Like Mecca is to Muslims, like Yosemite is to rock climbers, The Southwest is to photographers. Eventually you WILL go there to photograph.
I've been lucky, I've had Guy Tal and Simon to guide me around and show me the hot spots. If I didn't have these guides I might not have been to the places I've been to so far. Guy had a copy of Laurent Martres' guidebook "Photographing the Southwest" in his car on our recent trip and while driving around I had a chance to look it over and read some descriptions. When I came home I immediately bought the book and would highly recommend it to anyone.
It has great photos, driving and hiking descriptions and phtographic tips.
I spent nearly two months last winter touring nearly every region in Utah and Northern Arizona. I visited every national park and monument as well as many other locations shooting over 200 rolls of film. I agree the open landscapes, dramatic and diverse weather, climate zones and unique geological locations make the area very appealing to photographers. That said, if I could pick only one place to stay the rest of my life and photograph, it would be Oregon. The southwest is amazing but not as diverse (and it's very diverse) The Southwest is a wonderful place to visit. I may end up down there again this spring with Guy and others.
Posted by Tomas Kaspar on March 2, 2006 at 8:47 PM
I agree with Marc. I believe that PNW has so much more to offer, but some of its best locations are away from roads and bussy parking lots, which is what makes SW so popular.
Best of luck to you. Maybe I will see you down there in April ?
Tomas
I believe that PNW has so much more to offer, but some of its best locations are away from roads and bussy parking lots, which is what makes SW so popular.
I bought the book last night. Nancy & I are working on saving up a big cache of vacation time so for now we're not heading out much at all. But I do know we'll be looking forward to a nice long foray through the SW once our vacation cache builds back up. Two long trips to Maui in two years really drained our vacation cache... But oh was it worth it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Let me try to avoid any sort of competition between the NW and SW because to do so would be to speak negatively about either area, which I can't do. I do think Tomas has a valid point though. Utah has five national parks and lots of national monuments. This provides quick public access to many of it's most scenic areas. In Oregon and Washington, there is not nearly the same amount of public access to the best areas with exceptions of the gorge, a small portion of Rainier and Crater lake in the summer and is also home to the least populated region in the lower 48 (SE Oregon) and the most rugged wilderness (the North Cascades) However, Utah has more roadless (unofficial) wilderness areas but these areas offer much the same grand scenery found in it's national parks and monuments. Tourism to Utah parks is also twenty times what we recieve in Oregon, at nearly ten million visitors/year.
Twenty five years ago I found myself unemployed and with few prospects anywhere near my home in central Illinois.
I new it was time to move and that there were only two regions of the country that I would ever want to live in. Either the Northwest or Southwest would be my home. I chose the Southwest and New Mexico, I've never been sorry. I also travel to the Northwest every chance I get. We're all very lucky to live in a great and beautiful land
P.S. I'll wave to you all as you head to the SW this spring since I'm headed for the NW in late April and early May.
Excellent recommendation Mark. I spend a lot of time in both the PNW and the SW, and please don't ask me to choose between them!
Anyone traveling to the SW should do their research simply because the place is so huge and accessible. You can fritter away a lot of valuable time simply getting from place to place, much less wandering around with your mouth hanging open or idling in a special spot and waiting for light. Heck, I spend 5 months a year down there, and even that's not enough to satisfy both my wanderlust and time for photos. After a long winter, laying in the sun on a big sandstone ledge and watching the clouds drift can seduce you away from driving three hours to another spot. Add in a good bottle of wine, a little cheese and a hard crust of good bread, and it's nap time!
Much too soon your time will be gone, and unless you stay a little methodical about it, you can't cover half of what you think you should. The book is invaluable for that.
Discussion
9 repliesI've been lucky, I've had Guy Tal and Simon to guide me around and show me the hot spots. If I didn't have these guides I might not have been to the places I've been to so far. Guy had a copy of Laurent Martres' guidebook "Photographing the Southwest" in his car on our recent trip and while driving around I had a chance to look it over and read some descriptions. When I came home I immediately bought the book and would highly recommend it to anyone.
It has great photos, driving and hiking descriptions and phtographic tips.
Buy it here. Make sure you get the 2nd edition.
Best of luck to you. Maybe I will see you down there in April ?
Tomas
Utah:
Inventoried roadless area: 4,013,000 acres
BLM managed land: 22,869,246 acres
Oregon:
Inventoried roadless area: 1,965,000 acres
BLM managed land: 16,135,459 acres
Guy
I new it was time to move and that there were only two regions of the country that I would ever want to live in. Either the Northwest or Southwest would be my home. I chose the Southwest and New Mexico, I've never been sorry. I also travel to the Northwest every chance I get. We're all very lucky to live in a great and beautiful land
P.S. I'll wave to you all as you head to the SW this spring since I'm headed for the NW in late April and early May.
Anyone traveling to the SW should do their research simply because the place is so huge and accessible. You can fritter away a lot of valuable time simply getting from place to place, much less wandering around with your mouth hanging open or idling in a special spot and waiting for light. Heck, I spend 5 months a year down there, and even that's not enough to satisfy both my wanderlust and time for photos. After a long winter, laying in the sun on a big sandstone ledge and watching the clouds drift can seduce you away from driving three hours to another spot. Add in a good bottle of wine, a little cheese and a hard crust of good bread, and it's nap time!
Much too soon your time will be gone, and unless you stay a little methodical about it, you can't cover half of what you think you should. The book is invaluable for that.