Arizona Camping

For the long weekend, I decided to re-visit a couple of places in AZ that I last visited around 50+ years ago. I am tent camping outside of Montezuma's Castle and will be traveling around from there for 4 days.

I'm looking for suggestions on 'what not to miss' as well as types of cameras to take with me. I'm thinking of doing some 35mm stereo shots on slide film in addition to the usual suspects. I think I want to take my C330 for medium format, Canon Rangefinder with a couple of lenses, and an Olympus LT Zoom 105 for 'street' and snapshots.
Should I take a Speed Graphics as well?

As you will be near Prescott, Sedona, Camp Verde, there are lots of great views. I would take a 4X5 with a normal and somewhat tele, like a 210. You will want to take in Tonto Natural Bridge State Park, if your in the mood Out of Africa, Red Rock State Park, the trip from Jerome to Prescott has a few really nice view. Arizona Highway Magazine has put a few books, Photography Guide and Scenic Drives are both good.

IMO the Granite Dells area in and around Watson Lake in Prescott is a photographer's paradise. I wouldn't miss the red rocks in Sedona and the West Fork trail through Oak Creek Canyon is quite nice (especially in the fall; not that it matters for you now...a future trip, perhaps?) The town of Jerome would be high on my list to visit. These and Paul's suggestion will certainly fill 4 days.

Have fun!

Definitely go up to Jerome - the town I was named after (no kidding! Dad was there as a teenager and thought it was very breathtaking). I want to go back sometime. Also Oak Creek Canyon is a must see.

Having spent the first 60 years of my life in SW AZ., I'm from Yuma. I would take the 4x5 and leave the rest at home. A landscape shooters paradise. Your going to be at the castle ,not far from Montezuma Well. Need to get down into the well as it is at the bottom of a big hole with living areas cut into the sides of the hole. Sedona can take days in it self. Oak Creek Canyon best in the fall but the river with its rock slides are always pretty. And, of course Jerome with its old buildings is another couple of days. Two camp grounds above Jerome on 89a going back to Prescott. One close to the highway not so good the other is on top of Mingus Mountain about 3 miles off the blacktop. Overviews looking into the. Gila River Valley. I believe you will be in Prescott for Frontier Days, I believe it's still on the 4th, a week of rodeo and all kinds of stuff going on. Great for the Party people. Good luck on finding a place th eat or sleep. Need to get off the Hiway around Prescott. This. Is cattle country And lots of good views of old ranch houses, windmills old west kinda stuff. Good dirt roads go everywhere back in there.

George

So many place to see its hard to say which first.

I have a simple and reliable custom when planning for these kinds of trips. I study all the fancy picture books, postcards, and hot websites telling you
where all the famous "must see" sights are - in other words, all the photographic Meccas. Once I have identified these particular place, I go the
OPPOSITE direction and find a nice quiet spot of my own. Quality photography is favored by quality time, not the quantity of alleged "must-sees".

Wow!
Lots of good information and places to visit in your replies.
Thank you all for taking the time to answer my questions. I am definitely looking forward to the trip. Unfortunately, I don't have color film for my medium format or LF cameras. I have been using some Kodak 5217 with decent success but the last few rolls have been horrible. I'm afraid it hasn't aged well. I also have some old PortaColor 160 that is past it's prime and unusable. Hopefully, I can find a couple of rolls of MF in the fridge. Otherwise, it will be mainly B&W and 35mm color

Depending on your budget and access to a pro lab, you might want to think about shooting 4X5 color, I have not bought in a while but I think Kodak sells Ektar in a box of 10.

I wouldn't mess with Ektar unless you take along a warming filter like an 81A at a minimum. It would do wonderfully if you understand it. But the
shadows aren't artificially warmed like Portra. For black and white work, carry a deep green filter to deepen the shade of Navajo sandstone as well
as blue sky. Using a red or orange filter will just make certain rock formations themselves unnaturally paste-like.

Having returned from my trip to the Camp Verde and surrounding areas, my first thought when I got there was, 'it's too big'. The beauty is everywhere. I only had a 35mm lens as a wide angle on a 35mm camera and I kept wishing I had a 25 or 21mm. I found it hard to shoot black and white when there was so much gorgeous colors around me. I think it would take some time just to understand 'how' to shoot AZ. That's a good excuse to return. I have to admit, it made me almost ill to return to California. Arizona has done a remarkable job of preserving it's heritage and protecting it's natural beauty. This is a state that has every right to be proud of both their growth and restraint.

OptiKen said:

Having returned from my trip to the Camp Verde and surrounding areas, my first thought when I got there was, 'it's too big'. The beauty is everywhere. I only had a 35mm lens as a wide angle on a 35mm camera and I kept wishing I had a 25 or 21mm. I found it hard to shoot black and white when there was so much gorgeous colors around me. I think it would take some time just to understand 'how' to shoot AZ. That's a good excuse to return. I have to admit, it made me almost ill to return to California. Arizona has done a remarkable job of preserving it's heritage and protecting it's natural beauty. This is a state that has every right to be proud of both their growth and restraint.

Click to expand...

Being an Arizona resident for 16 years now, them mighty kind words about our state! Thank you. Having moved here from the east coast, it took me awhile to appreciate the "raw" beauty of this state; to the point now where I just love the bare open land and the extreme spaces out here.

But, hey, CA ain't now slouch! Who doesn't like the Pacific coast? A drive up Highway 1? Point Lobos? Bixby bridge? Yosemite? Eastern Sierra? Sure, from a photographer's standpoint all these places have been photographed to death. But, natural beauty replenishes to soul...at least, it does for me. Therefore, I enjoy simply being out in these places; if I happen to snap a nice pic, all the better.

Arizona Highways always had/has nice articles on where to go and what to see and many libraries carry old issues to peruse or cheap to buy. Scottsdale library sells them cheap.
I've roamed all over Sedona, especially back in the day when you could drive up to the various cliff dwellings/lookouts/natural bridges and walk just a few feet for a great picture. Unfortunetley because of peoples graffiti they've closed some roads and you now have to walk quite a ways to get to some of the better ones. Leave the 4x5 and take a good and small 35/MF camera kit for a lighter load and carry more water. Don't forget a hat and sunscreen.
Forget West Fork. It's not as good as it use to be because of fire and flood. It's still decent but there are better areas to go. Hit the airport overlook before dusk going up airport road which is just south of junction 89a and 179.
Jerome is interesting but touristy. Hit and then run up to Sedona.
Look for a book on AZ river and lake hikes. There's lots of pretty scenery to see and photograph. Devils bridge is pretty neat, but i've had just as nice a time going into the wilderness north of the town of Strawberry which is down the road from the bridge, and you can camp out there. Lot's of geodes to find if you look for them.

I agree. Leave the 4x5 behind. Carry an 8x10 instead. Plus water.