amber (?) trees in

Menlo Park that I <EM>know</EM> turn red in autumn, but I think

they're quite a bit away from that happening.

<P>The island of Kauai is arguably the most photogenic of the major Hawaiian isles. So much so that Hollywood has used it for decades as a "tropics" location (e.g., <I>South Pacific, Jurassic Park, Fantasy Island</I>). The islands themselves are fairly diverse in appearance and I happen to prefer Kauai, although much of my feeling is based on other factors (quiet lifestyle, the Napali coast, the scuba diving off Niihau, and the presence of some friends, etc.).

<P>For photographic suggestions on the island of Kauai, use the forum's search engine (parameter: "Kauai"). That particular topic has been covered extensively already.

<P>The Bogens mentioned are all pretty decent, although I'd ignore any suggestions about buying a 3001. Minus the center column, it's not even tall enough for me and I'm 5' 5.5" (165 cm). It also has cheap wing locks rather than the better flip levers.

<P>With your budget, you might as well forget Gitzo. They're good tripods (my G320 would probably be perfect for your height and projected applications), but with your budget, after you've dumped a load of cash on the Gitzo legset, you'd be stuck with an incredibly cheesy tripod head.