Post Cards from the Road Part 1

ON THE ROAD AGAIN... Click on a photo to see a larger view.

Every once in awhile I just have to take a road trip. There is something liberating about setting off on a journey with only a sketchy schedule; with the freedom to design each day as it comes. My primary destination on this one was the Grand Canyon where I would join others for a four day photography workshop. I decided to go by way of Las Vegas, a place I hadn't seen since I turned 21. I drove as far as Barstow, found a motel in the late afternoon, and looked at my options. The road to Vegas skirted the Mojave National Preserve which boasted a large Joshua Tree Forest. I was hoping to catch them in full desert bloom, but they were well past that.

VIVA LAS VEGAS

Much has changed since I was 21. I was not expecting the crush of cars. My initial drive down The Strip was enough to convince me to avoid it. With the help of my GPS, I was able to steer clear of it and traverse the city using mostly side streets and back alleys.

I parked at the Bellagio to shoot this scene of Paris,

and to view the performance of the water fountains.

HOOVER DAM

My original plan was to spend 2 nights in Vegas, but the congestion was just too much for me. I left the next morning and drove to Boulder City, a quite little town with few cars and no neon lights. Its claim to fame is its proximity to Hoover Dam (originally named Boulder Dam), and the newly constructed Mike O'Callaghan -Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge.

I thoroughly worked the bridge. I photographed it (by parking illegally to get this view), walked across it, and finally, I drove across it and headed for Kingman, AZ

ROUTE 66
Between Kingman and Williams (the last stop before the Grand Canyon) is an 83 mile stretch of Historic Route 66. Driving this old road took me back to my childhood and our family road trips to Kansas where my father was born. I tooled along at a leisurely pace listening to and singing the hits from the 50s. I think the locals maintain the deserted gas stations, motels and diners in a charmingly dilapidated condition to attract nostalgics like me. The few towns along the way embellish the "Mother Road" ambiance to an almost Disneylike condition

"Altho insured Remember, kiddo They don't pay you
They pay Your widow"

"When Super-shaved Remember, pard You'll still get slapped
But not so hard"
Only on Route 66 can you still read Burma Shave signs.
You can view more road trip photos on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/suebrazelton/page2/

Post Cards from the Road Part 2

THE GRAND CANYON Click on a photo to see a larger view.
I started thinking about visiting the Grand Canyon over a year ago, but realized that I would need some guidance to photograph it well. There are so many points along the rim, how was I to know which ones would show the canyon in the best light? I decided to postpone my visit until I could find a photography workshop to join. As soon as I saw this one listed on Don Smith's website, I signed on. I met Don during Gary Hart's Easter Sierra Workshop last October. This time Gary was assisting Don (they trade off). Opportunities to shoot the full moon were a serendipitous bonus.

I arrived at the park a day early to give myself extra time to photograph and to make sure I had a store of energy when the workshop began. Photo reviews, classroom instruction, and long drives to the next location, pressed in between sunrise and sunset shoots, meant that once the workshop started there would be very little down time. I wanted to start off well rested. I left Williams in the early morning and drove straight into the park to look around. I missed the sunrise, but it was still early enough to get good side light.

I returned in the late afternoon...and spotted my own shadow; tripod and camera bag included.

Mather Point is one of the most accessible and popular spots along the rim. I arrived well before light, found my way out to the point and set up my tripod. I could sense people gathering behind me, and soon I could feel them right next to me. I turned to see that I was surrounded by dozens of sunrise spectators. One man stood right behind me holding his camera over my head. While everyone continued to look east, I moved away from the crowd and looked west.

THE WORKSHOP BEGINS

After an orientation meeting at the motel, we drove to Yavapai Point for our first workshop shoot. Don explained a few things before we walked out to the point. We were hoping to catch a moon rise, but a heavy haze had settled across the sky.

Don challenged us to find a foreground subject that would add interest and give depth to a composition.

Through a telephoto lens the haze rendered the canyon an artistic impression. I enhanced the inherent blue cast.

Just as we were wrapping up for the night, the moon shown through the clouds. This was the last shot I took, and lunatic that I am, I was ecstatic.

Our sunrise through sunset schedule continued in the canyon for two more days.
This last shot was taken at Desert View, near the eastern entrance to the park. It was a cold and windy morning with just a hint of light from the rising sun. We didn't stay long. We left the park and drove the 82 miles to Page.

You can view more photos from the Grand Canyon on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/suebrazelton/page3/

Post Cards from the Road Part 3

PAGE, AZ
UPPER ANTELOPE CANYON Click on a photo to see a larger view.

Our Navajo guide picked us up in a difficult-to-describe vehicle. Was it a truck? A van? A bus? We scrunched onto two back-to-back benches attached lengthwise to the bed. We wrapped our cameras in plastic in a futile attempt to protect them from the blowing sand (of which there was an abundance). Our vehicle was also wrapped in plastic (an opaque tarp covered the sides and back of the vehicle) in a futile attempt to protect us from the wind and sand.

The classic shot inside the canyon includes a beam of light streaming through a gap in the rocks with the light pooling on the floor. The exact time and location of the beams are predictable, but with dozens of tours of dozens of people all crammed into the narrow canyon corridors, clear beam shots are difficult to capture. Even without the sun beams, the light & shadows are compelling.

These white strings are sun light draped on a canyon wall.

STUD HORSE POINT
Our 2nd location in Page (& 3rd for the day) was Stud Horse Point to photograph the pedestal rocks against the beautiful sky of the setting sun. The rocks did their part, but the clouds obscured the sun set.

HORSESHOE BEND

The next morning, a short drive and a long walk took us to this iconic scene. Our goal was to photograph a sun rise and a moon set at a spot where the Colorado River makes a U-turn. It was not to be. Thick clouds blocked both the moon and the sun. No matter! I had so much fun scrambling around on the rocks looking for a unique view. There is no safety rail at the edge of the chasm and this was as close as I dared to go. You can see one leg of my tripod in the lower right corner of this photo.

The blue cast disappeared as the sun rose higher, and the clouds provided a lovely, low contrast, diffused light. Don & Gary continued to stress the inclusion of a strong foreground object.

I thought this double curve in the river was worth isolating. When I turned off the polarizer, the water glowed turquoise. Do you see the rock face on the right?
SEDONA, AZ

Sedona was the last stop for the workshop and my road trip. This was my 4th visit to a place I considered enchanted. On previous visits I was charmed by the red rock beauty, the energy vortexes, and the psychics & crystals. This time I was struck by the urban sprawl and the excess of cars and people.

One target in the workshop was to capture the classic shot of Cathedral Rock aglow with the light of the setting sun. Once again, the sky did not co-operate. Clouds masked the sun and turned the sky gray. But that didn't mean there were no shots to be found. When the sky isn't that pretty, just leave it out of the photo.

Gary trudged through the thicket to set up this shot.

The next morning, after a cloud shrouded sunrise shoot and breakfast, the workshop ended. Everyone scatted to catch flights and/or start a long drive. I wasn't quite ready to head home, so I re-booked my room for another night. Just as predicted, rain hit and continued through out the day. I went back to bed for a couple of hours, then donned my rain gear and headed out into the fray. I strolled though the downtown shops, visited the Center for New Age Thinking, had lunch at the Blue Moon Cafe in Oak Creek Village, and then set out to explore some of the back roads. I was thrilled when the rain turned to snow. After one last stop at my favorite vortex on Airport Road, I returned to my room. I took this photo the next morning from the hotel balcony, and looked forward to the sky that a breaking storm would provide.

I revisited Bell Rock Pathway and encountered a small miracle. I spotted the glove I had lost the previous morning. Someone had set it on top of a path marker so I could easily see it. Maybe there is something to this vortex energy.

I climbed about a third of the way up Bell Rock.

In the evening, I headed back to Red Rock Crossing for a second chance at a Cathedral Rock sunset. As the sun dropped toward the horizon, the rock lit up.

I learned from Don and Gary to glance around to see what the light is like in a different direction.

A second glow appeared after the sun set.This is the last photo, taken after dark.

Even though we did not have optimal weather conditions during the workshop, it was still a successful experience. Don and Gary are experienced, enthusiastic leaders and teachers, and I valued the time I spent with them and the other participants. With photography, if you wait for perfect conditions or go after only the iconic shots, you miss out on a limitless list of possibilities. Joining a workshop led by a professional photographer is a smart way to combine travel & photography.

You may view more photos from this trip on Flickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/suebrazelton/page5/

Elephant Seals at Año Nuevo

Two months ago a friend from the photography club and I made reservations to see the elephant seals at Año Nuevo State Reserve. Docent led tours out to the sand dunes leave the visitor's center every 15 minutes. Individuals are not allowed to walk out on their own; to see the seals, you must be on one of one of the tours and they fill up months ahead of time. As we packed our gear into my car, we questioned our sanity. Weather.com forecast a 100% chance of rain and the forecast was right on. It rained the entire 60 miles to the reserve, the entire tour and the entire drive home. It was not heavy, but it was unrelenting and with the wind, horizontal. I left my Nikon in the car. I had no way of keeping it dry. After we piled on layers of clothing, head gear and gloves, I pulled out my small Pentax and covered it with a shower cap (taken from a motel room just for this purpose). I was here several years ago and the beach in the above photo was littered with bull elephants lying on top of each other, maneuvering and posturing for the best position. Most of the adult seals have moved on this year, but we saw several groups of very expressive pups.

What's a little cold, rain and wind when you can spy on elephant seals.

By the time we returned to the Visitor Center, my Levi's and gloves were soaked, but my new waterproof jacket did its job well. After a stop in Davenport for a cup of hot tea and a bowl of soup at a table next to the fire place, we headed home. This was a good day; cold & wet, but good.