4 Day Photo Trip Jan-Feb in USA

[jeroldharter]

I am looking for suggestions for a 4-day photo trip in the USA this winter. I want to photograph nature, landscapes, nature abstracts. I will fly and work out of a rental car with 4x5 (and perhaps 8x10) gear.

I would appreciate something like a "Top 3" list and why. Thanks.

I went to Death Valley this year and loved it.

 

[Christopher Walrath]

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I would suggest the Chesapeake Bay area. Annapolis, Baltimore, Wilmington, De., Norfolk.

Of course that's just the najor cities. But there is a lot of beautiful area to cover in rural Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. Just my two cents. Oh, and lots of B&B's to choose from too.

 

[jeroldharter]

I would suggest the Chesapeake Bay area. Annapolis, Baltimore, Wilmington, De., Norfolk.

Of course that's just the najor cities. But there is a lot of beautiful area to cover in rural Virginia, Maryland and Delaware. Just my two cents. Oh, and lots of B&B's to choose from too.

Thanks Chris. I was through that area years ago, prior to my large format days. What are your favorite photo places there?

 

[Sirius Glass]

California: 1) Los Angeles north to Santa Barbara then stay in Morro Bay. Next day north to the Hurst Castle and then the Pacific Coast Highway to Big Sur and Monterey. End in San Francisco.

2) San Francisco to Yosemite and Tahoe. Fly out of Reno.

Utah: Fly to Las Vegas and drive to Zion National Park. Brice and Cedar Breaks the next day. The following day Escalente, Capital Reef. Next day Arches National Park, Dead Horse Point State Park and the Island in the Sky section in Canyonlands National Park stay in Moab that night.

Steve

 

[Thomas Wilson]

I would recommend hitting one or two of the barrier islands. In Maryland, Chincoteague and Assateague Islands are seemingly endless in their possibilities. Farther down the point into Virginia is Parramore Island.

I'll be hitting Parramore this October for some guerrilla camping. It's about a 6 ½ mile paddle from Quinby, through saw grass, narrow creeks and some open water.

Camping on Parramore is surreal. No lights, no distant road noise, no people, Nothing! Just you and the salt marsh to the West and the Atlantic to the East.

 

[alanrockwood]

How about something close to home... Coulee and Dells regions of Wisconsin... not many places prettier than that... view from Grandad Bluff is spectacular... though not sure if winter would be the best time of year for this region.

 

[Christopher Walrath]

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Assateague (MD) and Chicoteague (VA) Islands offer some great scenery. Beaches, lighthouse, wold ponies and other wildlife. There are also some spots in Delaware. Killens Pond State Park has a long walk around a pond. Prime Hook Nat'l Wildlife Refuge offers a four mile hike around the southern end of the refuge, one which O make at least once a year. Bombay Hook NWR up the road on Route 9 has lots of trails and wintering waterfowl to choose from. Perhaps an hour to the northwest is Kilgore Falls, the second tallest vertical waterfalls in Maryland, tucked away in northern Hartford County, Maryland.

 

[naugastyle]

Not sure how it would be in the winter, but a couple years ago I went to New Mexico for a 4-day weekend. Rented a car in Albuquerque and drove to Santa Fe and Taos (& Taos Pueblo) using various scenic routes. Also visited Bandelier, Abiquiu, and various "ghost" towns (re-occupied but still referred to as ghost towns). Route 66 still has some scenic old hotels/restaurants to photograph as well...although I didn't do the full drive to see them for myself, I've seen wonderfully evocative photos.

If I were to go back in the winter I'd also try to get to White Sands in the south of New Mexico, looks amazing.

driving towards Abiquiu:

Bandelier:

Santo Domingo pueblo:

Also want to suggest checking out David Teter's New Mexico photos on Flickr...some great ideas there.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidteter/sets/72157617550586785/

 

[david b]

yeah...another vote for New Mexico

Or fly into Albuquerque and drive to Los Angeles

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

Yosemite valley is open all winter, hard to beat in my book.

If you want to get away from winter, bare-boating in the BVI is to be recommended - a rental boat rather than a rental car.

 

[Nicholas Lindan]

Just you and the salt marsh ...

And ten zillion mosquitoes. Unfortunately the skeeters love the 'magic light' time of day, outside of the early morning and around sun-down they aren't so bad.

 

[benjiboy]

I've never been to the U.S, but at that time of the year make sure you pack some snowshoes.