Reflections of 2016

Looking at 2016

I just received an award at my day job yesterday for being an employee for 15 years. It is near the end of the calendar year. Both of these events have caused me to reflect on this last year of 2016.

My DJI Phantom 3 Advanced

I spent a lot of time this past year dealing with health issues. Nothing too terrible, just sinus infections including Allergic Fungal Sinusitis, a nasty little collection of issues that resulted in a lot of down time and 3 surgeries.

At the beginning of the year I added a DJI Phantom 3 Advanced to my photography kit. I wanted to like it but ended up being very disappointed with the still image quality to the point that I am selling it. The video capabilities might be fun for some but I am not looking to do video. The still images are barely useful for posting on social media in my opinion.

I also don't like flying the thing. I got it after it went on sale at the beginning of the year for about $800 for the basic drone but it's still too much money for me to want to lose by running it in to something. It's just not for me.

Arizona's Raptor Experience 

Luna the barn owl
Arizona's Raptor Experience

I didn't really get out to shoot photography until May when I visited the Arizona's Raptor Experience in Chino Valley, Arizona, with a fellow shipmate from my last Navy ship, the USS Paul F. Foster DD-964 where we served together for such fun deployments as the first gulf war.

We spent a few hours shooting various raptors as the owners placed them on various features such as stumps which they had staged around their grounds. It was pretty amazing! I got a few shots that I liked, but the ones of the Harris Hawk in flight made me realize I don't have much practice or skill at capturing birds in flight!

Snowy Egret at Gilbert Riparian Preserve
Gilbert, Arizona

I did get this image of a snowy egret at the Gilbert Riparian Preserve in Gilbert, Arizona, which is my best shot of a bird in flight to date.

My birding experiences made me realize that I really wanted a longer lens. After reviewing the Sigma, Tamron, and Nikon lenses, I chose the AF-S NIKKOR 200-500mm f/5.6E ED VR. I didn't get out and try it much until later in the year...

In May I also dovetailed in a 1 night excursion  to the Chiricahua National Monument to shoot the Milky Way. I got a decent capture of it and enjoyed my overnight trip.

And, in May, I squeezed in a very short and unproductive visit to Saguaro National Park near Tucson, Arizona. Unfortunately I was only there during mid-day and did not even bother taking any photographs.

After my birding excursions I had a couple of surgeries and during the recovery (as well as a lot of the entire year) I spent my down time reading John Muir books which generated a great desire to visit Yosemite National Park. I put in a request for vacation for the first week of September, following the Labor Day weekend (a holiday for most people in the United States).

California Here I Come

I stayed in 3 California parks: Joshua Tree for one night, Yosemite for 3 nights, and Sequoia for 1 night. I got some shots that I like a bit but I know I could do better so I'm planning to head back sometime. I really want to get back to Yosemite in the early spring in order to try to get some photographs of snow on the ground. And, when I was there in early September, there was very little water in the falls. Yosemite falls was non-existent.

Moon over Joshua Tree National Park, California

Half Dome and El Capitan
Yosemite National Park, California

Sequoia at Sunrise
Sequoia National Park, California

More Parks for Me!

After I got home from my California parks, I was still feeling good (must have been the steroids I was on!) so I decided to take a day trip with my wife and our dogs up to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument and Waputki National Monument, both near Flagstaff, Arizona. After she saw that, I talked her into spending a couple of nights at the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park.

Sunset in Ruins
Waputki National Monument
Arizona

We went to the North Rim of the Grand Canyon for another 3-day holiday weekend for Columbus Day. I got a couple of shots of the canyon that I like but I also got some shots of wild bison that captured a wonderful experience of sitting on the ground  a few feet in front of wild and un-caged bison!

Sunrise at Walhalla Overlook
North Rim Grand Canyon National Park
Arizona

Wild Bison
North Rim Grand Canyon National Park
Arizona

And finally, not wanting to be done for the year, I decided to visit Utah's Bryce Canyon National Park over the Veteran's Day 3-day weekend in November. This trip ended up with the transmission on my Ford Explorer giving out so my visit at the actual park was cut short but I got a shot or two that I like. 

Sunset at Sunset Point
Bryce Canyon National Park
Utah

Six National Parks in 2016

The year's not quite over but I'm not sure if I'll get to any more National Parks before the end of the year. I've got half a notion to try to get to the Petrified Forest National Park but we'll see if I make it. Regardless, I visited 5 National Parks and 3 National Monuments this year that I had never been to before (I visited the North Rim of the Grand Canyon in 2015). 

In every park I got to see something that was new and amazing. There were always photography opportunities that challenged my artistic eye and photographic abilities. Some places actually took my breath away when dealing with the view or the heights or the bison.

Besides the bison, I got to see some other wonderful animals in their natural habitats which is much better than a zoo. I had some medical issues to contend with but it ended up making me appreciate the times that I got out even that much more and makes my photographs more personal as well since they captured what I was able to see and do in 2016. I hope your year was good for you too!

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

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!