Photo Trip West

I have license from my wife of 41 years for a 2-3 week trip out west, following retirement. My subjects are commercial/natural landscapes, and always in black and white. While I am a medium format shooter I have bought an Arca Swiss Discovery which I plan to take also. My timing is somewhat open, although it looks like September or October. I am inclined to
go to the some of the national parks out west, but don't want to join masses of people. Death Valley, the four corners area, and Bryce are a few that I know are among those mentioned frequently as being of interest.

I know this is pretty general, but what would be a good base, with accessibility to several parks that would offer both commercial and natural landscape possibilities?

Thanks

In my view there's no such thing as a good base in that area. bearing in mind that much of the good photography is early and late in the day you want to be staying either in or very close to the facility, and if you're planning to visit several that means moving every couple of days or so, generally trying to do that in the middle of the day when the light is at its least useful.

Of the areas you mention, you can stay in a NP lodge in the park or at Ruby's Inn almost at the gates. They are close enough to get you to any of the overlooks before dawn and interestingly you can get to Cedar Breaks in the afternoons when its far nicer than Bryce.

In Death Valley there's National park accommodation and restaurants at Stovepipe Well near the dunes or at Furnace Creek which is closer to Zabriskie Point, Artists Pallete, Badwater etc.

A little further north in Utah , Moab will get you into Arches early and is also not too far from parts of Canyonlands and Dead Horse Point.

Four Corners. Well at Monument Valley you either want to be on-site or at the very worst in Kayenta or Mexican Hat. Many of the towns in this general area are very unprepossessing. Farmington's best for Bisti; there's decent accomodation close to the entrance at Canyon de Chelly.

Suggestions for photographing in the West

You will not have crowds of people during September and October in the National Parks. In fact the last few years the numbers of people visiting National Parks have dropped because the baby boomers' children are too old to go with their parents on vacation. The major group that visits the parks are retired people. [See Los Angeles Times for an article on this subject.]

I recommend that you get the National Parks pass. It is $10 for a life time pass if you are 62 or older.

Utah In addition to Bryce, Zion, ...
Visit Cedars Breaks [no cedars, it is miss-named], Capital Reef and National Bridges in Utah. I recommend that you take the dirt road to the Valley of the Goblins [west of Green River, east of Captial Reef]. It is a state park that is worth visiting. Note that Cedars Breaks and the North Rim of the Grand Canyon can close early for the winter due to snow so watch the weather even in October.

Arizona North Rim of the Grand Canyon, Navaho Monument [bring tripod on the short walk - the dwellings are hidden from direct sunlight], Monument Valley, Petrified Forest, ...

California Yosemite, Lassen, Lake Tahoe area. ... Be sure to see the Race Track and Eureka Dunes in Death Valley.

Near Death Valley in Inyo National Forest are the Bristlecone Pines. These are the oldest living things on Earth. This is worth a visit.

Further north go through Mammoth to the Mammoth Lodge and go over the pass on state route 203 to the Devil's Postpile and Rainbow Falls. Devil's Postpile faces west and consists of very black volcanic rock. It is best to photograph the Postpile after 2 PM.

Further up the road is Mono Lake, Mono Craters and the ghost town of Bodie. Check out the California Parks website to find out how to get a photographers pass for Bodie - one Saturday a month - the pass user can arrive before sunrise and stay until after sunset. The sunrises are not great but the sunsets are spectactular - just enough clouds to make the photos great!

Joshua Tree - interesting if you have not seen a Joshua Tree by then, but not all National Parks are beautiful.

Take much more film than you think that you will need. In ten days in southern Utah I shot over 50 rolls of 36 exposure film - no snap shots or tourist stuff.

Seriously consider renting or buying a four wheel drive vehicle with high road clearance for the dirt roads. This is not to do extreme driving, but to get you to places that are too far to hike in a confortable and safe manner. [Only use established dirt roads to prevent damage to the environment. Google "Tread Lightly".]

Contact me if you want more information.

Steve

Well since you live in PA, why don't hit all the old road side stops along the way as you make your way west. Sounds like you have time before you leave to set up a intenary, and alot of time to drive, so shoot away!. Also bring mailers along to send the exposed film in as you shoot, so that way they will be waiting for you when you get back.

jnash67 said:

Well since you live in PA, why don't hit all the old road side stops along the way as you make your way west. Sounds like you have time before you leave to set up a intenary, and alot of time to drive, so shoot away!. Also bring mailers along to send the exposed film in as you shoot, so that way they will be waiting for you when you get back.

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Because if he did that the time would be deducted from his two-three weeks! He is married - remember.

Forgot that, I was all excited for the guy

stever hit most of all I would have recommended for AZ unless you have the time to swing south - perhaps on a "rebound" from Death Valley?

Organ Pipe Cactus National Park offers some great rugged country with, of course, its eponymous cacti. There is a nature reserve attached to it (name escapes me right now) that, as stever points out, would need 4WD access.

Moving eastward to Tucson area there is Suargao National Park (east and west sections), Sabino Canyon and, further east, Chirricaua (sp?) National Monument.

BTW: If I were you - to maximize time I would fly to Denver and start your driving from there.

Finally, Sept.-Oct. is a good time to avoid crowds - but it will still be very hot in many of the desert areas.

Have fun.

Actually it is not that hot here in the sept-oct. We have had snow in the mountains before Halloween. Your best bet would be a few weeks into sept, this will be before the monsoon ends so you will get some interesting skies.

If you are into the 'Grand Lanscape' there are better places but NM has quite a bit of variety.

I spent all of May last year on just such a trip. I think your expectations are to high for good photography. For 2-3 weeks I would just work out of Moab.
Side trips to Goblin Valley could be a one day round trip. Monument Valley needs a couple of days. You could do some shooting in Hovenweep on the way. Any more and you spend to much time on the road.

If you look at it more as a scouting mission then hit all the highlights. Then you will know where to spend three weeks when your serious.

Stever-your right about the drive time. Thanks to all of you.

Ghost towns

Copake-Are these near Tucson, or all over the state?

photobum said:

I spent all of May last year on just such a trip. I think your expectations are to high for good photography. For 2-3 weeks I would just work out of Moab.
Side trips to Goblin Valley could be a one day round trip. Monument Valley needs a couple of days. You could do some shooting in Hovenweep on the way. Any more and you spend to much time on the road.

If you look at it more as a scouting mission then hit all the highlights. Then you will know where to spend three weeks when your serious.

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I think there is a lot of truth to this idea, as well as the advice above about staying near the entrance to give you easy early morning and late evening access. I spent 10 days on the Navajo and Hopi Reservations in the late spring a few years ago. We tried to be near each place we wanted to see so that we had access during good light times and used the early afternoons to drive, to another hotel, when necessary. We hired a Navajo guide and rented horses to get the 3 of us, plus camera equipment into more remote locations - - faster than walking and more enjoyable than the Shake'n'Bake trips, and entirely on our own schedule. We saw everything we wanted, were never rushed, and were very pleased with the results.

But with everything we saw, I now feel like I need to go back and do it for real... like that was just the test run. Plus, in relocating our home from CT to TX, a box of annotated negative sheets, including this trip, was lost... so all I have are a few P&S snapshots my wife took...

I have been to Moab three times in the last year offroading and photographing Arches, Canyon Lands, and the surrounding area. There is a life's work for someone there alone. However, if you are have only one shot in life, you should spread yourself around so that you will not feel like you missed something.

I agree with photobum and copake ham.

Steve
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photobum said:

I spent all of May last year on just such a trip. I think your expectations are to high for good photography. For 2-3 weeks I would just work out of Moab.
Side trips to Goblin Valley could be a one day round trip. Monument Valley needs a couple of days. You could do some shooting in Hovenweep on the way. Any more and you spend to much time on the road.

If you look at it more as a scouting mission then hit all the highlights. Then you will know where to spend three weeks when your serious.

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trhull said:

Copake-Are these near Tucson, or all over the state?

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Suarago Park (both east and west) and Sabino Canyon are all within the greaterTucson metro area. Grab a motel room in town and spend a day at each. You only need to drive about 30 minutes from downtown to any of them to start hiking into wilderness areas.

Also, Tucson will provide you with nighttime activities - or, if you arrange it in advance - you can drive out to the Kitt Peak Observatory and spent a night watching the astronomers really shoot pictures at inifinity! Also, Tucson is home to the Center for Creative Photography - a major international museum with the largest Ansel Adams collection etc.

Chirricuao (really mispelling this one) is much further east - near to NM border. Organ Pipe is similarly distant in the opposite direction - near Yuma and the CA border. Both are "doable" as long day trips from Tucson - but would be better as "over-nighters" so you can get in both dawn and dusk shooting.

You might want to check the Arizona Highways (magazine) website. They have a rich archive of past articles on the State. They have long been a publisher of really fine AZ landscape and other photography. In fact, in the 1940's and 50's they were a critical in keeping Adams fed by regularly buying his photogs and providing him with assignments.

Do lots of homework before the trip. Major bookstores have guide books. Specific information is available on park and town websites. Good planning saves valuable time. I agree with the others about Moab. One can spend many days in Arches NP. Campgrounds are available on a first come, first served, basis. Much of the photography at Arches can be done near your vehicle. In addition to the national and state parks near Moab, there are petroglyphs, fine scenery along the Colorado River NE of Moab, and more. Towards the south are sites others have mentioned and, just east in Colorado, Mesa Verde. To the west some of the scenic overlooks along I-70 around mile 100 are worth a quick stop.

Zion is a narrow valley running north and south. The time of day has a big effect on photography there. The time of day is important at Bryce Canyon and Mesa Verde, too.

trhull,

Post your itinerary and we will add the "special" places that you will not find on in books or on the web.

Stever