I Got Everything

I recently got the new B & H catalog. I recently perused through the YouTube suggestions (based on my viewing history). I recently cleaned all of my gear before going to Bryce Canyon National Park. In all cases it made me think about my gear, and even more importantly, that there's nothing I can think of that I need to add! That must mean that I've arrived!

I wrote and recorded a song 5 years ago called "I Got Everything" that comes to mind although that song is more depressing than this issue about photography gear (if you go to the page, http://www.poppavein.com/RRhythmia.aspx#IGotEverything, you can  click on the ">" image left of the song title to stream the song.

My D610 with an old Nikkor 70-210mm F4-5.6D
and my Opteka GPS unit

I can look through the B & H catalog with only mild interest because there's just nothing that I want to get. Oh, if funds were unlimited I might buy a big format printer, perhaps a Nikon D5, or even some faster Nikon lenses. But frankly, at my age of a certain age (or at least approaching a certain age), I am trying to get rid of possessions (such as my music gear!).

This last summer I toyed with the idea of getting a Nikon D810 when I found them online (at B & H or Adorama or somewhere) for about $2,000. I believe they were re-furbished but I'm okay with that - my Nikon D610 is refurbished. I've had it for 2-1/2 years and the only problem I've had with it is due to letting a co-worker handle it and he twisted the mode switch without pushing in the lock and wore it down.

Nikkor 20mm f/1.8G ED Lens

After thinking about it and reading more reviews, the D610 is considered to have better low-light image quality and since I prefer shooting low light images over other images, it just didn't make sense to pick it up. Instead I added the Nikkor 20mm f/1.8G ED lens. That saved me about $1,200 and gave me a wide angle f/1.8 lens!

On the one hand, my lack of desire for additional gear means I don't have to spend money. On the other hand, I kind of miss the excitement I had when I first started this hobby - finding new pieces of equipment I thought I had to have, researching which equipment to buy, ordering it, unpacking it, and finally, using it!

If you're just starting to get involved in photography, I'm jealous! Enjoy and savor your adventure.

Quick Tip about Camping with a Cooler - Updated

Tip of the Day - Staying Cool

I wanted to pass on a tip I have about using a cooler when you're camping or for any other reason...

When I stayed at the Mono Lake Overlook in September with a fellow boondocker, Gene, he told me that he makes his own ice for his cooler. That didn't seem that novel but at the same time, I hadn't thought of doing it and I use a cooler quite often. I've always bought blocks of ice from the gas station as I prepare to head out.

Another thing I hadn't realized, and can only take Gene's word for it, is that the water that is often used to make the blocks of ice that you buy commercially is aerated which in turn means that it doesn't last as long. Gene said his blocks will often last as long as his weekend camping trips.

I can confirm a couple of things:

• Blocks of ice last longer and work better in a cooler than ice cubes
• Blocks of ice rarely last more than a couple of days in Arizona

Walgreen's Nice! Distilled Water

It wasn't until after my wife and I visited the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in October that I remembered Gene's tip and decided to freeze some ice of my own. Gene said he had purchased some Tupperware type containers to freeze his ice in that had a nice taper which allowed him to slip them out of the container before using them.

I didn't have any similar containers laying around the house but I did have a number of empty 1-gallon water jugs that I'd purchased distilled water in. I filled a few of them up and stuck them in the freezer - without replacing the lid (not that it probably matters).

When I went to visit Bryce Canyon National Park I grabbed one and stuck it in my cooler. What I found out was that this worked out great.

First, as the ice melts it stays in the container. This means that it doesn't get the rest of the contents of the cooler wet. I put a lot of the things in my cooler inside a water-tight container so that they don't get wet from the melting ice. That wasn't a factor due to having the melting ice trapped inside the water jug.

Second, as I ended up being delayed in Utah due to a transmission problem, I moved my cooler contents including the water jug into the room refrigerator. I wasn't expecting it, but the refrigerator must have been cold because the water inside the jug froze again. The second benefit of using this type of container for ice is that it is possible to recycle the water multiple times unlike the purchased ice which melts and then typically gets emptied out on the ground (I usually dump it on my flower beds when I return home).

I'm sold on this! I keep 2 or 3 of these in my freezer. They're easy to grab because of the handle. The melting water doesn't get all over the cooler contents. I can recycle the water instead of wasting it. I hope you find this useful too!

Update, 12/8/2016

Arrowhead Distilled Water Bottle

I use a lot of distilled water for personal issues. I recently picked up a gallon of Arrowhead distilled water. I like their bottle better than the type pictured above - the picture at right probably doesn't show it, but it's got a smaller horizontal size and is a bit taller than the bottle above.

That means this bottle will take up less room in a cooler, allowing me to pack in more jerky and fruit!

And the plastic in the Arrowhead bottle is thicker which means it should last longer, not dent, etc. I think I'll get a few of these and keep them!

Trying to stay motivated

Stagnation

Since my problematic trip to Bryce Canyon National Park (see my November 21, 2016 blog) I haven't been motivated to get out and shoot anything. I'm in a photographic doldrum.

I've been searching and reading on other sites for cures to this malaise regarding getting outside with my camera, and some of the tips have been okay. They just haven't been enough to push me back over the edge into getting out there.

Attempts at Overcoming

Photoshopped image of my dog Elmer
Wilcox Playa, Arizona

I have tried watching videos of photographing or hiking areas on YouTube or other services with the hope that they would spur me to visit the places or somewhere similar. One video was shot partially in the Utah salt flats and gave me a mild yearning to get back down to the Wilcox Playa in Arizona (near, surprisingly, Wilcox, Arizona).

I still think that area has some photos to offer if I was just a bit more creative. I saw a similar shot taken in a location like that with a sweating bottle of water or something as a foreground object with the expanse of the playa in the background. Plus, I like that area for some reason. It's the gateway to the Chiricahua National Monument which may be the attraction for me.

Last Friday, the day after Thanksgiving 2016, I worked. I woke up early, grabbed my camera and tripod, and got in to the high-rise that I work in on Central Avenue in Phoenix, Arizona. Since moving there this last summer I've been wanting to see if there were any photographic opportunities possible by shooting out of the windows. I work on the 23rd floor and also have access to the 16th and 19th floors.

Unfortunately there were not any good shots of the downtown high-rise buildings and the other buildings around mine didn't have many lights on. There just wasn't a shot that inspired me to even get my camera out of the bag. I even went down to the street to see if it would yield anything but I didn't like any shots there either. The only shot I envisioned at all was a long exposure with car tail lights but because it was a holiday day there wasn't much traffic. I gave up there too.

I've even tried flushing my mind. I've had dry spells before when I was writing and recording music and often the thing that got me rejuvenated was completely forgetting about music for a while. The time length varied, too. I'm trying to do that still with the photography but it's hard to forget about it.

Remedy?

Superstition Mountains

If nothing else inspires me before this next weekend, I'll at least try going out to the Superstition Mountains. Perhaps I'll even try staying in the Lost Dutchman State Park overnight.

That place usually offers some sort of photographic opportunities. And I still don't have any golden hour shots from Tortilla Flats which I think could offer something. Perhaps even Roosevelt Dam,

It's not that there aren't some photogenic locations pretty close to Phoenix, heck, I wouldn't even mind the drive back to Joshua Tree National Park.

I can't blame the scenery - I just need to get back out to it!

My Stay at Panguitch, UT

Why Panguitch?

My Explorer at the Bryce Canyon Pines Chevron

This post is more of an automotive issue blog than photography but it happened while traveling to take some photographs so I thought I’d share. I drive to my photography destinations from my home in Phoenix and I guess it was inevitable that I’d have car troubles at some point.

I mentioned in my earlier blog on November 21, 2016, that I headed to Bryce Canyon National Park for the 2016 Veteran’s Day Holiday Weekend but before I got there the transmission went out on my Ford Explorer. I had made it to the Bryce Canyon Pines Store & Campground Chevron gas station. I tried turning around there to head back to Kanab, Utah, but the Explorer just didn’t want to make it up the hill heading west from the Chevron. It was slipping out of gear.

The couple running the store and gas station was very helpful with getting me in contact with repair shops and towing companies. I wasn’t completely sure what the issue was, and initially I thought (and hoped) that the transmission was low on fluid. There are some services at Ruby’s Inn Car Care Center located just outside of the Bryce Canyon National Park gate. I talked to someone from that shop but I didn’t get the impression that they could do a transmission repair.

He seemed like he was a young service station attendant and just didn’t instill a desire for me to use their services. Plus I thought that if there was something more serious with the transmission that I’d end up having to tow the Explorer somewhere else anyway. Looking at their website now, however, it looks like they may have been able to handle it.

The couple at the Bryce Canyon Pines Chevron also gave me a telephone number for Royal Express Transmission and Automotive in Panguitch, Utah, about 23 miles from Bryce Canyon National Park. I called the owner, Stewart Ivie, and he was confident he could diagnose and handle any services or repairs. He just gave me a warm fuzzy that I didn’t get from the Ruby’s shop representative.

Arriving in Panguitch

I arranged for a tow through State Farm Insurance (I have that rider on my policy). They contract with American Towing Service out of Circleville, Utah, which is another 27 miles north of Panguitch. I talked with the tow company owner Craig Sudweeks a bit to get his opinion of where to have the service performed and he felt that the Royal Express shop in Panguitch would be a good option so between my impression of Stew and this vote of confidence from Craig, I followed his advice and decided to have the Explorer serviced in Panguitch.

Royal Express Transmission and Automotive

It took about an hour for the tow truck to arrive from Circleville, which is when I met Craig. It’s probably due to my age but I’m glad when I have to deal with people more my own age. I won’t guess how old Craig is but I will say that I don’t think he’s less than 40. It took about 45 minutes for him to load my Explorer and take me to Panguitch. I really enjoyed the drive and the talk we had. He’s quite an interesting guy, having done ranching, farming, long haul truck driving, and having his own auto shop.

I met Juarez at the Royal Express shop. He was able to get my Explorer up on a jack immediately and we looked at the undercarriage. The transmission on the Explorer is basically not serviceable by the owner. There is no fluid dip stick or fill spout in the engine compartment. Once the transmission is filled it shouldn’t need service often. If it’s not leaking you shouldn’t have problems.

My transmission wasn’t leaking. It was nice and clean – like a lot of Arizona automobiles and unlike any of the cars I’d had in Oregon and Washington! But, as Juarez pointed out, that meant there was likely a more severe issue. He pulled the plug and black crud poured out. Juarez had me smell it and it smelled burned. This, coupled with the inability of the transmission to stay in gear, indicated a replacement was needed. Nothing is built to be repaired any longer, I guess.

Should I Stay or Should I Go?

I called my wife, who in turn called our Rodeo Ford dealership in Avondale that we’ve used for years. Our mechanic there said the diagnosis seemed plausible and the $3,300 estimate from Royal Express was in line with their cost, so I gave Juarez the go-ahead on replacing the transmission.
I also considered towing the vehicle back to Phoenix and asked Craig about it. He said it’d be $1,500 for that tow! If we did that we’d also have the replacement cost on top of it.

The Marianna Inn, Panguitch, UT

Juarez thought they’d be able to have it done by Monday so I was not too upset with the issue. I'd end up missing one or two days of work. On top of it he gave me a loaner van to use. I guess I needed to get settled in for a few days.

I asked Craig about motels in town and he said they're all pretty much one as good as the other. I loaded my camera gear and some of my other gear in the van and headed out. The first motel I pulled in to was the Marianna Inn and when I asked about rates the owner gave me $5 off for the night so I decided to just stay there for the weekend. I got a room for $45 per night plus taxes and paid for 3 nights. I settled in to my new accommodations, filling it with my camera and camping gear.

Monday, Monday

I spent the weekend mainly watching TV, watching my Kindle, and writing in my journal. On Monday morning I called Royal Express about 9:00 AM and got my first bad news. Stewart said the transmission wouldn't be in until Wednesday at the earliest.

I paid for another couple of nights at the motel and waited the time out. On Wednesday I got my second dose of bad news. The transmission had been built out but it had the wrong type of linkage to the drive shaft and had to be re-built. They now expected that it would be in by Thursday morning and that they should have it ready by 11:00 AM. I paid for another night at the motel.

The weather report for Wednesday night and in to Thursday called for 1 to 4 inches of snow. I became worried about the delivery of the transmission - it was coming from Salt Lake City which is about 4 hours north of Panguitch and there were some hills along the route. Not that we were that low in elevation at Panguitch anyway; it is at about 6,600 feet.

Getting In Gear

Snow on US 89 in Panguitch, UT

On Thursday morning I woke up about 5:00 AM. I'd woken up a number of times during the night and had got up to look to see if there was any snow. I probably last looked at about 2:00 AM and there wasn't any snow. At 5:000 AM, however, there was a blanket of snow and it was still lightly coming down.

I was crossing my fingers that the amount of snow would be trivial to Utah residents. At 6:00 AM I walked to the Silver Eagle gas station near the motel to get a cup of coffee and a muffin. I asked the attendant if she thought this was snow and she said no, it was nothing. I still had hope that my transmission would have made it through.

I called the shop around 10:00 AM to inquire about the progress and was told they should have it ready soon. I waited until a little before 11:00 AM to check out of the motel and then drove to the shop. I was told it should be finished after lunch and Stew suggested that I go get some lunch myself.

Kate Lublin Alexander Cabin

I wasn't hungry - I only wanted to get home - so I decided to go wait at the rest stop north of town. I walked around the park area, read some pamphlets and other material I had, took some iPhone pics, and enjoyed the cool temperatures.

The sign for the Triple C Arena was flashing between 27 and 31 degrees Fahrenheit. It was also pretty windy, so I'm sure the wind chill made it feel even colder. But we don't get cold often in Phoenix so I kind of enjoy it for a little bit.

Finally, at about 1:30 PM, I drove back to Royal Express. It was finished but didn't feel right during the test drive so they were looking at it some more. Dang!

At about 3:00 PM they had figured out the issue (a linkage was misaligned) and corrected it. I paid my tab and was finally on my way south!

Impressions

No, I'm not going to do any impressions. But I was impressed with how nice everyone was in Panguitch, or even Utah in general. Granted, in my conversations with everyone I encountered I was a customer, but the politeness I heard between others as well as myself and the enjoyable driving habits was very refreshing when compared to Phoenix. The morning news (which was actually out of Salt Lake City) did not have multiple shootings or murders to report every day. I don't think I'd mind living in Utah at all.

Photographing Bryce Canyon National Park

First Visit

Sunset Point Detail

As I indicated in my previous post, my first trip to Bryce Canyon National Park in November, 2016, did not go quite as planned due to my Ford Explorer transmission failing. As a result, even though I spent almost a week in the area (at Panguitch, Utah) I ended up only spending about 2 and a half hours at Bryce Canyon National Park.

I did not visit all of the view points. I did not even drive to the end of UT 63, the road through the park. I visited the visitors center, the Sunset, Bryce, and Inspiration view points, and North Campground. My sample of the park is limited.

Photographing at Sunset

As I discovered while researching the park before my visit, Bryce Canyon mainly runs north and south. The park is located on the west rim of the canyon. This means that, from the view points, sunrise is probably the better time to take photographs. My short visit was at sunset.

Sun Setting at Sunset Point

At sunset time there can be a lot of shaded area and because the cool hoodoos are mainly close to the west rim, they can be in shadow when the eastern part of the canyon is still lit. You can see this in the photograph at right.

This  makes the photographs hard to post process and basically not terribly attractive. The red of the hoodoos just isn't as spectacular as when they're lit directly. And, as in the picture at right, the near hoodoos are more striking than the distant landscape and should be the focus of the image however, due to them being in shadow, they really don't command the attention in the photograph.

One solution is to crop out the lit areas or to not include them in the crop at exposure time. Another reason to use a longer lens for landscape photography. The crop of the photograph at the top of the page is somewhat different - I was able to get the interesting formations while they were still lit by the sun and to include the "bank" behind them which was in shadow. I'm happier with that composition.

My Favorite View Point

Again, my time at Bryce was limited. But out of the 3 viewpoints I stopped at around sunset, Inspiration Point was my favorite. I felt it provided a nice place to fill the image with hoodoos.

Shot from Inspiration Point

This shot might actually be better in mid-day light. This shot is basically looking north from the view point, perhaps 5 or 10 degrees east of north. I didn't see it at sunrise so I can't say for sure how it would look, but the sun would be hitting the right side of the hoodoos. Perhaps during the winter months the sun rises far enough to the south that it might get more direct sun as it rises.

What's Next?

I definitely want to go back when I am not focusing on my automobile issues. I want to see all of the viewpoints, including the Natural Bridge. From the rim, all photographs have a perspective of looking down at the hoodoos. All of the shots I took are very similar, at least from that perspective. I think you need to hike down into the canyon a bit to get different perspectives.

I think there are probably a lot of good photography opportunities there, and I know it is a destination for a lot of photographers. Personally I didn't find much diversity. Yes, it's different than a lot of other areas but it just struck me that there is really only one subject - the red hoodoos.

Frankly, I think I got spoiled by Yosemite and Sequoia / King's Canyon National Parks. I really like the diversity of subjects at Yosemite - the granite, the valleys, and the rivers and water falls. I had the same lack of enthusiasm at the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in October, although I did get to shoot some bison photographs there. I'm trying to keep my enthusiasm up for non-Yosemite landscapes!

Bryce Canyon National Park - Postmortem

I'm Back - Finally!

A selfie at Bryce Canyon National Park

I made it to Bryce Canyon National Park and back but not without some issues...

Per my plan, I headed up to Utah on Friday, November 11, 2016. I expected to just be gone over the 3 day weekend, returning home on Sunday, November 13, 2016. I left Phoenix at about 2:30 AM after filling up with fuel and coffee, expecting to arrive 7 to 8 hours later at Bryce Canyon National Park. I half planned to try to get some sunrise shots along the way if I was somewhere that I thought might be interesting.

I use about a half a tank of fuel in my Explorer to get to Flagstaff so stopped there about 2 hours later to top off the tank and grab another coffee. It was about 25 degrees Fahrenheit when I got out of the Explorer in Flagstaff - that helped wake me up!

Lake Powell Wahweap Overlook

Wahweap Overlook at sunrise

As I headed on up the road it was looking like I'd hit Page and Lake Powell about sunrise. I pulled off the highway to visit the Lake Powell - Wahweap Overlook. I'd tried to go up there a year ago but as I turned on to the road on that visit, my cooler tipped over in the back of my Explorer. Fortunately my sleeping bag was laid out so it soaked up all of the melted ice water! Anyway, I ended up taking care of that mess and never did get up to the overlook.

This time I did go up there, hitting it before the sun broke over the horizon.

I was disappointed in the location. The view of the lake isn't great from there. The main body of water has the Wahweap Marina in it and it just wasn't that pretty to me. At this time of year (November), the sun is rising in the south-east which means you're shooting towards the Salt River Project-Navajo Generating Station and it's tall stacks. Another feature I don't care to take photographs of.

But, I did get a sunrise shot using my 70-200mm lens so that I could narrow my field of view. However, I really wanted a sunburst but forgot to close down the aperture to f/22. So, here's what I got:

Sunrise over Lake Powell

On to Bryce Canyon National Park?

I headed on up the road, passing in to Utah along U.S. 89. I drove through to Kanab, UT where I again filled up the fuel tank and grabbed another coffee and some Pop Tarts. The next stop I planned on was at Bryce Canyon National Park, about an hour and a half from Kanab.

From U.S. 89 you need to turn east on UT 12, which leads to UT 63, the main road through the park. Before I got to the UT 12 turnoff my Explorer started running rough. I turned on to UT 12 and drove through the Red Canyon and made it to the Chevron / Bryce Canyon Pines General Store at mile marker 10, where I pulled in.

Royal Express Automotive

I decided I better head back to Kanab but when I tried to leave the Chevron I couldn't make it up the very slight incline. I had to do a 3 or 4 point turn on UT 12 because there is not much of a shoulder along the road there, and then made it back to the Chevron parking lot.

After some time, and with my wife working on things from Phoenix, we arranged for a tow (through our auto insurance, State Farm), to Panguitch, UT where there is a transmission shop. Eventually, after a couple of hours, I arrived at Royal Express Automotive.

It turned out my transmission was shot. I ended up staying in Panguitch until the following Thursday before it was replaced. I got my Explorer back at about 3:00 PM on Thursday, November 17, 2016. 

Off to Bryce Canyon National Park - for reals

I had hoped to get the Explorer back by 11:00 AM or so, and then to at least do a drive by on my way back to Phoenix. While I was waiting at the auto shop, I struck up a conversation with a woman who turned out to be the wife of a ranger at Bryce Canyon National Park. She convinced me that I should visit it as long as I was this close. So, after getting the Explorer and its new transmission, I headed there.

It was very cold - my Explorer said 21 degrees Fahrenheit - and pretty windy. Everyone was bundled up. I first went in to the Visitor Center to get my National Park Passport cancellation stamp and picked up a couple of souvenirs.

Then I visited Sunset Point, Bryce Point, and Inspiration Point. The sun was pretty low in the sky and the shots weren't that exciting. The scenery was nice but it was so cold that it was miserable to be out on the viewpoints to take it in. I tried, and I took a few shots, but damn it was cold!

I toyed with staying overnight but I thought I'd seen a weather prediction of temperatures getting to about 6 or 7 degrees Fahrenheit and I just couldn't bring myself to going through that after the week I'd spent already. So I settled for a few shots with the intent on visiting again, hopefully when it is a bit warmer!

Sunset Point Detail

Free Photography Location Notes Form

Photography Notes Form

Photography Notes Word Document

As a follow up to my last post about preparing for a visit to Bryce Canyon National Park, I (finally) took the time to create a Word document that I can fill out with notes about my destination. I've been wishing I had something like this for a while and I'm going to see if I like this form.

If you're interested, you can download my document (http://www.PoppaVein.com/files/PhotoLocationNotes.docx) to see if it's anything you can use. It's written with Microsoft Word 2013.

You can download the word document, save it to your computer, and fill it in when researching a photography destination. You can enter as much or as little detail as necessary. I wish I'd had something like this prepared when I went to Yosemite National Park for the first time. There are a lot of places to see and having some notes about where to go would have made things easier.

Bryce Canyon National Park Notes

I've filled one out to use at Bryce Canyon National Park, including some notes from the site I mentioned in a previous post from Bret Edge : PHOTOGRAPHER’S GUIDE TO BRYCE CANYON NATIONAL PARK.

If you're interested, you can see what I've filled in by downloading it (http://www.poppavein.com/files/PhotoLocationNotes-Bryce.docx).

Preparing for Bryce Canyon National Park

Heading Somewhere New

I've never been to Bryce Canyon National Park but I'm planning to go over the Veteran's Day weekend. It's not too far from my home in Phoenix, Arizona; according to Google it's about a 7 hour drive. That drive is the route through Page, Arizona.

I don't know if I've mentioned it here before, but I drive about everywhere. I haven't flown for probably 10 years and if I can avoid it, I hope to never fly again. I probably only have a normal amount of fear of flying but I have a huge distaste for the hassle of airports and I like driving and having my vehicle with me. That does mean, however, that visiting the east coast of the U.S. takes more time and effort.

Here are some or most or all of the steps I'm going through to prepare to visit somewhere new...

My 3 Point Pre-Visit Checklist

1. Choose a destination
1. Determine the time available and therefore the maximum distance
2. Look on the map for new destinations
3. Look at pictures taken at new destinations
4. Choose the new destination
2. Determine lodging and dining locations
1. Is free camping available?
1. If not, is paid camping available?
1. If not, where are the cheap motels?
2. Where are the cheap eateries like McDonald's?
1. Are there stores available for sandwich makings?
3. Compile a list of photography targets
1. Research any online guides to the destination
2. Do a more thorough review of any online photographs
3. Look at the Photographer's Ephemeris to note sunrise and sunset times and sun locations and moon information with respect to one or more photography targets
4. Create and print a list of photography targets with notes

Gear Checklist

Since I normally take just about everything I own, which is easy when driving my vehicle, the only real checklist items here are:

RAVPower USB / WiFi Hub

1. Cleaning
1. Clean camera sensors 
1. Built in cleaning plus the "Rocket"
2. Once per year have the sensor professionally cleaned
2. Clean lenses
1. Normally dusting and "Rocket" are all that is required
2. Charge all batteries
1. Cameras
2. Kindle
3. USB / WiFi Hub
4. Small recharger

Personal Items

I also need to pack clothes, a toothbrush, and perhaps some deodorant. You never know when those things might come in handy! I actually keep my travel bag mostly packed with my travel clothes so I don't have to do a lot in this area.

If I'm taking my dog Elmer I throw in his blanket, bed, sweater, and dog food.

My notes about Bryce Canyon National Park

When looking for a destination I settled on Zion and / or Bryce Canyon National Park. Zion seemed potentially more interesting, or at least more diverse. However, until after the Veteran's Day weekend, you have to use their shuttle to get around inside the main valley. I didn't like that for 2 reasons: 1) I'd have to carry gear that I thought I'd use while leaving the rest unattended in my vehicle; 2) it automatically excluded the option of taking my dog Elmer. I chose to go to Bryce Canyon.

I'll only have 1 full day at Bryce Canyon, but since I'm still not physically fit enough to do much hiking, that should be fine. I should be able to get 2 sunsets and 2 sunrise opportunities. There are free camping sites such as U.S. Forest Service "Red Canyon" (although it's closed this time of year) or FR088. I intend to leave on Thursday to get a head start, and to camp for free near Sunset Crater NP close to Flagstaff, such as near the park entrance.

I found a few websites that are helpful when it comes to photographing Bryce Canyon National Park including this one from Bret Edge Photography.

I'm looking forward to visiting this new (to me) park and hopefully getting some great shots!

Party of One!

Clouds over the Grand Canyon

Maybe I'm Spoiled

After my recent visit to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon National Park, I can't seem to get motivated to get out to shoot photographs. I've been through this before and I know it will pass but I don't like it. It seems like I'm cheating on myself.

Besides the Grand Canyon, I had been to Yosemite, Sequoia, and Joshua Tree National Parks the month before. Maybe I've just seen too much beauty in the last couple of months! Maybe I just need to refresh!

Recovery Goals

I have been toying with the idea of visiting Zion or Bryce National Parks this month but my motivation is lacking. I'm not sure why.

Zion looks very interesting but you have to use the shuttle to get around the main valley area. That means I'd have to carry camera gear including a tripod onto a shuttle bus and that seems fussy to me. I can't shoot hand held because of my shaky hands. I've learned that much in the last few years. That means that I can just take photographs that would likely be more of a "snapshot" quality and useful for memories or Facebook but probably not anything I'd print and hang on a wall.

Bryce looks a bit less interesting for some reason but you don't have to use the shuttle bus. I'm sure there are some wonderful images to be captured there from the view points and trails. It actually looks more appealing to me and is where I thought I'd go for a day or two this November.

The Impediment

Me on the East Veranda of the Grand Canyon Lodge
North Rim, Grand Canyon National Park

Where ever I go it will once again be by myself. I think that is what I'm somewhat dreading. I recently posted about my dilemma regarding being solo or with others and I'm still struggling with that. I probably always will. Regardless, this will likely be another lonely trip (I've asked around and haven't got anyone else interested).

My wife started a new job and can't go with me. I don't think I'll take my dog Elmer since dogs aren't allowed on the trails and I want to get off of the asphalt (that's why I didn't take him to Yosemite either).

It looks like it'll be me and my Nikon driving for about 7 hours each way to get to Bryce Canyon National Park. I hope it is ready for some chatting and can keep me warm at night!

Quick Post about Equipment Reliability - Updated

I just have a quick post regarding a thought I had today. It must have been a quick thought too!

Tony & Chelsea Northrup on YouTube

I saw a YouTube from Tony and Chelsea Northrup addressing the question "Are Camera Reviews a Waste of Time?" I enjoyed and agree with a lot of the points they make, but somewhere during the course of the video it led me to another thought...

Third Party Devices

I remember when I was first getting into this expensive hobby that somewhere I saw a discussion about what type of additional batteries are good. One person (or perhaps more) said that they'd had issues with 3rd party batteries but others had experienced satisfactory results. One or more others said that they only bought their camera manufacturers batteries and none of them had experienced any problems.

First Party Reliability

Based on my research, I decided to buy Nikon batteries for my additional batteries. Likewise for my lenses. I have bought a few non-Nikon items when the cost just didn't seem to justify the likely results. You can see a list of most of my equipment on this blog by clicking on the "My Gear" link on the lower right side of this page.

In more than 3 years of pursuing photography and spending more than $10,000 on equipment, I can say that I have had very little go wrong with any of the things I've bought. In fact, there are only 2 items that have had issues:

1. Level indicator that mounts on the shoe
2. Opteka GPS

The level indicator was one of those cube types with the 3 way bubble indicators and green fluid. I used it a lot on my Nikon D3200. I'm not sure what happened to it but one time when I went to use it the fluid had leaked out. It had cost maybe $5.00. I haven't replaced it because I mainly use my D610 and it has an electronic level indicator that I use.

The Opteka GPS broke because of my actions. It mounts on the shoe too, and I often left it mounted. One time I put the camera in the back of my car with the GPS still mounted and eventually either the camera slid or I sat something else on top of it. The damage was not due to the device. That device is about $35 or so (note: I decided to buy one of the cheaper brands instead of the Nikon brand because the Nikon GP-1A GPS Unit is about $250 and sticks out of the camera in an even more awkward manner. I could buy about 7 of the Opteka units for the price of the Nikon unit).

All in all, I have to say I've had great experience with everything on my list. And, being hardware, I've had little frustration - unlike my experience with software during that time! I still think it's probably better to buy name brand when possible but for the cheaper things I've bought I have not been let down there either.

Update, 12/6/2016

Hakuba PSTC200 Tripod Case
Get this one!

I remembered another item that I had issues with, a VidPro 35 inch Tripod Carrying Case for $14.95. I may have used it for a year before it fell apart. The cheap zipper came apart at some point but I could still carry my tripod in it to the car and it provided a bit of protection. I don't use the tripod bag out of the car - I just store my tripod in the bag in the house and use the bag to carry the tripod, the tripod strap, a cleaning rag, a screwdriver, and the Manfrotto socket wrench. When I'm shooting, I either just have the tripod on my back with the tripod strap or I'm carrying it in my hand. The bag just provides a bit of protection on the floor of my car in the back seat.

At any rate, the VidPro is junk and a waste of money. I replaced it with a Hakuba PSTC200 Tripod Case from Adorama for $37.79, about 3 times the cost of the VidPro but well worth it. The Hakuba is wonderful. Heavy duty zippers, much thicker padding, and room enough for two tripods.