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Advice on B&W in Zion for early October

Terence

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Joined
Mar 9, 2005
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1,433
Location
NYC
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Multi Format
I'll be in Zion NP and Bryce Canyon NP for the first week of October. I've never been to southern Utah before and am seeking some advice on equipment, film and filters. I have photographed the eastern areas of the Rockies in Colorado, but have no experience with redrock country. This is obviously a quick survey/scouting tour and will tend more towards long day hikes or several short hikes per day. No overnight backpacking. I will be shooting medium format this trip, as my companion is a non-photographer and LF would be too slow. I will be shooting primarily from tripods as I enjoy my caffeine too much for handheld shots.

I have a 6x6 MF SLR system with 60mm, 80mm, 150mm 250mm and a 2x extender, and would probably bring just the 60mm and 150mm. The alternative would be a Hassie SWC/M and a Rolleiflex. I tend to prefer normal and long lenses as I find landscapes printed smaller than 16x20 look too busy with a wide-angle view. However, I realize I'll be in canyons quite a bit and was leaning towards the SWC and Rolleiflex, but Bryce seems to have lots of long lens opportunities. Weight-wise and security-wise (I'd prefer not to leave cameras in the car), I can't see carrying the SLR system AND the SWC/M. So I guess the question is, will I "get by" with just the 60mm or will I be crying in my beer for not bringing the 38mm? Alternatively, at Bryce, will I be crying in my beer for not having my 150mm?

Now for film. There's lots of great info out there on shooting color in these areas (including a recent LF Forum thread), but very little on B&W. I will be shooting SOME color, but I honestly "see" my photographs in B&W and often forget what color photographs look like. All the B&W will be heading for the wet darkroom and FB prints at typically 10x10 on 11x14 paper.

My favorite film is Ilford SFX, but I usually shoot Pan F, FP4 and a little HP5. I also recently stocked up on some precious Tech Pan (120 and 70mm) and Efke IR. I tend to prefer contrastier images and am rarely found shooting without an orange filter (red for the SFX). Never having photographed in this type of geology, and with more reflected light than direct light, I'd be interested in peoples' opinions on film/filter combinations for this area. Also, I'll likely be picking up an ND grad (non Cokin) for my Cokin P system, so what strength would be advisable for this trip?

Any other tips for things I haven't yet thought about would also be appreciated. And I realize everyone's shooting style and film/paper preferences differ, but figure I have no baseline for this area, so every opinion is appreciated.
 
If you've never been to southern Utah before I wouldn't worry about any of it too much. It's really such a beautiful and expansive place with a variety of lights, colors, temperatures, and natural beauty. Any type of film will do. My only suggestion is have enough water, film, and maybe sunscreen too.

have fun!
 
Yes, and something to drink. They have funny alcohol laws; example: the beer is not really beer [its all 3.2% tap, bottle or can].

Steve
 
And I thought I was the only pale, dehydrated alcoholic . . . .

Fear not. I'll be heading up from Phoenix with plenty o' film (but what type?), booze and sunscreen, and practically live off my camelback.

But thanks for caring . . . and having your priorities straight . . .
 
Hopefully the weather will cooperate. If it's sunny, the rocks are absolutely magical. I'd consider bringing some color slide film with you as well -- it's possible to capture the 'glow' on the slickrock, but the color is just something else.

I've been to Zion twice, and I think you're really going to want to go wide there. The canyon is quite narrow and the features are enormous -- even when you're on top of things like Angel's Landing or the East Rim, the features are just so huge that it's hard to convey that with a long lens.

By the way, if you ever make another trip to southern Utah, head to Canyonlands National Park in the eastern part of the state. It is the most spectacular place in the entire country -- and I say that having been to the Grand Canyon, Alaska, Yosemite, Glacier, and Grand Teton. Canyonlands is the kind of place that makes you feel like you're standing on the edge of time.
 
Terrence,

You have a tough call here, but based on what you said about tendency to normal and long, I think you may want to bring maybe even the 250. In Zion one of my experiences has been having trouble isolating specific subjects. With wider lenses it is hard not to include the line of the top of the canyon. I think that demarcation becomes a dominant element (which for me personally hasn't worked.) On the other hand I am sure that other photographers can see and capture the grand vistas which surely abound here. Also note that Zion canyon is indeed a narrow canyon and for much of the day could have the cliffs of one side shadowing part of the cliffs on the other side with a multi stop differential.

As for using ND grads, I carry 3 and have never used them here, I think it would be rare in this topography to find a shadow line that is straight enough to use a grad on, if there was I might want to use a .6 or .9.

I think of both Zion and Bryce as conducive to short hikes if that has any bearing on how much gear you want to carry.
 
Contrast will most likely be your problem...

If the weather is clear you will have a lot of contrast. IF you want to hold detail in shadows and highlights use a film that can handle a minus 1 development time well. AND bring a grey card so you can pre-expose your film. AND process your film in pyro!!!

If you are using a smaller format camera (anything under 4x5) I'd use FP-4. If you are shooting 4x5 and larger grain becomes a non issue, Tri-X exposed at ASA 200 would work, again processed in pyro. Be sure to give enough shadow exposure if you want prints with a feeling of light.

Filters? Bring a #8, #15 and #25 for sure. Many places in the canyon are lit by open sky = a lot of blue, so bring a blue filter too!

A final thought: ALWAYS bring plenty of water whereever you go!!!
 
Terrence,

Ok, all seriousness aside ... if you have time go to Bryce Canyon and Cedars Breaks. They are close by and very different from Zion.

Steve
 
Stever, I couldn't fit it in the title, but I will be in Bryce the first half of the week. I'll also be in Grand Canyon NP for a day (I know that's not nearly enough, but I'm only stopping because I'll be driving right past it).

Looks like I'll be bringing the whole SLR kit.

Any advice on shooting the Efke IR (with 89b filter), or the Tech Pan in this area? Both will be all new to me. I'm assuming the extended red with red rock should allow me to get nice separation with the blue skies, but how much filtration will I need with the Tech Pan?

DrPablo, Canyonlands has been on my list for years. I've had three trips there cancelled for various reasons beyond my control. Someday . . .
 
Well, I got back last night, so here's a short synopsis of the trip. Keep in mind that I have NOT developed any of the film yet. I shot 6x6 for enlargement, and some 35mm snapshots for memories.

Grand Canyon (1 Day, on the way to Bryce and Zion): The South Rim viewpoints are just amazing to someone who hasn't seen the Canyon before. Aside from a few places, a 60mm was too wide for my tastes. It left too much sky in the photos. 150mm and 300mm ruled the day, especailly at sunset. We had a few clouds, so the light moving through the valley hitting various peaks, ridges, etc was unbelievable. I shot mostly with FP4 and SFX with orange and red filters. Sunrise was nice, but I'm not much of a color shooter, and the haze even on a cold and windy day was pretty atrocious.

The drive up Rt 89 is beautiful, with al sorts of formations of the Painted Desert, mountains, bentonite hills, etc. Unfortunately, a lot of it is res land, fenced off, with very few places to pull out. And as with everywhere in the world, powerlines are ALWAYS strung on the scenic side of the road.

Bryce Canyon NP: As expected, sunrise with color film is bizarrely magical. This place is just plain weird, landscape-wise. A 60mm and 150mm were good for me. The 38mm Biogon was only used a couple of times. The "Figure 8" Trail was a great walk, but was often too close or too far from the hoodoos. The Fairyland Trail WAS storybook-like. The landscape looked straight out of a children's book. Very, very surreal. Most of my shooting was with the 150mm and FP4 with either yellow or orange filters.

Zion was unbelievable. Driving in the east gate a little before sunset was one of the most beautiful experiences I can remember. The cross-bedded rock and exposed layering were absolutely amazing. I knew instantly that I would be coming back to this park despite a long list of "to-do" parks. Sunset in this area was much better than sunrise, in my opinion. Again, mostly FP4 and SFX with yellow, orange and red filters. I also shot a bit of Velvia 50 and 100.

Zion's Virgin Narrows were happily running at knee depth and 60 degrees. Not bd after a few minutes acclimating (but then, I grew up swimming in the Atlantic off New England). I wore water-shoes for kayaking, but everything from neoprene booties to full dry suits can be rented in town. Trekking poles are a must for carrying camera gear you care about. The 38mm got a LOT of use here. A tripod is a pain in the arse, but a "must" in my opinion. It's pretty dark in there for hand-held.

The rest of Zion Valley is also spectacular, but I need to work on my color shooting to get more out of the redrock cliffs, etc. I took a few shots, but mostly just soaked in the beauty. Sometimes you need to stop shooting and pay attention to the scenery and the woman beside you.

The drive back south on Rt 89A along Vermillion Cliffs was spectactular, with many pull-outs and little traffic. A long, but wonderful, drive.
 
And I forgot to mention one other lesson. If you happen to be using a famous photographer's gallery parking lot to take a shot of a mountain, at least have the decency to know what he (Fatali) looks like so you can say "thanks" when he says, "Might be a nice shot," and has the decency not to add, "But you might want to lift the lens shade a little more so it's not hanging halfway down over your lens," which you only notice after he walks away, and before you go into his gallery and see a photo of him.
 
Terence, thanks for your interesting report.

On a trip to AZ this last spring, I decided to shoot 6x9cm and packed almost every lens that I possess, from ultrawide to long. And the longest one (a 360) was what I used almost all of the time.
 
The scenery is just tooooo wide to get, even with the Super Wide. I like reaching out and taking a little piece of the scene.
 
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